“The Ride” was an adventure in every sense of the word. Three great friends traveling more than 5,000 together seeking the spirit of the open road.
Our motorcycles operated without major problems. My turn signals failed in Las Cruces, New Mexico due to a short in a connector. It was repaired by simply bypassing the connector. Vger’s erratic idling problem was solved with a few short twists of a screwdriver. Batman’s issue of bugs running into the back of his jacket has a remedy…roll that throttle! Lol!
The trip was not without its ups and downs, though. We faced all types of weather. There was the searing heat of the southern Arizona desert, the torrential downpours of a tropical storm in northeast Florida, the humidity of the southeast, the gusty winds of north Texas, and the freezing cold of northern Arizona.
At times, we pushed our bodies and abilities to the limits. Most days were ten hours or more in the saddle. When that bitch, Mother Nature rained on our parade and tried to keep us from our intended mission, we fought back and won. Perseverance was the key.
That old saying about the best laid plans is true. You must have a plan, but at the same time, you need to be flexible.
We had our differences in opinion too. Some were more heated than others, but the point is that we are all still the best of friends and look forward to taking another trip together in the future.
Spending 24/7 with someone is the best way to get to know them. I learned a lot about my friends and even more about myself.
If I ever have a chance to take a ride like this again, I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else.
So, to Batman and Bailey, Sludge and Vger, thanks for the camaraderie and the great times we have shared. I will never forget them.
Thanks for being my friends.
Vito
p.s. If there is anyone that has questions on how to prepare or what to expect on a ride of this magnitude, please feel free to email me at yellowbullet2@yahoo.com.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Day Eighteen
Kingman, Arizona to Palmdale, California
Mileage: 296
This was the final leg for Sludge and Vger. I received a text from him telling me that he has reached home safely. It was 11:30am.
Mileage: 296
This was the final leg for Sludge and Vger. I received a text from him telling me that he has reached home safely. It was 11:30am.
Day Seventeen
Santa Rosa to Denver, Colorado
Mileage: 392
This was Batman's trip back to Denver.
Since this Best Western's breakfast wasn't much to brag about, we went to the Denny's next door. All of us had a taste for a Grand Slam breakfast. It was going to be a long day for us.
We were saddled up and ready to ride a few minutes after 10am. Our horses were a thirsty, so we stopped at the the "fillin' station" on the way out of town. This is where Sludge and I were going to say our goodbyes to Batman. Batman would be leaving I-40 at the exit for New Mexico State Route 84 north. Hand shaking and bear hugs for all. It was an emotional time for us. We had just ridden 15 days together and it was tough to see the group split up.
A short 16 miles west on I-40 was exit number 256, Batman's exit. Ironically, there was no traffic in sight behind us so I pulled into the left lane and slowed down. Sludge followed my lead and we were able to give Batman and Bailey a last wave. That was difficult.
Just so we know, we agreed to send each other a text message when we reached home. According to the time stamp on his text, Batman arrived at his home in Devner about 7:30pm local time. Sludge and I were 70 miles east of Flagstaff, Arizona at that time...hiding from the weather in a highway underpass.
Santa Rosa, New Mexico to Litchfield Park, Arizona.
Mileage: 592
This was my trip to Litchfield Park.
Sludge and I continued down I-40 toward Albuquerque, New Mexico. Albuquerque (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albuquerque,_New_Mexico) was a two-hour drive and we would need fuel on the western outskirts of the city. Good thing that we pulled in for fuel when we did because a group of a dozen motorcyclists arrived mere minutes after we finished filling up. We're not in a hurry, but we've got our homes in sight.
Albuquerque is in a valley and west of the city, I-40 makes a steep climb to above 6, 000 feet and the temperature dropped twenty degrees. We knew of this, so we dressed in our leathers before we left Santa Rosa. The weather was changing too. Ominous clouds were looming in the distance.
Gallup, New Mexico, was 250 miles away and that's where we'd fill the bikes and have lunch. Twenty miles from Gallup, the storm we were watching for the last 30 minutes has caught up with us. Or did we catch up with it? You could feel a couple of drops and then all of a sudden, it sarted coming down. This time, it wasn't all rain. There was tiny raindrop-sized pieces of hail! Let me tell you, with an half helmet, like Batman's and mine, rain can sting your face. But when there is hail in the mix, it feels like shards of glass hitting your face. We were through this event in fifteen minutes, but it felt much longer. Aside from getting pelted with hail, the spray from other vehicles, especially the 18-wheelers, makes for a hairy ride. It's hard to see and the road can become slick. The best thing to do is slow down to a comfortable and safe speed.
