Tuesday, October 3, Globe Arizona
As I write this, Bill, Keith and I are in a Comfort Inn watching the presidential debate. Bill is all worked up, yelling at the TV. I’ll leave it to you, dear reader, to figure out who he wants to win.
We arrived in Globe about 1500, and after a swim it was off to dinner. Good ride, but hot — around 100 degrees till we got east of Phoenix. Tomorrow, it’s north and east on US 60 with the goal to arrive in Oklahoma City on the 7th. There we meet Ron Fagan coming from Ilinois to exchange bikes. All is well and our bikes are running great. Best wishes to all. I’ve got to go—Bill sounds like he’s giving birth.
Wednesday, October 4, South of Albuquerque, New Mexico
We’re in another Comfort Inn after a day of dodging rain squalls. Weather has been warm except for the brief time crossing the Continental Divide. Bill had a rough night’s sleep, no doubt due to his yelling at the TV during the debate. We set out at 0715 this morning after seeing Keith leave for a return home due to family commitments. US 60 is a very pretty ride east out of Globe, crossing the Salt River Canyon and up to Show Low. We stopped in Springerville where we gassed and went in for coffee. The gas station owner made it a point to come into the restaurant with us to point out a pretty route. It is typical of the great people one meets while riding motorcycles.
Just east of the Continental Divide, south of Gallup, New Mexico, we stopped at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory’s Very Large Array (VLA) which we saw from a distance — it looks like a space station. Twenty-six very big (210 ton) antenna on 100-ton transponders are all listening for signals from outer space. (This is where “ET” could call home.) It is a big operation. All these huge antennas can be turned in all directions and moved along tracks for many yards. Impressive, but before we could get up close and personal we had to leave because a serious rain squall was coming from the west. We out-ran it and gassed in the next town.
From there is was off to just south of Albuquerque where we’d heard the local Indian casino had rooms. We went 40 miles out of our way, dodging rain all the way, to find out that, once again, local information is not accurate. They are building the rooms, but they are not ready yet. So, back we went south and got hit with our first serious downpour. It has been my experience, after 250,000 miles of touring, that you should never rely on local directions or information — it is almost always wrong.
We are now back on track and soon to get in the hot tub. Good old Bill brought some bourbon and it helped us warm up and dry out. Actually the weather has been great, and it is a given you must dodge afternoon thundershowers. We almost did!
Another day on the road comes to a close. Regular readers may notice that my wife of many years is not with me, so the typing, grammar, etc., is not top notch. It’s hard to be perfect. I asked Bill to review, in his capacity as a retired school teacher, but he refused.
Thursday, October 5, Amarillo, Texas
You have all heard the George Strait song “Amarillo By Morning.” Well, we were “Amarillo by night fall.” We got in about 1700 and it was cold; a cold weather front from the north had moved south. The girl in the office said it was 100 degrees here yesterday. You’d never know it. They are talking about snow showers now. What happened to fall?
Another great ride today. I cannot say enough about Route US 60. We saw many Wings and other bikes going in both directions. This route is so much better than I-40. The top of the ground is dry, but there is a big water table and as a local said “All you need to do is drill.” At 6,000 feet, the area is very high until you get to the Texas border.
We stopped at Fort Sumner, located just west of Clovis. This was the terminus of the famous “long march” of the Navajo Indians who were moved from the Four Comers area to this reservation; it is also the location of the grave of Billy the Kid.
Fort Sumner was created to supervise the failed attempt to keep the Indians in camp. It was all over by 1870, and the Indians went back to the current Monument Valley area. Around that time, a Mr. Pete Maxwell bought the old Officers Quarters house. The importance of this is that Sheriff Pat Garrett, from Lincoln County, came to that house looking for the Kid. The Kid had killed two deputies escaping from the Lincoln County jail. So the true story is: While Garrett was in the house asking about the Kid, in walked the Kid. Sheriff Garrett shot on sight and that was the end of “Billy the Kid.”
