Independence, Missouri

We started out today in Colorado at about 55 degrees.  After over 700 miles of riding, we're in Missouri now and trying to cool off after riding through temperatures that reached 108 degrees.  Couple that with winds gusting past 35 mph, the trip at times on I-70 was miserable.  It was especially bad along the plains in Kansas where the winds and heat were extreme.  We did take a number of breaks during the ride though and that helped.  When we stopped for dinner, we did meet three guys who were riding BMWs across the country.  One of them was from Williamsburg and another from Maryland.  They rode out to their buddy's place near Las Angeles and now he's riding back with them to North Carolina.  Unfortunately, his 1200GT wouldn't start at the gas station/Subway and when we left, they were busy tearing off the fairing looking for a short.  Oh well, not a great endorsement for BMW!

Tomorrow, we keep pushing east...stay tuned!

Colorado

Once into Colorado, we journeyed east on I-70 before turning off onto Highway 82.  That took us through Aspen which was unbelievably crowded.  We tried to get lunch there but couldn't even find a parking spot.

We decided to press on and climbed 82 all the way to the Continental Divide at Independence Pass.  According to the sign we were at 12095 feet although my GPS had it at 12135 feet.  Regardless, it was a heck of a ride up the narrow winding road to get there.  Once on top, there was plenty of snow and mountains to see.

Unfortunately, it was impossible to get a good photo of the sign because the Harley riders kept parking their bikes in front of it and getting their picture taken.  Apparently it's quite the feat for a Harley to make it up to 12000 feet....  As you can see in the middle photo, it started to cloud up and we did get rained on enough to have to put our gear on.  50 degrees and raining blows...

We did finally arrive at our cabin in Buena Vista and settled into our cabin for the night.  Tomorrow we push east and plan to put down big miles as we transition onto mostly interstate travel.

Canyonlands and Arches National Parks

This morning we took off early in the morning and first rode over to the Canyonlands National Park.  We turned off of the main highway onto a desolate country road and rode that for 22 miles until we came to the rim of the Orange Cliffs Cararact Canyon.  We stopped at the Needles Overlook and were literally the only people there the entire time.  The overlook offered beautiful views of the entire canyon and we took lots of photos and crawled over the rocks for quite a while.

Looking out over the canyon, you are struck by the variety of colors present.  There are deep reds, yellows, white and shades of green.  Although we were there early, I'm still struck by the fact that we had the entire area to ourselves.

After leaving the canyon, we rode north through Moab and went into the Arches National Park.  We continued about 14 miles to the back of the park where we stopped at the Devil's Garden.  Simply put, during our ride there and a subsequent hike, we were treated to some of the most stunning and dramatic landscape that either one of us had ever seen. 

Because we had planned on riding to several other locations after Arches, we had only planned on taking a short 1.2 mile hike to the first of the arches.  Then in an apparently spontaneous plot to kill me, Glenn suggested that we hike the entire 7.5 miles.  All would be good though because he'd bring the single 1 liter bottle of water that we had.  A plot you say?  Take into consideration a couple of things; we're dressed in our riding clothes including long pants, we're at 7000 feet so walking up even moderate hills leaves you sucking for wind and the trail we'd hike is titled "Primative" and if you have acrophobia then the Park Service strongly recommends that you do not take the hike.  More on that later by the way.

In all seriousness, even though it was hot, it was a tremendously rewarding experience to move that far through the park.  We were into areas that very few people will travel so many times we had the sights to ourselves.  Occasionally we did pass other hikers and they ranged from properly prepared to having no business being out there.  The formations were incredibly impressive and we took in arches, towers, canyons and vibrant colors of all shades. 

Back to the acrophobia and unprepared hikers....in the above photo, you're looking at a descent on a slickstone portion of the trail.  We came from the other direction so we were preparing to climb it while the folks pictured were trying to get down.  The fella in the middle wearing the white shirt was freaking out and wouldn't move from where he was.  First he tried to walk down but couldn't take a single step.  Then he tried to slide down on his butt and couldn't manage it.  Then he had the brilliant idea to slide his backpack down the rock first to lighten the load.  At first it wouldn't go so then he started to kick it.  That worked too well as the pack went tumbling down the rock dumping its contents on the way.  That included his water bottle which broke open spilling his water everywhere.  He finally tried walking again but was literally quaking in his shoes in fear and kept saying "I feel realy uncomfortable".  Even Glenn and I were trying to talk him down but finally his party split and one of his friends walked with him back the way they came.  At long last we had a clear path to get up the rocks and it was really no problem at all.  Below is a photo of a descent that we made at the 6 mile mark.  After coming down it, I would concede that if you have issues with heights, it would definately bother you.

