Day 21 Friday, May 7, 2010
My alarm went off at 6 AM. to my surprise, Bruce got up also. Not only did he get up, but he stayed up. We got dressed and packed our bags. We got our bags and took them outside to our Motors. A little later, the others started coming out to their Motors and getting them ready. We were all ready so we walked next door to Juicy's River Cafe for breakfast. We had a good breakfast and our waitress had a good sense of humor and a good personality. We talked about our ride and, at times, there was an uncomfortable silence. We all knew that our ride had come to an end. C.E. asked a question: "If you could go back, what part of the ride would you go back and do over?" There were several answers and they were all very memorable. Ken wished he could go back to Roswell and "go inside" the museum and possible pet one of the aliens in the zoo. I stated that I would like to go back to Virginia Beach to buy a t-shirt. Reality set in and it was time to go. We walked back to our rooms to make sure that we didn't leave anything behind. Jan and Bruce left before we did. They headed to Kingman, AZ to go to the Harley store. We would meet them in Kingman. Our Motors were packed, rooms empty and we left at 9:02 AM.
I led the remainder of the Group to Kingman. We were back on I-40 and speeding away. We crossed into Arizona and it felt good. We rode 71.0 miles and we arrived in Kingman, AZ at 10:02 AM. We gassed up and Chuck called Jan on the cell to tell him where we were at. They were at the Harley store and buying their t-shirts. The Harley store was about 1 1/2 miles away. A few minutes went by and Jan and Bruce arrived. We talked for a while. C.E. and I decided that we would leave the group when we got to US 93. Chuck led us out of Phoenix 21 days ago, so it was appropriate for Chuck lead on the final leg. We said our good-byes and we left at 10:23 AM.
Chuck led us eastbound on I-40. A few miles later, C.E. and I turned onto US 93 southbound. The rest of the guys waved at us as they continued eastbound. C.E. and I rode south and 53.7 miles later, we stopped in Wickiup, AZ at 11:07 AM. This was a quick stop. It was 82 degrees and we stopped quick enough to take off our jackets and pack them away. We left at 11:11 AM. I told you it was a quick stop.
We rode south and enjoyed the desert landscape. It sure is a lot different than what were were used to! What happened to all of the green! We rode for another 77.6 miles and rode into Wickenburg, AZ. We even rode through the new by-pass. The new road by-passes downtown. When we completed the by-pass, we were on US 60! Back to US 60 east. We stopped in Wickenburg at 12:16 PM. We made a quick pit stop and then we were off again. We left at 12:21 PM.
We continued on US 60 east and took the Morristown cut off through SR 74. As we rode on SR 74, we eventually got to Lake Pleasant Road. C.E. and I waved to each other and C.E. turned south. I continued on SR 74 headed for I-17. A few miles later, I turned onto I-17 and headed southbound. I felt anxious to get home. Traffic was flowing smoothly. I reached the 101 and headed east. I was getting closer to home and then the sign for the 7 Street exit was in sight. I took the exit and luck was with me. I had the green light at 7 Street. After riding 54.5 miles, I made it home at 1:10 PM. What a ride!
I rode 257 miles today. I am happy to be home with my family. What a ride! We rode a total of 7,088.0 miles. There are many memories. As Jan told me yesterday, Memories may fade, but the Blog lasts forever!
Next year, the ride will be to New Orleans, LA and then north to Wisconsin. We will ride towards Tennessee and do, "Tail of the Dragon." That is what was discussed for next year. We will see. Things may change.
I certainly hope that everyone who read my Blog enjoyed reading about our trip. I did not intend to hurt any ones feelings with what I wrote. If I did, too bad! Write your own blog! Seriously, I wrote what we did and what was said. There was no malice behind my writing. I hope you enjoyed. So, until next year...
Friday, May 7, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Left Behind
Day 20 Thursday, May 6, 2010
My alarm sounded at 6 AM. I got up, got dressed and packed. Bruce didn't wake up. I had finished my blog and transferred pictures and went to bed at about 12:30 AM. I took my lap top to the breakfast room. I was the only one there from our Group. I had breakfast and labeled the pictures. There were 49 of them. As I finished, C.E. and Ken came in. Soon, Chuck and Ken walked in. They were having breakfast when I packed up and returned to the room to pack my bags in my Motor like the others had already done. Bruce was still in the room and was leaving as I walked in. By the time I packed my Motor and was ready, the others returned. We left at 8:47 AM.
Chuck led us onto US 99 southbound. After riding 31.3 miles, we stopped in Merced, CA. at 9:15 AM. We gassed up and took a short break. We left at 9:29 AM with Jan leading.
Before I start with Jan's lead, I have to mention that yesterday, when Bruce was leading, he led us to Harmon Junction, NV. for 110.3 miles. He was excited that he holds the record of leading the longest leg. He was excited, the others cursed him for not stopping to pee! Now back to Jan. Jan took over leading and took us southbound on US 99. We were riding through several cities and 115.2 miles later, we stopped in Tipton, CA. at 11:05 AM. It was early in the day and none of us really had to go. Jan beat Bruce's record. When we stopped, Bruce knew that his record was broken and he went to Jan, laughing, and told him that he knew what Jan was up to. While we were at the gas station/mini-mart, we took a break. We left at 11:30 AM.
Jan continued to lead. It was pretty close to lunch time and we had plans to stop at a Wendy's. No, you got it wrong! We weren't looking for a Subway. Chuck found a Wendy's on his Droid in the north side of Bakersfield. We got off of US 99 and rode to Wendy's for lunch. We had ridden for 57.0 miles and it was 12:20 PM. It was a nice change of pace. Wendy's was very good. Don't worry, we ate healthy. We were done and we left at 1:22 PM.
Jan led us back onto US 99 and we rode onto US 58 towards Needles, CA. We rode for 8.9 miles and stopped at 1:32 PM to get gas. Most of us could have continued for more miles, but like it is said in the group, "A B C - All Bout Chuck!" He needed gas. We were still in Bakersfield. We were done gassing up and left at 1:45 PM with Ken in the lead.
Ken took us on US 58 and we were making some good time. Remember, we just had lunch and we generally stop for a needed break in 20 to 30 miles. Ken led for 58.7 miles and got off on an exit to a small town named Mohave. The exit ramp was circular. We rode the circle half way and Ken pulled off into the dirt. There were two large piles of dirt and rock. We parked our Motors and Ken told us that if we needed to pee, go for it. We thought that Ken was going to stop at a gas station/mini-mart. There was nothing in sight that resembled that. After we were done, Ken apologized and said that he would stop soon where there were facilities. We all told him that we didn't need it because we all "went!" We left at 2:41 PM.
We rode through some pretty country in Tehachapi. We stopped in Tehachapi last year. We woke up to snow on our Motors. We had to wait it out. We also call this town, "Too Hot To Pee." OK, say it fast...TooHotToPee. We rode over the mountain. Awesome! We had ridden for many miles and then we rode into Barstow. We were on US 58 and there was construction. There were two lanes with a double yellow lines in the center. We were behind traffic and a semi. The scenery sucked! It was desert and nothing really worth looking at that would help keep us awake. It was 82 degrees and we were all still wearing our jackets, except for C.E. We were on US 58, then changed to I-15 and then to I-40. These changes helped keep us awake. Ken did a great job going from highway to highway. We didn't get lost, nor did he lose us. We continued to ride, passing a few exits with gas stations/mini-marts which would have been perfect for us to stop, get a drink, take off our jackets and wake up. Nope! Ken didn't stop. We passed the exit for Newberry Springs and about a mile later, Chuck and I noticed that Jan was not behind us. We slowed and Ken, Bruce and C.E. extended the distance between us. We were slowing and Chuck was riding on the shoulder, hoping to get the others attention. The others finally started to slow, and about two miles from the exit, they stopped by the side of the road at 3:59 PM. Chuck and I rode up to them. Ken got off his Motor and walked back to us. Chuck told him that we were missing Jan and that he probably pulled of at the exit we had passed. I asked Ken if he was trying to break Jan's record for longest distance leading. He told me that he wasn't and if anyone needed to stop, they should have told him. We tried to get him on his CB but he ignored us. (Ken doesn't have a CB) As we stayed there waiting for Jan to catch up, I got off my Motor and decided to take off my jacket. It was 82 degrees and uncomfortable. I told Chuck that it was 82 degrees and I was going to take off my jacket. He nodded, agreeing with me. He was standing my his Motor and was about to take off his jacket when he looked up and told us that Jan was coming. We could hear his Motor about a mile away. As I looked in Jan's direction, I hear the other three start their Motors. I was still folding my jacket and putting it in my trunk bag when I heard the others ride off! I looked at them ride eastbound and Chuck and I looked at each other...shocked that they would just leave us. Chuck quickly got on his Motor and I was still standing at the rear of mine. Chuck told me not to worry because we could catch them. I had asked Chuck, "Why in the hell would they just leave us?" Jan rode up and stopped. We told him what had happened. I finished putting my jacket in the bag and prepared to get back on the Motor to leave. We left at 4:05 PM. we caught up to the other guys about a mile away. They had stopped to wait for us. We we stopped behind them, Ken got off his Motor and walked back to us. Chuck told Ken what had happened and I asked Ken if he was trying to beat Jan's leading record. He told me that he wasn't. Ken told us that if anyone wanted to stop and take a break, all they needed to do is tell him. We left eastbound, now that the Group was reunited.
