2017 Trip to Carson City, NV -49th Capitol, Death Valley, Route 66 at age 66, Oklahoma City, Ship Rock, Four Corners, North Rim, Monument Valley, Zion, Las Vegas, Astra Zeneca and more

1. Thisis a 8,240 mile adventure in which I visitedover120 differentplaces/ sitescoveringtwenty four (24) States. The Tripincludingseeing ten(10) of our
Capitolsbringingmytotal to 49 and nine (9) Manufacturing Plantsbringingmytotal to 744. The tripincluded eleven(11) National Park Service sites andfive
(5) National Parks. Three (3) new – BlackCanyonof the Gunnison,GreatBasinand Zion. Two (2) were repeats– DeathValleyandYosemite.
The lowpointwas Badwater at 282 feetandcampingat Furnance Creekat 180 feetbelowsea level.
The High pointswere ‘The Trip’,OurGreat Southwest, seeingmy48th
& 49th
Capitol andbeingwith Friendsand Family.– Gary.L.Burgess@gmail.com
Sunday - Day 1 – September17th
- Capitol 1 – What is in your Wallet?– Montgomery,Al

2. Monday - Day 2 – September18th
– Secretaryof State - JohnH. Merrill – I am 6’2” and do not meet many taller… (I carried a second set of keys
when I went to the Arctic along with a whistle. - Remember Rose / Kate Winslet in that 1997 Movie – it saved her.)
My Tour Guide / Docent,Mr. Aroine Irby participatedinthe FreedomMarchfrom Selmatowithin½”of the Capitol Grounds inMontgomery /March 7–25, 1965
(18 days). Atthe time AfricanAmericanswerenotallowedinside the Capitol. NowMr.Irby is a Tour Guide andmore…

3. Monday - Day 2 – September18th
- Vicksburg NP– USS Cairo. The Cairo wasthe firstshiptobe sunkbya mine remotelydetonated onDecember12,1862. She
was found in 1956.
There are onlyfoursurvivingCivil War-eraironcladsinexistence, USSMonitor,CSS Neuse,USSCairo, and CSS Jackson.

4. Wednesday - Day4 – September20th
- Duck, Duck, Goose….Beautyand the Beast…Yellowisthe colorof the Day…. (Whenyouweara helmetall day – don’t
expect‘goodhair’.

5. Wednesday - Day4 - September20th
- Lock ThemUP! - The OldCapitol of Little Rock,Arkansas – nowa Museum. Ihave seen‘OldCapitols’inDover,DE,
Jackson,MS, Little Rock,AR,Carson City,NV andIowa City,IA. I alsostoppedby three (3) Governor’sMansions – bringingmytotal to nine (9) countingthe
White Hourse which I toured with my wife Karen in 1973. I have yetto be in anyof our Governor’sMansionsandwasturnedawayfrom the Governor’s
Mansionin Jackson,MS.
There isdiscriminationagainstbikers –especiallyathotels. Oftenyouhave totake a room by the front deskand / or are givenaroom bythe frontdeskdespite
your requestfora quietroomawayfromelevators,ice machines,dancingelephants,etc. Ihave beenmistreated/liedtoby Trooper Grant Lonski inBismark,
ND, ChristopherRust? MS State Capitol Police inJackson,MSand by an Officerin OklahomaCity,OK.
OklahomaCitywasveryminorinnature as I askedhimtotake some picturesforme and he saidhe couldnot. Afterwe talked forawhile he tookpicturesof me
as he was impressedwithmygoingtoCarsonCityand havinggone tothe ArcticCircle andbeyond. Beingpartof the PatriotGuard alsohelped,he didnottake
picturesof the Governor’sMansionbutdid take picturesof me whichcan be seenonthe nextpage.
CarsonCity OldCapitol andmy49th
wasa highlightof mytripuntil aheavysetofficercame downcame downand saidsarcastically –takingpictures,thenstared
at me the entire time until Ileft.

