HOME!!!

Day 21, Tuesday, May 05, 2015

My alarm sounded at 6:30 AM.  It hit me early this morning that this would be the last time that I would set my alarm on this ride.  Chuck and I got up and did what we needed to do.  We took a couple of bags down to our Motorcycles and packed them.  We noticed the sky to the south of us was very dark.  Chuck checked his weather app on his phone and saw that it was clearing and we should have good riding weather for a while.  We went back in and had breakfast.  By this time, all five of us were eating breakfast.  It was rather quiet this morning.  I guess that the “final day” feeling hit us all.  We finished breakfast, went back to our rooms and gathered the rest of our stuff.  We checked out and mounted our Motorcycles.  We left at 8:03 AM.

Jan led our Group onto Highway 550 east to I-25.  We went south on I-25 and we were soon riding in Albuquerque’s morning rush hour.  We rode through Albuquerque and ended up on the west side of the city and after riding for 25 miles, we stopped at 8:28 AM at a gas station so that we could all gas up.  We were still in somewhat of a daze.  Chuck had some coffee and we sat on a stone picnic table in front of the store.  We also took the opportunity to look towards the city.  We were elevated and could see a lot of the city.  The weather was great, cloudy and NOT raining.  We were done with our break and left at 9:02 AM.

Ken took over the lead.  We got back on I-40 and rode west.  It was a little cold and after riding for 77 miles, we stopped at 10:06 AM in Grants, NM.  While we were in Grants taking the necessary “pit stop,” we all put on more clothing.  The liners were put into the jackets, more sweaters were put on, heavier gloves were worn and “Turtle Fur” neck warmers were put on.  We left at 10:21 AM.

We got back onto I-40.  We rode for another 60 miles and stopped at 11:09 AM in Gallup, NM so that C.E. could gas up his Trike.  Just prior to arriving in Gallup, it had rained a little on us.  We left Gallup at 11:21 AM.

Ken led us back on I-40.  It has been a while since we have traveled this road.  It is a lot better that what we remember.  Of course, that’s not saying much.  After all, we are getting older.  WOW!  Did I just type that out loud?  We approached the Arizona State Line and crossed it at 11:42 AM.  As we crossed the State Line, we gained an hour so it was now 10:42 AM.  We are almost home!  We rode for 59 miles and at 11:10 AM, we stopped in Chambers, AZ at a gas station.  We all gassed up.  We left at 11:27 AM.

Since we entered Arizona, it was raining off and on.  I was now in the lead and we headed west on I-40.  We rode and enjoyed the Arizona scenery.  We hadn’t seen this in three weeks.  We rode for 76 miles and at 2:29 PM, we stopped in Winslow, AZ at a Subway for lunch.  NO, we didn’t go “Stand on the corner.”  We had lunch!  Just as we pulled in front of the Subway, it was sprinkling.  While we were inside, it started raining.  We all went out to our Motorcycles and got our rain gear.  Did all of you catch that?  We actually put our rain gear on!  We knew that we were headed to Flagstaff and that it would be colder and raining.  Some of us put on more clothing.  We took over the Subway store.  We were spread out putting on our rain gear and the patrons were watching us.  We left at 1:14 PM.

I got us back onto I-40 and we had discussed to go all the way to Camp Verde before we stopped again.  We rode and entered Flagstaff.  There was a lot of truck traffic on I-40 close to Flagstaff.  It had been raining since we left Winslow.  We turned onto I-17 and now headed south.  It started to rain harder.  At one point, it just “DUMPED” on us!  We had zero visibility.  We all moved over to the right lane and slowed our speed considerably.  The rain eased up and we were able to see better.  As we rode out of Flagstaff, it stopped raining.  The road was soon dry and we felt better riding on a dry road.  We rode for 115 miles and at 2:10 PM, we stopped in Camp Verde, AZ at a gas station where we filled up our tanks.  By the way, we also made a pit stop. I bet you didn’t see that one coming?   We all returned to our Motorcycles and talked a little and took off our rain gear.  Jan finally said, “OK, guys, let’s go home!”  It had a good ring to it.  We all said our goodbyes, got on our Motorcycles and left at 3:12 PM.

