The Marathon

Started in: Northern Iowa

Ended in: Mankato, MN

Pandora's Status: Purring like a kitten

This morning I changed Pandora's engine oil. I managed to drop 4 tools and my large waterproof clothing bag into the used oil pan. I also ended up spraying my clothes with an exceptionally large amount of used oil -- I didn't want to waste the good, clean new oil on my clothes...

At the beginning of our marathon road trip, my sister, Steph, asked: "How can anyone sleep in this [sidecar]?" At the end of our 14 hour road trip, she had figured it out.

We travelled back to the the Ural dealer to pick up my daughter's stranded pickup (and the solar charger I forget on the hood of the truck). We stopped every 30 - 40 kilometers to let Pandora cool off. It was a blast! We would sit on the side of the road, on a comfy blanket, listening to Country music as we watched other people zoom by.

Along the way we met a couple of older women traveling from the west coast to the east coast. They were taking pictures of the sunsets that occurred each evening of their trip.

Motorcycling hint of the day:

• If a bug hits you in the ear, don't yell out "Bastard". Yelling bastard causes one's mouth to open widely, providing a large target for the next incoming bug.