Friday, July 10, 2015

Last Leg - Roads East then South, Coming Home - Can't wait! - Day 41

Left early today - around 8:15 - as it would be nice to get home at a decent hour. Rode I-10 East for about 250 miles before turning South just East of Tallahassee. Temps and humidity reminded us that we were getting close to the Tampa area as we headed South. Another 250 miles to home.

Ticked off another time zone in Florida. That makes 10 for those of you counting. More if we count the back and forth through the border of BC and YT in Canada as we crossed borders and time zones several times in each direction.

Stopped in Perry, FL briefly for a BBQ lunch at Goodman's Real Pit BBQ - a place most people wouldn't even enter, but the takeout window was quite active. Couldn't believe the BBQ or the prices - wish we had a place like this near home. BBQ Beef sandwich, coleslaw, tater salad, and a Lemonade all for only $5.99 - tax included!!!

Place could use some renovations, but then again, it's look is what gives it its local character. Seemed to be one popular place with the local and state police too.

I can't believe we covered almost 14,000 miles and no tickets, stops, etc. Highly unlikely, except for the Canadian border incident, of course.

Skies were cooperative all morning, but the afternoon held other weather conditions for us. Another reminder we're in Florida in the Summer. Boomers and grey clouds all around. After leaving Perry, we could see a wall of water just ahead. A few raindrops on the windscreen and helmet visor, temps quickly dropped and winds picked up. Pulled over and donned rain gear and headed into the belly of the beast. Only lasted a mile or 2, but wet enough to warrant the rain gear. The sun was out soon after and bought back the heat and humidity.

No too long down the road was another gas stop waiting for us. So, rain gear comes off and gets packed again - it's totally dry, so no problem. and off South again. Kind of uncomfortable riding in 96F and Florida humid.

Ed and I departed at the traffic light at Little Road in Port Richey with a fist bump and a safe home wish. Arrived home around 6:15PM with a dozen roses for the love of my life waiting for me with open arms. It felt great to see her beaming smile and wrap my arms around her with a well deserved greeting. Ahhh........... to be home. As Dorothy said, "there's no place like home". How right she was!

The tally for the trip is:

41 total days on the road, 39 with Ed

13,907 total miles

13,408 miles from Key West, FL

12, 910 miles from home

18 States - including Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Alaska, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama.

3 Canadian Provinces and Territories - Alberta, British Columbia and Yukon Territory

5 Oil changes

3 5,000 mile services on Big Red

3 Breakdowns - Cartersville, Tennessee - Wheel Bearings, Great Falls, Montana - Stator, Fairbanks, Alaska - Voltage Regulator

3 Family visits - Tennessee, Alaska, and Texas

4 Continental Divide Crossings

4 Border Crossings and 2 Customs and Border Patrol Checkpoints

Got to touch the Arctic Circle!!!

Priceless scenery from Florida to Alaska and back. Every state and province has so much to offer that you've got to travel the many roads and highways through this great land to appreciate it. Many interesting conversations and interactions with other travelers, bikers and non-bikers, some from the Netherlands, England, and from all over the US and Canada. Almost an equal number of motorcycles headed to Alaska as RV's and cars. The best and worst riding conditions anyone can ever imagine, and on a motorcycle it's quite the experience. We rode through sunshine, rain, snow, cold, hot, humid, dry, wet, mud, gravel, dirt, fresh oil drenched dirt and gravel, calcium chloride (a slushy dirt/mud not even fit for a car), pilot cars, mountains, valleys, deserts, suicide birds, cities, towns, and some places you could never imagine exist.

We saw black bear, moose, fox or mountain lion (different of opinion), elk, deer, long horn sheep, cows, bulls, reindeer, buffalo, chicken playing squirrels, wild turkey and eagles.

Crystal clear aqua colored lakes and rivers - mostly in Canada and Alaska.

The Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. And Mexico too as we passed through El Paso Texas. I wasn't aware of how close the border is to the Interstate. Not far at all - a few hundred yards or less at some points.