Chuck led us this time.  As tradition goes, since we started these annual rides nine years ago, Chuck starts us out and leads us home.  Chuck took the lead and away we went.  Jan was with us and when we got to the Prescott exit, he waved at us, peeled away from us and took the exit.  We continued.  We rode for 37 miles and at 3:42 PM, Chuck pulled into the Sunset Point Rest Area.  We took off our jackets and stowed them away.  We were not wearing any rain gear or jackets.  The weather was great for riding.  The road was dry and we left at 3:50 PM.

Chuck blasted south on I-17.  Ken was behind Chuck, then Me and C.E.  We stayed in a tight group.  We passed the sign posted, “Maricopa County.”  It was a good feeling.  We continued and soon passed the sign posted, “Phoenix City Limits.”  That was a great feeling.  I knew that we were home.  As we continued south, we reached the Loop 101.  I got off and rode east and C.E. got off and rode west.  Chuck and Ken continued south.  After riding 43 miles, I stopped at HOME at 4:26 PM.  My Wife, Laura, Daughter Lori, and Grandsons, Connor and Gabriel were all waiting for me on the driveway.  My garage door was open and I rode in.  I greeted my family and then unloaded my Motorcycle.  After unloading my Motorcycle, I tucked it in for the night.

Today we rode for 492 miles.  We rode in the rain…a lot!  We had fun and we are HOME!

This was a great three week ride.  We visited 12 States, some twice.  We rode for 6,486 miles.  Some had more miles some had less.  We stayed at a Holiday Inn Express 8 times, Hampton Inn 2 times, Best Western 7 times, La Quinta 1 time, Magnuson Hotel 1 time and a Sleep Inn 1 time.  Most of the hotels were very nice and had very nice people working that went above and beyond for us.  We met some very interesting people.  It was funny to see that when we stopped to look at a map, people would come to “the old guys on the Motorcycles” and try to help.

I would like to thank my Wife, Laura, for agreeing to let me leave her for three weeks.  The Grandsons, Connor 6 and Gabriel 3, were very happy to see me come home, and of course my Family for keeping an eye on Laura while I was gone.  Laura told me that she felt like she was “single” while I was gone.  I did tell her to have some fun while I was gone.  I hope that I didn’t create a monster!  Lol  No, It didn’t.  Laura is a keeper.  I love you!  

I would also like to thank Chuck Roseberry for putting on the “Annual Ride” again AND inviting me to be with the Group.

Thanks to you all who took time out of your day to read my blog.  I tried to let you in on what we were up to.  Of course, NOT everything was told!  We do have to keep some mystery.

By the way…HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!

  

It was not discussed as to where we will end up next year or WHO will go or not go.  We shall see.  So, until next year…

Wind and Rain!

Day 20, Monday, May 4, 2015

I had the room all to myself last night.  I got up when the alarm sounded at 6:30 AM.  I didn’t have to wait for my roomy to finish in the bathroom; I didn’t bump into my roomy as I was getting dressed and packing either.  I could get used to this.  No, it is fun to have a roomy.  Well, I got dressed, packed and took a couple of bags out to my Motorcycle.  As I uncovered my Motorcycle, I looked at it and it was filthy!  I packed my bags in the trunk and saddlebag and I HAD to clean it.  I went to the breakfast area and C.E. and Ken were already there.  The other two came in soon after.  We had a good breakfast.  After we finished, we sat around, killing time.  We then went to our rooms and got the rest of our stuff and loaded our Motorcycles.  It was a cool, beautiful day.  We left the hotel at 8:38 AM.