6. Day 6 – September22nd
- Governor’sMansioninOklahoma. – Wholet the Dogs Out? Who,who, who,who… “Yep,she wentwithOkie – a derogatoryname
giventothe poor Oklahomanswhofledthe state forCaliforniaduringthe DustBowl …Seriously,if youneedmore proof thatMary Fallinmaybe the dumbest
Governorinthe US” – Othertwoare named Trooper (lookingup) andHot Dog / Burny (inthe back). https://www.thelostogle.com/2014/07/08/mary-fallin-
didnt-name-her-dog-trooper/

7. Day 7 September23rd - CadillacRanch – Work done by aliens.(Itwaswindyanddustyso ‘flightgoogles’are down.) This1974 installationof usedorjunk
Cadillacautomobiles,representsthe evolutionof the carline coveringmostnotablythe birthanddeathof the definingfeature of midtwentiethcentury
Cadillacstailfinsfrom1949 to 1963. Theyare half-buriedatanangle correspondingtothatof the Great Pyramidof Giza.
Day 6 September22nd
– Having donuts andcoffee withmynewbuds. (Orsix (6) Amarillopolice bikes–not theylike manyridersdonotlockup theirhelmets. –
I have an XXXLhelmetandcannotaffordto lose itespeciallyonatripso I lockmine up.)

8. Day 14 SaturdaySeptember23rd
Half way onRoute US 66 – Adrian,TX. Many bikersfromEurope includingthe FamousIrish66ers’ take thisfamousroadfrom
Chicagoto Los Angeles.
Day 13 – September22nd
ElkCity,OK and the National Route 66 Museumwiththe OldTown Museumwith ElkCity'sownSusanPowell MissAmerica1981 anda
lotmore. Italso includesthe Farm& Ranch andBlacksmithMuseumwithearlyfarmandranch life inwesternOklahoma.

9. Day 6 – September22nd
- Inside Oklahoma’sCapitol withthe Guardian–1/16th
and 16/16ths Native Americans. Oklahoma’sCapitol hasaonce functional oil
well infront of it.

10. Day 7 – September23rd
- MesalandsDinosaurMuseum, Tucumcari,NM – OK we are related…the Mesozoicperiod or‘The Age of Dinosaurs.’Or the Triassic,
Jurassicand Cretaceousperiods.

11. Day 9 – September23rd
- BreakfastwithMyBrothers at That's a Burger – Shiprock,NM. FranklinEllisonwithHis FatherHenry/MotherJeanDegay. Franklin’s
GrandfatherswenttoGallupto geta jobat whichtime theywere bothgivenSocial SecurityNumbersand “Christian”namesfromabook. One was given the
name Bowman,the otherEllison. FranklintookhisGrandfather’sname.

12. Day 9 - Shiprock – PreparingmyWingfor a little more gravel roadridingandcrossing a ‘Cattle Crossing / Guard / Gate’ thatCattle will notcross – ‘Don’t Put
Your Foot Down while Riding.’
I addedaboutfifty(50) milesof gravel roadsthistrip – not that I wantedtoadd any,bringingmytotal to 1,250+/- onmy currentWing.I alsohave about 1,500
Ocean MilescountingcrossingLake Michigan.

13. Day 9 - Canyou name the four (4) states that I visited all at once? Yabeny (right) ispart of the Táchii'nii (RedStreakRunning into Water) clan. She was born
to Tó'aheedliinii (WaterFlowsTogether) clan. Hermaternal grandfatherisTábaahí (By the Water'sEdge),and paternal grandfatherisKinlichíi'nii (RedHouse).
Yabeny’sjewelrytookcare of about 14 of my needsforgifts/souvenirsforfriendsandfamily. Iboughtoverhalf herarrowheadnecklacesandwishIhadbought
all she had. Yabenypottery@gmail.com /www.mkt.com/yabenypottery.com/505 320 4754
My firstwordsas a babywas waterand I have beenconsideredanexpertonpure water – I knewthere wassomethingthatattractedme to Yabenyandher art.

14. Day 9 - Good Boy – Thanksfor PoweringMyTrip – WheninRome do as Romans do…I am eating Navajo(whose true name isDine pronouncedDinnah)
traditional food.
Althoughvarious mutton/ corn dishesare more ‘Navajo’ –I do not like butmutton. My sisterisnot100% sure thatwe are 1/16th
Indian. I thinkitis time we try
www.ancestrydna.com

15. Day 9 - Easy Rider – Born to be Wild - Get yourmotor runnin'- Head out on the highway - Lookin' for adventure - Andwhatevercomesourway… Heavymetal
thunder– (Thistripincludedseeingover120 sites/places.)
My Mama alwayssaidyou've gotto put the past behindyoubefore youcanmove on.” – ForrestGump
An "AgingHippie"asksif Forrestcouldthinkof agood sloganforhisnewbumperstickerbusiness.Justthen,Forreststepsintoalarge pile of dogshit,surprising
the oldman, inwhich, Forrestreactsjustby saying"It happens." Thisresultedinthe phrase “ShitHappens.”