After lunch, we continued toward Flagstaff, Arizona. Only 75 miles from Flagstaff, we could see more storms brewing on the horizon. This time, lighting was also included. This was bad. Riding a motorcycle on a flat plain, without much traffic around, made us the highest point. Similar to being on a golf course in lighting, the odds of being struck are slim, but still possible. Just as the rain...and hail started to hit us, I spotted an exit ramp and hoped that there was a place to hide under the interstate. As luck would have it, there was. Lighting is usually on the back side of a storm. We were going to be here for a while. Nearly an hour and a half to be exact. After the lighting passed, there was still a little rain falling. We decided to don our rain gear and make tracks to Flagstaff. It was cold, really cold. This was the coldest part of the ride, but not much more than the panhandle of Florida. I still cannot get a grip on how cold that stretch of ride was. For cyring out loud, it was Florida!
We reached Flagstaff about 6:30pm. This is where Sludge and I would part ways. I was heading down Interstate 17 south for the 150 mile trip to my house. Sludge would continue for another 145 miles to Kingman, Arizona where he'd stop for the night.
It was time to head our own directions. It's been a blast riding with Sludge and Vger. Sludge rode the middle spot and since this was his first ride in a group, did extremely well. We all rode in a staggered formation, with Batman and me on the left side of the lane, and Sludge on the right. I'll miss seeing him in my right mirror. Since it was cold and raining, (I swear the water was turning to ice on my ridng glasses!), we said our goodbyes at a gas station and headed back onto I-40. My exit was two miles down the road and I slowed so that we could wave and give a heart felt "thumbs-up". I was heading into warmer weather, but Sludge still had an hour of cooler temperatures. I'll miss him as well.
I pulled into my driveway about 9pm. After unloading Maleficent, I turned on my cell phone and saw a text message waiting. It was Batman and he was home safe. Minutes later, he called me.
Santa Rosa, New Mexico to Kingman, Arizona.
Mileage: 582
This is Sludge's trip.
Sludge continued to Kingman, Arizona to rest for the night. Apparently, he had reached Kingman a little later than when I got home. I also sent a text but decided to call him too. Sludge was stuck in stopped traffic after a fatal accident on the interstate. Trucker's offered him coffee and gave him news on what had happened up ahead. Realizing that since he was on a motorcycle, he could sneak up to the head of the traffic using the emergency lane. At the head of the line was a gathering of fellow riders. This is what we (motorcyclists) do, especially if we have air-cooled bikes. He reached Kingman safely an hour later.
Mileage: 392
This was Batman's trip back to Denver.
Since this Best Western's breakfast wasn't much to brag about, we went to the Denny's next door. All of us had a taste for a Grand Slam breakfast. It was going to be a long day for us.
We were saddled up and ready to ride a few minutes after 10am. Our horses were a thirsty, so we stopped at the the "fillin' station" on the way out of town. This is where Sludge and I were going to say our goodbyes to Batman. Batman would be leaving I-40 at the exit for New Mexico State Route 84 north. Hand shaking and bear hugs for all. It was an emotional time for us. We had just ridden 15 days together and it was tough to see the group split up.
A short 16 miles west on I-40 was exit number 256, Batman's exit. Ironically, there was no traffic in sight behind us so I pulled into the left lane and slowed down. Sludge followed my lead and we were able to give Batman and Bailey a last wave. That was difficult.
Just so we know, we agreed to send each other a text message when we reached home. According to the time stamp on his text, Batman arrived at his home in Devner about 7:30pm local time. Sludge and I were 70 miles east of Flagstaff, Arizona at that time...hiding from the weather in a highway underpass.
Santa Rosa, New Mexico to Litchfield Park, Arizona.
Mileage: 592
This was my trip to Litchfield Park.
Sludge and I continued down I-40 toward Albuquerque, New Mexico. Albuquerque (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albuquerque,_New_Mexico) was a two-hour drive and we would need fuel on the western outskirts of the city. Good thing that we pulled in for fuel when we did because a group of a dozen motorcyclists arrived mere minutes after we finished filling up. We're not in a hurry, but we've got our homes in sight.