Chuck was in the lead, I was next, then Jan, Ken and C.E.  We rode on Highway 550.  This ride was awesome.  The road was good and the scenery was fantastic.  All of the surrounding mountains had snow.  We were on the Red Mountain Pass.  We rode for 61 miles and at 9:59 AM, we stopped in Silverton, CO.  We just so happen to park in front of a Harley Davidson Store.  I’m sure that none of you would have guessed.  The store opened at 10 AM.  The two Harley riders, Jan and Chuck, went in and just about bought out the store!  Just kidding, they bought two shirts each.  Ken, C.E and I went across the street to a local store and Ken came out with a nice looking shirt.  I’m sure that it was only half the price of the Harley shirt because it didn’t say Harley.  We got on our Motorcycles and rode around the corner to a coffee shop.  Chuck had to have some coffee.  I had to have coffee also, but I’m NOT allowed.  We looked at the sky towards the direction that we were going and there were snow clouds.  Chuck was done with his coffee so we mounted our Motorcycles and left at 10:57 AM.

Chuck got us back on Highway 550, “The Million Dollar Highway.”  Not ten minutes passed when we reached the top of Molas Pass.  When we got to the top, we had some snow flurries.  It wasn’t bad.  It only lasted for about a minute.  We continued riding the Highway and enjoying all of the twisties, curves, hills and scenery.  There was snow all over the place, except on the road.  This road was narrow and at some points, the “drop” on our side of the road was very deep.  There were no guardrails.  Some of the guys didn’t want to look down.  I took pictures…and a video.  We came down from Molas Pass, only to go back up onto Coalbank Pass.  We enjoyed these two Passes and soon, we entered the City of Durango.  Just as we did, at the sign welcoming travelers to Durango, there was a deer standing by the sign.  We rode for 50 miles and at 11:54 AM, we stopped at a gas station in Durango for C.E. to fill up his Trike.  We then rode a block away and stopped at a Subway for lunch.  The temperature was in the 60’s so we took off our jackets and got our lighter gloves out.  We went in for lunch.  When we were done, we went to our Motorcycles and the temperature dropped.  We all put our jackets on and broke out our heavy gloves again.  We left at 12:42 PM.

Chuck checked the weather south of us and told us that we could put our rain gear on if we wanted.  He wasn’t.  He thought that it would be dry.  We headed south on Highway 550.  We rode for a distance and we crossed the New Mexico State Line at 1:07 PM.  We rode for 38 miles and at 1:20 PM, we stopped in Aztec, NM to gas up.  We all filled our tanks.  We looked at the sky to the south and it was black.  Chuck felt that if we would probably hit some pockets of rain and that we would ride out of them soon.  None of us put our rain gear on.  We left at 1:36 PM.

Jan took the lead; I was next, then Ken, C.E. and Chuck.  We headed onto Highway 550.  We rode through a couple of small towns and then we were in Farmington.  There were very little signs posted along the road telling us where we were.  Apparently, we took the wrong road out of Aztec that took us to Farmington.  We stopped at a parking lot after riding 15 miles and it was 2:01 PM.  Chuck and Jan were confused with the map.  Jan felt that we needed to go a certain direction.  Jan rode his Motorcycle to a nearby car and a man was sitting inside.  Jan asked for directions.  Jan was right.  We left at 2:21 PM.

Jan led us on Highway 64 west.  We rode to a town called Bloomfield and turned right, onto Highway 550.  We were back on track.  We were headed south and there was nothing by BLACK sky.  The more we rode, the windier it became.  It was also raining!  Watching Jan as he rode in front of me, he was leaning, BIG TIME, to the right.  We had no place to pull over to change into our rain gear.  On a side note, we spent a lot of money on our rain gear.  They were all protected in our saddlebags.  That means that we will keep them longer.  Jan got a hold of me on the CB and told me that when we got into Cuba, NM, he was going to look for a Holiday Inn Express or Best Western.  We were riding and the rain was soaking through our jackets.  My right side was soaked.  There was a small casino and mini-mart on the left side of the road.  It was 19 miles from Cuba.  Jan pulled in to the mini-mart.  NO ladies, we DIDN’T go into the casino!  It was blowing strongly and it started to rain again.  We left at 3:48 PM.