Ken continued to lead us eastbound and got off the interstate in Ludlow, CA. at 4:31 PM after riding 31.7 miles. We stopped at a gas station/mini-mart. We all gassed up and when we finished, we parked our Motors out of the way. We went into the store and bought some drinks and snacks. We all sat on the sidewalk just outside of the door of the store. We ate, drank and watched the people come into the gas station to gas up. We saw a "Vago" biker gang member ride in. I was looking for a Hell's Angel biker to ride in and confront the Vago. Nothing like that happened. We watched people walk into the store and they would talk to us before entering. As we were sitting drinking and snacking, a LOUD anal belch came from my left. I falsely accused Bruce because he was laughing the loudest. I was corrected and told that it was Chuck. I apologized to Bruce. There was a man who was pumping gas into his car that, when Chuck broke the sonic boom with his fart, looked up at the Group. Chuck was lucky that the man's wife was inside the store and didn't hear Chuck. We laughed a little more. We left at 5:06 PM with me in the lead.
I lead the Group back onto I-40 and eastbound. I thought that we were going fast. I had my cruise control set at 78 on a posted 70 zone. There were cars passing us as if we were sitting still. I had my navigation system set for the Best Western Colorado River Inn in Needles, CA. As we got into Needles, the navigation system led us right to the front door. Two years ago when we were on our Route 66 ride, we stayed at the same hotel. Chuck, Bruce and C.E. entered to "make the deal." They did and we checked into the hotel. We rode our Motors to our rooms and were fortunate to be able to park in front of our rooms. We took our bags from our Motors and put them in our rooms. We returned to our Motors and tucked them in for the night, We knew from two years ago that dinner would be next door at, "Juicy's River Cafe." Also, breakfast will be there tomorrow morning. We went to Juicy's for dinner and when we were done, we returned to our rooms. I went to my room and completed today's blog. I clicked to Publish the Post, and unfortunately, lost it. I had to do it again. I did it again and the same thing happened. I lost it again. The third time, I went to the lobby, hoping that I would have a stronger wi-fi signal. This time it worked.
Today, we rode for 489 miles. Jan broke a leading record and Ken tried to do the same. Instead, Ken, Bruce and C.E. left Chuck, Jan and Me by the side of the road. They didn't wait for us to be ready. OK, they are fired. We have three openings available. We have applications available. We are looking for three good riders who are loyal and considerate enough NOT to leave your friends behind.
Tie a yellow ribbon around the old oak tree, we're coming home we've done our time! We will be headed for home tomorrow. Actually, Chuck will be riding to N.A.U. to be with his family as they watch his daughter, Genna, graduate. Congratulations Genna! Jan will be going home to Lee. Bruce and Ken will be riding to Chino Valley and checking into the Day's Inn. They are going to go to the Retiree's breakfast on Saturday. C.E. and I will follow Chuck to Flagstaff and then turn south onto I-17 and heading home. I will be good to be home again with our families. It's been three weeks. It's time! There will be one more day of riding and one more blog. So, until tomorrow...
My alarm sounded at 6 AM. I got up, got dressed and packed. Bruce didn't wake up. I had finished my blog and transferred pictures and went to bed at about 12:30 AM. I took my lap top to the breakfast room. I was the only one there from our Group. I had breakfast and labeled the pictures. There were 49 of them. As I finished, C.E. and Ken came in. Soon, Chuck and Ken walked in. They were having breakfast when I packed up and returned to the room to pack my bags in my Motor like the others had already done. Bruce was still in the room and was leaving as I walked in. By the time I packed my Motor and was ready, the others returned. We left at 8:47 AM.
Chuck led us onto US 99 southbound. After riding 31.3 miles, we stopped in Merced, CA. at 9:15 AM. We gassed up and took a short break. We left at 9:29 AM with Jan leading.
Before I start with Jan's lead, I have to mention that yesterday, when Bruce was leading, he led us to Harmon Junction, NV. for 110.3 miles. He was excited that he holds the record of leading the longest leg. He was excited, the others cursed him for not stopping to pee! Now back to Jan. Jan took over leading and took us southbound on US 99. We were riding through several cities and 115.2 miles later, we stopped in Tipton, CA. at 11:05 AM. It was early in the day and none of us really had to go. Jan beat Bruce's record. When we stopped, Bruce knew that his record was broken and he went to Jan, laughing, and told him that he knew what Jan was up to. While we were at the gas station/mini-mart, we took a break. We left at 11:30 AM.
Jan continued to lead. It was pretty close to lunch time and we had plans to stop at a Wendy's. No, you got it wrong! We weren't looking for a Subway. Chuck found a Wendy's on his Droid in the north side of Bakersfield. We got off of US 99 and rode to Wendy's for lunch. We had ridden for 57.0 miles and it was 12:20 PM. It was a nice change of pace. Wendy's was very good. Don't worry, we ate healthy. We were done and we left at 1:22 PM.
Jan led us back onto US 99 and we rode onto US 58 towards Needles, CA. We rode for 8.9 miles and stopped at 1:32 PM to get gas. Most of us could have continued for more miles, but like it is said in the group, "A B C - All Bout Chuck!" He needed gas. We were still in Bakersfield. We were done gassing up and left at 1:45 PM with Ken in the lead.
Ken took us on US 58 and we were making some good time. Remember, we just had lunch and we generally stop for a needed break in 20 to 30 miles. Ken led for 58.7 miles and got off on an exit to a small town named Mohave. The exit ramp was circular. We rode the circle half way and Ken pulled off into the dirt. There were two large piles of dirt and rock. We parked our Motors and Ken told us that if we needed to pee, go for it. We thought that Ken was going to stop at a gas station/mini-mart. There was nothing in sight that resembled that. After we were done, Ken apologized and said that he would stop soon where there were facilities. We all told him that we didn't need it because we all "went!" We left at 2:41 PM.
We rode through some pretty country in Tehachapi. We stopped in Tehachapi last year. We woke up to snow on our Motors. We had to wait it out. We also call this town, "Too Hot To Pee." OK, say it fast...TooHotToPee. We rode over the mountain. Awesome! We had ridden for many miles and then we rode into Barstow. We were on US 58 and there was construction. There were two lanes with a double yellow lines in the center. We were behind traffic and a semi. The scenery sucked! It was desert and nothing really worth looking at that would help keep us awake. It was 82 degrees and we were all still wearing our jackets, except for C.E. We were on US 58, then changed to I-15 and then to I-40. These changes helped keep us awake. Ken did a great job going from highway to highway. We didn't get lost, nor did he lose us. We continued to ride, passing a few exits with gas stations/mini-marts which would have been perfect for us to stop, get a drink, take off our jackets and wake up. Nope! Ken didn't stop. We passed the exit for Newberry Springs and about a mile later, Chuck and I noticed that Jan was not behind us. We slowed and Ken, Bruce and C.E. extended the distance between us. We were slowing and Chuck was riding on the shoulder, hoping to get the others attention. The others finally started to slow, and about two miles from the exit, they stopped by the side of the road at 3:59 PM. Chuck and I rode up to them. Ken got off his Motor and walked back to us. Chuck told him that we were missing Jan and that he probably pulled of at the exit we had passed. I asked Ken if he was trying to break Jan's record for longest distance leading. He told me that he wasn't and if anyone needed to stop, they should have told him. We tried to get him on his CB but he ignored us. (Ken doesn't have a CB) As we stayed there waiting for Jan to catch up, I got off my Motor and decided to take off my jacket. It was 82 degrees and uncomfortable. I told Chuck that it was 82 degrees and I was going to take off my jacket. He nodded, agreeing with me. He was standing my his Motor and was about to take off his jacket when he looked up and told us that Jan was coming. We could hear his Motor about a mile away. As I looked in Jan's direction, I hear the other three start their Motors. I was still folding my jacket and putting it in my trunk bag when I heard the others ride off! I looked at them ride eastbound and Chuck and I looked at each other...shocked that they would just leave us. Chuck quickly got on his Motor and I was still standing at the rear of mine. Chuck told me not to worry because we could catch them. I had asked Chuck, "Why in the hell would they just leave us?" Jan rode up and stopped. We told him what had happened. I finished putting my jacket in the bag and prepared to get back on the Motor to leave. We left at 4:05 PM. we caught up to the other guys about a mile away. They had stopped to wait for us. We we stopped behind them, Ken got off his Motor and walked back to us. Chuck told Ken what had happened and I asked Ken if he was trying to beat Jan's leading record. He told me that he wasn't. Ken told us that if anyone wanted to stop and take a break, all they needed to do is tell him. We left eastbound, now that the Group was reunited.
Ken continued to lead us eastbound and got off the interstate in Ludlow, CA. at 4:31 PM after riding 31.7 miles. We stopped at a gas station/mini-mart. We all gassed up and when we finished, we parked our Motors out of the way. We went into the store and bought some drinks and snacks. We all sat on the sidewalk just outside of the door of the store. We ate, drank and watched the people come into the gas station to gas up. We saw a "Vago" biker gang member ride in. I was looking for a Hell's Angel biker to ride in and confront the Vago. Nothing like that happened. We watched people walk into the store and they would talk to us before entering. As we were sitting drinking and snacking, a LOUD anal belch came from my left. I falsely accused Bruce because he was laughing the loudest. I was corrected and told that it was Chuck. I apologized to Bruce. There was a man who was pumping gas into his car that, when Chuck broke the sonic boom with his fart, looked up at the Group. Chuck was lucky that the man's wife was inside the store and didn't hear Chuck. We laughed a little more. We left at 5:06 PM with me in the lead.
I lead the Group back onto I-40 and eastbound. I thought that we were going fast. I had my cruise control set at 78 on a posted 70 zone. There were cars passing us as if we were sitting still. I had my navigation system set for the Best Western Colorado River Inn in Needles, CA. As we got into Needles, the navigation system led us right to the front door. Two years ago when we were on our Route 66 ride, we stayed at the same hotel. Chuck, Bruce and C.E. entered to "make the deal." They did and we checked into the hotel. We rode our Motors to our rooms and were fortunate to be able to park in front of our rooms. We took our bags from our Motors and put them in our rooms. We returned to our Motors and tucked them in for the night, We knew from two years ago that dinner would be next door at, "Juicy's River Cafe." Also, breakfast will be there tomorrow morning. We went to Juicy's for dinner and when we were done, we returned to our rooms. I went to my room and completed today's blog. I clicked to Publish the Post, and unfortunately, lost it. I had to do it again. I did it again and the same thing happened. I lost it again. The third time, I went to the lobby, hoping that I would have a stronger wi-fi signal. This time it worked.
