From my last day of collecting towns for this grand tour. For this one I took as many off-pavement roads as possible on my little Honda CRF 300L Rally.
NOTE: For the last eleven years, I’ve competed in a large-scale motorcycle scavenger hunt sponsored annually by Team Strange Airheads. This is a Twin Cities-based organization that got its start as a bowling team that evolved into a BMW motorcycle club that now primarily sanctions a variety of short and longer-term motorcycle events.
This year’s event runs from April into November, and under the name of “Gran Truismo Grand Tour” it actually offers two different events – one involves visiting race tracks, which I did not compete in; the second is the Team Strange Airheads 40th Anniversary Grand Tour. To complete this, you need to collect the photos of town names that start with each of the letters of “Team Strange Airheads” followed by a “40” state or county highway sign.
I collected these photos over multiple trips, including one to Wyoming near the edge of the Grand Tetons and one following the Lewis & Clark Trail up through the Dakotas. I rode my V-Strom 650 for most the photos, but a few were with my Rally 300. These photos will be presented in the order needed to spell out each of the words.
Team
Torrington, Wyoming, June 14, 2024.
Elm Creek, Nebraska, June 14, 2024
Arapahoe, Nebraska, June 22, 2024
Maxwell, Nebraska, June 14, 2024.
Strange
Selby, South Dakota, July 9, 2024
Taylor, Nebraska, July 11, 2024
Riverdale, Nebraska, Sept. 28, 2024
To those of you paying attention, this one was with my Rally 300.
Agar, South Dakota, July 10. 2024
North Platte, Nebraska, June 14, 2024
Gothenburg, Nebraska, June 14, 2024
Eustis, Nebraska, June 22, 2024
And just for fun, here’s a second photo of Eustis because I messed up and grabbed the same town on two separate rides to use two different places. Oops. Looks like I’m going out riding again before the end of the week.
Another visit to Eustis which won’t count as I can only use each town once. From September 15, 2024
Little rant about Eustis. This was where the awesome Village Pie Maker factory used to be where some of the best frozen pies you could get anywhere were made. And Eustis was the “village” in the name. Then the Rickets family (Pete Rickets is the U.S. senator from Nebraska and former governor) bought out the company, shut down the Eustis plant and moved it to Omaha. Now I get it, they needed to expand. But having a billionaire family come in, buy up the small business that’s a leading employer in a small town, then close it to move to the big city is just really a bit too on the mark for the world we seem to live in now. You can still get lunch at the grocery store in Eustis. Last time I ate there, you could get a sauerkraut and summer sausage pizza. If you ever wanted one… Rant over.
Airheads
Axtel, Nebraska, Sept. 15, 2024
Indianola, Nebraska, September 15, 2024
Ravenna, Nebraska, Sept. 28, 2024
And if you should ever visit Ravenna, stop at The Creamery on the north side of town for a burger & fries, or ice cream, or pie. (Or have all three; I won’t tell.) Ride for this one was my Rally 300.
The Creamery Drive In in Ravenna
Hershey, Nebraska, June 14, 2024
Eddyville Nebraska, Nov. 15, 2024
Readable close up of Eddyville village signs. Nov. 15, 2024
Eddyville, Nebraska was the town I needed to get to today, the last day of the 40th Anniversary Grand Tour, to pick up my missing letter “E.” Fortunately the weather was pretty good for mid-November in the state, with temps in the low 60s accompanied by a fair bit of wind. Seems appropriate I would finish up a Team Strange event with the town of Eddyville.
Atlanta, Nebraska, Sept. 15, 2024
Douglas, Wyoming, June 15, 2024
Spencer, Nebraska July 8, 2024
40th Anniversary
Nebraska Highway 40 to signify 40th Anniversary, Sept. 28, 2024
Nebraska Highway 40 was the third photo I collected on the Rally 300
And so I finish up my 11th Team Strange grand tour – of which I have completed 10. The only one I entered that I didn’t finish was the 2022 steam engine-themed one I ended up bailing on for a range of reasons, including the two “live” steam engines I was supposed to visit that didn’t work out – one didn’t have a licensed operator and the other was actually gas powered while wearing a steam engine costume. Still feel bad about that one.
Anyway, my V-Strom (vanity plate FAFHRD) is now ready for winter with a full tank of stabilized gas and the Battery Tender plugged in. The little Rally (vanity plate MOUSER) will likely get taken out a time or two more before getting tucked in for the cold season. Though with any luck, both will get out occasionally during the winter. Ride safe, everyone.