Jan led us south on Highway 550.  It was DARK.  We rode for 22 miles and at 4:09 PM, Jan stopped at an abandoned gas station in Cuba, NM.  Jan told us that he stopped so that we could put our rain gear on.  After putting on our rain gear, we left, in the rain, at 4:22 PM.

We continued riding and it was raining again.  Did I say it was DARK?  It rained for awhile.  It felt much better to ride in the rain with rain gear on, although our clothes were wet under our rain gear.  We rode for a while and it stopped raining.  The road was dry and Jan bumped up the speed.  We were actually able to see the landscape of the area.  It looked good.  We rode for 66 miles and at 5:23 PM, we stopped in Bernalillo, NM at a Holiday Inn Express.  I went into the lobby to “make the deal.”  I got a good deal and went back outside and told the guys.  We all went in and checked into our rooms.  We got our bags from our Motorcycles and took them to the rooms.  We had parked our Motorcycles under the awning at the entrance and I went downstairs to make sure it was OK to leave them there.  It was.  I went back to my room and Chuck was already wearing his swim suit and ready for the hot tub.  I quickly got ready and we went downstairs.  Jan was already in the water.  We got in and Ken soon followed.  We had decided that for dinner, we would order pizza.  We didn’t want to ride anywhere because it was raining.

We had dinner and talked about a lot of things, including this year’s ride, the guys, our families and our Motorcycles.

Today we rode 334 miles and rode through a lot of rain, wind and a little snow flurry.  We protected our rain gear and got wet.  We survived.

Tomorrow is bittersweet.  We will head for home tomorrow.  We are not sure what the weather will bring us, but we will be prepared.  Hopefully we will use our expensive rain gear and NOT protect them by leaving them in the saddlebags.  So, until tomorrow…      

HAIL!

Day 19, Sunday, May 03, 2015

It was a rough night last night.  I was awake at 4:38 AM and couldn’t get back to sleep.  I turned my alarm off at 6:30 AM when it sounded.  Jan woke up also and said that he woke up very early and couldn’t get back to sleep.  He told me that he was going to stay in bed until I finished.  I got up, got dressed and packed.  Jan got up finally and started getting ready.  I took a couple of bags out to my Motorcycle.  It was cold!  It was 45 degrees.  Ken was already at his Motorcycle and was cleaning it.  I packed my Motorcycle and walked back into the breakfast area.  C.E was already there saving a table with five chairs.  The others came in slowly.  We were done eating by 7:30 AM.  We returned to our rooms and got the rest of our stuff.  We weren’t going to leave early.  We were hoping that it warmed up a little.  Three of us needed to get gas so we rode across the freeway to the Shell station and gassed up.  We were ready to go and left at 8:36 AM.

It was C.E.’s turn to lead.  He led the Group of five north on I-25.  We rode for a short time and then we turned onto Highway 160 west.  We rode through the city of Walsenburg, CO.  We could see at a distance the snowcapped mountains all around.  We rode for 91 miles and at 9:57 AM, we stopped in Ft. Garland, CO for a pit stop.  We bought some snacks and beverages also.  Chuck was waiting for a fresh pot of coffee to be made; however, he couldn’t wait any longer.  The two female employees were “cat fighting” and cursing at each other in front of the patrons.  Chuck didn’t want to stick around for that.  He would get coffee later.  We left at 10:15 AM.

C.E. continued to lead us on Highway 160.  It didn’t take long for C.E. to make a stop.  After riding 27 miles, we stopped in Alamosa at a Safeway gas station at 10:42 AM.  C.E. needed gas for his Trike.  As C.E. was gassing up, Chuck, Jan and Ken were looking at a map.  They were trying to figure out a new plan.  We all looked to the west and there was a very large, dark, rain cloud that we were headed for.  I stayed on my Motorcycle while they had a conference.  The decision was made and C.E. was instructed.  We left at 10:54 AM.