Today, we rode for 489 miles. Jan broke a leading record and Ken tried to do the same. Instead, Ken, Bruce and C.E. left Chuck, Jan and Me by the side of the road. They didn't wait for us to be ready. OK, they are fired. We have three openings available. We have applications available. We are looking for three good riders who are loyal and considerate enough NOT to leave your friends behind.
Tie a yellow ribbon around the old oak tree, we're coming home we've done our time! We will be headed for home tomorrow. Actually, Chuck will be riding to N.A.U. to be with his family as they watch his daughter, Genna, graduate. Congratulations Genna! Jan will be going home to Lee. Bruce and Ken will be riding to Chino Valley and checking into the Day's Inn. They are going to go to the Retiree's breakfast on Saturday. C.E. and I will follow Chuck to Flagstaff and then turn south onto I-17 and heading home. I will be good to be home again with our families. It's been three weeks. It's time! There will be one more day of riding and one more blog. So, until tomorrow...
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
The End of the Road
Day 19 Wednesday, May 5, 2010
This is Cinco de Mayo and I want to wish my Motorcycle a Happy Second Birthday! Two years ago today, Chuck, J.B. and Suzy accompanied me to Neihaus Honda in Litchfield, ILL where I bought and picked up my Gold Wing. J.B. and Suzy, do you remember the trip? It was a blast. Like I told Chuck, when I'm ready to buy a new Gold Wing, I wouldn't hesitate to return to Litchfield, ILL and get a new one.
C.E. and I woke up at 6:30 AM and put on The Weather Channel. They were reporting that it was 30 degrees in Eurica, NV. We got dressed and packed up our bags. We took them out to our Motors and put the bags away. We went into the breakfast area and had breakfast. What did you think I was going to say, we had lunch? We were by ourselves for a long time when, finally, Chuck and Ken joined us. Jan and Bruce came in a little bit later and had breakfast. Chuck told me that he had seen and spoke with Jim Bob and Vicki Penn outside and were walking to a restaurant down the street. After breakfast, we packed up our Motors, checked out of the hotel and rode a block away to gas up the Motors. We left at 8:44 AM with Bruce in the lead.
Bruce led us out of town and back onto US 50 and, "The Loneliest Highway in America." We rode for 72.5 miles and stopped in Austin, NV at 9:45 AM. We had climbed a mountain and rode down the curvy, twistie road and into Austin. We needed our morning pit stop. We also took a break and as we were about to leave, Jim Bob and Vicki Penn came riding in to gas up. We spoke with them for a while and then left at 10:08 AM.
We continued on this Lonely Road, as pretty as it is, and we stopped in Harmon Junction, NV so that Chuck could put in a gallon of gas. We stopped at 11:38 AM after riding 110.3 miles. He couldn't go much further with the amount of gas he had in his gas tank. He knew that a gallon would take him into the next town. We left at 11:40 AM.
We rode another 6.3 miles and at 11:52 AM we stopped in Fallen, NV. We stopped so that we all could gas up our Motors. We then rode down the street to a Subway, with C.E. leading, and had lunch. After we had lunch, Chuck got the map and went over the map with C.E. We were headed to Carson City, NV. We left at 12:51 PM.
C.E. took the lead and after 11 miles, he missed the sign and the turn to go on US 50 to Carson City. Instead, we were on US 50 Alternate. The Alternate would have taken us about 32 miles out of our way. We rode for 2 more miles before we could make a u-turn to head back and make the proper turn. C.E. led us for 50.9 miles and at 1:49 PM, we stopped at a gas station/mini-mart in Dayton, NV. We took a pit stop and we were soon back on our way. We left at 2:03 PM.
We continued and eventually rode through Carson City. As we headed west of Carson City, we rode up a mountain with curves and twisties. There weren't very many cars on the road on the same direction that we were going. We had a very good time with this road. I was taking a video when Chuck left his #5 position, jumped in front of Jan and rode next to me. He told me that he saw me with my camera out and knew that I was making a video and he wanted to be in it. He was! C.E. led us into South Lake Tahoe. What a beautiful city! The lake was awesome. C.E. pulled over to the side of the road just south of Glenbrook. We got off our Motors and took several pictures. The Lake was beautiful. The surrounding mountains were snow-capped. We left at 2:59 PM.
We continued on this great Motorcycle road. We crossed into California. We rode for 41.9 miles and stopped in Silver Fork, CA. at 3:54 PM. We stopped at a small gas station/mini-mart. We took a break, made a pit stop and C.E. "cracked the whip" and told us to saddle up, we were leaving. We left at 4:07 PM.
We continued on US 50. The road was full of curves, twisties and high speed. We rode for 42.5 miles and stopped in Shingle Springs, CA. at 4:50 PM. We were all getting somewhat excited. We knew that the end of the road was near. Actually, it was about 50 miles away. We looked at the maps and set the navigation system with some information that would get up close to our destination. We left at 5:17 PM with Chuck in the lead. It was appropriate for Chuck to lead us on our final leg to get to our destination, the west end of US 50.
Chuck was in the lead and I was right behind. I had the information in my navigation system and I could direct him through the CB. We rode another 34.8 miles and got off of the interstate to where we thought that the end was in West Sacramento. It wasn't. Chuck asked a gentleman for directions and he gave him some. We left at 6:02 PM.
With directions in mind, we got back on the interestate and headed west. We went over a causeway, made a u-turn and went back the same way we came. The directions that the gentleman gave Chuck was correct. We had ridded 18.6 miles and at 6:20 PM stopped at the sign indicating that Ocean City was 3,073 miles. Chuck pulled over to the side of the interstate and we all followed. We parked by the side and saw the sign. One by one, we all stood under the sign and had pictures taken. A tow truck stopped by us and asked if any one of us had broken down. That was a valid question, since I'm sure that he saw 3 Harley's in the group. We told him that we were all ok. He left and we continued taking pictures, including a Group shot. Now that we had reached the end of the westbound trip, we wanted to head towards Needles, CA. It was late and we knew that we wouldn't get very far, however, we still wanted to ride towards Needles and find a hotel in that direction. We left at 6:31 PM.
Chuck rode east on I-80 and then south onto US 99. We rode another 14.4 miles and at 6:46 PM, we stopped at a gas station/mini-mart in Elk Grove, CA. We made a pit stop and talked about our accomplishment. We were all exstatic about it. We looked at the map and decided that we would head for Turlock, CA. at a Best Western. We left at 7:05 PM.
Chuck got us back on US 99 and we headed southbound. The speed limit was 65 and we were going about 78 mph. I believe Chuck was trying to get us to the Best Western before it got dark so that we wouldn't yell at him about making all of us ride in the dark. That is one of our rules: We don't ride in the dark! We rode another 77.4 miles and at 8:11 PM, we stopped at The Best Western Orchard Inn in Turlock, CA. I went in to "make the deal." As everyone entered, the deal was made and we got a good rate. We each got our rooms, rode our Motors to the back of the hotel, parked and got our bags. We put the bags in the rooms and then tucked the Motors in for the night. We later walked next door to the Grizzly Rock Cafe and Grill for dinner. After dinner, we returned to our rooms.
Today, we rode for 504 miles. We completed our destination: The west end of US 50. We then started our route home. We know that we have about 500 miles to get to Needles and then about 300 miles to get back home. We are trying to hurry because Chuck needs to get to his daughter's, Genna, graduation from N.A.U. on Friday at 2 PM. Genna, we will get him there for you. Congratulations! So far this trip, we have traveled 6,341.6 miles. We still need to get home! We will get to Needles tomorrow and spend the night. So, until tomorrow...
This is Cinco de Mayo and I want to wish my Motorcycle a Happy Second Birthday! Two years ago today, Chuck, J.B. and Suzy accompanied me to Neihaus Honda in Litchfield, ILL where I bought and picked up my Gold Wing. J.B. and Suzy, do you remember the trip? It was a blast. Like I told Chuck, when I'm ready to buy a new Gold Wing, I wouldn't hesitate to return to Litchfield, ILL and get a new one.
C.E. and I woke up at 6:30 AM and put on The Weather Channel. They were reporting that it was 30 degrees in Eurica, NV. We got dressed and packed up our bags. We took them out to our Motors and put the bags away. We went into the breakfast area and had breakfast. What did you think I was going to say, we had lunch? We were by ourselves for a long time when, finally, Chuck and Ken joined us. Jan and Bruce came in a little bit later and had breakfast. Chuck told me that he had seen and spoke with Jim Bob and Vicki Penn outside and were walking to a restaurant down the street. After breakfast, we packed up our Motors, checked out of the hotel and rode a block away to gas up the Motors. We left at 8:44 AM with Bruce in the lead.
Bruce led us out of town and back onto US 50 and, "The Loneliest Highway in America." We rode for 72.5 miles and stopped in Austin, NV at 9:45 AM. We had climbed a mountain and rode down the curvy, twistie road and into Austin. We needed our morning pit stop. We also took a break and as we were about to leave, Jim Bob and Vicki Penn came riding in to gas up. We spoke with them for a while and then left at 10:08 AM.
We continued on this Lonely Road, as pretty as it is, and we stopped in Harmon Junction, NV so that Chuck could put in a gallon of gas. We stopped at 11:38 AM after riding 110.3 miles. He couldn't go much further with the amount of gas he had in his gas tank. He knew that a gallon would take him into the next town. We left at 11:40 AM.