If you look at the middle of the photo, you have to walk from the top down along the widest of the fingers.  Towards the bottom, you can see how the rock is turning black from all the boot scuffs.

Ultimately Glenn's plot failed and in fact may have backfired as he was worn down when we finally made it back to the bikes.

By this time, it was late afternoon and so we rode into Moab for a late lunch/early dinner.  We stopped at Pizza Hut and literally received no service.  We ultimately got up, left and rode across the street to a Mexican restaurant where they treated us like gold.  After that, it was back to the hotel for a welcome dose of air conditioning.

Tomorrow for the first time we turn our bikes east to start the trip home.  We're going to ride through portions of western Colorado including Aspen and take in the views.  We plan on camping at Buena Vista and then keep moving east from there.

Until then!





Monticello, Utah

Today we rode through New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Utah all in about 200 miles!  We started off early in Gallup and the temperature was a refreshing 51 degrees.  As we moved north, it got warmer but the day was never hot...what a change!

We did stop at the Four Corners Monument where the borders of the above four states all come together.  It was an interesting place inside of the Navajo Nation and we enjoyed our visit there. 

Once we cleared the monument, we continued north into Colorado.  By the time we rode through Cortez, the terrain became more lush and green.  It was a refreshing change from the desert and I didn't realize how much I'd missed seeing green!  We also started to see mountains large enough to still have snow on them.  One of many reasons why I think Colorado may be my favorite state!

Even our hotel has beautiful views.  Located at the base of Manti-La Sal National Forest, there are some really nice mountains to the rear of the building.

Tomorow we're going to take a long ride that will include the Canyonlands National Park, the Arches National Park, the White Canyon and Natural Bridges National Monument.  Between all of that, we should see some really nice stuff!  Hopefully, photos will follow...

Gallup, New Mexico

Not much to report today.  We rode about 320 miles up to the northern end of New Mexico.  We are right up against the Navajo Nation and right away you notice an obvious amount of poverty.  In some areas, there's an almost third world look to the place.  We'll only be here one night before riding up into Utah.

Once we got up onto I-40, our elevation above sea level averaged between 7000 and 7200 feet.  I haven't experienced interstate speeds on my bike at that altitude but once above about 6500 feet, the engine became a bit anemic.  Coupled with a very stiff headwind, the bike was noticeably slower to accelerate above 70 mph and even with full throttle, struggled to get above 80 mph.  Oh well, not much I can do about it!

Tomorrow, we'll go by the Four Corners Monument so we should have some good pics to post.

Gila Cliff Dwelings National Monument

We stayed in the Las Cruces area today so that we could take in a large loop to the west and north of the city.  In total, we rode about 340 miles the highlight of which was traveling through the Gila National Forest and hiking to the cliff dwellings.

The ride into the forest was on Highway 15, a narrow, 2-lane road into the park.  The trip along that route was marked by mature evergreen growth and stunning views.  The road twists and winds through the mountains and is the most scenic of the rides that we have taken so far.  The only issue we had was that the road had recently been chipped and tarred so there was a lot of loose gravel and you had to be very careful in the turns.  The trip back out was very similar along Highway 35 and then a 35 mile stretch of Highway 152 through the national forest.  Highway 152 easily matches the Dragon's Tail for the number of tight turns.  Every curve is a 10, 15 or 20 mph turn and requires your full attention.  By the way they've manipulated speed limits along the road, it's obvious that at some point during the year, they have issues with bikes running the road.  For us however, it was so hot that the tar was coming up out of the pavement and you again had to be very slow and deliberate through the turns.  End result is that it took us a long time to navigate that stretch of road.  It was very frustrating having to traverse it that way.  During the ride, we crossed the continental divide at least once and were as high as 8100 feet above sea level.