Destination Mobile - Day 40

Nothing spectacular to report as today was a routine ride and another day toward home. Now about 1,000 miles from the final destination and 500 miles from Mobile.

Rode through Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama today. Covered over 500 miles, mostly over and along water. The Louisiana Bayou, Mississippi River, and swamplands of the South.

Temps were warm but bearable and we arrived in Daphne, AL around 6PM and found a comfortable motel for the last night on the road.

Had a great dinner and got to finally use a pool and hot tub. Both felt just great. Nice way to end a day.

Tomorrow - Homeward bound!

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Road to Houston - Day 39

Headed for a short 200 mile ride to visit family in Houston, Texas. Ed is off to visit his brother and I'm off to visit my Aunt Joanna. A little respite from the seat of the motorcycles and some quality time with family.

I arrived around 1:30 and was greeted by Aunt Jo and her dog YoYoMa.

It was good to see them both and get out of the riding clothes and get into some comfortable clothes. Dinner at a real Texas BBQ and then to bed after talking a while. What a nice quiet night! This place is quieter than my own neighborhood in Florida. I could easily get used to this, but now I'm 200 miles closer to home. Should be just 2 long days of riding and back home! Can't wait!

Handlebars will once again be pointed East toward Florida and with any luck, 2 long days of riding Wednesday and Thursday and this great and most excellent adventure will wrap up.

Looking forward to being home!

Sunday, July 5, 2015

Desert, Mesas, Mountains, River Walk, Little Red, Adam - Day 38

Another boring day of riding. Over 450 miles to cover and all it takes is pointing the handlebars East, set the cruise for 80 - got to love the 80mph speed limit here, stop for gas, stop for water, repeat.

Riding was through the desert and mountains once again, but this time, the weather remained reasonably comfortable - I saw a high of 91 when we stopped for lunch around 2:30. Otherwise it was a cool riding day. Many of the mountains we rode through had their sides exposed and you could see the layers of rock and dirt that formed them over millions of years. Truly a sight to see.

We passed many Mesas and Prairies, Plateaus and Valleys, even saw some cattle grazing in the desert. Along the way there were some unlucky animal carcasses on the side of the road where the animal lost and the car may have won.

At the end of the day we stayed in San Antonio and after cleaning up took a ride downtown to see the River Walk. Parked the bikes and walked around a bit, then headed back to ward the hotel for dinner.

Settled on a place called the Little Red Barn Steakhouse and had a perfectly cooked and tasting Rib Eye Steak. Delish!

Met a Vietnam Vet named Adam and his Family outside the restaurant and offered to take a photo of the whole family and we chatted a bit. Turns out that the guy owns a leather shop selling motorcycle clothes and accessories I San Antonio.

After chatting for a few minutes we departed and headed a few miles up the road to the hotel. And here we are once again. I know. Pics, where are the pics. I should have a day of down time as I visit my Aunt Joanna in Houston tomorrow, so keep your fingers crossed and wish me luck........

Logged over 450 miles today.

Big Red at the MD, Boring Ride Until,,,,,, El Capitan - Day 37

The day started with an 8:00AM visit to the Tucson Harley Davidson service department for Big Red's 5,000 mile service. Boy, these come up quickly! All is well and on my way before noon.

Headed down I-10 again today and the thing to do is point the handlebars East, set the cruise control and sit. It began to rain when I left the dealership, The temp was around 90F, so not so bad compared to he previous few days, or so I thought. The raindrops were scarce, but felt cool against my clothes. The sky was overcast, but that wasn't probably going to last. Just hoping it's not another hail storm like  they got the day before. Hal balls hurt at 75mph. So do raindrops!

Ed wanted to get moving so he headed East on his own around 10AM. I'll catch up with him in Van Horn, Texas later today.