C.E. led us back on Highway 160 west until we arrived in Monte Vista, CO.  He then turned onto Highway 285 north.  We were not riding into the storm, but we were riding north along the storm.  At least we were not getting wet…yet.  We continued until we entered the town of Saguache, CO.  C.E. pulled over by the side of the road and we all stopped.  They were discussing the route, again, with the map.  We were also looking towards the west and the nasty looking sky.  I told the guys that while they were discussing, I was going for a pit stop a block west at a gas station/mini-mart.  I rode off.  For it being a little town, it sure was crowded.  I went inside and found the restroom.  There was only one and there was a line.  Before I knew it, Jan and C.E. were in line behind me.  I walked to the front of the store and Chuck was at the register buying his cup of coffee.  I walked to my Motorcycle and Ken was putting on his rain gear.  He told me that it was decided that we were going west, through the storm.  We all put our rain gear on.  It is always a funny sight watching us put on our rain gear.  We were all dressed and we left at 12:18 PM.

C.E. led us out of Saguache and onto Highway 114.  We were headed towards the nasty looking clouds.  We were on a nice country road. The clouds were threatening.  The sprinkles started and quickly turned into hail.  It was a good thing that we had put on our rain gear over our jackets and that we had helmets on.  The clothing cushioned the hail and you can hear the, “tink, tink, tink” on the helmet.  We weren’t going very fast and it hailed and rained for about 8 minutes.  The rain and hail stopped, but the road was still wet.  We got an occasional sprinkle, but it didn’t last very long.  We continued and came up to a “T” intersection with Highway 50.  C.E. turned left on Highway 50.  We rode for 73 miles and at 1:34 PM, we stopped at a Subway for lunch in Gunnison, CO.  We have been to this Subway before on an earlier ride.  We were riding US 60 East and US 50 West. We took off our rain gear and walked into the Subway.  We had good sandwiches and returned to our Motorcycles.  We needed to get gas and there was a Conoco gas station across the street.  C.E. had started putting on his rain gear and so did I.  The others chose to go get gas and then put on the rain gear after gassing up.  As C.E. and I finished putting on our rain gear, the rain started.  I saw the guys across the street, gassed up and in the rain putting on their rain gear.  C.E. and I gassed up and rode out to the open where the other three were.  We waited for them to finish dressing and we left at 2:30 PM.

Chuck was now leading and he had told us that he was going to lead as slow as or slower than C.E. led in the rain.  We headed out on Highway 50.  As soon as we left, it started to sprinkle.  The sprinkle turned to a good rain.  It rained for about 15 minutes and it stopped.  Once we got to dry road conditions, Chuck sped it up a little.  The road was well maintained and it was a good road.  We were riding at about 65 to 70 mph and it was fun on the curves.  We rode alongside the Morrow Point Reservoir.  It is a big reservoir.  We got to about the half way point and there was a bridge crossing the reservoir.  We went over the bridge and sped off.  There was not very much traffic on the road.  It was also cold.  I checked the thermometer on the Motorcycle and it got down to the 40’s.  We rode for 74 miles and at 4:00 PM, we arrived at the Holiday Inn Express in Montrose.  Chuck and Jan entered the lobby to “make the deal.”  I was my turn to room solo and Chuck told me the price.  I told him that the price was OK.  We all went in and checked into our rooms.  Chuck roomed with Jan and C.E. roomed with Ken.  We got our bags from our Motorcycles.  The rain and road dirt got the Motorcycles very nasty.  They were filthy.  They all needed to be cleaned.  This type of dirty Motorcycle couldn’t be cleaned with a wet towel.  This has to be detailed at home.  We parked our Motorcycles and tucked them in for the night.  Ken saw a Mexican Food Restaurant two businesses away from the hotel.  We would walk to dinner.

After getting our bags into our room, we put our swim suits on and visited the Hot Tub.  It was nice to get in to a hot Hot Tub after the ride we had.  We finished and met in the lobby at 7 PM to walk to dinner.  We did, we ate and returned to the hotel.  I returned to the blog and the rest returned to their rooms.

Today we rode for 319 miles and rode in the rain and hail.  We rode on some nice roads.