Tomorrow we're going to head up to Gallup, NM and stay there overnight before riding into Utah.  On Monday, we'll visit the Four Corners Monument on our way to Monticello, Utah.  If you aren't familiar, Four Corners is where New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado all come together.  We'll then spend a couple of days in Utah checking out the sites. 

Until then!

Las Cruces, New Mexico

Today was a relatively short ride across the Sacramento Mountains at a little town called Cloudcroft, down into White Sands and finally ending at Las Cruces.  On the very remote Highway 82 while heading towards Cloudcroft, we had a short visitation with the New Mexico State Police.  Fortunately the end result was about 20 minutes of talking shop and then continuing on our ride. 

Cloudcroft was a sweet distraction from the desert below.  The temperature was at least 30 degrees below where we had been and had a beautiful alpine look to it.  No wonder considering we were at almost 8700 feet above sea level.

Once off the mountain, we took a quick detour through the White Sands National Monument.  As we rode to get to the dunes, we came to a point where the road turned from pavement to sand.  Cars were traveling down the road but after some thought, we decided not to.  It was a wise decision considering that several minutes later as we rode through a small parking area, my bike went down in deep sand.  The bike was stopped as it went over so no harm, no foul. 

A bit later we did make it into Las Cruces and are staying a couple days here at a Days Inn.  It's actually very nice to be in a hotel after four days of camping.  Tomorrow, we're going to ride a scenic loop through Silver City to the west of Cruces.  Should be nice!

Tarantula Hunt Success!

I found this guy in the landscape stone next to our cabin....

Carlsbad KOA

Today was a day to pretty much hang around the campground and relax.  We did take the opportunity to ride up to Artesia and get some lunch.  If you're ever there, I highly recommend the lunch buffet at La Fonda.  By far some of the best Tex-Mex food that I've had.  In fact, we ate so much there that dinner is out of the question.

Once back to the campground, pool time was the order of the day.  Not only is it very hot today (101) but there's a strong and very dry wind blowing.  The pool is refreshing but in just minutes after getting out, you're completely dry.  It's actually very uncomfortable especially if you're used to some humidity.

During our stay here, we continue to meet fellow travelers on bikes.  We met a guy from Illinois who is out on his Harley for two months.  We exchanged some nice stories with him.  We also met a husband and wife who tow both a camper and a small trailer behind it that holds their Harley.  He's active duty Army and just finished up his 7th ! tour in Afghanistan.  He handles logistics for special operations teams getting them and their equipment from point A to point B.  They've been traveling from North Carolina taking the sites in.  Finally we met five older guys from Pennsylvania who are riding across the country.  They're riding a mix of Harleys and 1200 LTs and are hitting some of the same places we are. 

The wildlife at this campground is numerous and diverse.  Jackrabbits are all over, the morning doves are fat, and we were serenaded by coyotes during breakfast yesterday.  I did see one tarantula this morning but he was dead.  Apparently they'll be out at night so I'll see if I can get a picture of one once it gets dark.

Tomorrow we go over the mountains and past White Sands National Monument to Las Cruces.  We're going to stay two days there and run up to Silver City and a couple of other places to see the sites.

Until then!

Carlsbad Caverns

After breakfast in our first full day in Carlsbad, we rode the 40 or so miles to Carlsbad Caverns.  The first thing you notice is that they had a massive wildfire that encompassed the entire National Park.  Once at the caverns, we descended 750 feet over 3 miles of trails as we moved through chambers so big that even one is larger than all of Luray Caverns combined.  It's even more impressive when you consider that the public is given only limited access to the caverns.

Although we didn't do it, at night one of the activities is to sit in the amplitheater at the opening of the caverns and watch the bats fly out.

After we left the caverns, we rode back north past Carlsbad to Roswell.  As you would imagine, everything there commercializes UFOs in a really cheesy way.  We did go into the UFO Museum which was okay in that at least they tried hard to make it worthwhile.  Finally, after that, we rode back to our KOA campground, enjoyed the pool while talking to some other folks on motorcycles and then had a nice KOA home-cooked dinner. 

Tomorrow, we hang around here without doing a lot of riding.  I know I'm worn down and need a bit of a break.