We rode another 6.3 miles and at 11:52 AM we stopped in Fallen, NV. We stopped so that we all could gas up our Motors. We then rode down the street to a Subway, with C.E. leading, and had lunch. After we had lunch, Chuck got the map and went over the map with C.E. We were headed to Carson City, NV. We left at 12:51 PM.
C.E. took the lead and after 11 miles, he missed the sign and the turn to go on US 50 to Carson City. Instead, we were on US 50 Alternate. The Alternate would have taken us about 32 miles out of our way. We rode for 2 more miles before we could make a u-turn to head back and make the proper turn. C.E. led us for 50.9 miles and at 1:49 PM, we stopped at a gas station/mini-mart in Dayton, NV. We took a pit stop and we were soon back on our way. We left at 2:03 PM.
We continued and eventually rode through Carson City. As we headed west of Carson City, we rode up a mountain with curves and twisties. There weren't very many cars on the road on the same direction that we were going. We had a very good time with this road. I was taking a video when Chuck left his #5 position, jumped in front of Jan and rode next to me. He told me that he saw me with my camera out and knew that I was making a video and he wanted to be in it. He was! C.E. led us into South Lake Tahoe. What a beautiful city! The lake was awesome. C.E. pulled over to the side of the road just south of Glenbrook. We got off our Motors and took several pictures. The Lake was beautiful. The surrounding mountains were snow-capped. We left at 2:59 PM.
We continued on this great Motorcycle road. We crossed into California. We rode for 41.9 miles and stopped in Silver Fork, CA. at 3:54 PM. We stopped at a small gas station/mini-mart. We took a break, made a pit stop and C.E. "cracked the whip" and told us to saddle up, we were leaving. We left at 4:07 PM.
We continued on US 50. The road was full of curves, twisties and high speed. We rode for 42.5 miles and stopped in Shingle Springs, CA. at 4:50 PM. We were all getting somewhat excited. We knew that the end of the road was near. Actually, it was about 50 miles away. We looked at the maps and set the navigation system with some information that would get up close to our destination. We left at 5:17 PM with Chuck in the lead. It was appropriate for Chuck to lead us on our final leg to get to our destination, the west end of US 50.
Chuck was in the lead and I was right behind. I had the information in my navigation system and I could direct him through the CB. We rode another 34.8 miles and got off of the interstate to where we thought that the end was in West Sacramento. It wasn't. Chuck asked a gentleman for directions and he gave him some. We left at 6:02 PM.
With directions in mind, we got back on the interestate and headed west. We went over a causeway, made a u-turn and went back the same way we came. The directions that the gentleman gave Chuck was correct. We had ridded 18.6 miles and at 6:20 PM stopped at the sign indicating that Ocean City was 3,073 miles. Chuck pulled over to the side of the interstate and we all followed. We parked by the side and saw the sign. One by one, we all stood under the sign and had pictures taken. A tow truck stopped by us and asked if any one of us had broken down. That was a valid question, since I'm sure that he saw 3 Harley's in the group. We told him that we were all ok. He left and we continued taking pictures, including a Group shot. Now that we had reached the end of the westbound trip, we wanted to head towards Needles, CA. It was late and we knew that we wouldn't get very far, however, we still wanted to ride towards Needles and find a hotel in that direction. We left at 6:31 PM.
Chuck rode east on I-80 and then south onto US 99. We rode another 14.4 miles and at 6:46 PM, we stopped at a gas station/mini-mart in Elk Grove, CA. We made a pit stop and talked about our accomplishment. We were all exstatic about it. We looked at the map and decided that we would head for Turlock, CA. at a Best Western. We left at 7:05 PM.
Chuck got us back on US 99 and we headed southbound. The speed limit was 65 and we were going about 78 mph. I believe Chuck was trying to get us to the Best Western before it got dark so that we wouldn't yell at him about making all of us ride in the dark. That is one of our rules: We don't ride in the dark! We rode another 77.4 miles and at 8:11 PM, we stopped at The Best Western Orchard Inn in Turlock, CA. I went in to "make the deal." As everyone entered, the deal was made and we got a good rate. We each got our rooms, rode our Motors to the back of the hotel, parked and got our bags. We put the bags in the rooms and then tucked the Motors in for the night. We later walked next door to the Grizzly Rock Cafe and Grill for dinner. After dinner, we returned to our rooms.
Today, we rode for 504 miles. We completed our destination: The west end of US 50. We then started our route home. We know that we have about 500 miles to get to Needles and then about 300 miles to get back home. We are trying to hurry because Chuck needs to get to his daughter's, Genna, graduation from N.A.U. on Friday at 2 PM. Genna, we will get him there for you. Congratulations! So far this trip, we have traveled 6,341.6 miles. We still need to get home! We will get to Needles tomorrow and spend the night. So, until tomorrow...
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
The Penn's
Day 18 Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Last night after we had checked into the Comfort Inn, a black Harley with a trailer with a male rider and female passenger came riding up to the hotel. Chuck went out and spoke with them. The checked into the Comfort Inn also. We saw them at Ray's Tavern at dinner also. They had introduced themselves as Jim Bob and Vicki Penn from Georgetown, KY. After dinner, we got together with them and talked before returning to the motel.
This morning we saw them at breakfast and spoke with them. We met them time and again as we stopped for gas, break, lunch and in passing.
C.E. and I got up today at 6:15 AM, got dressed and packed. We went outside and uncovered our Motors and put a bag or two in the Motor. Breakfast here we come. We were the only ones in our Group in the breakfast room. There weren't very people there either. We had a quiet breakfast. Before we finished, Chuck and Ken joined us. Jan and Bruce came in a little later. After we had breakfast, we packed our Motors. While we were doing that, there was a carload of people by our Motors. They were tourist, possible from Canada. They only spoke French. The were admiring the Motors. I think that they were looking at the Gold Wings, but Jan made contact with them as they were taking pictures of the Motors. Jan took the old man's camera and motioned to him that he would take a picture of him next to Jan's Harley. He was excited. We didn't understand what he was telling, we think, his wife. There were no subtitles. He was happy to get his picture. I guess they have no farm equipment in Canada. Soon, everyone was packed and ready to go. Jan led us to the gas station not far from the hotel and gassed up. We left at 8:54 AM with Ken in the lead.
Ken led us to I-70 headed for Salina, UT. We were going at a good speed and making great time. The scenery was awesome. Ken pulled over onto Exit 116 and we stopped at Eagle Canyon View Area at 9:31 AM after riding 57.5 miles. We didn't realize how badly we needed this stop until we saw the restrooms. We all had our turns there. We looked at the Canyon and it was great! We took pictures of the Canyon and the Group with the Canyon. Chuck also rode his Motor off of the parking lot and onto a hiking trail and had his picture taken. Bruce told him to hurry and get back on the parking lot because the Ranger was coming. He wasn't, Bruce was just funning. We took a Group picture and we left at 9:51 AM.
We continued westbound on I-70. We rode through some beautiful scenery. The map indicates that this road is dotted, that means that it is a scenic road. It was! Ken led us doing about 80 mph on a road with hills and valleys. Chuck was behind Ken, C.E. was next, then Bruce, then me and then Jan. With Ken going 80, Chuck's Motor couldn't keep up so he was dropping back, making us drop back. Ken later told me that he had to slow down so that the rest of the Group could catch up. As Chuck was dropping back, so was Bruce. Jan had no problem keeping up. At one point, I had considered passing the Group and staying up with Ken. Jan told me later that if I did that, he would have followed me. I don't doubt Jan would have followed. After riding 63.4 miles, we stopped at a gas station/mini-mart in Salina, UT at 10:40 AM. We made a pit stop and took a little break. We had snacks and drinks. C.E. bought something and left his Motor keys on the counter. The clerk was asking everyone if they had left some keys on the counter. Bruce looked at them and noticed that they were Gold Wing keys. Chuck got the keys and asked me if they were mine. I told him that they weren't and he determined that the keys were C.E.'s. Chuck said, "I got him." We went outside and Chuck asked C.E. if his keys could open the trunk with remote control. C.E. said that it could and he reached for his keys in his pocket. He didn't have them and Chuck told C.E. that maybe he could open the truck with the keys he had. C.E. saw that Chuck had his keys. Chuck then gave C.E. his keys and told us that when the clerk put the keys back on the counter, Chuck had laid his wallet next to the keys and walked off, leaving the keys and wallet on the counter. Chuck did go back and picked them both up. After a nice break, we left at 11:09 AM.
Ken led us north on SR 28 into downtown Salina and then west where we got onto I-15 south. We rode I-15 south for 13 miles and then got off onto US 50 again. As we were back on US 50, we were riding and a fellow Gold Wing rider and passenger passed us going the opposite direction. The passenger motioned to us to slow down. We were expecting to see a State Trooper working rader. We didn't see one for a while and then there he was off the side of the road facing eastbound, with his radar. He didn't catch us. Ken had slowed. After riding 93.5 miles, we stopped in Delta, UT at 12:16 PM for gas. The Penn's passed us as we were riding to the gas station. We gassed up and rode down the street, with me leading, to a Subway for lunch. After lunch, we left at 1:25 PM with me in the lead.
I led the Group back on US 50. The weather was great, the scenery was great, the company is so-so, (just kidding) and we were having a great time. There was no place to stop after our customary 20 to 30 after lunch break. The road is long with many a winding turn and no where to stop. I know that I couldn't stop, even if someone needed to make a pit stop. There were no buildings or trees, or even a tall bush to hide behind. We continued until we came up to an oasis in the desert. There was a gas station and a mini-mart on the left side of the road. It was called the Border Inn, Nevada. I pulled into there at 1:45 PM after 93.5 miles. There was a sign across the street indicating, "Welcome to Nevada." We gained an hour. We went into the mini-mart and found that there was an extension which contained a small casino and bar. Yes, we were in Nevada! Chuck and Bruce took the opportunity to throw away some money by gambling. We took a little break and, lo and behold, Jim Bob and Vicki rode in and stopped. We soon left at 2:08 PM.
