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Outlaw Tour

Started by leroys73, November 10, 2016, 10:41:47 PM

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leroys73

My special needs daughter is short and "round".  She needed some Gore Tex motorcycle pants so she would not have to add another layer in the rain.  Plus I needed a road trip since I broke my leg resulting in me spending too much time in the Lazy Boy.  So a trip to Duluth, MN and Aerostich was in order.  Aerostich will measure her and get the fit correct.

I contacted a dear friend of mine, Steve.  We have been very close buddies for over 55 years.  He was in for it.  We turned it into visiting historical places tour.

Our wives were glad to get rid of us for a few days and wished us well and we were off.  My wife told me to take her Challenger she was so glad to get me out of the house. 

Our first stop was Coffeeville, KS, where  the Dalton Gang tried to rob two banks at the same time.  The townspeople took matters into their own hands.  Their career was ended.  Emmett Dalton was the only one to survive. 

We spent the night in far eastern Kansas City, MO.  The next day we visited the first bank in the US to be robbed in the daytime during peacetime.  The James Gang is credited to that record.  Then it was off to the James Farm near Kearney, MO.  This is where Jessie and Frank James grew up.  It was an excellent tour.  The tour enlightens people about how times were politically when the boys were growing up in that area of Missouri during the 1850s and 1860s, very rough.

After spending the night in Forest Lake, MN we had to go to Northfield, MN where the James-Younger gang robbed a bank but the town people did not let them leave without a lot of shooting and many holes in the gang members' bodies.

Our stop at Aerostich was very successful, for them, as I ended up buying not only the pants but a new jacket for my daughter.  I am glad I did both.  They are not cheap but they are top quality.  Now she will have a set of good quality, armoured riding outfit that is as waterproof as possible.  One less layer to deal with at bathroom stops. 

After leaving Aerostich we went to the Richard Bong Memorial Museum in Superior, WI.  Medal of Honor recipient Richard Bong was the top ace in World War II with 40 kills all in the Lockheed P-38 while serving in the Pacific.  He became a test pilot before the war was over.  He was killed at age 25 while testing a P-80, an early jet, on August 6, 1945.  This was the same day we dropped the first atomic bomb on Japan.  He had only been married a few months.

From Superior we headed west on US 2 with a night in Grand Rapids, MN.  The next day we visited the Headwaters of the Mississippi River.  We actually walked through the river from one side to the other.  It is hard to believe that wide river at Memphis, TN actually starts this small.  By the way, the Headwaters State Park is very nice. I camped there a few years ago and enjoyed it very much. 

Our next stop was in Rugby, ND, so we could say we were at the geographical center of North America.  I believe it is actually a little south in a field but the "monument" is in Rugby.

Our next stop was at Fort Mandan, ND.  The Lewis and Clark Expedition spent their first winter here.  They built it in a few weeks.  They arrived there in early November.  At least one night the temps dropped to minus 47 degrees plus a strong wind.  The Fort tour was good and did not take much time.  The Museum was good also.

We planned to stop at Sitting Bull's grave but I was not paying attention so we missed it.

The next stop would be the geographic center of the 48 states near Lebanon, KS.  The actual spot is on private land but it is close.  The geographic center of the 50 states is celebrated in Belle Fourche, SD but it is a few miles north of town.  I have been there but not on this trip.

From here we headed for home.  Our wives needed us to do their laundry plus my daughter needed to get back for school.  Steve and I are retired but The Wives still work so we are "house husbands". 

This was a very good trip.  We all enjoyed it very much.  It was a 3000 mile trip in seven days.  I am used to long days and many miles on a motorcycle so it was an easy trip by car for me.  It was a little long for Steve but he enjoyed it. 

     

     
'73 Vette, '72 Monte Carlo, ;11 Green with Envy Challenger R/T,Ram, RoyalStarVenture S,USA Honda VTX1300R ridden 49states &11provinces,Driven cars in50 states+DC&21countries,OverseasBrats;IronButt:MileEatersilver,SS1000Gold,SS3000,3xSS2000,18xSS1000, 3TX1000,6BB1500,NPT,LakeSuperiorCircleTour



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