Riding out of Big Bend National Park

Once we woke up at Chisos Basin and got our gear packed, we rode out of Big Bend NP to Carlsbad, NM.  The trip out along Texas Highway 118 was phenomenal!  First, the scenery was breathtaking with dominating mesas, giant rock formations and their own badlands. 

More importantly however, the two-lane road is posted 75 mph and is full of 30, 40 and 45 mph max speed turns and zero traffic.  If you don't ride, you might not appreciate how rare it is when you can go into a 40 mph turn at 75 and not be grossly breaking the law.  Okay, 80 is technically a violation of law, but as I said, the road was empty!  It was a good test of man and machine and was by far the funnest riding we've done.

Unfortunately, all good things have to come to an end so we finished up our trip to Carlsbad on Route 285 out of Texas and into New Mexico.  It was a lot of very flat land with the occasional oil derrick and we found it very difficult to keep it below 85.  We did roll into a KOA campground in the late afternoon, rented a cabin, and enjoyed the pool before dinner.

Tomorrow, we visit Carlsbad Caverns and Roswell...

Day 8..There is a Hell and it's on Route 385

So....after leaving San Antonio in the early morning we had a pleasant ride across southern Texas on Route 90.  If you aren't familiar, Rt. 90 pretty much follows just north of the Rio Grande river.  During the ride out to Del Rio, it was overcast and very comfortable weather-wise.  We had a late breakfast/early lunch there and then continued west towards Big Bend National Park. 

As we were traveling along Route 90, I was struck by the infrastructure and manpower devoted to controlling the border with Mexico.  During this leg of the trip, we passed by or through a couple of different immigration checkpoints and saw an untold number of Border Patrol agents working.  In the tremendously remote areas west of Del Rio, almost every vehicle we saw was Border Patrol.  We also saw them out in the desert on hilltops, dragging trails, and patrolling.  For the entire length of 90, there is a parallel dirt road on each side.  We watched BP agents patrol along those dirt roads and periodically drag them to allow for easier tracking.  We did see quite the sight when in the middle of nowhere, we crossed the Pecos River.



As we continued west, the sky cleared and the temperature started to soar.  Just prior to turning south on Route 385 to ride into Big Bend NP, we stopped at a little store to get gas.  Glenn's credit card company finally had enough and shut his card down.  He argued with them for 15 minutes trying to get it re-activated.  Ultimately they did but not until after a lengthy delay.  I actualy felt guilty (almost) as he sat on his bike in the sun making the call while I sat in the gas station under the air conditioning vent drinking a cold Gatorade :)

Once back on the road and heading down 385, we did indeed discover that hell exists and it is somewhere on that road.  I have never felt heat like that in my life.  It was like riding into a giant blow dryer set on high and it sucked every bit of physical and emotional strength out of you.

The terrain was equally dramatic with rugged formations of rock that jutted out from the desert floor.  Finally, we do make it to the ranger's station to pay our entry fee and get into our campsite.  Although there are several camp grounds in the park, we wanted to go down to the Rio Grande site along the river.  The ranger cautioned us against that as the temperature was 115 degrees.  She suggested instead a site high up in the mountains (5200 feet) called Chisos Basin.  We really wanted to see the canyon however at the river so we rode the 20 miles down there.  Once there, we talked to the clerk at the camp store and he noted the temp was now up to 116 in the shade.  Undaunted, we rode through the campsites, stopped to survey one, then inside of 10 minutes, realized that if we didn't get out of there soon, we were going to have serious heat problems.  Now remember that we ride with helmets and full protective gear.  Even once I took all of that off, I began to feel light-headed and clammy.  As fast as we could, we got back on the bikes, and rode the 30 miles to the Chisos Basin.  At that point, the 45 mph speed limit meant nothing.  All we wanted to do was get off those bikes and cool down so we took our chances.

The Basin was an entirely different experience.  Although still hot, it was over 20 degrees cooler than Rio Grande and in the shade was comfortable.  We took our time pitching tents and eating dinner and as long as we didn't move too fast, we didn't get too hot. 

Once it got dark, it became more comfortable and we both slept pretty well.  Glenn did have to step over a scorpion at the restroom and witnessed the mob scene of skunks running around our campsite in the middle of the night.  Luckily, I slept through that one.

Tomorrow will bring the best ride we've had yet!