16. Day 9 - MonumentValley,NM- Do these RockFormationsmake me look FAT?
You have to stopfor the sunsets,eventhoughIwaslate gettingtoMarble Canyon.

17. Day 10 – September26th
- You shouldhave sawitthisMorning and waitto sunset – itwill take yourbreathaway. Relaxingafterawonderful lunchwithacorner
viewinthe Grand CanyonLodge – North Rim.
My serverlivedinhiscamperworkingthe Canyonwithhiswife duringthe summer. He thenworkedinChinadoingdesign duringthe springandfall. He would
winterinWashington,hishome state,andtravel toS.Americato see hiswife’sfamily.

18. Day 11 – September27th
I didnot stop40 yearsago as theirlaundry was broke. We endedupinVegaseatinga $2 steakdinnerat1:00 AMand sleepinginthe
desert. (Howthingschange)
Alienseennear ZionNational Park – fake news. The Marble CanyonLodge had Rhodes/I mean Roads Scholars fromNAU – NorthernArizonaUniversity each
yearat thistime.

19. Day 11 – ZionEarlyin the Morning - I saw the light,Isaw the light/ Nomore darkness/no more night – Hank Williams
Mine is the sunlight - Mine isthe morning- Born of the one lightEdensaw play - Praise withelation,praise ev'rymorning - God'srecreationof the newday – Cat
Stevens,BobDylanandLeonardCohenamongthe bestto my ear / psyche’
You needtoget to Zionearlyinthe morningas bynoon itis full and crowded.

20. Day 11 - September27th
– My Man Trump – Making America Great/ Shootingwas October 1st

21. Day 11 – You got to love LasVegas – Bellagioisthe Prettiest andwasmyfavorite butnow I am likingTrumpTowers. Five Thousand$100 dollar bills (Eleven
Pounds) and One HappyBiker.

22. Day 11 – This is why I ride a YellowBike – so I can be seen. Do youthinkI wouldbe seenif Iwas ridinga blackbike? –Real ForrestGump Fans – ShitHappens!

23. Day 12 – September28th
– DeathValley isthe Hottest,the Driestand the Lowest.
FredFlintsone andBarneyRubble - “Meetthe Flintstones…Whenyou're withthe Flintstones/ You'll have ayabba dabba doo time /A dabba doo time / You'll
have a gay oldtime. CliffDwellers- Stone House is8.5 miles Westof Marble CanyonLodge andwas originallyaresturantandgasstationrun by a couple whose
car broke downat thisspotin 1927. How they got the rock on topfor a roof is a question?

24. Day 12 - September29th
Morning / sunrise andit isalready gettinghot. Day 11 – September28th
Campsite inDeathValley’sFurnance CreekCampgroundwhich
is190 feetbelowsea level.
‘Baked Biker’ Recipe
Preheatashpaltto150o
F+ startingat the break of dawnfor 12+ hours. Seasontotaste byridingin100o
F heatinfull gearfor3 to 6 hours.Lay self inflating
sleepingbagpad,that no longerholdsair, down.Coverwitha$30 – 30o
F sleepingbag– thenlaydownon surface about30 minutesaftersunset. Stripnaked
and beginsweating–take an houror soto fall asleep. Wake about3:00 AMcold andhavingto go pee. Let‘rest’ byputtingclotheson. About6:00 AMwhen
morningbreaks ‘BakedBiker’isreadytobe served. Small Bikersserve 75+/- people. Largerbikersserver125 +/-.

25. Day 14 – I have a T-Shirtto prove it. Day 11 – Las Vegasand TV’Gold & SilverPawn – unfortunatelyIdidnotsell orpawnbut bought.

26. Day 15 – October1st
Long Way for a Great Hamburgerat WalkerBurgerinColeville (Walker),CA alongHwy395 whichI learnedabouton the GoldWing Forums
fromMichael Holmes of Oregon?