Tomorrow, I believe that we are going to head towards Durango.  Yes, we are headed south.  Our journey is almost over.  Durango was mentioned, however, plans change at any time.  We shall see.  So, until tomorrow…         

NOTHING & Wind & Farmland

Day 18, Saturday, May 02, 2015

OK, here we go.  My alarm sounded…at what time?  Yes, it sounded at 6:30 AM.  What did I do?  I turned it off and got up right away.  Chuck got up also.  We got dressed and packed our stuff.  I took a couple of bags to my Motorcycle and packed them in.  I parked under the awning at the entrance of the hotel.  The others parked a distance away in the parking lot.  I got my Motorcycle as ready as it could be while the others were doing the same.  I went into the breakfast area.  It was crowded.  I got a table away from the crowd and started eating.  The others came in slowly.  We ate our breakfast and returned to our rooms to gather the rest of our stuff.  With our Motorcycles fully packed and ready, we left at 8:30 AM with Jan in the lead.

Jan led us on Highway 81 north and got on Highway 62.  When we reached the city of Anadarko (sounds like something out of a Star Wars movie), we turned north on Highway 281.  Highway 281 was a “green dotted” highway.  Lots of pretty things to see.  After riding for 59 miles, we stopped at a Love’s Truck Stop at 9:33 AM in Hinton, OK, next to I-40.  We all gassed up and took a pit stop.  The sky was cloudy and we had our jackets on.  We were about done with our break and Bruce came over to the Group and told Chuck that he and Jake were done.  They were going to get on I-40 and go home.  I was talking with Ken and looking at the map when Bruce spoke.  I didn’t hear the reason.  Chuck said, “OK,” we said goodbye and we left north on Highway 270.  We left at 10:01 AM.

Ken was leading the Group.  There were five of us left.  We knew that this next leg was not going to have anything worth seeing.  Ken put the pedal to the metal and we were off at about 75 mph.  It was cloudy and windy.  The five of us stayed together and we zipped down the highway.  We saw a lot of wind turbines in this area.  We thought that there were a lot of them in California.  There seemed to be more than there are in California.  We had ridden for about an hour and Ken quickly stopped in a small town named Seiling, OK.  Ken pulled into a parking lot of gravel and pavement.  The business didn’t appear open.  He stopped, took his jacket off and packed it on his Motorcycle.  There was NO restroom, NO drinks, NO snacks…NOTHING!  It was all about Ken.  Ken got back on his Motorcycle and we were off.  Ken was trying to get some distance and after riding 100 miles, we stopped in Woodward, OK at 11:37 AM.  We made a pit stop, had a drink and snacks.  We were ready to leave and left at 11:54 AM.

Ken and Chuck talked a little about maybe with the next stop, we would have lunch.  Ken took off again.  We rode through farming communities.  The wind was still blowing and, on occasion, wind gusts were pretty strong.  Chuck later said that it was a Blustery Day in the Hundred Acre Woods.  We rode for 130 miles and at 1:52 PM, we stopped in Guymon, OK for gas.  Guymon was a larger town.  We gassed up and Jan spoke with the postman and got directions to the local Subway.  I was listening, since it was my turn to lead.  We left the gas station and rode on Highway 412 west.  We rode for a couple of blocks and turned north.  This road was also Highway 412, Business.  We rode through downtown and found ourselves on a rough road.  Looking at the road, it was all cobblestone, or bricks.  It was very old and not smooth at all.  We stopped at the Subway and had our lunch.  It was rather quick to serve five people instead of seven or eight.  We were served quickly and we ate.  We left the Subway at 3:14 PM.

I was the lead now.  We went north on Highway 412.  We rode fast, like when Ken was leading.  We looked at the western sky and it was very cloudy and they were dark, rain clouds.  We could see the rain falling from the distance.  We rode for 65 miles and at 4:09 PM we stopped at Boise City, OK.  We made a pit stop and looking at the rain to the west.  We were talking about waiting it out, but after talking about it, we decided to go.  We left 4:29 PM.

