The giant WG National threadfest

[JJ]

Hey!!  Not all of us are Geezers yet...plenty of years ahead for us "youngsters" before we reach that hallowed stage of life!!

Sadly, at 62 (63 in August) I have already morphed into that level, so I can tease a bit..  ....but I am still riding...still hiking...still moving...still working full-time...still traveling...and most of all...still enjoying life...so God willing...I can go another 15-20 years....

[oldbike54]

Well...that could be our first Skype picture then!  Dusty fast asleep in his Tuxedo!

 More likely a pic in my rally jammies 

 Dusty

[Chuck in Indiana]

Hey, all you Guzzi guys (and girls) that I've met *once.* Do me a favor and just tell me who you are when I meet you again. There's a place in your brain that stores places and faces, and mine took a pretty good hit one time. I don't recognize faces  unless I have seen you *many* times. Nothing I can do about it, and it's not that I don't care about you. Pretty embarrassing, actually.
I remember names really well. Faces? Uh, nope. 
We're packed and headed out in the morning. See you Thursday. Again. 

[Texas Turnip]

Is there a quality smoke shop around there? I smoke 5 or 6 stoogies a day and don't want to carry that many to the rally.

Thanks, Tex

[oldbike54]

Is there a quality smoke shop around there? I smoke 5 or 6 stoogies a day and don't want to carry that many to the rally.

Thanks, Tex

 Ken , what do you consider "high quality" ? I would probably stop along the way, although there might be decent stogies available in Ark City .

 Dusty

[LowRyter]

OK - Roger that...5pm MST, 7pm CST - - and we will probably DINE ( ) on local pizza at about 6-6:30pm...

some of us will be doing useful things instead, like smoking cigars and drinking beer. 

priorities. 

[twowings]

Your best bets for cigars are Pawhuska and Bartlesville...ever ything closer to Cedar Vale will probably be of the convenience-store quality...

Unless you stop in Tulsa which has several fine cigar purveyors...YMMV

http://www.cigarboxtulsa.com/
http://www.fogueandbates.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TulsaHillsCigarCellarMarket

[LowRyter]

Chris, I always have a partagas or macanudo with me.  Scotch too. 

I have two boxes in my tupperware humidor.   

[oldbike54]

 For our Wednesday arrivals , it may be a bit damp and windy , but the park is sheltered , and the pavilion will keep us dry . Dave , maybe you can position your van to block the North wind , and we can pull out the awning . On Thursday the weather will begin to improve , and by Friday it will be spectacular .

 Dusty

[Guzzistajohn]

Is anyone coming from the east through Missouri? Interstate 44 is closed in St Louis at the Merrimack river, also between rolla and Lebanon mo on the Roaring Roubidoux. Traffic on 44 is being diverted to 60 to the south and its closed down to two lanes. More rain ☔️ in the forecast tonight. Keep your powder dry out there!

[Chuck in Indiana]

Is anyone coming from the east through Missouri? Interstate 44 is closed in St Louis at the Merrimack river, also between rolla and Lebanon mo on the Roaring Roubidoux. Traffic on 44 is being diverted to 60 to the south and its closed down to two lanes. More rain ☔️ in the forecast tonight. Keep your powder dry out there!

Thanks for that.. I'm looking for alternates as we speak.

[oldbike54]

Thanks for that.. I'm looking for alternates as we speak.

 In fact it might be worthwhile to check with the appropriate agencies for road closures in MO , KS , and OK due to all of the rain recently . Most of the major roads are fine , but some of the smaller roads have experienced washed out bridges . The park in CV will be fine , it is sloped slightly and the ground is sandy .

 Dusty

[ChuckH]

Is anyone coming from the east through Missouri? Interstate 44 is closed in St Louis at the Merrimack river, also between rolla and Lebanon mo on the Roaring Roubidoux. Traffic on 44 is being diverted to 60 to the south and its closed down to two lanes. More rain ☔️ in the forecast tonight. Keep your powder dry out there! 

Where is the Merrimack River?  Nick and I are expecting to go around St Louis tomorrow on I-70, I-255, I-270, I-44.  I don't see that river crossing those roadways.

As far as the detour around Rolla to Lebanon -- can you post tomorrow if that situation has improved at all?  We are expecting to stay in a motel in Springfield tomorrow night.   Thanks.

[Guzzistajohn]

Where is the Merrimack River?  Nick and I are expecting to go around St Louis tomorrow on I-70, I-255, I-270, I-44.  I don't see that river crossing those roadways.