27. Day 15 – October1st
Carson Cityand My 49th
Capitol. Day 14th
typical site inDeathValley –whatare they? I saw two(2) othergroupingsof vehiclesandcould
not tell whattheywere.

28. Day 15 – October1st
My 5th
Older/ Original Nevada Capitol – Thisone isa workingbuildingwithGovenor,Secretaryof State andotherOfficials. Day14
Septermbr30th
and a sad day inour AmericanHistory.

29. Day16 – October2nd
GrimesPointabout 12 mileseastof Fallon,NV. 7,000 year oldNative AmericanArt. There are hundredsof boulderswithpetroglyphs of
circles,wavylines,humanfigures,snakes,andotheranimal figures inscribedinthem.

30. Day 17 – October3rd
Highway 50 / The LonliestRoad in America anda PonyExpressRideronthe Pony ExpressTrail / LincolnHighway, one of the earliest
transcontinental highwaysdedicatedOctober31,1913. It runsfrom TimesSquare westto LincolnPark in San Francisco.
International Café /International BarinAustin,NV – population192. It isa "livingghosttown" containingfourchurches. The Catholicchurchand the Austin
MethodistChurchwere builtin1866. The MethodistChurchis nowusedas a communitycenter.The CatholicChurch,St.Augustine'sisbeingrestoredasa
cultural centerforCentral Nevada.The Episcopal church,dedicatedtoSt.George andconsideredbysome tobe the prettiest frontierchurchstill standing.Itwas
builtin1878 and isstill inuse.
The fourthchurch is a more recentbuildingbuiltbyThe Churchof JesusChristof Latter-daySaints. Thispicture showsthree (3) churchsteeples.
The International Hotel,first builtin VirginiaCity in 1859 and movedtoAustinin1863, still servesmealsanddrinks,butitdoesnotrentout rooms– I hada
couple cups of coffee while conversingwiththe Owner. She offeredme selfbakedapple pie meaningitwasa frozenpie thatshe baked. The International
Hotel issaidto be the oldestinNevada.

31. Day 17 – October3rd
– Great Basin 10,000 +feet. WheelerPeakisa 13,000-foot summitbehindme. The oldestnonclonal organism wasdiscoveredinGreat
Basin. ThisBristlecone pine tree was least5,000+ years old,grewat the treeline nearWheelerPeakinthe national park.Itwas cut downin1964 by a graduate
studentandU.S. ForestService personnel forresearchpurposes. Iwantedtowalkto the summitbutit wasicy. A ladywithhikingpoleshadturnedaround
sayingitwas too dangerousso I couldnotsee Bristlecone PineTrees.
Day 17 / Day 18 October3rd
and 4th
Hotel Nevada in Ely, NV. This wasthe beststay of the tripin that itwas historicandfull of motionpicture memoriabilia.
Kanab,UT and Ely,NV were popularspotsforWesternsandfor WesternGreatslike Gary Cooper,IngridBergman,MikeyRooney,TennesseeErnie Ford…
The Hotel was builtin1929 at the heightof the Depression.ElyhasevolvedfromNevada’slargestminingtowntoone of the state’sbest-knownstopson
America’sLoneliestHighway.
My bike / horse spent the nightwith six (6) other iron horses. Withmy $58 + tax stayI receivedtwodrinkcouponsanda couponforcoffee anda Grand Slam
at Denny’s. My room wason the 6th
flooroposite GaryCooper’sroom. Most of the celebritieshad roomsonthe streetviewasopposedtothe quietmountain
view.

32. Day 17 – October3rd
– Old car in the back groundof whichyou see manyoutwest. This wasa ranching exhibit. Itishardto capture the endlessvistas,views,
scenerythatyou are exposedtoriding12+/- hoursa day. These cloudsappearedtobe more and more like snow cloudsespeciallywhenIgot to Cañon City,
CO.
Great Basinwas my2nd
newNational Park. DeathValley,GreatBasin,BlackCanyonof the Gunnisonandthe Grand Canyon are all well knownfordarkskiesand
star gazing. My fifthNational ParkwasZionone of our most beautiful parks.