The ride started out ok with the cloud cover providing a little relief form the scorching sun. Riding through the desert is interesting. Nothing for tens or hundreds of miles, then sometimes the weirdest things appear. One is a sign for a Picnic Area. Yeah, that's right. In the middle of nowhere there are 2 picnic tables. I've never seen anyone there. Not surprising in the 100+F heat. But they do have cover - that may entice someone to stop sometime?

Mountains constantly appear in the distance and before you know it, you're right in the middle of them. It was interesting to see another group of mountain made of randomly placed rounded boulders again, just like we saw in California.

The sun began to beat down and I came upon a welcomed rest stop where I got a cold drink and wet down the headgear, gloves and neck gear. Cooool ride for at least a 1/2 hour after that.

Crossed from Arizona into New Mexico and while riding through the mountains, the winds were fierce all day. Black and gray clouds appear on the horizon in front of me and as I get closer I can see lightning in the distance. The winds pick up, the temp drops at least 15-20 degrees and you can smell the ozone in the air. Something big is about to happen. As I approach, the raindrops start to fall and as I move forward at 80mph, the skies suddenly part as if the hand of God separated the sky and I could see a clearing in front of me with black and grey clouds to both sides.

The desert gives you a panoramic view of everything between you and the horizon, so you can see storm systems al around you and luckily have some warning about what may be in your path soon. Not that you can do anything about it, but you know what you're about to be in the middle of.

This went on for hours and hundreds of miles. Rain,, sun, heat, winds, cool, rain........repeat.

While riding through Texas near El Paso, you can actually see the Mexican border fence just a few hundred yards, if that, from the Interstate. I was tempted to cross and log a third country on this trip, but it was getting late and it would have to wait until next time. I couldn't even imagine the border wait coming into the US on the 4th of July. Besides, I'd much rather spend the 4th of July in the US than in Mexico or anywhere else.

Went through another Customs Checkpoint about 40 miles West of Van Horn and was just asked if I was a US citizen this time and given the wave through.

Got to Van Horn around 8:30PM - what? The clock on Big Red says 6:30, but a quick check of the iPhone confirmed that we had crossed 2 time zones while travelling from Tucson through New Mexico and Texas. Met up with Ed at the hotel. He was all cooled down ad relaxed. I was all hot sweaty and beaten up by the elements. Nothing a quick cool shower can't cure. After a few minutes, changes into fresh clothes and on to the next order of business.

Since, as I keep telling Ed, we're not in Kansas anymore, it's time to find some dinner before they roll the sidewalks up in this town. Van Horn is a small town with one main street - Main Street. Main street goes for about a mile and everything the town has to offer is on it. Ed picked out the Cattleman Steakhouse on - what else - Main Street We get there and not a car on the lot. I sensed something wrong right away. 4th of July? Closed for good? That's a mystery that will stay in Van Horn. Good thing I had a Plan B. There is this old Spanish architecture hotel in town called the El Capitan. I remembered reading that it also had the top rated restaurant in town (out of what - 2?). So, we went off. Now where could it be. I know, it must be on Main Street, so I ride to the end of Main and hat do you know? El Capitan Hotel. Built in  the 1930's this place is a real sight to see. It looks great and has a restaurant still open too!

Had a delicious Wild Salmon dinner and called it a night.

Four states and 3 time zones in 2 days. California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Not bad.

Friday, July 3, 2015

Bye Bye San Diego, Cool Mountains, Highs, Lows, Biker Bakeoff, Tucson - Day 36

Another fine breakfast at the Old Town House and back to load up and head out. Good-byes to Kasey and Jayda. We had a great time and Kasey was a great host. She took us to see all the major sights in San Diego the 2 days we spent there. We all slept well after 2 active days out in the sun. Jayda was exhausted. I'll miss her too. We hated to see San Diego fade in our rearview mirrors. I know why my daughter loves it here. Who wouldn't! Thank you to my beautiful daughter - I miss you already!

