I have decided to start writing on this blog again for a couple of reasons.  My level of disgust with what is going on in this country is once again reaching a point where I need a venue to vent.  In addition, I have decided to put my plans in place to explore the idea of becoming a full-time or, at least part time, ex-pat.  I have been thinking about moving overseas for the past year or so but the COVID pandemic put a bit of a damper on my plans.  I have lived overseas twice, once in Kuwait and once in France and just like the added dimension living in different places adds to one’s life.  In addition, I believe the political situation will continue to deteriorate in this country and I would like to have somewhere else to go. 

Just in the last couple of days there have been news stories about an ongoing ammunition shortage in this country and record gun sales.  Trump has amassed a $100 million war chest and he and his acolytes continue to propagate the provably false assertions that the election was rigged and that he actually won.  There are massive efforts underway in Republican-controlled states to restrict voting, limit LGBT rights, and ask the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.  China has built and is building more mag-lev high speed trains and our Congress cannot even agree on funding to help the crumbling infrastructure in this country.  Everything in this country has become political, polarized and divisive.   And conspiracy theories are sprouting and taking root in our country like dandelions in the spring.

 It is time to look around.  I certainly understand that no place is perfect and each country has its own issues.  However, there are many countries in the world that are striving to move forward and make life better for their citizens (and the planet).  The United States is clearly moving backward towards oligarchy, authoritarianism, racial division, and exacerbating wealth disparity.

I would certainly be more comfortable if the COVID situation was more under control but given the ongoing lunacy in this country with people refusing to get vaccinated I don’t expect things are going to change any time soon.  So, I think it’s just time to move ahead with my plans.  I am fully vaccinated and if the CDC ultimately recommends getting a booster shot, I will certainly do that as soon as I am able.  That said, everything has some risk associated with it and I think it’s time to just move forward.

I have been looking at a number of countries as possible bases for an ex-pat life.  Those countries are Portugal, France, Costa Rica, Panama and there might be a couple of others.  I loved New Zealand and Australia and could easily park in either place for a long time but they are difficult countries to establish residency in and they are long way away from my daughter.  (Not to mention they are currently closed to US ‘non-essential’ travelers.)   So, while I still intend to do a little more exploring in Australia, it will have to wait and just be part of a future ‘adventure’.

Portugal will be the first exploration trip.  I have not been to Portugal nor do I speak Portuguese but everything I’ve read tells me it’s a good place to start this exploration.  Portugal is ranked 4^th on the Global Safety Index (the Unites States is 122^nd!), they have world class affordable and accessible health care, it is affordable and there is a fairly robust ex-pat community.  It is highly likely that my daughter will be on the East Coast for a while.   Given that and given that it’s about as easy to get to the East Coast from Lisbon as it is to get to the East Coast from Bozeman, the geography works well.  As a bonus, the Portuguese government is predicting that by October, they may have 85% of the population fully vaccinated against COVID!  (Contrast that with what is going on here).  And finally, Portugal is part of the Schengen area so once residency is established in Portugal, you have almost unimpeded access to the other 25 European countries that are also included in the Schengen area.

Given the robust ex-pat community in parts of Portugal, there are areas where you can probably get by without speaking Portuguese.  However, I always try to learn at least some of the local language no matter where I go. Consequently, I have been hard at work on my daily Portuguese lessons on Rosetta Stone.  I have found that even attempting to speak a few words in a local language, however poorly, can buy you a lot of goodwill.   I originally got Rosetta Stone to brush up on my French but I’ve kind of switched gears and am focusing on Portuguese.

My plan is to spend the majority of the month of October in Portugal.  It is the off-season so most of the tourists should be gone and life should be back to ‘normal’ in most of the country.  I intend to spend a week to 10 days up in the northern part of the country around Porto and the Silver Coast and then spend the next two weeks down in the Algarve in southern Portugal.  I will probably spend three of four days in Lisbon on my way back home but have no intention of looking at Lisbon as a long-term place of residency.   I have no doubt I will enjoy the culture and the restaurants in Lisbon but it’s a little too ‘dense’ for my liking.