33. Day 18 – October4th
The Black Canyonof the Gunnison - The park contains one of the most dramatic canyons in the country, withsheerwallsof graystone
risingmore then2,700 feetabove the swiftandturbulentGunnisonRiver,whichtooktwomillionyearstocarve outthe canyon.
The canyon isdeeperthanitis wide insome placesandsonarrow that sunlight onlyreachsthe bottomonly atmidday.
The metamorphicrocksat the bottomof the canyon are nearly twobillionyears old,dating from the oldestera ofthe Earth. Wallsare schistandgneiss.
I saw snowinthree of the National Parksand ‘shotthe gap’ as I-70 inDenverwasclosedwith a footand a half of snowthe Mondaybefore Iarrivedandthen
snowedthe Sunday/Monday afterI left.

34. Day 20 – October6th
FactoriesNo. 737 and 739. This fellowwasonthe CoorsTour / Tour Bus withme. We talked aboutIowafootball andthenwhenwe
reachedthe parkinglot,I askedfora picture of hishat undermyMichigan State SpartanSticker. He wasfrom Iowaanda goodsport. Waitingtohear fromhim.
I wrote the UserRequirementSpecifications - URS forAstraZeneca’s6,400 square footnewQC Lab and hadchance to see the fruitsof my labors. I metMichael
SonnenbergwhomIworkedwithandwhomanagesthe lab. Needlesstosayitis one of the bestlabs of its kind inthe world……lol.
I didthe initial redesignof Wyeth’s/Pfizer’sLabwhile workinginMarietta,PA whichwasmore than twice thissize. Iownstockin AstraZeneca,Pfizerand
SealedAir. Afterastockholder’smeetingItouredSealedAir’snewlabhere inCharlotteandputAstraZeneca’sLabasbeing‘better.’ Icouldbe partial as Sealed
Air’sLab isverynice.
AstraZeneca’s labisvery,verynice especiallybecauseof the Architect - JustinGerze,Architect,LEEDAP (720) 763-8119
justin.gerze@ironhorse.email alongwiththe use of DanishLabflex Case Ware.

35. Day 20 – October6th
FactoryTour No. 738 and Food Plant No. 147. I had a nice almond - apricotscone withone of thermost popularhottees.Here I am
drinkingmysecondsample of tee made with catnip. Celestrial Seasoningsisaverynice place tospendan afternoon.
Dino,whomI have metall overthe Northwest/Southwest, hasbecome afavorite forphotoopts. SinclairOil beganusingthe ApatosaurusinChicagoduring
the 1933-34 Centuryof ProgressWorld’sFair. ThisisindowntownGolden,CO.

36. Day 21 - October7th
– I had hopedto make the Capitol before itclosedforsome pictuesinside. Inearlyranout of gas gamblingthatI wouldmake itbefore they
closedat 5:00 PM. (Iwas actingas the ‘crew chief’) Unfortunatelyorfortunatelyafewmilesout,NebraskaCornhuskerandWisconsinBadgertrafficstoppedme
and I stoppedforgas. HavingworkedforNovartisIwas familiarwithLincolnandtooksome backroads/ ways toNebraska’sEast Campusand Dairyfor some
‘homemade ice cream’ –theirDairy isalmost as good as MichiganState’s – Go Green.
NorthPlate,NE– BaileyRail Road Yard and the World’sLargest. The viewisfromthe GoldenSpike ObservationToweranditishard to take a picture of
somethingthatis 8 mileslong and up to two mileswide. The yard may have had400+ Engines initany one time as itrepairs50 of themperday. The yard has
200 separate trackstotaling315 miles,985 switches,766 turnouts,17 receivingand16 departure tracks.
An average of 139 trains andover14,000 railroadcars passthroughBaileyYard everydayor a 100+/- car train passesthrough the Yard every 9 to 10 minutes.

37. Day 21 October7th
– DesMoine,IA is one of our prettiestCapitols.Ihadtouredit yearsago buthad no pictures. Unfortunatelyitwasnotopenon Sundayfor
picture takingandreviving memories. Memories,Lightthe corners of my mind, Mistywater-coloredmemories…
Day 23 October9th
JohnDeere’s WaterlooWorks - Tractor, Cab, and AssemblyOperations wherethe 6R,7R, 8R/8RT, and9R/9RT Seriestractors are made.
Do you think my tractor’s sexy?It has a 400 gallonfuel tankandmonstertires.