We were now on Highway 64 and still looking at the rain.  We were hoping that we could split the two storm fronts that were ahead of us.  The closer we got to the rain clouds, the windier it got.  We had ridden for about 30 minutes and it started to sprinkle off and on.  We didn’t get wet very much, but we could smell the rain and feel some drops.  The more we rode, the darker it got.  We didn’t have our jackets on at this time and it was getting colder.  At 5:00 PM, we crossed over into New Mexico.  We also gained another hour.  We rode for 45 miles and at 4:11 PM, we arrived in Clayton, NM.  Remember, we gained an hour.  We pulled into an abandoned gas station, under cover.  It was sprinkling and we were putting on our jackets.  We left at 4:20 PM.

As we were riding north, the sky was cloudy, but they were not rain clouds.  We continued riding on Highway 64.  We rode for another 85 miles and at 5:34 PM; we stopped in Raton, NM at a Best Western Hotel to check prices.  The prices were very steep and they only had three rooms left.  The clerk told us that the entire city’s hotels were pretty much filled.  We decided to continue on to Trinidad, CO.  We left at 5:54 PM.

Trinidad, CO was not very far north.  I led the Group onto I-25 and headed north.  A few miles north, we spotted some antelope on either side of the Interstate.  We rode for 22 miles and at 6:06 PM, we arrived in Trinidad.  I led the Group to a Holiday Inn, Jan rode to a nearby La Quinta and Chuck stopped at a gas station and put 5.7 gallons of gas in a 6.0 gallon tank.  Close!  I called Jan and he told me that he got a good rate and it was better than what I got.  The room price was one third the price from the Best Western in Raton, NM.  Chuck joined us and we all rode to the La Quinta and met Jan.  We all checked in, unloaded our Motorcycles and took our stuff to our rooms.  We parked our Motorcycles and tucked them in for the night.  We decided that we would eat dinner on the property.  We had pizza.  After the pizza, the guys went to the Hot Tub while I stayed in my room and worked on this blog.

Today we rode a lot of miles.  We rode for 506 miles.  We saw some rain but didn’t get wet.  We were just sprinkled on.  We rode through the northeast corner of New Mexico and we are not in Colorado.

Tomorrow, we will ride deeper into Colorado.  I don’t know how far.  We shall see.  So, until tomorrow…     

Oklahoma!

Day 17, Friday, May 01, 2015

My alarm sounded at 6:30 AM.  Sound familiar?  I was already awake at 6 AM.  I was just laying there waiting for the alarm to go off.  It did and I turned it off.  Chuck told me that I didn’t have to be quiet because he was awake also and just not moving.  Chuck got up, got dressed and we packed our bags.  Our Motorcycles were parked just outside our door.  We took a couple of bags out to the Motorcycles and packed them.  We then walked to breakfast with Ken.  We finished having breakfast and walked back to our rooms to grab the rest of our stuff and load them.  Chuck had to check the map to see where we were going.  When Chuck was done, we got on our Motorcycles and left on Highway 7 South a couple of blocks to gas up.  We left at 8:53 AM.

Jake led us on Highway 7 South.  We got to Highway 70 West and we got on it.  Highway 70 was a very bumpy road.  There were a lot of repairs on this road and it was not smooth at all.  We were bumped around a lot.  We continued on Highway 70 until we got to Glenwood, Ark.  There was a gas station at the corner with a lot of bikers there taking a break.  We had been riding for about 55 minutes and I thought that, maybe, Jake would stop and take a break.  We turned the corner and we were now on Highway 8.  We didn’t stop.  My mind started to wonder if there was another city close by, or maybe some trees or something in the near future where we could make a pit stop.  We continued and rode through several small cities that had nowhere for us to stop.  I was starting to worry about what could happen to me if we continued longer.  We rode into the city of Mena.  It has its own airport in the outskirts.  I knew that it was a larger city and that Jake WOULD stop.  I figured out a game plan for me as soon as we got to a stop.  I took off my gloves as we rode.  Jake spotted an Exxon station and we pulled in.  Everyone was parking and I quickly parked in front of the mini-mart, took my keys and, without taking off my helmet, went inside to the restroom.  Bruce saw that I was in a hurry and held the front door open for me and stayed out of my way.  If he was in my way, I was going to walk over him.  I made it on time!  This happens to all of us at one point or another.  Sometimes it happens to me more than others.  This is why I am only allowed ONE cup of coffee for breakfast.  Everyone took their turn taking a pit stop.  We bought some refreshments and took a little break.  We had ridden for 91 miles and stopped at 10:42 AM.  We left at 11:08 AM.

