Million Mile Monday

June 30, 2008 Harley Owners Group had an event called Million Mile Monday. They wanted HOG members from around the world to log their miles traveled on Monday June 30. Harley-Davidson hoped to have at least 1 million miles log on one day. For those who logged in there were over 3 million miles.

I had an appointment at the Sleep Clinic at the VA Hospital in Pittsburgh. I rode my 2006 Harley-Davidson Street Glide (FLHXI) to Altoona VA to inquire directions to the hospital in Pittsburg. Off I went. In Monroeville, Pa I stopped to eat at a McDs and to put on my newly gotten Garmin GPS. It took me right to the front door.

After seeing the doctor I took off through Downtown Pittsburgh to get to Rt 322 which lead to Rt 22 and home. Dodging rush hour traffic I made it through Squiral Hill Tunnel. I can never understand why people has to brake while inside a tunnel. Go figure. On the other side of the tunnel I saw dark gray skies and stopped to put on my Frogg Toggs rain suit. Back on the road and heading to Rt 22 I turned on the Street Glide's sterio system. I call my Street Glide "The Beast". She has AM/FM/Weatherband Radio and a Cd Player. I turned on the weatherband radio to hear that a bad thunderstorm with high winds, heavy downpours and damaging hail. I pulled off into a fuel station to get some much needed gas. I was parked underneath the canopy when the storm hit. I stayed there for over 1 1/2 hours! Once the high winds stopped I took off, but still riding in rain until I got to Ebensburg which is outside of Johnstown. I stopped and answered cell phone calls and was told to head to Altoona to pick up something at Staples. I got out of my rain suit because the skies were nice and sunny! Only 15 minutes later Kandi, my wife, called me to tell me that Cassville is having a very bad storm! So I put on my rain jacket but not pants.

I got outside of Huntingdon when the rain started. I stopped at a Sheetz for gas, I didn't need it but it seemed like a good spot to wait out the storm. I went inside and ate a MTO only to be told that the storm is getting worse!

One hour later I was back on the road only to see bolts of lightning ahead. I ran the tail end of the storm the whole way to Cassville.

The trip out was about 3 hours but the trip home was 6 1/2 hours. In Altoona I had a Staples Employee take a photograph of me and my bike in the parking lot, which is the photo in the blog. At the end of the ride I turned in my 358 miles and my picture. HOG put it on their web site. I didn't ride the fatherest but I think my ride was most adventurest.