Albuquerque is in a valley and west of the city, I-40 makes a steep climb to above 6, 000 feet and the temperature dropped twenty degrees. We knew of this, so we dressed in our leathers before we left Santa Rosa. The weather was changing too. Ominous clouds were looming in the distance.
Gallup, New Mexico, was 250 miles away and that's where we'd fill the bikes and have lunch. Twenty miles from Gallup, the storm we were watching for the last 30 minutes has caught up with us. Or did we catch up with it? You could feel a couple of drops and then all of a sudden, it sarted coming down. This time, it wasn't all rain. There was tiny raindrop-sized pieces of hail! Let me tell you, with an half helmet, like Batman's and mine, rain can sting your face. But when there is hail in the mix, it feels like shards of glass hitting your face. We were through this event in fifteen minutes, but it felt much longer. Aside from getting pelted with hail, the spray from other vehicles, especially the 18-wheelers, makes for a hairy ride. It's hard to see and the road can become slick. The best thing to do is slow down to a comfortable and safe speed.
After lunch, we continued toward Flagstaff, Arizona. Only 75 miles from Flagstaff, we could see more storms brewing on the horizon. This time, lighting was also included. This was bad. Riding a motorcycle on a flat plain, without much traffic around, made us the highest point. Similar to being on a golf course in lighting, the odds of being struck are slim, but still possible. Just as the rain...and hail started to hit us, I spotted an exit ramp and hoped that there was a place to hide under the interstate. As luck would have it, there was. Lighting is usually on the back side of a storm. We were going to be here for a while. Nearly an hour and a half to be exact. After the lighting passed, there was still a little rain falling. We decided to don our rain gear and make tracks to Flagstaff. It was cold, really cold. This was the coldest part of the ride, but not much more than the panhandle of Florida. I still cannot get a grip on how cold that stretch of ride was. For cyring out loud, it was Florida!
We reached Flagstaff about 6:30pm. This is where Sludge and I would part ways. I was heading down Interstate 17 south for the 150 mile trip to my house. Sludge would continue for another 145 miles to Kingman, Arizona where he'd stop for the night.
It was time to head our own directions. It's been a blast riding with Sludge and Vger. Sludge rode the middle spot and since this was his first ride in a group, did extremely well. We all rode in a staggered formation, with Batman and me on the left side of the lane, and Sludge on the right. I'll miss seeing him in my right mirror. Since it was cold and raining, (I swear the water was turning to ice on my ridng glasses!), we said our goodbyes at a gas station and headed back onto I-40. My exit was two miles down the road and I slowed so that we could wave and give a heart felt "thumbs-up". I was heading into warmer weather, but Sludge still had an hour of cooler temperatures. I'll miss him as well.
I pulled into my driveway about 9pm. After unloading Maleficent, I turned on my cell phone and saw a text message waiting. It was Batman and he was home safe. Minutes later, he called me.
Santa Rosa, New Mexico to Kingman, Arizona.
Mileage: 582
This is Sludge's trip.
Sludge continued to Kingman, Arizona to rest for the night. Apparently, he had reached Kingman a little later than when I got home. I also sent a text but decided to call him too. Sludge was stuck in stopped traffic after a fatal accident on the interstate. Trucker's offered him coffee and gave him news on what had happened up ahead. Realizing that since he was on a motorcycle, he could sneak up to the head of the traffic using the emergency lane. At the head of the line was a gathering of fellow riders. This is what we (motorcyclists) do, especially if we have air-cooled bikes. He reached Kingman safely an hour later.
Day Sixteen
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Santa Rosa, New Mexico
Mileage: 423
After breakfast, we rode the three miles over to Harley-Davidson World, just outside Oklahoma City at 9am for the service on Batman's and Sludge's motorcycles. As promised, they had blocked times for us.
The service on Batman's Road King was simply a change of primary chain, engine and clutch fluids. As for Sludge, there was an issue with the way his engine was running. We noticed as far back as Georgetown that something funny was going on with the Night Rod. Sometimes, it would stall at stoplights and while idling, it sounded like the wash cycle of a washing machine. Yea, those water-cooled bikes get complicated. It was no big deal, though. There were a pair of hose clamps that were loose. There is no way to tell if they came loose or was delivered from the factory that way. Personally, I'll go with the latter. Hose clamps don't just come loose on their own. A quick tightening and Vger began to run smoothly again.