38. Day 22 – October8th
One of several coveredbridgesIwouldsee –hopingMeryl StreepandClintEastwoodwouldthere.
Marion Mitchell Morrison(May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979) Boyhood Home inWinterset,IA. Marionisbetterknownas ‘The Duke’.
“Thinkyoucan make it,pilgrim?”- JW
“Veryfewof the so-calledliberalsare open-minded....Theyshoutyou down and won't letyou speak ifyou disagree with them.”- JW
Still wonderingwhythe Bridgesare of interest?DidItell you I acted nextto Mel Gibsonin The Patriot?

39. Day 23 – October9th
– JohnDeere’sWaterloo,IA Tractor,Cab, andAssemblyOperations plantwhichisone of the largestbuildingsbyvolume butfallingway
short of Boeing’s (472,370,319 cu ft) Everettor Mukilteo,WA plant.
The 9RX seriesorthe tractors on the extreme leftisabout $650,000 and onthe extreme rightisabout $500,000 or maybe theyhave $1.5 millionworth of
equimentondisplay (countingmy Wing). Before goingonline tofindthe price of the 9RX – I calledadealerwhere theywolduse suchatractor. I am still
waitingacall back. Salesmustbe goodif he didnot wantto talkto someone fromNorthCarolina.
Day 29 – October15th
– AMA – American MotorcylistAssociationMuseum inPickerington,OHanda 1976 Suzuki RE – 5 Rotary /Wankel Engine -500 cc
motorcye identical tothe the RE -5 I ownedfrom1978 until 2002. It sure lookedprettyandbroughtbackmany fine memories.

40. Day 23 – October9th
SunsetacrossfromIowa 80 or the world'slargest truck stop,locatedalongInterstate 80 off exit284 inWalcott,Iowa. Thistruckstopis
220-acres or aboutfour timeslarger than an average truckstop. 5,000 people visitthe 67,000 sq ftmain building,parkingfor900 trucks,and / or 150 fuel
pumpseachday. Lookingforsomethingcheeky –youcan findit inthere huge store.
Day 28 – October14th
– Niece EmilyMatuszewski andher newYellowLab – Sadie. Twoverynice girls.

41. Day 25 – October11th
- In 1987, Memorial Librarywas renamedforFatherTheodore Hesburgh,C.S.C. –ND’spresidentfrom1952 - 1987. The 134-footby 68-
footmural called "The Word ofLife," or more commonly "TouchdownJesus." Itfaces Notre Dame’s/FightingIrishStadiumabout100 yards away.
Day 30 – October16th
– St.Albans,WV – Bill & Fran Casto who KarenandI workedwithwhile at UnionCarbide’sTechCenterinS. Charleston,WV. Bill isWorld
famous for hiswood workingabilitiesandFranforher baskets andBassets.

42. Day 25– FormerVisitationPanther / WestCatholic Offensive Guard/ Tackle – Defensive Tackle whohadchance toplayfor Wayne Fonteswhocoachedthe
DetroitLionsfrom1988 to 1996. Fontes67 winsand71 lossesare each the mostfor a headcoach inteamhistory.
DidI tell you I won the choice of any ChryslerVehicle exceptaDodge ViperorPlymouthProwlerbykickingmultiple fieldgoalsatthe Panthers– Steelersgame.
I wonmy second car lastyear.

43. Day 27 – October‘Fridaythe 13th
’ andfifthstraight year to visit the everchanging USS Edson courtesyof my Brother– in – law,Michael Buda whoworksdailey
at ‘The Ship’givingtours,polishingthe brass,painting,makingdisplays,etc.(andgettingawayfrommySister–Sandy….LOL.)
NephewMatthewand Niece Sarah Slosseror Karen’sYoungestSister’sCherylchildreninBayCity,MI (NotpicturedistheirdogSam.)

44. Day 27 – October13th
– PerchDinner at the Turkey Roost whichisone of the bestif not the bestPerchdinnerinMichigan. Theyserve breakfast,lunchand
dinner. ExceptforFriday you can choose Turkey or Turkey or Turkey – OK theyhave couple of Beef selections too. Apparentlytheyserve onaverage thirteen
(13) - 35 poundturkeysa day.
Right– One of the rarest of rarest photosof my SisterSandyandHer Husbandwho isnot camerashy – Michael Buda – Former3 Term Mayor of BayCity,MI.