So, this blog will continue to be a combination of my political rants, a chronicle of my adventures as I explore possible future homes and accounts of more local adventures as they happen.   It is written primarily for me and as a way to document my thoughts and adventures but, as always, you’re welcome to tag along.   Who knows where all this will end up?  I may end up not moving anywhere and stay planted here in Bozeman, at least for a while.  But, I’ve been thinking about this for some time and it’s time to do something.

As with so many things, the hardest part is often just starting.  I have started and step one has been taken!  I have booked a ticket for Portugal and expect to be landing in Portugal two months from today.  Here we go.  And for those who ask why, I would simply say why not?  Life is too short.  If you’re thinking about it – do it! 

Homeward bound today! Ever since I left the coast it seems like it’s just been a continuation of riding through heat and smoke. Yesterday on the stretch from Coeur d’Alene to Missoula, the sky was grey most of the way – not from rain clouds, but from fires. I was concerned about riding into the sun this morning as I head East out of Missoula towards Bozeman. The fact is, I don’t think I’ll see the sun. It’s 7 am here in Missoula and the sky is just gray. Apparently it’s supposed to be the same in Bozeman. No complaints, I’m going home!

It’s been a great trip and I’m glad I did it. That said, I’m tired and ready to be home. The motorcycle has behaved admirably and the weather has been pretty good, although a bit warm at times. I only got rained on the first day and then it asn’t very much. I would loved to have ridden down the coast to SoCal but it just would have been too much. I think the 1,700 to 1,800 or so miles on this trip will suffice.

I started this this morning before I left Missoula. The ride was pretty benign but was gray skies the entire way. There must be a lot of fires burning. The traffic on the freeway was pretty light and much of the way I just put the bike on cruise control and scooted down the freeway at about 75 mph. I rolled into my driveway right about noon.

I don’t think I realized how tired I am until I finally got home. It’s time to take a little break. I’m not sure what the next adventure will be but I’ll think of something. In the mean time, I’m just looking forward to chilling out at home for a while. The bike is all tucked away for now but will head to the Harley dealer next week for servicing. For now – time to chill.

I had a great time in Bellingham, WA and am now on my way home. After my first night in Bellingham staying at the Bellweather Hotel right on the harbor, I moved over to the house of an old Miles City classmate, Barbers Mathers-Schmidt, and her husband Bob. They have a beautiful house and I was warmly welcomed from the time I roared up their driveway on my Harley until I left yesterday morning. They gave me the grand tour of Bellingham including a drive up to Mt Baker, about an hour away. It is a truly beautiful area.

We had a great time catching up and trading “war stories” of our travels. They also love to travel around the world so we had no shortage of things and places to talk about. It was a truly pleasurable visit and, hopefully, we will have the opportunity to get together again in some corner of the world – Bellingham, Bozeman, Miles City, Timbuktu or wherever!

I took off yesterday morning (Happy Bastille Day!) in beautiful weather with temperatures in the high 60’s. I knew it was forecasted to be very hot in Wenatchee where I was headed but it was a very nice ride until I dropped down from Stevens Pass into Leavenworth. I stopped in Leavenworth to walk around and stretch a bit and it was pretty warm.

Leavenworth is about 20 miles from Wenatchee and, as I started down the road, everything looked fine. When I got about 10 or 12 miles from Wenatchee, I saw a huge plume of smoke rising and immediately knew there was a fire raging in the area. It was very hazy when I pulled into my hotel and the lady checking me in told me that all the rooms in town were booked because evacuations had been ordered in some areas near the city.

Things look a little better this morning in town here. I will be heading for Coeur d’Alene but instead of taking Highway 2 across the middle of the state, I’m going to go a bit south( away from the fire) and jump on I-90. It’s going to be another hot day but I think it’s only forecast to be 90 or so in Coeur d’Alene late this afternoon so it shouldn’t be too bad this morning.

It’s been a great trip and ( knock on wood) the Harley has behaved beautifully but I think the bike, Zippy and I will be happy to be home in a couple of days. And then I can start planning the next adventure!

Here I am in Bellingham, WA and it is beautiful. The ride over from Wenatchee on Highway 2 up through Leavenworth was quite scenic. It was pretty warm when I left Wenatchee and pretty warm when I stopped to walk around Leavenworth. Leavenworth is a cute little “German-ish” town that reminded me somewhat of Solvang, CA. It was fun to walk around a bit as I had never been there before.