While waiting at the dealership, the three of us drooled on some of the 2009 motorcycles in the showroom. For months, I have been eyeballing a Road King Classic for my next bike, but became fond of the Street Glide. Sure the Road King Classic has great lines, attractive colors, and a nostalgic look with the leather bags, but the Street Glide has a fairing instead of a windshield, a radio and locking hard bags. I hope that for the 2010 line, the Street Glide will come with more colors. There are only a few colors I like, but black always works. (When Henry Ford was asked about vehicle colors, he said, "Sure, you can have any color so long that it's black".)
Batman decided that his next Harley-Davidson would be a big cruiser. Probably the Electra-Glide Classic, the top of the Harley-Davidson food chain. This monster has everything. With a price tag near $30,000, it should!
The rest of our time was spent talking with other HD owners and I bought a clutch part for Maleficent. The clutch had always been on the stiff side, but all pre-2004 models were that way. I bought a kit that is designed to change the mechanical advantage of the clutch system so that it will squeeze more easily. Since my clutch handle was sticking, obviously from all the salt spray in Daytona Beach, I was going to purchase a new clutch cable too, but the package was too big to strap to my bike for the ride home. I'll get one from my dealer at home.
Service was complete by 11:15am and we made our way back to the hotel to load up our gear.
It was a warm and sunny day. It's a real bummer that the sun decided to show like this when our ride is almost over. We had sun in Georgetown, but was partly cloudy too. Today, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. We'd pay for that later.
We're off and running by 12:30pm. Batman had made a plan to head north on Texas State Route 287 once we reached Amarillo, Texas. On our fuel stop 40 miles outside Amarillo, we talked and looked at the map. Sludge and I were going to try and make it to Santa Rosa, New Mexico. I could make it home from there in one shot and Sludge could stop in Kingman, Arizona the next day before the trip to the west coast.
After looking at the map, I explained to Batman that there was a state route just past Santa Rosa that would hook him up with Interstate 25 north. It was a better route that his original plan where he'd have to take numerous routes through small towns. Certainly, that would take longer. He agreed. I believe that he wanted spend one more day with his buddies.
As it usually does, the wind picked up once we reached Amarillo. I've been through here many times and it has always been windy. Last September, I was returning from a job in Baltimore and the winds in Amarillo were insane. I was pulling a 6 foot by 12 foot trailer with my truck into a 40 mph headwind. The aerodynamics of my truck is similar to a brick and pulling a brick behind me didn't help either. My mpg was down to 6.9! Even worse is that this is when fuel was near $4 per gallon!
Anyway, we fought the wind and the bright sun for a few hours. At a fuel stop, I recommended that we visit the Dairy Queen next door for an ice cream to help cool off. There were no arguments from the other two. The sun was setting and it made the ride tough. Batman and I received a bit of sunburn, while Sludge, with his full face helmet faired much better.
The sun was nearly down when we finally reached Santa Rosa, New Mexico. We checked into another Best Western and went to a small Mexican restaurant for dinner.
Santa Rosa is an interesting town. Santa Rosa is a town in Guadalupe County, NM. The population was 2,744 at the 2000 census. It is a small town between Albuquerque and Tucumcari, situated on the Pecos River.
The first European settlement in the area was Aqua Negra Chiquita, "Little Black Water" in Spanish, in 1865. The name was changed in 1890 to Santa Rosa (Spanish for "Holy Rose") referring to a chapel that Don Celso Baca (the founder of the town) built and named after both his mother Rosa and Saint Rose of Lima. The "Rosa" may also refer to the roses in the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe and is indicative of the Catholicism of the Spanish colonizers who settled in the area.
Santa Rosa's stretch of U.S. Route 66 is part of film history. When John Steinbeck's epic novel, The Grapes of Wrath, was made into a movie, director John Ford used Santa Rosa for the memorable train scene. Tom Joad (Henry Fonda) watches a freight train steam over the Pecos River railroad bridge, into the sunset.
Santa Rosa has many natural lakes, an anomaly in the dry Desert climate surrounding it. These are sinkholes that form in the limestone bedrock of the area and fill with water, and thus the lakes are connected by a network of underground, water-filled tunnels. The most famous of these is Blue Hole, a popular spot for diving, where frigid 64°F (18°C) water forms a lake over 81 ft (25 m) deep. http://www.santarosanm.org/scubadiving.htm
Tourism and it's location for travelers on Route 66 and Interstate 40 keep this city alive. If a stopping point is needed for your travel, this is good place for it. There isn't much 50 miles in either direction.