As far as the detour around Rolla to Lebanon -- can you post tomorrow if that situation has improved at all?  We are expecting to stay in a motel in Springfield tomorrow night.   Thanks.

d

The Merrimack is west St. Louis county near valley park and Fenton 44 is closed west of 270. I'll pm you my cell digits I live in Springfield, call when you get here. The closure at mm 129 near rolla has the highway totally washed away in huge slabs of pavement. Could be a week or more according to modot, truck traffic is being diverted across I-70

[JJ]

Hey, all you Guzzi guys (and girls) that I've met *once.* Do me a favor and just tell me who you are when I meet you again. There's a place in your brain that stores places and faces, and mine took a pretty good hit one time. I don't recognize faces  unless I have seen you *many* times. Nothing I can do about it, and it's not that I don't care about you. Pretty embarrassing, actually.
I remember names really well. Faces? Uh, nope. 
We're packed and headed out in the morning. See you Thursday. Again. 

Hi Chuck! I found the photos!! March 18-19, 2011, on a ride to one of the missions south of San Jose and Solvang Motorcycle Museum.....and that's where we met! 

[LowRyter]

writing of motorcycle museums, this one is about an hour's ride from CV up Hwy 77 (or 2 hrs on the back road that follows the creek).

[twowings]

Thanks for that.. I'm looking for alternates as we speak.

Chuck, use US-36 to KS-99

[Guzzistajohn]

Chuck, use US-36 to KS-99

Or 36 west to mo 65 south, then 23 south and it'll drop you right on Harper's near knob knoster and whiteman an AFb you might even see a stealth bomber and then jump over to 13 south to Springfield mo and west to the vale of cedars 

<shrug> <shrug> <shrug>

Two more inches of the wet stuff predicted tonight for the sho-me state. How highs the water momma???

Six feet high and rising!   

[PJPR01]

Sounds like we need to be bringing mosquito repellent as well and citronella candles!!

[JJ]

Sounds like we need to be bringing mosquito repellent as well and citronella candles!!

In general, we don't suffer too much from "SKEETERS"  here in the Sonoran Desert and in northern AZ (it's too dry...)

[Guzzistajohn]

In general, we don't suffer too much from "SKEETERS"  here in the Sonoran Desert and in northern AZ (it's too dry...)

Usually enough wind the skeeters can't land out on the lone prairie

[Chuck in Indiana]

The girl in the Google box is pretty amazing.  She routed us around the detour on 44, down a "closed " road back to 44. Nobody was on 44.  We're checking out the contents of our cooler in a roach motel in Lebanon.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Hi Chuck! I found the photos!! March 18-19, 2011, on a ride to one of the missions south of San Jose and Solvang Motorcycle Museum.....and that's where we met! 

Hi, JJ!
Actually, I remember you. .I've seen your picture many times. 
But.
If I  met you in a non motorcycle event,  all bets are off. 

[ChuckH]

The girl in the Google box is pretty amazing.  She routed us around the detour on 44, down a "closed " road back to 44. Nobody was on 44.  We're checking out the contents of our cooler in a roach motel in Lebanon. 

OK Chuck, Tell us more. 

Nick and I would like to run I-44 from St Louis to Springfield but we're hearing that the road is closed in a couple of locations because of the high water.  The first road closing is supposed to be near I-270 in St Louis.  The second, and the most serious, is near Lebanon.  Which one did you get around without difficulty??

Thanks.

The other Chuck

[oldbike54]

 Dangit fellas , sorry about the difficulty finding a straight shot across MO . Wasn't aware of how bad it is until this morning . Race Bacon , can you help us out here ?

 

 Checking Kansas now , I think 166 is OK , will try to verify .

 Dusty

[guzzisteve]

Looks like there's more coming.

[LowRyter]

Kansas City is a nice place to visit if you're heading across on 70. 

[Guzzistajohn]

Look above^^^ you can take 36 or 70 then cut south. I wouldn't go as far west as kc. There are plenty of diagonal routes across missouri

[Guzzistajohn]

Local news announced 44 still closed near StL. Open again between rolla and Lebanon. They have a detour in StL taking rt 100 (Manchester rd) wouldn't want to be on that detour @ rush hour however.

[Zoom Zoom]

Sitting in a Quality Inn in Springfield looking at the giant green/tallow/red blob on radar. It appears Springfield is on the bottom edge of it all. IDK, we **might** hold up for a day and come in tomorrow. We'll have to decide before check out time. The news said the interstate reopened sometime this morning. Had we come that way. it is likely we would have been detoured.

Yesterday, we stopped in Kentucky for fuel and a local advised us of ferry crossings being closed due to high water. Rather than going the route I had planned. we headed up to Marion Ky. where we had either a bridge or ferry to cross. We crossed the Ohio on a ferry that runs there. The Ohio was very big at that point and the flooding surely added to that. Eventually, we dropped back into Sikeston, Mo. where a local told us of possible road closings. That was early afternoon local time. We contacted the highway patrol and found 60 was open all the way to Springfield. We struck out for that rather than get caught somewhere in the middle. A very long day was had by us but the weather was nice and I figure it was the best thing we could have done. Coming across 60, there were still a couple spots where we were routed to the eastbound lanes to get by a flooded section of road. It is likely that there are more spots now flooded between here and Sikeston. Anyhow, a decent steak and a long island ice tea made the evening. 

John Henry