Chuck told me that he needed to stop in the next city so that he could get some gas. We rode for 60.7 miles and stopped in Ely, NV at 3:02 PM. The Harley boys got some gas while the Gold Wing boys parked the Motors and took a break. We still had about 2 gallons of gas each. When we finished getting gas for the Harley boys, we rode a short distance away and stopped by a US 50 sign. We each took pictures parked next to the sign. We left at 3:31 PM.
Now that the Harley's had gas, I continued to lead the Group. We rode for 82.7 miles and came into the town of Eureka, NV. It was a quiet town. It was 4:43 PM and I think that they rolled up the sidewalks already. We stopped at the Best Western and all of the Group entered, except me, to "make the deal." I stayed with my Motor writing down the information I need for the blog. They came out and we discussed the price. They did make a deal so we checked in. We got our bags out of our Motors and took them to the rooms. After we secured our bags and our rooms, we returned to our Motors and tucked them in for the night. We were in the lobby drinking coffee and hot chocolate and Jim Bob and Vicki walked in. We invited them to join us to dinner. The clerk told us of a Mexican food restaurant about a block away. They went with us. We had a good dinner and a good conversation with the Penns. When we were done with dinner, we returned to the hotel. Chuck, Ken, Jan and Bruce went into the hot tub. C.E. stayed in his room and read. I went to the lobby and started my blog.
Today, we rode for 435 miles. We rode, "The loneliest Road in America." A lot of people and brochures speak and write negatively of this road in Nevada. The same road in Utah is not as good. We have enjoyed this road so far. Tomorrow, we will be riding to Sacramento to the end of US 50. We will take pictures and buy t-shirts. After that, we head back to Phoenix.
Before I close, I want to wish Genna a very happy birthday!
So, until tomorrow...
Last night after we had checked into the Comfort Inn, a black Harley with a trailer with a male rider and female passenger came riding up to the hotel. Chuck went out and spoke with them. The checked into the Comfort Inn also. We saw them at Ray's Tavern at dinner also. They had introduced themselves as Jim Bob and Vicki Penn from Georgetown, KY. After dinner, we got together with them and talked before returning to the motel.
This morning we saw them at breakfast and spoke with them. We met them time and again as we stopped for gas, break, lunch and in passing.
C.E. and I got up today at 6:15 AM, got dressed and packed. We went outside and uncovered our Motors and put a bag or two in the Motor. Breakfast here we come. We were the only ones in our Group in the breakfast room. There weren't very people there either. We had a quiet breakfast. Before we finished, Chuck and Ken joined us. Jan and Bruce came in a little later. After we had breakfast, we packed our Motors. While we were doing that, there was a carload of people by our Motors. They were tourist, possible from Canada. They only spoke French. The were admiring the Motors. I think that they were looking at the Gold Wings, but Jan made contact with them as they were taking pictures of the Motors. Jan took the old man's camera and motioned to him that he would take a picture of him next to Jan's Harley. He was excited. We didn't understand what he was telling, we think, his wife. There were no subtitles. He was happy to get his picture. I guess they have no farm equipment in Canada. Soon, everyone was packed and ready to go. Jan led us to the gas station not far from the hotel and gassed up. We left at 8:54 AM with Ken in the lead.
Ken led us to I-70 headed for Salina, UT. We were going at a good speed and making great time. The scenery was awesome. Ken pulled over onto Exit 116 and we stopped at Eagle Canyon View Area at 9:31 AM after riding 57.5 miles. We didn't realize how badly we needed this stop until we saw the restrooms. We all had our turns there. We looked at the Canyon and it was great! We took pictures of the Canyon and the Group with the Canyon. Chuck also rode his Motor off of the parking lot and onto a hiking trail and had his picture taken. Bruce told him to hurry and get back on the parking lot because the Ranger was coming. He wasn't, Bruce was just funning. We took a Group picture and we left at 9:51 AM.
We continued westbound on I-70. We rode through some beautiful scenery. The map indicates that this road is dotted, that means that it is a scenic road. It was! Ken led us doing about 80 mph on a road with hills and valleys. Chuck was behind Ken, C.E. was next, then Bruce, then me and then Jan. With Ken going 80, Chuck's Motor couldn't keep up so he was dropping back, making us drop back. Ken later told me that he had to slow down so that the rest of the Group could catch up. As Chuck was dropping back, so was Bruce. Jan had no problem keeping up. At one point, I had considered passing the Group and staying up with Ken. Jan told me later that if I did that, he would have followed me. I don't doubt Jan would have followed. After riding 63.4 miles, we stopped at a gas station/mini-mart in Salina, UT at 10:40 AM. We made a pit stop and took a little break. We had snacks and drinks. C.E. bought something and left his Motor keys on the counter. The clerk was asking everyone if they had left some keys on the counter. Bruce looked at them and noticed that they were Gold Wing keys. Chuck got the keys and asked me if they were mine. I told him that they weren't and he determined that the keys were C.E.'s. Chuck said, "I got him." We went outside and Chuck asked C.E. if his keys could open the trunk with remote control. C.E. said that it could and he reached for his keys in his pocket. He didn't have them and Chuck told C.E. that maybe he could open the truck with the keys he had. C.E. saw that Chuck had his keys. Chuck then gave C.E. his keys and told us that when the clerk put the keys back on the counter, Chuck had laid his wallet next to the keys and walked off, leaving the keys and wallet on the counter. Chuck did go back and picked them both up. After a nice break, we left at 11:09 AM.
Ken led us north on SR 28 into downtown Salina and then west where we got onto I-15 south. We rode I-15 south for 13 miles and then got off onto US 50 again. As we were back on US 50, we were riding and a fellow Gold Wing rider and passenger passed us going the opposite direction. The passenger motioned to us to slow down. We were expecting to see a State Trooper working rader. We didn't see one for a while and then there he was off the side of the road facing eastbound, with his radar. He didn't catch us. Ken had slowed. After riding 93.5 miles, we stopped in Delta, UT at 12:16 PM for gas. The Penn's passed us as we were riding to the gas station. We gassed up and rode down the street, with me leading, to a Subway for lunch. After lunch, we left at 1:25 PM with me in the lead.
I led the Group back on US 50. The weather was great, the scenery was great, the company is so-so, (just kidding) and we were having a great time. There was no place to stop after our customary 20 to 30 after lunch break. The road is long with many a winding turn and no where to stop. I know that I couldn't stop, even if someone needed to make a pit stop. There were no buildings or trees, or even a tall bush to hide behind. We continued until we came up to an oasis in the desert. There was a gas station and a mini-mart on the left side of the road. It was called the Border Inn, Nevada. I pulled into there at 1:45 PM after 93.5 miles. There was a sign across the street indicating, "Welcome to Nevada." We gained an hour. We went into the mini-mart and found that there was an extension which contained a small casino and bar. Yes, we were in Nevada! Chuck and Bruce took the opportunity to throw away some money by gambling. We took a little break and, lo and behold, Jim Bob and Vicki rode in and stopped. We soon left at 2:08 PM.
Chuck told me that he needed to stop in the next city so that he could get some gas. We rode for 60.7 miles and stopped in Ely, NV at 3:02 PM. The Harley boys got some gas while the Gold Wing boys parked the Motors and took a break. We still had about 2 gallons of gas each. When we finished getting gas for the Harley boys, we rode a short distance away and stopped by a US 50 sign. We each took pictures parked next to the sign. We left at 3:31 PM.
Now that the Harley's had gas, I continued to lead the Group. We rode for 82.7 miles and came into the town of Eureka, NV. It was a quiet town. It was 4:43 PM and I think that they rolled up the sidewalks already. We stopped at the Best Western and all of the Group entered, except me, to "make the deal." I stayed with my Motor writing down the information I need for the blog. They came out and we discussed the price. They did make a deal so we checked in. We got our bags out of our Motors and took them to the rooms. After we secured our bags and our rooms, we returned to our Motors and tucked them in for the night. We were in the lobby drinking coffee and hot chocolate and Jim Bob and Vicki walked in. We invited them to join us to dinner. The clerk told us of a Mexican food restaurant about a block away. They went with us. We had a good dinner and a good conversation with the Penns. When we were done with dinner, we returned to the hotel. Chuck, Ken, Jan and Bruce went into the hot tub. C.E. stayed in his room and read. I went to the lobby and started my blog.
Today, we rode for 435 miles. We rode, "The loneliest Road in America." A lot of people and brochures speak and write negatively of this road in Nevada. The same road in Utah is not as good. We have enjoyed this road so far. Tomorrow, we will be riding to Sacramento to the end of US 50. We will take pictures and buy t-shirts. After that, we head back to Phoenix.
Before I close, I want to wish Genna a very happy birthday!
So, until tomorrow...
Monday, May 3, 2010
Monarch Pass, CO.
Day 17 Monday, May 3, 2010
First of all I want to wish C.E. and Bev a happy 11th Anniversary! Thanks Bev for letting C.E. come out and play with us. I'm sure that he will make it up to you when he gets back home. If not, let us know. We will take care of him.