Mileage: 423
After breakfast, we rode the three miles over to Harley-Davidson World, just outside Oklahoma City at 9am for the service on Batman's and Sludge's motorcycles. As promised, they had blocked times for us.
The service on Batman's Road King was simply a change of primary chain, engine and clutch fluids. As for Sludge, there was an issue with the way his engine was running. We noticed as far back as Georgetown that something funny was going on with the Night Rod. Sometimes, it would stall at stoplights and while idling, it sounded like the wash cycle of a washing machine. Yea, those water-cooled bikes get complicated. It was no big deal, though. There were a pair of hose clamps that were loose. There is no way to tell if they came loose or was delivered from the factory that way. Personally, I'll go with the latter. Hose clamps don't just come loose on their own. A quick tightening and Vger began to run smoothly again.
While waiting at the dealership, the three of us drooled on some of the 2009 motorcycles in the showroom. For months, I have been eyeballing a Road King Classic for my next bike, but became fond of the Street Glide. Sure the Road King Classic has great lines, attractive colors, and a nostalgic look with the leather bags, but the Street Glide has a fairing instead of a windshield, a radio and locking hard bags. I hope that for the 2010 line, the Street Glide will come with more colors. There are only a few colors I like, but black always works. (When Henry Ford was asked about vehicle colors, he said, "Sure, you can have any color so long that it's black".)
Batman decided that his next Harley-Davidson would be a big cruiser. Probably the Electra-Glide Classic, the top of the Harley-Davidson food chain. This monster has everything. With a price tag near $30,000, it should!
The rest of our time was spent talking with other HD owners and I bought a clutch part for Maleficent. The clutch had always been on the stiff side, but all pre-2004 models were that way. I bought a kit that is designed to change the mechanical advantage of the clutch system so that it will squeeze more easily. Since my clutch handle was sticking, obviously from all the salt spray in Daytona Beach, I was going to purchase a new clutch cable too, but the package was too big to strap to my bike for the ride home. I'll get one from my dealer at home.
Service was complete by 11:15am and we made our way back to the hotel to load up our gear.
It was a warm and sunny day. It's a real bummer that the sun decided to show like this when our ride is almost over. We had sun in Georgetown, but was partly cloudy too. Today, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. We'd pay for that later.
We're off and running by 12:30pm. Batman had made a plan to head north on Texas State Route 287 once we reached Amarillo, Texas. On our fuel stop 40 miles outside Amarillo, we talked and looked at the map. Sludge and I were going to try and make it to Santa Rosa, New Mexico. I could make it home from there in one shot and Sludge could stop in Kingman, Arizona the next day before the trip to the west coast.
After looking at the map, I explained to Batman that there was a state route just past Santa Rosa that would hook him up with Interstate 25 north. It was a better route that his original plan where he'd have to take numerous routes through small towns. Certainly, that would take longer. He agreed. I believe that he wanted spend one more day with his buddies.
As it usually does, the wind picked up once we reached Amarillo. I've been through here many times and it has always been windy. Last September, I was returning from a job in Baltimore and the winds in Amarillo were insane. I was pulling a 6 foot by 12 foot trailer with my truck into a 40 mph headwind. The aerodynamics of my truck is similar to a brick and pulling a brick behind me didn't help either. My mpg was down to 6.9! Even worse is that this is when fuel was near $4 per gallon!
Anyway, we fought the wind and the bright sun for a few hours. At a fuel stop, I recommended that we visit the Dairy Queen next door for an ice cream to help cool off. There were no arguments from the other two. The sun was setting and it made the ride tough. Batman and I received a bit of sunburn, while Sludge, with his full face helmet faired much better.
The sun was nearly down when we finally reached Santa Rosa, New Mexico. We checked into another Best Western and went to a small Mexican restaurant for dinner.
Santa Rosa is an interesting town. Santa Rosa is a town in Guadalupe County, NM. The population was 2,744 at the 2000 census. It is a small town between Albuquerque and Tucumcari, situated on the Pecos River.
The first European settlement in the area was Aqua Negra Chiquita, "Little Black Water" in Spanish, in 1865. The name was changed in 1890 to Santa Rosa (Spanish for "Holy Rose") referring to a chapel that Don Celso Baca (the founder of the town) built and named after both his mother Rosa and Saint Rose of Lima. The "Rosa" may also refer to the roses in the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe and is indicative of the Catholicism of the Spanish colonizers who settled in the area.