We headed out under cloudy skies and a comfortable riding temperature of 70F. This lasted about an hour as we made our way East through the mountains that Rte 8 took us through . At one point our elevation reached over 4400 ft and the mountains were made of what looked like round boulders piled on top of each other as if put there by methodically someone. It was a sight to see. I've never seen anything like it before and it was just as strange as the formations in the Badlands of South Dakota. Pretty cool!

Our comfortable ride would soon change, and quickly. After reaching a summit of 4400 ft. the mountain road winded through the rock formations downhill for miles, twisting and turning as it hugged the contours of the earth. Our elevation dropped to 55 ft below sea level and the temps rose to 110 F in no time. What a difference - you could actually feel r rise as you descended and knew it wasn't going to be a comfortable rest of the day. So, we went into our routine of stopping every hour or so, wetting everything down, getting a drink of cold water out of vending machines at rest stops or at gas stations and pushing on. Tucson was getting closer with every mile. Before we knew it, we were there and the temp was a comfortable 105 F to boot!!!

More wind turbines among the hills and a few parabolic reflective solar farms used to focus the sun's rays on a thin pipe suspended at the focal point to generate steam to run steam turbines and ultimately generate electricity.

It's amazing as you ride through the stove piped cacti and visions of Yosemite Sam. Wiley Coyote, and Road runner run through your head. Unfortunately we didn't see any of them. Guess it was too hot for them too. The highway lined lanes were almost met at several points by the US-Mexican Border fence less than a quarter mile away. You could see it for miles as we rode through the desert. We even went through a Customs and Border Patrol checkpoint in the middle of nowhere. A friendly wave and we went through. After riding through 110 F for a few hours I guess we didn't look like a threat.

Miles of barren desert and then miles of crops. How strange to see these two dichotomies coexisting in the same arid setting. Sometimes surreal.

Once at the hotel, cool showers, a quick change, and off to dinner. You don't realize how much exposure to the heat can give you an appetite until you sit and get ready to order. We went to a local place recommended by the hotel clerk a and it was outstanding and reasonable too. Can't beat that combo!

Time to blog and get some rest. Off to the Tucson Harley dealer in the Am for another 5000 mile service - one before I left, one in Soldata, AK (Kenai Peninsula) and now one in Arizona.

I'll give a tally soon and I'm quite amazed of the land we covered and the time we've been on the road. All good, even when it was bad, it was good. Thanks Kathy - I love you!

Stay Tuned................

Thursday, July 2, 2015

La Jolla, Mt. Soledad, Mission Beach, Old Town, HD, and Back - Day 35

Started the day off with egg sandwiches and coffee and hit the road for La Jolla - a few miles away. Got to walk among the cliffs and see both Sea Lions and Seals up close and swimming in the Pacific. Nice views along the coast.

Next stop - Mt. Soledad. Mt. Soledad is the highest point in San Diego and one of the priciest places to live as the homes on the West side of the mountainside have beautiful ocean and beach views. Once at the park at the top of the mountain, there stood a white brick cross and the American flag surrounded by armed services memorial walls. The walls contained black marble panels with photos of servicemen and women with descriptions if their service to our country. It was interesting and touching. Some group wants to have the cross removed, but there's been a court injunction to stop the removal and there are efforts underway to purchase the property containing the cross and memorial as a non-profit to protect it. I hope they succeed as this is a sacred place that can be seen from miles around.

After Mt. Soledad, we headed to the Mission Beach Boardwalk for a quick bite and walk along the boardwalk. This place was packed. The beach and boardwalk were filled with people, bicycles, skateboards and roller-bladers. Nice place.

After the boardwalk we took a ride to Old Town. Kind of like Old Bethpage State Park in NY with a 1800's theme. Plenty of shops and places to buy food, drinks, and souvenirs. They even had a candy shop that sold candies I hadn't seen since the 60's and 70's. It brought back many memories.

Stopped at the largest Harley Davidson Dealership before heading home. It was huge. Most inventory I've ever seen at a Harley dealer anywhere.

Tomorrow we're off to Tucson, AZ. Temps expected to reach 106. Wish us luck!