Jan and I got up late because we knew that we weren't going to leave early. We were going to wait until Monarch Pass thawed out. When we woke up, the temperature at Monarch Pass was 17 degrees. It was 31 degrees outside at the hotel. We were up at 7 AM, got dressed and packed. We went to the breakfast room and Chuck and C.E. were already having breakfast. Ken and Bruce joined us later. As we were having breakfast, we were discussing the day's plans. We decided that since we were waiting for it to warm up, those of us who needed to could go and do laundry. All of us but Bruce packed our Motors and headed to the laundromat. Chuck was leading and we didn't get two blocks away when a doe (a deer, a female deer...) ran across the street from our right to our left. We were in the middle of downtown! We were pretty close to it when it ran across the street. This is a first for us. We have never had a deer run in front of us in any city that we have been. I'm sorry that I didn't have my camera out and ready. We got to the laundromat without any other incident. As we were doing our laundry, a young female pulled into the parking lot, saw our Motors, and "burned rubber" driving away! What was she trying to tell us? We aren't scary looking. Think about it. Think of C.E., Jan, Ken, Me, Chuck...well, I can understand her leaving quickly, especially if she saw Chuck! We finished our laundry and went back to the hotel. We packed the Motors and checked out. We left at 10:43 AM.
Chuck led us west on US 50. The mountains surrounding the city were snow capped. It was partially cloudy and the scenery was breathtaking. It was 48 degrees. We rode and started up Monarch Pass. We knew that it was going to be very cold so we dressed for it. We all had on warm clothes and some of the guys had on their rain gear to help out with the wind. I could have typed that the rain gear helped break wind, like a wind breaker, but I didn't. Anyway... We rode up the mountain. There were patches of snow at the beginning and then there was snow on both sides of us. The temperature dropped to 28 degrees at the top! The road was dry and some parts had some sand. The wind was gusting and we got dusted with snow. The higher we went, the harder it was for all of us to breathe. A couple of us were getting light-headed because of the altitude. At 11:08 AM we reached the summit after riding 26.8 miles. We parked our Motors next to the sign. We took several pictures and a picture of all of us with the sign. Chuck, Ken and Bruce took the opportunity to attack Jan with snowballs. They were paying him back for what he did to them last night. We were in the hot tub and the water level was low. Someone was complaining about the water level and Jan turned on a nearby hose and squirted them with cold water. Fortunately for me, I was already out. C.E. was in the room. He didn't join us last night. Back to the snow ball attack, Chuck had given me a sign to move so that I would not be collateral damage. Monarch Crest had a small gift shop and restaurant near the Sign. We went in and did a little shopping. We soon left at 11:36 AM.
Chuck led us down the Pass and the lower we got, the warmer it was. As we descended the Pass, the road became better. It was curvy and twistie. We still didn't want to go fast. It was posted at 40 mph and I think that we hit the limit once or twice. We stayed below the limit. It would be a much better ride if it was dry and no sand on the road. We finally hit an area on the road where the speed limit increased to 65 mph. This scenery was awesome. After riding 43.4 miles, we stopped at a Subway in Gunnison, CO. at 12:18 PM. As we were entering the city, there was a small SUV stopped by the side of the road. As we neared the SUV, we realized that it was a Colorado State Trooper. We were a little above the limit and I kept an eye on the Trooper as we passed. After we were all past the Trooper, he pulled out and followed us until we turned into the Subway. He continued on. I don't know whether he was keeping an eye on us or he was done with paperwork and resuming his patrol. It doesn't matter, he didn't stop us. We had a good break and lunch. It was 48 degrees when we arrived at the Subway and all of the guys took off their rain pants and a lot of their warm riding gear. We left at 1:08 PM.
Chuck was still leading, but not for very long. His gas tank was running low and we needed to stop soon. Not only did we need to stop soon to get gas for Chuck, we needed to take a break from lunch soon also, before we started to take naps on the Motors. After riding 66.4 miles, we stopped at a gas station in Montrose, CO at 2:14 PM. Many years ago, soon after God made this world we live in, Ken worked as a Colorado State Trooper and lived in Montrose. We have endured many hours of Ken telling us his war stories of when he was a Trooper. Actually, Ken worked as a Colorado State Trooper for 8 1/2 years before he was hired by Phoenix. The stories that Ken tells, actually, are interesting and sometime funny. We never get tired of listening to them. (Yeah, right!) We left at 2:46 PM with Jan in the lead.
Jan was leading and we were headed to Grand Junction. I had discussed with Chuck and Jan that I wanted to stop at a Batteries, Plus in Grand Junction. I had put the address on my navigation system and told Jan that I would lead when we got into the city. When we got into the city, I took the lead. We needed to make a quick lane change and we all made the lane change and onto the exit except for Bruce. We went a couple of miles when Chuck got a hold of me on the CB. Chuck told me that we needed to find a place to stop because we had lost Bruce. I thought that Chuck liked Bruce, and he waited a couple of miles to tell be to stop? I pulled over and we decided to go on to the Batteries, Plus and hopefully, Bruce would find us there. I made a u-turn and as we were back on the freeway going east, we saw Bruce going west, like a bat out of hell. We saw him, he didn't see us. We pulled over again and Chuck told us that he would wait there for Bruce and we all could go on. I told Chuck that I would go on to Batteries, Plus and wait for them there. Jan and I left. We got to Batteries, Plus and I called Chuck on the cell. Chuck told me that Bruce had called him and told him that he was at the turn off for Batteries, Plus. Chuck and the guys rode to where Bruce was. He was about 1/4 mile away from Jan and me. We went into the store and found that they were out of stock of the battery that I wanted. Jan and I rode to were Bruce was and waited there for the rest of the guys. We all were reunited then we rode a few blocks and stopped at a Wendy's for a break and a Frostie to celebrate the return of Bruce. We left at 4:58 PM.
As we left Wendy's, Jan took us onto I-70/US 50. The posed speed limit was 75 mph. We were doing 80 mph and making good time. We rode for 102.9 miles and finally got into the town of Green River, UT at 6:19 PM. We stopped at the Comfort Inn and I entered to "make the deal." I did and the rest came inside and we all checked in. We unloaded our Motors and put our bags in our rooms. We rode about 1 1/2 miles away to a restaurant that came highly recommended by the hotel clerk and others. The restaurant was, "Ray's Tavern." I is very popular and had great food. We enjoyed the food and drinks. We met some a man who was retired from Fullerton, CA P.D. We talked with him for a while. We also met a couple who were riding a Harley with trailer. They were from Lexington, KY. We spoke with them for a while also. They were also staying at the same place we are staying at. We returned to the Comfort Inn where we parked our Motors and tucked them in for the night.
Today we left later than normal, but we still rode for 311 miles. We almost met a deer up close and personal. We went up Monarch Pass, at 11,312 feet. It was cold and hard to breathe, but it was still fun. Tomorrow we hope to get out of Utah and into Nevada. We shall see. So, until tomorrow...
First of all I want to wish C.E. and Bev a happy 11th Anniversary! Thanks Bev for letting C.E. come out and play with us. I'm sure that he will make it up to you when he gets back home. If not, let us know. We will take care of him.
Jan and I got up late because we knew that we weren't going to leave early. We were going to wait until Monarch Pass thawed out. When we woke up, the temperature at Monarch Pass was 17 degrees. It was 31 degrees outside at the hotel. We were up at 7 AM, got dressed and packed. We went to the breakfast room and Chuck and C.E. were already having breakfast. Ken and Bruce joined us later. As we were having breakfast, we were discussing the day's plans. We decided that since we were waiting for it to warm up, those of us who needed to could go and do laundry. All of us but Bruce packed our Motors and headed to the laundromat. Chuck was leading and we didn't get two blocks away when a doe (a deer, a female deer...) ran across the street from our right to our left. We were in the middle of downtown! We were pretty close to it when it ran across the street. This is a first for us. We have never had a deer run in front of us in any city that we have been. I'm sorry that I didn't have my camera out and ready. We got to the laundromat without any other incident. As we were doing our laundry, a young female pulled into the parking lot, saw our Motors, and "burned rubber" driving away! What was she trying to tell us? We aren't scary looking. Think about it. Think of C.E., Jan, Ken, Me, Chuck...well, I can understand her leaving quickly, especially if she saw Chuck! We finished our laundry and went back to the hotel. We packed the Motors and checked out. We left at 10:43 AM.
Chuck led us west on US 50. The mountains surrounding the city were snow capped. It was partially cloudy and the scenery was breathtaking. It was 48 degrees. We rode and started up Monarch Pass. We knew that it was going to be very cold so we dressed for it. We all had on warm clothes and some of the guys had on their rain gear to help out with the wind. I could have typed that the rain gear helped break wind, like a wind breaker, but I didn't. Anyway... We rode up the mountain. There were patches of snow at the beginning and then there was snow on both sides of us. The temperature dropped to 28 degrees at the top! The road was dry and some parts had some sand. The wind was gusting and we got dusted with snow. The higher we went, the harder it was for all of us to breathe. A couple of us were getting light-headed because of the altitude. At 11:08 AM we reached the summit after riding 26.8 miles. We parked our Motors next to the sign. We took several pictures and a picture of all of us with the sign. Chuck, Ken and Bruce took the opportunity to attack Jan with snowballs. They were paying him back for what he did to them last night. We were in the hot tub and the water level was low. Someone was complaining about the water level and Jan turned on a nearby hose and squirted them with cold water. Fortunately for me, I was already out. C.E. was in the room. He didn't join us last night. Back to the snow ball attack, Chuck had given me a sign to move so that I would not be collateral damage. Monarch Crest had a small gift shop and restaurant near the Sign. We went in and did a little shopping. We soon left at 11:36 AM.