Santa Rosa's stretch of U.S. Route 66 is part of film history. When John Steinbeck's epic novel, The Grapes of Wrath, was made into a movie, director John Ford used Santa Rosa for the memorable train scene. Tom Joad (Henry Fonda) watches a freight train steam over the Pecos River railroad bridge, into the sunset.
Santa Rosa has many natural lakes, an anomaly in the dry Desert climate surrounding it. These are sinkholes that form in the limestone bedrock of the area and fill with water, and thus the lakes are connected by a network of underground, water-filled tunnels. The most famous of these is Blue Hole, a popular spot for diving, where frigid 64°F (18°C) water forms a lake over 81 ft (25 m) deep. http://www.santarosanm.org/scubadiving.htm
Tourism and it's location for travelers on Route 66 and Interstate 40 keep this city alive. If a stopping point is needed for your travel, this is good place for it. There isn't much 50 miles in either direction.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Day Fifteen
Memphis, Tennessee to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Mileage: 470
Today was a long day but a good ride. When we left the hotel at 9:30am, it was overcast and 66 degrees with light winds. We rode over to Graceland Harley-Davidson. This is only a store, but Sludge an I wanted a tee shirt with some sort of Elvis picture or logo. I found one that had Elvis on his motorcycles printed on the back. Just a souvenir to add to my collection of HD tee shirts.
From the store, we pulled onto Interstate 55 that lead us to Interstate 40 for the direct line to Oklahoma City. Last month, I drove down I-40 west and found that the last few miles of this route in Tennessee was under construction. I made a mental note to change the route so we don't get stuck in this traffic on the ride. That's why we were on Interstate 55. On the way up I-55, what do we see? Construction traffic! Now what idiot decided to perform construction on two major routes on the same side of the city? I couldn't believe it. We sat in bumper to bumper traffic for 30 minutes before we reached our exit onto I-40. The interstate was very clear from there until we reached Little Rock, Arkansas, where we sat in traffic for nearly an hour. Some guy in a pickup truck jack-knifed with his trailer and hit another car. The left two lanes were closed. Wonderful.
After passing through Little Rock, it was smooth sailing all the way to Oklahoma City. We rolled into the hotel parking lot about 10pm.
Tomorrow, Batman and Sludge will have their bikes serviced. Our appointment is for 9am. We were assured that all service will be done by noon. Mainly, it will be oil changes. I was also scheduled, but with the truck ride from Daytona Beach to Washington, D.C., my bike has 800 miles less that originally calculated. I can skip this service and have it done when I reach home. It's about 1150 miles from here to Litchfield Park. I'm at 3900 for the ride so far, so the 5000 mile service is almost right on the number.
It was a long riding day and we're all crashing hard tonight. Tomorrow will be a busy day too.
Mileage: 470
Today was a long day but a good ride. When we left the hotel at 9:30am, it was overcast and 66 degrees with light winds. We rode over to Graceland Harley-Davidson. This is only a store, but Sludge an I wanted a tee shirt with some sort of Elvis picture or logo. I found one that had Elvis on his motorcycles printed on the back. Just a souvenir to add to my collection of HD tee shirts.
From the store, we pulled onto Interstate 55 that lead us to Interstate 40 for the direct line to Oklahoma City. Last month, I drove down I-40 west and found that the last few miles of this route in Tennessee was under construction. I made a mental note to change the route so we don't get stuck in this traffic on the ride. That's why we were on Interstate 55. On the way up I-55, what do we see? Construction traffic! Now what idiot decided to perform construction on two major routes on the same side of the city? I couldn't believe it. We sat in bumper to bumper traffic for 30 minutes before we reached our exit onto I-40. The interstate was very clear from there until we reached Little Rock, Arkansas, where we sat in traffic for nearly an hour. Some guy in a pickup truck jack-knifed with his trailer and hit another car. The left two lanes were closed. Wonderful.
After passing through Little Rock, it was smooth sailing all the way to Oklahoma City. We rolled into the hotel parking lot about 10pm.
Tomorrow, Batman and Sludge will have their bikes serviced. Our appointment is for 9am. We were assured that all service will be done by noon. Mainly, it will be oil changes. I was also scheduled, but with the truck ride from Daytona Beach to Washington, D.C., my bike has 800 miles less that originally calculated. I can skip this service and have it done when I reach home. It's about 1150 miles from here to Litchfield Park. I'm at 3900 for the ride so far, so the 5000 mile service is almost right on the number.