A Couple of Day 7 Pics From the Alamo and San Antonio's Riverwalk

Day 7

After a short hop from Austin, we spent a day in San Antonio taking in the sites.  We arrived so early that we couldn't get into the KOA so we reserved a cabin there, left the bikes, and took a bus into downtown.  Once there, we checked out the Alamo and then hit the river walk for lunch and a boat ride.  Having never been there before, I was pleasantly surprised by how nice the downtown area is.  It is very cool how they have incorporated the river into the downtown and how it is flanked by restaurants, shops, bars, etc... 

By late afternoon, we headed back to the KOA and after spending some time in the pool, cooked up dinner at our cabin.  Currently, we're working off a very slow connection so I won't be able to post any photographs.  I will later though so you get an idea of how nice the river walk is.

Tomorrow, we head to Big Bend National Park on the Mexican border.  We'll be camping there for a couple of days and I suspect we won't have any internet or even cell service.  It is supposed to be beautiful so hopefully once we get some bandwidth, I'll get bunches of photos up.

Until then!

Austin, Texas

We spent a nice day today with our niece Lindsey.  After running by a couple of shops in the morning, we stopped by her house to visit and take her to lunch.  During our stay, we also got to meet Guthrie, her dog.  What a good fella he is!  Lunch was at a coffee shop that we walked to and it was delicious.  I highly recommend the fish tacos!

After our visit and a chance to do some laundry, we ran by a couple of other stores to pick up some food and gear.  By then, the temperature was above 100 and absolutely stifling.  Nothing like completely sweating through a set of clothes that you just cleaned :(

Tomorrow we head down to San Antonio for a day and then ride along the Rio Grande to Big Bend National Park for a couple of days.  Should be a bit more scenic than what we've recently rode through!

Day 5

Considering today was a long travel day, not much here to report.  We got out of New Orleans at about 4:00 in the morning so we could get a couple hundred miles under our belts before it got really hot.  Regardless, by the end of the day we had ridden 530 miles and were hot and tired when we hit the hotel in Austin.  One recommendation, if you're in Austin, don't bother going east cuz there's nothing there until arriving at Houston.  In Houston by the way, you'll be greeted by absolutely obnoxious amounts of traffic.  After some consideration, I rate east Texans right up there with northern Virginia drivers...

In some nameless gas station somewhere in east Texas, I did locate what might be the worse hand dryer ever to hang from the wall of a bathroom.  I was so impressed, I actually took a photo of it:

If you're wondering if it functioned, I dunno as I wasn't going to touch it.












I have also re-confirmed that 100 degree temperatures, cotton clothing and riding motorcycles don't work.  Therefore, I have invested in the following:

I'll also be buying some bike shorts.  I have plenty at home but never thought to bring them along...

Tomorrow, we'll visit with Lindsey and then by the end of the weekend, head down to San Antonio for a day.  After that, it's Big Bend National Park for a couple of days and then Carlsbad and Las Cruces in New Mexico.

French Quarter

Started the day with beignets and chicory coffee......

Took a mid-day break for fried pickles and $2 beers......

Then finished it up with oysters on the half shell, crawfish etouffee and fried shrimp....

'nough said!

Tomorrow, we head west!

New Orleans!

It was another hot ride but we arrived in New Orleans in fine shape.  Once outside of Tuscaloosa and into Mississippi, we got off the interstate and onto some local highways. It was less crowded and quite a bit more enjoyable to ride on than the interstate.  Locals looked at us like we were from Mars.  I guess they don't see many out of state riders on touring bikes. 

Once we had some lunch in Hattiesburg, we got back on the interstate but instead of heading directly into New Orleans, we went west on I-12 so that we could ride in on the Lake Pontchartain Causeway.  Considering it's the world's longest over water bridge, it was a pretty cool ride.  The bridge is 23.5 miles long yet even at 21 miles away from New Orleans, you can see the cluster of tall building in the downtown.  As we got closer to our hotel however, we began to realize what a sketchy part of town it is in.  There are neighborhoods just one block over that are either completely gone or simply never rebuilt after Katrina.  The capper was when the hotel employees suggested we ride our bikes on the sidewalk and into the courtyard so that we can park them directly outside the door.  According to the clerk, we should feel good because although lots of cars get stolen, the local thieves don't steal motorcycles.....great comfort in those words.