Tomorrow will see us in Oklahoma City, cold but there. The weather is passing and should revert to “Indian Summer.” Let’s hope so.
Friday, October 6, Oklahoma City
We left Amarillo about 0800 in cold, foggy conditions. No rain or snow, but 31 degrees. (Two days earlier it was 101.) Seems the weather front is moving through and it should get warmer by Sunday. I hope so, as we will be turning north Sunday to meet another GWRRA member, Greg, in Colorado. If the weather remains cold we will need to meet him in southern Colorado, rather than north of Denver as planned. We arrived in our motel/meeting place and got the bike cleaned up. Ron should arrive tomorrow. Nothing to report on the ride today. We just pressed on, east on I-40, due to the cold and strong north wind.
Saturday, October 7, Oklahoma City
The weather is clearing and the sun is out! It has been very cold, but that seems to be over. We will see. I met Ron with his wife Cathy and we made the exchange as planned. I now have a 95 SE and he has a 90 SE. It is a win-win situation. Of course, “the real proof of the pudding is in the eating,” so we will see if I am still happy when I get home.
The bike appears to be flawless. He is getting a well-maintained Wing with 130K miles. It runs like new. Both Ron and his wife Cathy are nice people and typical of GWRRA Members and the “family” of motorcyclists.
We’ll be off in the morning, westbound for Colorado, if the weather holds. Next message will be from Dodge City, Kansas, or somewhere on the plains west and north of Oklahoma.
Sunday, October 8, Lamar, Colorado
Today we found the intrepid two, Cliff and Bill, on the road heading northwest. I was on the new bike, which is running great. It was cold, but clear, and we made good time across the back roads of Oklahoma and Kansas. Thank goodness for the Widder electric vest. Once at Dodge City we pressed on and are now 100 miles east of the Rockies, planning to meet Greg tomorrow. En route we talked to a trucker who told us that the trucking firm of Werner Enterprises has over 7,000 trucks. Wow!
Starting in Oklahoma City, we followed the Chisholm Trail north to Dodge. This was one of the original trails used by the cowboys from Texas to get the steers to the railhead. We passed the grave site of Jesse Chisholm and also “St. Joseph’s Well.” This we found out is a well that has never run dry, located in a big “sink.” There is evidence of prehistoric people using this well. It is a Kansas State Park now.
Front Street in Dodge City was dead — no one out. This was, as you western buffs know, the city where Wyatt Earp made his reputation before going to Tombstone, Arizona. He must have worked overtime last night, or else it was the fact it was Sunday. In any event, we “got out of Dodge” after a stop at McDonald’s so that Bill could have a berry pie. The cowboys would have loved the McDonald’s after their ride up from Texas.
West of Dodge, we picked up the Santa Fe Trail and followed it, as well as the Arkansas River, to our present location in Lamar. Sharp history buffs will be aware that Jedediah Smith, of mountain man fame, was killed by Comanche Indians on the Santa Fe Trail at the tender age of 33.
Tomorrow we meet Greg in Pueblo and tour Colorado. Weather looks good.
Monday, October 9, Basalt, Colorado
Five p.m. found us in Basalt, a small town south of Glenwood Springs. Bill and I met Greg as planned in Pueblo, after a cold morning’s ride of 100 miles. Then we were off for the high country. Colorado in the fall — how good does it get! There was still a lot of color, and the yellows and reds were in full bloom as we climbed up the 12,095-foot Independence Pass on CO 82. Over the top we hit some snow flurries, but it soon cleared and turned warm in the valley we are in now. A long day for Bill and me. I was able to meet this evening with an old classmate from LAPD who now has a hunting shop here in Basalt.
Tuesday, October 10, Cortez, Colorado
It is hard to believe that a ride could be better than yesterday’s as far as scenery, but today’s was, so Greg gets the credit for the route. He is familiar with the area and did the job. He’s the man!