Once I got over Stevens Pass the temperature dropped about twenty degrees and it became much more pleasant riding. It was very scenic up and over the pass. Every day seems to have its challenges and yesterday was no different. Just as I was thinking life was good and glad to be out of the heat, traffic came to a screeching halt! There was a major construction slowdown and it was bumper-to-bumper, stop-and-go traffic for 25 minutes! That is no fun in a car and even less fun on an 850 lb motorcycle! But, I eventually got through it and made my way up to Bellingham.

My hotel is right on the harbor and I’ve taken several walks along the path adjacent to the harbor just looking at the boats and watching all of the activity. It’s a very dangerous activity for me. The last time I spent time sitting on a bench looking out over a harbor was the day my life took a 90 degree turn and I decided to retire! Who knows what life altering decision will come out of this trip! 🙂

I will be staying with an old classmate from Miles City and her husband for the next couple of nights here in Bellingham. I am very thankful for their gracious hospitality. I’m looking forward to a couple of days of no motorcycle riding. I’m not looking forward to the ride back across Washington, but at least I don’t have to worry about that for a couple of days.

When I embarked on this little journey I thought it would be an interesting “adventure.” Yesterday certainly lived up to that definition. Going across central Washington on Highway 2 was like riding through hell! By the time I hit Davenport ( a pit!), it was too hot for my motorcycle jacket. I changed into a long sleeve shirt so my arms wouldn’t get toasted too badly and took off.

Central Washington is really desolate. Between Davenport and Coulee City there was a stretch where I literally rode about 40 miles and I did not pass one car going west or did anyone pass me. There were a few cars going East but it was friggin’ deserted. I kept thinking, “This would be a really bad place to have mechanical problems!” Fortunately (knock on wood) the bike behaved beautifully.

Once I got to Coulee City, it was obvious I was going to get to Wenatchee way too early to check in so I decided to take a 55 mile (round trip) detour up to Coulee Dam which I haven’t seen since I was a kid. It was a pretty ride but HOT!

When I finally rolled in to Wenatchee, it was 99 degrees! I parked the bike, covered it up and locked it down figuring whatever was within walking distance, that was where dinner would be. I’m not looking forward to the ride back across Washington.

Today I’m heading for Bellingham where it is supposed to be in the 70’s. I can’t wait. I will stop in Leavenworth, a little Germanic town along the way ( think Solvang, CA) and then on over to the coast. I’m looking forward to a break from the motorcycle for a couple of days.

There are certainly some similarities between this motorcycle ride and my long bicycle rides. They are both a bit grueling in their own way and sometimes in the morning you think about what lies ahead. But, the hardest part is getting out the door and on the bike. Once I’m on the road, I just settle in to the routine and watch the miles tick away. I’m sure I will have a big smile on my face when I pull up to my hotel at Bellingham harbor today.

The weather was beautiful yesterday all the way to Coeur d’Alene. I keep meaning to take more pictures but have failed thus far. I stopped in Libby to get some gas and stretch my legs. When I came out of the convenience store, a man was standing there looking at my bike. He complimented me on what a pretty bike it was and then started talking about a Goldwing he used to ride. We chatted for several minutes. He was an attorney who used to practice in California, now practices in Florida and was just up visiting his kids.

This has happened a number of times when people , mostly men, will just walk up and start chatting, asking questions about the bike, and talking about the bikes they used to ride or that they still do. The same thing happened years ago when I rode my Goldwing from Montana down to LA. I’m sure it’s because I’m riding alone, it’s a pretty bike and, of course, I have Zippy, my stuffed turtle mascot, prominently perched on the rear bag ( that probably immediately takes me out of the Hells Angels category!). In any case, it’s always a fun part of these trips. Nobody said “boo” to me when I rolled into rest stops with my UHaul truck headed to the East Coast!

I rode around Coeur d’Alene a little bit after I got settled in yesterday. My parents retired here so I’ve been here many, many times. The lake is still beautiful but there was definitely no shortage of tourists! The place is very busy.

Today it’s off to Wenatchee via Highway 2 through Davenport and Coulee City. I may take the 30 mile detour up to Coulee Dam just for the heck of it. It’s supposed to be pretty hot so I’ll make that decision when I get to Coulee City.