Chuck led us down the Pass and the lower we got, the warmer it was. As we descended the Pass, the road became better. It was curvy and twistie. We still didn't want to go fast. It was posted at 40 mph and I think that we hit the limit once or twice. We stayed below the limit. It would be a much better ride if it was dry and no sand on the road. We finally hit an area on the road where the speed limit increased to 65 mph. This scenery was awesome. After riding 43.4 miles, we stopped at a Subway in Gunnison, CO. at 12:18 PM. As we were entering the city, there was a small SUV stopped by the side of the road. As we neared the SUV, we realized that it was a Colorado State Trooper. We were a little above the limit and I kept an eye on the Trooper as we passed. After we were all past the Trooper, he pulled out and followed us until we turned into the Subway. He continued on. I don't know whether he was keeping an eye on us or he was done with paperwork and resuming his patrol. It doesn't matter, he didn't stop us. We had a good break and lunch. It was 48 degrees when we arrived at the Subway and all of the guys took off their rain pants and a lot of their warm riding gear. We left at 1:08 PM.
Chuck was still leading, but not for very long. His gas tank was running low and we needed to stop soon. Not only did we need to stop soon to get gas for Chuck, we needed to take a break from lunch soon also, before we started to take naps on the Motors. After riding 66.4 miles, we stopped at a gas station in Montrose, CO at 2:14 PM. Many years ago, soon after God made this world we live in, Ken worked as a Colorado State Trooper and lived in Montrose. We have endured many hours of Ken telling us his war stories of when he was a Trooper. Actually, Ken worked as a Colorado State Trooper for 8 1/2 years before he was hired by Phoenix. The stories that Ken tells, actually, are interesting and sometime funny. We never get tired of listening to them. (Yeah, right!) We left at 2:46 PM with Jan in the lead.
Jan was leading and we were headed to Grand Junction. I had discussed with Chuck and Jan that I wanted to stop at a Batteries, Plus in Grand Junction. I had put the address on my navigation system and told Jan that I would lead when we got into the city. When we got into the city, I took the lead. We needed to make a quick lane change and we all made the lane change and onto the exit except for Bruce. We went a couple of miles when Chuck got a hold of me on the CB. Chuck told me that we needed to find a place to stop because we had lost Bruce. I thought that Chuck liked Bruce, and he waited a couple of miles to tell be to stop? I pulled over and we decided to go on to the Batteries, Plus and hopefully, Bruce would find us there. I made a u-turn and as we were back on the freeway going east, we saw Bruce going west, like a bat out of hell. We saw him, he didn't see us. We pulled over again and Chuck told us that he would wait there for Bruce and we all could go on. I told Chuck that I would go on to Batteries, Plus and wait for them there. Jan and I left. We got to Batteries, Plus and I called Chuck on the cell. Chuck told me that Bruce had called him and told him that he was at the turn off for Batteries, Plus. Chuck and the guys rode to where Bruce was. He was about 1/4 mile away from Jan and me. We went into the store and found that they were out of stock of the battery that I wanted. Jan and I rode to were Bruce was and waited there for the rest of the guys. We all were reunited then we rode a few blocks and stopped at a Wendy's for a break and a Frostie to celebrate the return of Bruce. We left at 4:58 PM.
As we left Wendy's, Jan took us onto I-70/US 50. The posed speed limit was 75 mph. We were doing 80 mph and making good time. We rode for 102.9 miles and finally got into the town of Green River, UT at 6:19 PM. We stopped at the Comfort Inn and I entered to "make the deal." I did and the rest came inside and we all checked in. We unloaded our Motors and put our bags in our rooms. We rode about 1 1/2 miles away to a restaurant that came highly recommended by the hotel clerk and others. The restaurant was, "Ray's Tavern." I is very popular and had great food. We enjoyed the food and drinks. We met some a man who was retired from Fullerton, CA P.D. We talked with him for a while. We also met a couple who were riding a Harley with trailer. They were from Lexington, KY. We spoke with them for a while also. They were also staying at the same place we are staying at. We returned to the Comfort Inn where we parked our Motors and tucked them in for the night.
Today we left later than normal, but we still rode for 311 miles. We almost met a deer up close and personal. We went up Monarch Pass, at 11,312 feet. It was cold and hard to breathe, but it was still fun. Tomorrow we hope to get out of Utah and into Nevada. We shall see. So, until tomorrow...
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Two Weeks and a Day
Day 16 Sunday, May 2, 2010
I forgot to mention on yesterdays blog that yesterday marked 2 weeks since we started this ride. From our end, it sure doesn't feel like it. Time has flown by!
Jan and I woke up at 6:30 AM. We got dressed and packed. As we walked to the breakfast area, the others came out of their rooms and met us. We took our time to have breakfast. Cold cereal in its plastic container and silverware. We didn't need to get the plastic spoons. Cloth napkins and stemware. How hoity toity! After breakfast we all got our bags from our rooms and loaded our Motors. We rode south to a Valero gas station to fill up. We left at 9:11 AM with C.E. in the lead.
We rode through flat country with mountains in the distance. It was cloudy and when we left the gas station, it was 52 degrees. The scenery changed slightly as we traveled west. After riding 60.4 miles, we stopped in La Junta at 10:10 AM at a Wal Mart Super Store. It was time for a pit stop. We went into the store in shifts because we were parked far from the door. We left at 10:30 AM.
C.E. was still leading us and we went farther west into Colorado. The scenery became nicer to look at. There were more clouds and they were darker. We rode into Pueblo, CO. and C.E. stopped at a Subway at 11:34 AM after riding 65.6 miles. We discussed riding over Monarch Pass, which is at 11,312 feet. Chuck checked his toy, Droid, and found that the temperature in Monarch Pass was 31 degrees and was ice packed and had snow. The last city before climbing up to Monarch Pass is Salida, CO. We discussed maybe stopping in at Salida, early, and spending the night. We could tackle Monarch Pass tomorrow. The Droid said that it would be clear tomorrow. Chuck told C.E. that he needed to stop in about 40 miles so that Chuck could get gas. I thought that we got gas at the Subway! We left at 12:19 PM.
We continued westbound. The landscape was greener, the clouds got darker and it looked as if it was raining at a distance. There were two banks of clouds and a clearing in the center. Luckily, we were headed towards the center. We stopped in Canon City at 12:53 PM after riding 35.7 miles. We stopped at a gas station/mini-mart. We all gassed up and parked at the side of the mini-mart. It was 57 degrees and it was getting colder as we rode west. We all put on our rain gear and warm clothes. We were prepared! We left at 1:21 PM with Chuck leading. C.E. was very happy that he was no longer leading.
Once we passed Canon City, on the map the road is dotted, it was a very scenic road. We passed the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park exit and we were in a canyon following the Arkansas River. As we rode through the canyon, the road had many curves and twisties. Unfortunately, we had several vehicles in front of us so we couldn't go very fast. It sprinkled on us a little and we rode through snow flurries. It wasn't bad. It wasn't enough to make us stop and wait for it to stop. We continued. There were many people in the Arkansas river fishing. Some of the fishermen were standing on the banks of the river while others were wading in the river fishing. Some were even on rubber boats fishing. The speed limit in the canyon was 45 mph and we were actually doing the speed limit, or slower. We finally rode into Salida and stopped at a Holiday Inn Express at 2:29 PM after riding 61.1 miles. Without saying anything, we all decided to stay here for the night. We checked in and got our bags out of our Motors and took them to our rooms. We moved our Motors so that they would be parked by our windows of our rooms. We relaxed, had coffee, hot chocolate and spicy apple cider. The hotel staff baked cookies and gave us some. The staff recommended a steak house named, Quincy's. We will ride there and have dinner. When we return to the hotel, we will park our Motors and tuck them in for the night. The hot tub is operational, as is the pool. This is an early day for us. We WILL rest tonight.
Today, we rode for only 223 miles. We didn't want to continue and rode Monarch Pass with the snow and the ice packed street. We will wait for the snow to thaw. We were told that the road is plowed on a regular basis and sand is placed on the road. If all works out, we should be out of Colorado tomorrow. We will see. So, until tomorrow...
Addendum: I just had to add this. We were getting ready to ride to dinner. As we walked out of the hotel, IT WAS SNOWING! We got to our Motors and the seats had snow on them. We had to dust them off. We rode south for 1 mile and it started to snow harder. I made a video of part of the ride. I hope that the snow shows on the video. We were treated very well in the restaurant. We finished dinner and rode back to the hotel and tucked our Motors in for the night.
I forgot to mention on yesterdays blog that yesterday marked 2 weeks since we started this ride. From our end, it sure doesn't feel like it. Time has flown by!
Jan and I woke up at 6:30 AM. We got dressed and packed. As we walked to the breakfast area, the others came out of their rooms and met us. We took our time to have breakfast. Cold cereal in its plastic container and silverware. We didn't need to get the plastic spoons. Cloth napkins and stemware. How hoity toity! After breakfast we all got our bags from our rooms and loaded our Motors. We rode south to a Valero gas station to fill up. We left at 9:11 AM with C.E. in the lead.
We rode through flat country with mountains in the distance. It was cloudy and when we left the gas station, it was 52 degrees. The scenery changed slightly as we traveled west. After riding 60.4 miles, we stopped in La Junta at 10:10 AM at a Wal Mart Super Store. It was time for a pit stop. We went into the store in shifts because we were parked far from the door. We left at 10:30 AM.
C.E. was still leading us and we went farther west into Colorado. The scenery became nicer to look at. There were more clouds and they were darker. We rode into Pueblo, CO. and C.E. stopped at a Subway at 11:34 AM after riding 65.6 miles. We discussed riding over Monarch Pass, which is at 11,312 feet. Chuck checked his toy, Droid, and found that the temperature in Monarch Pass was 31 degrees and was ice packed and had snow. The last city before climbing up to Monarch Pass is Salida, CO. We discussed maybe stopping in at Salida, early, and spending the night. We could tackle Monarch Pass tomorrow. The Droid said that it would be clear tomorrow. Chuck told C.E. that he needed to stop in about 40 miles so that Chuck could get gas. I thought that we got gas at the Subway! We left at 12:19 PM.