Tomorrow, we're going to head into town and check out the sites.  We should have a bunch more good photos to post after that.  The plan is to have a breakfast of chicory coffee and beignets at Cafe Du Monde, go check out the French Quarter including The Cats Meow ;) and then have dinner at the Acme Oyster and Seafood House.  I plan on starting with a dozen oysters on the half shell and then either the fried shrimp and catfish platter or the Fried Peacemaker Po-boy (golden fried oysters and shrimp seasoned to perfection with Tabasco infused mayo)!  If we're able to make it back to the hotel in one piece, then we're leaving really early for a 500 mile ride to Austin, Texas.  Lindsey, here we come!

I did post the following photo so Ellen knows what $15 buys you...  :)

I did want to share on final story.  As we're riding through a residential neighborhood in Tuscaloosa this morning, a squirrel comes running out into the road at full speed.  Unfortunately, he heads right into the path of a car in front of us.  Amazingly, he runs directly into the side of the moving wheel, bounces off the tire, and continues running across the road...unbelievable!

Day 2: Knoxville to Tuscaloosa

We made it to Tuscaloosa today by about 2:30 EST or 1:30 local time.  We rode a relatively uneventful 375 miles although by late morning it was incredibly hot!  We did meet up with another Concours rider who rode with us for awhile.  Apparently, he wanted us to exit the interstate with him so he could get gas but at 75 mph, it's kinda hard to communicate effectively.  By the time we figured it out, he was on the exit and we were past it...oh well! 

Once in Tuscaloosa, we got into our hotel room, cooled off and dumped our gear.  We then took a ride through some of the hard hit parts of town.  To say the least, it was shocking.  The path of the tornado was clearly discernible and the level of destruction was beyond description. You expect to see wrecked houses but it's unnerving to see a shopping center completely destroyed.  In the background of the second photo, you can see what remains of a strip mall.  It was equally unnerving to see giant trees that were completely tore from the ground and flung away like pieces of litter.  There were some areas that would have made for very dramatic photographs but after a point, you feel like you're trespassing on another person's misery so I just passed.

We did ride through the campus of the University of Alabama and met up with Bob Buckman.  He's down here with his wife and daughter going through orientation for the fall semester.  We went to a local establishment and enjoyed some wings and beer....thanks Bob!  Alabama is a beautiful campus and served as a real contrast to the destruction less than two miles away. 

It's after dinner now and we're just relaxing in the hotel room.  Tomorrow we ride to New Orleans and it promises to be a good ride.  It's the shortest to date and we'll look to get off the interstate and take some back roads down there.  Until then...!

Day One Under Our Belts

Parked and safe!

I was going to title this "Day One...No Disasters" but realized that the day isn't over yet.  Best not to get too cocky.  After 422 miles, we did make it to Knoxville where we are now laid up in a Quality Inn.  The ride down was uneventful except that it was cold in the morning(for me anyway) and then hot in the afternoon.  Layers just kept coming off during the day.  We did witness some recent tornado damage near Abington that was impressive if not in scope, then at least in absolute destruction.  Tomorrow we head down to Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  I expect what we saw in Abington will be dwarfed by what we see there.  Until then...

P.S.  As we're checking into the hotel, "The Doctors" was on the television.  They were discussing penis enlargement procedures.  How uncomfortable was that with the lone female desk clerk?

Christmas Eve

Feels like Christmas Eve around here....not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse...except for me packing!  Nothing like waiting until the last minute but hey, I still have 9 hours before hitting the road :)

7 More Days!

One week to go!  Glenn already has his bike packed...I think he's anxious to get on the road :)

The Second Time's The Charm

Eric

Glenn

So....the last time Glenn and I planned a bike ride across the country it ended badly on the second day out.  Glenn's son Garth, dumped his bike on I-40 near Jackson, Tennessee and that pretty much killed the trip.  Now it's three years later and we're ready to give it another try :)

Garth's Bike

This time, we head to New Orleans for a short stay and then on to Austin, Texas to kill cockroaches with our cool niece.  After that, who knows?  We'll probably explore Texas some more, hunt UFOs in Roswell and generally ply across New Mexico, Arizona and Utah before heading home.  Kickoff is June 13th so stay tuned!