In the last blog post I documented our return to Tampa from Billings and the start of Beth’s home-based recovery. We talked about the possibility of getting a trike for Beth to ride and the lower likelihood that a trike would tip over. We went to the local trike conversion shop just to take a look and, wouldn’t you know it, they had a reasonably-priced used model with only 59,000 miles on the odometer. We put some money down, and in a couple of days, I rode home on a 2005 Goldwing with a Roadsmith conversion.

I had left my bike and our trailer at our friends’ home in Billings. The plan was for me to return to Billings at the end of July, retrieve my bike and trailer, ride to Shark Week XII in Appleton, WI, and ride home.

I left Tampa airport on the evening of July 27th and arrived in Billings around midnight.

The next day I packed the bike and trailer and made sure everything was ready to go.

On the 29th I rode from Billings to Bismarck, ND. After a few miles, I pulled into a rest area and adjusted the air pressure of the trailer tires to try to get even wear. After that I continued with my usual routine.

I recognized this gas station – we stopped here in 2021.

I stayed the night in a motel, which was more comfortable than camping in the heat. Also, the Time Out is a little difficult for one person to open and close.

On the 30th, I rode to Minneapolis and stayed with the friends we had visited on our way west.

Next up – Shark Week XII in Appleton, WI.