We continued westbound. The landscape was greener, the clouds got darker and it looked as if it was raining at a distance. There were two banks of clouds and a clearing in the center. Luckily, we were headed towards the center. We stopped in Canon City at 12:53 PM after riding 35.7 miles. We stopped at a gas station/mini-mart. We all gassed up and parked at the side of the mini-mart. It was 57 degrees and it was getting colder as we rode west. We all put on our rain gear and warm clothes. We were prepared! We left at 1:21 PM with Chuck leading. C.E. was very happy that he was no longer leading.
Once we passed Canon City, on the map the road is dotted, it was a very scenic road. We passed the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park exit and we were in a canyon following the Arkansas River. As we rode through the canyon, the road had many curves and twisties. Unfortunately, we had several vehicles in front of us so we couldn't go very fast. It sprinkled on us a little and we rode through snow flurries. It wasn't bad. It wasn't enough to make us stop and wait for it to stop. We continued. There were many people in the Arkansas river fishing. Some of the fishermen were standing on the banks of the river while others were wading in the river fishing. Some were even on rubber boats fishing. The speed limit in the canyon was 45 mph and we were actually doing the speed limit, or slower. We finally rode into Salida and stopped at a Holiday Inn Express at 2:29 PM after riding 61.1 miles. Without saying anything, we all decided to stay here for the night. We checked in and got our bags out of our Motors and took them to our rooms. We moved our Motors so that they would be parked by our windows of our rooms. We relaxed, had coffee, hot chocolate and spicy apple cider. The hotel staff baked cookies and gave us some. The staff recommended a steak house named, Quincy's. We will ride there and have dinner. When we return to the hotel, we will park our Motors and tuck them in for the night. The hot tub is operational, as is the pool. This is an early day for us. We WILL rest tonight.
Today, we rode for only 223 miles. We didn't want to continue and rode Monarch Pass with the snow and the ice packed street. We will wait for the snow to thaw. We were told that the road is plowed on a regular basis and sand is placed on the road. If all works out, we should be out of Colorado tomorrow. We will see. So, until tomorrow...
Addendum: I just had to add this. We were getting ready to ride to dinner. As we walked out of the hotel, IT WAS SNOWING! We got to our Motors and the seats had snow on them. We had to dust them off. We rode south for 1 mile and it started to snow harder. I made a video of part of the ride. I hope that the snow shows on the video. We were treated very well in the restaurant. We finished dinner and rode back to the hotel and tucked our Motors in for the night.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Straight and Flat
Day 15 Saturday, May 1, 2010
First of all let me clarify yesterdays post when I wrote that Suzy helped me take off my pants. Those were my "rain pants." What were you people thinking? Anyway...
Chuck and I woke up at 6:30 AM. He always has his alarm set for 7 AM, but when he and I room together, he can't stand staying in bed and sleeping while I am up and moving around. He needs to be with me. He has a better day when he does! We got dressed and packed our bags. We took a couple of bags out to our Motors and uncovered them and put the bags away. Breakfast here we come. We were the only ones in our Group in the breakfast room. After a while, we looked out the window to check on our Motors and saw the rest of the Group preparing their Motors for travel. Soon they joined us. After a while, we all finished and got the rest of our stuff from our rooms and finished packing our Motors. We left at 8:46 AM with Ken in the lead. It was 55 degrees and cloudy.
Ken led for 46.8 miles and at 9:30 AM, we stopped in Florence, KS. We stopped for gas and we took a little break. Bruce took the opportunity to add some oil to his Harley. We soon left at 9:49 AM with me in the lead.
We rode the "flat lands" of Kansas on a two lane street. I told the guys that if we were elevated 100 feet, we probably could see Colorado to the west and Missouri to the east. The weather was good and we were all enjoying the ride. We stopped at 11:18 AM after riding 103.5 miles. I told you we were enjoying the ride...at least I was. We took a break and stretched. We left at 11:56 AM.
We rode west for another 96.9 miles and at 1:23 PM, we stopped in Dodge City. No, we didn't see Marshall Dillon. We gassed up and left quickly because it was time to eat. Bruce asked the female clerk in the gas station where the nearest Subway and she told him that it was east about 2 to 3 blocks. We left at 1:32 PM.
Bruce led us east and we looked 2 to 3 blocks for the Subway. We continued east and found it .9 miles away. We arrived at 1:39 PM. We enjoyed our lunch and Bruce got some information of a combination Honda and Harley Store not too far away. We left at 2:26 PM.
We drove towards this store and passed "Boot Hill." We arrived at 2:32 PM after riding 2.0 miles. Sure enough, the sign said, "Honda Harley Davidson." The Honda sign was on top. We went inside and guess what? It was 90% Harley. There were several Honda Quads. I didn't see any Honda Motorcycles inside. What a rip! Talk about trickery. Chuck and Bruce bought shirts. I told Chuck that those of us who did not buy shirts want to buy shirts with something that has to do with Dodge City. We rode to Boot Hill. We had been at Boot Hill two years ago when we rode Route 66. We left at 3:21 PM.
Bruce continued to lead the Group. After riding 50.9 miles, we arrived in Garden City, KS at 4:11 PM for a pit stop. We stayed for a while and left at 4:30 PM.
As we were riding west approaching the Kansas/Colorado border, the skies were threatening with rain. The clouds were dark with a small clearing in the center in the direction we were going. It did sprinkle a little on us but it was not bad. We crossed into Colorado and gained another hour. We didn't have much farther to go to our destination for the day. We rode for 109.0 miles and arrived in Lamar, CO. at 5:12 PM. We checked into what used to be a Best Western. The price was right and it was clean. We parked our Motors under the awning, took our bags and tucked our Motors in for the night. We took our bags to our rooms and soon after, we walked about 1/2 block to a restaurant for dinner. After dinner, Chuck, Jan and Bruce stopped at a mini-mart between the restaurant and the motel and bought a six pack of Corona, for medicinal purposes, of course.
Today, we rode 410 miles. We all agree that it didn't fell like we rode that many miles. Kansas is very flat and the road was straight. There were no curvy, twistie roads to enjoy, just the landscape. Tomorrow, we will get far into Colorado and probably get into Utah, we'll see. So, until tomorrow...
First of all let me clarify yesterdays post when I wrote that Suzy helped me take off my pants. Those were my "rain pants." What were you people thinking? Anyway...
Chuck and I woke up at 6:30 AM. He always has his alarm set for 7 AM, but when he and I room together, he can't stand staying in bed and sleeping while I am up and moving around. He needs to be with me. He has a better day when he does! We got dressed and packed our bags. We took a couple of bags out to our Motors and uncovered them and put the bags away. Breakfast here we come. We were the only ones in our Group in the breakfast room. After a while, we looked out the window to check on our Motors and saw the rest of the Group preparing their Motors for travel. Soon they joined us. After a while, we all finished and got the rest of our stuff from our rooms and finished packing our Motors. We left at 8:46 AM with Ken in the lead. It was 55 degrees and cloudy.
Ken led for 46.8 miles and at 9:30 AM, we stopped in Florence, KS. We stopped for gas and we took a little break. Bruce took the opportunity to add some oil to his Harley. We soon left at 9:49 AM with me in the lead.
We rode the "flat lands" of Kansas on a two lane street. I told the guys that if we were elevated 100 feet, we probably could see Colorado to the west and Missouri to the east. The weather was good and we were all enjoying the ride. We stopped at 11:18 AM after riding 103.5 miles. I told you we were enjoying the ride...at least I was. We took a break and stretched. We left at 11:56 AM.
We rode west for another 96.9 miles and at 1:23 PM, we stopped in Dodge City. No, we didn't see Marshall Dillon. We gassed up and left quickly because it was time to eat. Bruce asked the female clerk in the gas station where the nearest Subway and she told him that it was east about 2 to 3 blocks. We left at 1:32 PM.
Bruce led us east and we looked 2 to 3 blocks for the Subway. We continued east and found it .9 miles away. We arrived at 1:39 PM. We enjoyed our lunch and Bruce got some information of a combination Honda and Harley Store not too far away. We left at 2:26 PM.
We drove towards this store and passed "Boot Hill." We arrived at 2:32 PM after riding 2.0 miles. Sure enough, the sign said, "Honda Harley Davidson." The Honda sign was on top. We went inside and guess what? It was 90% Harley. There were several Honda Quads. I didn't see any Honda Motorcycles inside. What a rip! Talk about trickery. Chuck and Bruce bought shirts. I told Chuck that those of us who did not buy shirts want to buy shirts with something that has to do with Dodge City. We rode to Boot Hill. We had been at Boot Hill two years ago when we rode Route 66. We left at 3:21 PM.
Bruce continued to lead the Group. After riding 50.9 miles, we arrived in Garden City, KS at 4:11 PM for a pit stop. We stayed for a while and left at 4:30 PM.
As we were riding west approaching the Kansas/Colorado border, the skies were threatening with rain. The clouds were dark with a small clearing in the center in the direction we were going. It did sprinkle a little on us but it was not bad. We crossed into Colorado and gained another hour. We didn't have much farther to go to our destination for the day. We rode for 109.0 miles and arrived in Lamar, CO. at 5:12 PM. We checked into what used to be a Best Western. The price was right and it was clean. We parked our Motors under the awning, took our bags and tucked our Motors in for the night. We took our bags to our rooms and soon after, we walked about 1/2 block to a restaurant for dinner. After dinner, Chuck, Jan and Bruce stopped at a mini-mart between the restaurant and the motel and bought a six pack of Corona, for medicinal purposes, of course.
Today, we rode 410 miles. We all agree that it didn't fell like we rode that many miles. Kansas is very flat and the road was straight. There were no curvy, twistie roads to enjoy, just the landscape. Tomorrow, we will get far into Colorado and probably get into Utah, we'll see. So, until tomorrow...
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