Yesterday was a pretty easy run up to Kalispell and Flathead Lake. The weather was quite nice although it started to get a little warm in the afternoon. At least I wasn’t dodging thunderstorms.

I had originally intended to ride the Going-to-the-sun road in Glacier Park but I was unable to snag a reservation which is required this year. I did manage to get a reservation at the end of August so I may just drive up to Glacier ( in my SUV) and do it then. I’m sad to say that for all the time I’ve spent in Montana, I’ve never been to Glacier Park. Perhaps this is the year.

After I got to Kalispell yesterday, I had time to kill before I could check in to my motel so I road up to Whitefish since it’s only about 15 miles up the road. I naively thought I’d just go to the park by the lake just for kicks. Many, many people had the same idea and it was bumper to bumper traffic. I had enough of that when I lived in LA so I turned around and headed back to Kalispell. I got checked in, parked the bike and put it to bed and figured I’d have dinner at whatever was within walking distance. That ended up being a place called, Nickel Charlies.

My room here in Kalispell is the most expensive room on my whole trip. Prices are through the roof. The same is true in Coeur d’Alene where I am headed today. It seems like all of America is on the road.

Today I plan to take Highway 2 up through Libby, MT, cross over into Idaho and head down to Coeur d’Alene on 95 through Sandpoint, ID. My parents lived in Coeur d’Alene for many years after they retired so I’ve spent quite a bit of time there. I may go wander around a bit. We’ll see.

Just killing time this morning before I take off. I’m only riding to Kalispell today but will probably also run up to Whitefish since I’ve never been there and it’s just a few miles from Kalispell. It’s supposed to be clear today so hopefully I won’t be dodging thunderstorms like yesterday. I really don’t like riding in the rain!!

I just ran into a guy in the parking lot who also has a Harley Road Glide. He lives in Washington State and gave me a couple of tips on nice roads to ride. We’ll see when I get there.

I hope to stop and take more pictures but yesterday I was more focused on outrunning storms! That said, I did manage to stop for lunch at the Stray Bullet cafe in Ovando. Ovando made the national news a few days ago when a grizzly attacked and killed a woman who was bicycling through and was camping in town. I was talking to one of the locals at lunch and when I asked him where the campground was, he turned around and pointed to it, “Just over there.” Very tragic.

Hopefully a relatively short day with nice weather and minimal drama. Later.

I thought I’d resurrect this blog to chronicle my motorcycle trip to the coast. I am heading out this morning (with Zippy!) and we’ll see how this adventure unfolds. I’m a little worried about the heat in some sections of my ride, but I’ve broken the ride into pretty manageable sections. I’m not one of those motorcycle riders who will be trying to ride 500 miles in a day. Most of my days are 200 miles plus or minus with the longest still around 250 miles.

I was hoping to head up to Glacier and ride Going-To-The-Sun road but I was unable to secure a reservation so I altered my route a little bit. Today my target destination is Missoula. That said, I am not heading down I-90 which I would normally do in a car. Today I’m heading up to Helena and then taking backroads through the little town of Ovando and then on to Missoula. It’s about 225 miles via this route.

I’d never heard of Ovando until I started planning this trip but it was unfortunately in the news yesterday when it was reported that a woman who was bicycling the Great Divide route was camping near Ovando and was attacked and killed by a grizzly bear. Truly tragic. I am hoping to stop in Ovando for lunch but don’t expect to have that kind of a wildlife encounter.

I am more concerned about thunderstorms but they generally don’t develop until later in the afternoon so I am hoping that I reach Missoula before any of that hits. I hate riding in the rain so if I am unfortunate enough to get caught in the rain, I will likely just hole up somewhere until it passes. We’ll see.

I will try to keep these up daily but no promises. See you down the road!

I have been on ‘blog hiatus’ for a while but I couldn’t resist posting the following letters.  The first appeared in the Bozeman Chronicle in the Sunday, April 18^th edition.  I felt compelled to write a response which was published this morning.  The lunacy coming out of the state legislature here in Montana continues unabated.  We should get the award for the state that has enacted the most laws which are ‘solutions’ in search of problems.  In addition, the legislature here has probably past more laws having to do with killing things than any other state in the union – wolves, grizzlies, black bears, humans!!! 

The original letter is first.  My response follows.

I hope everyone is well.