We left Basalt about 0730 in clear, but cool, weather. At Carbondale, just south of Glenwood Springs, we turned south on Colorado Route 133. Over McClure’s pass at 8,755 feet we came down to Delta on US 50.
Words cannot describe the spectacular vista. Yellow aspens, red oaks, green pines, mountain peaks covered with snow, and blue sky with white clouds all combine to take your breath away. Greg took a couple of pictures, but I do not think a camera can capture the feeling.
Moving south through Montrose we climbed Dallas Divide at 9,000 feet. Near Placerville we stopped at Silver Creek Road and ate a sub sandwich on a bridge overlooking a creek. We were off the main road and admiring nature’s magnificence when, lo and behold, a huge truck came through pulling some large earth-moving equipment. We almost had to move our bikes to let him pass. I guess you cannot escape progress.
At Telluride we turned on CO 145 and continued the climb to Coalbank Pass at 10,600, where we hit light rain. The rain got worse as we started down, and we were three happy puppies when we got in the Comfort Inn in Cortez. After a hot tub and a toddy, things started to look up. We are now waiting for another rider to show up, and then it’s off to dinner at the local Denny’s.
Tomorrow it’s through the Four Corners area, across Grand Canyon and points west — Page, Arizona; Knab and St. George, Utah; Las Vegas and Pahrump, Nevada; Death Valley and Ridgecrest, California; and home. We should be home midday Friday if all goes as planned.
Wednesday, October 11, Hurricane, Utah
Today started out on a down note. Not only was it cold, windy and rainy in Cortez at 0700, but the rear tire on my bike was losing air. So, at 0730, I was in front of the closed Honda motorcycle shop waiting in the rain for the shop to open.
By 1000, I was on my way with a new rear tire. The old one had two major slices in the middle of the tire. At 1040 we were off. Through the wind and rain we went, and I am happy to say that it cleared and we had beautiful blue sky and white clouds — perfect desert riding weather.
At Page, we stopped at the Glen Canyon Dam visitors center to use the restroom and let Greg look it over. Bill and I have been here twice before. From Page, it was west to Kanab. This is a great little town positioned so you can visit many neat spots such as the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, etc. I was reminded that this is a great spot for a group trip. Weather could not be better. The sun was lighting the buttes, bringing the red rock to its full glory.
Back on the road south of Zion, on AZ-389, we came into Hurricane, where we stopped to watch the second presidential debate. Bill is all worked up again and Greg and I are trying to hold him down.
Thursday, October 12, Home
For you attentive readers, you noticed that there was no e-mail update Wednesday night. This was due to the poor telephone system in Hurricane.
The plan was to leave Hurricane and go home through Death Valley. As with most plans, it was just a plan. In this case, the weather interfered. It turned out that as we were proceeding south through the Virgin River Gorge on I-15 at the Utah-Arizona border, the sky to the northwest looked very threatening. After consulting with a local traveler, we canceled our ride through Death Valley and decided to press for home on good old I-15. So, once again it was down the boring I-15 through Las Vegas, up Mountain Pass, down to Baker, and on to Barstow.
At Barstow we stopped for gas, then Bill pressed on, going home by way of the Cajon Pass and CA 90 to Torrance. Greg and I, after very slow service in a Route 66 Diner in Barstow, headed for home through Silver Lakes and El Mirage, passing Three Sisters to Four Points and Route 14. It was clear sailing all the way, and my driveway never looked better. Greg had pulled off at Topanga for his house, Bill had called that he arrived home safely, and I got a great reception from a friendly cat and a loving wife.
Another adventure under our belts. Good company, great scenery, beautiful motorcycle roads and weather conditions from 105 to 31 degrees—blue skies, rain and snow flurries. It’s all part of the romance of motorcycling. Ron is home, happy with his new ride, and I could not be more pleased with my newer SE. It was a win-win situation set up by the internet.