Jake took the lead again.  We were on Highway 8 again.  We rode and at 11:44 AM, we crossed the Oklahoma State Line.  The rode changed numbers.  It was now Highway 63.  The road was much better.  The countryside was absolutely beautiful.  Everything was green.  We rode for 57 miles and at 12:10 PM we stopped in Talihina, OK for lunch at Subway.  We finished lunch and we were on our way at 1:00 PM.

 

Jake got us on Highway 1 after leaving Talihina.  We rode for a distance and had to get on Highway 2 for a short distance and then get back on Highway 1.  Jake was given the instructions back in Talihina when we finished lunch.  We were on Highway 2 and then I saw the sign for Highway 1.  I watched Jake as he led.  We were getting close to the turn and he wasn’t slowing.  I got on the CB and told Jake, “Highway 1, Left…Highway 1, Left!”  Jake went right.  We were still on Highway 2.  We rode for about a quarter of a mile and he slowed and made a u-turn.  We all did.  We rode back to Highway 1 and turned.  No problems after that.  We rode for 54 miles and at 2:01 PM we stopped at McAlester, OK where we took a pit stop and filled up with gas.  Chuck got the map out and was studying it.  A couple of the guys went and looked at the map also…why, they weren’t leading next.  Jan went over to see the map because he was leading next.  We left at 2:25 PM.

Jan led the Group west on Highway 1/270 west.  There were two numbers but the same Highway.  The road was very smooth.  Jan rode at a faster speed.  Before we knew it, we had ridden for 61 miles and stopped in Ada, OK at 3:25 PM.  We stopped for a requested pit stop.  While we were stopped, it was warm, however, when we were riding, it was cool.  None of us were wearing jackets.  We took a break and someone mentioned ice cream.  We all went in and had some.  We were done and ready to continue.  We left at 3:54 PM.

Jan continued to lead.  We rode through some small towns and caught in the “rush hour.”  I swear that there must have been two or three cars in front of us!  Nonetheless, we couldn’t go our normal speed because of the “Sunday Drivers” ahead of us.  We finally got a break and no one was ahead of us.  Back to our speed!  Before we knew it, we had ridden for 89 miles and at 5:31 PM, we arrived in Chickasha, OK…Where?  We stopped at a Holiday Inn Express.  I went in to “make the deal.”  The clerk gave me a price that I, and we, thought was high.  Chuck and Jan rode to a nearby Hampton Inn.  They went in to check on prices and found that the prices were more that the Holiday Inn Express.  Chuck called me and told me to book the rooms.  Two of the rooms in the Holiday Inn Express were Suites.  The prices were more than the other rooms.  I asked if we could get a discount for four rooms.  The clerk gave us the four rooms, which included a couple of Suites, for the same price.  SCORE!  We all checked into our rooms.  We got our bags from our Motorcycles and took them to the rooms and returned to our Motorcycles and cleaned them.  We decided to go to a Mexican Food Restaurant across the street for dinner.  The guys went to the Hot Tub first while I went to my room and started this blog.  We walked to the restaurant and ate a good meal and walked back.  When we got back to the hotel, we tucked our Motorcycles in for the night and we all went to our rooms.  It was a good day.

Today, we rode for 352 miles.  We are pushing 5,000 miles total.  We really didn’t do much, other than ride, break, ride, break, etc.  We did see a ranch with numerous Buffalo on the property.  Also, there were several turtles on the road.

 

Tomorrow we are still headed west.  We are going to head toward the panhandle of Oklahoma.  I’m not sure where.  Chuck will have to look at the map and then tell us…hopefully.  We shall see.  So, until tomorrow…