It was a long riding day and we're all crashing hard tonight. Tomorrow will be a busy day too.
Day Fourteen
Knoxville, Tennessee to Memphis, Tennessee
Mileage: 405
The day started out dark and overcast. For a change the weather forecasters were right. Less than 70 miles into the ride, it began to rain...and rain...and rain. The sun was not out for a minute the entire day.
There were two occassions that the rain came down so hard that we couldn't see at all. Traffic on Interstate 40 had slowed down to 50 mph. I found an overpass to hide under and ducked in. I overshot it by about 20 feet because I was concerned whether the other two guys could stop quick enough. When I realized that they did, I walked my bike backwards to get out of the rain. We waited there for 30 minutes or so and ventured back out into the weather when it calmed down.
We drove into and out of rain for the most of the day. Two hours from Memphis, we got hammered again. Lucky for us, there was a rest stop one mile away. When we pulled into the rest area and I made a "bee-line" for one of the covered picnic areas. Once underneath, I pulled to the left, Sludge to the right and Batman parked his big Road King down the middle between two of the picnic tables. It was really raining. I used my helmet as a pillow and took a 20 minute cat nap.
The rain let up and we made a final dash to Memphis. Dark menacing clouds were on the horizon, but I-40 took us around it. Ten miles from our downtown hotel, gusts came out of nowhere and we had to lean hard to the left to stay in the lanes.
We arrived at the hotel about 7:0pm. With all of the stops and dodgeing the rain, it took us more than 10 hours to get here. The hotel was very nice and located only six blocks from the famous Beale Street. This is the home of "The Blues", my favorite music. In 1994, I saw B.B. King perform a live unscheduled concert of five songs. What a blast.
Beale Street hasn't changed much since then. Except that now, Wednesday night is bike night. Due to the weather, it wasn't very crowded, but there was a nice turnout anyway. We decided to have dinner at the famous "Blue City Cafe". The TV shows, Travel Channel and the Food Network have given this restaurant high marks. The food was great and the service was prompt.
We walked around Beale Street and listened to the Blues artists until about 11pm and returned to the hotel.
Mileage: 405
The day started out dark and overcast. For a change the weather forecasters were right. Less than 70 miles into the ride, it began to rain...and rain...and rain. The sun was not out for a minute the entire day.
There were two occassions that the rain came down so hard that we couldn't see at all. Traffic on Interstate 40 had slowed down to 50 mph. I found an overpass to hide under and ducked in. I overshot it by about 20 feet because I was concerned whether the other two guys could stop quick enough. When I realized that they did, I walked my bike backwards to get out of the rain. We waited there for 30 minutes or so and ventured back out into the weather when it calmed down.
We drove into and out of rain for the most of the day. Two hours from Memphis, we got hammered again. Lucky for us, there was a rest stop one mile away. When we pulled into the rest area and I made a "bee-line" for one of the covered picnic areas. Once underneath, I pulled to the left, Sludge to the right and Batman parked his big Road King down the middle between two of the picnic tables. It was really raining. I used my helmet as a pillow and took a 20 minute cat nap.
The rain let up and we made a final dash to Memphis. Dark menacing clouds were on the horizon, but I-40 took us around it. Ten miles from our downtown hotel, gusts came out of nowhere and we had to lean hard to the left to stay in the lanes.
We arrived at the hotel about 7:0pm. With all of the stops and dodgeing the rain, it took us more than 10 hours to get here. The hotel was very nice and located only six blocks from the famous Beale Street. This is the home of "The Blues", my favorite music. In 1994, I saw B.B. King perform a live unscheduled concert of five songs. What a blast.
Beale Street hasn't changed much since then. Except that now, Wednesday night is bike night. Due to the weather, it wasn't very crowded, but there was a nice turnout anyway. We decided to have dinner at the famous "Blue City Cafe". The TV shows, Travel Channel and the Food Network have given this restaurant high marks. The food was great and the service was prompt.
We walked around Beale Street and listened to the Blues artists until about 11pm and returned to the hotel.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Day Thirteen
Burlington, North Carolina to Knoxville, Tennessee
Mileage: 309
As we feared, it was raining this morning. The uniform of the day will be rainsuits. It's one thing getting caught in the rain, but having to start a ride in the rain is the pits.
Today's leg was from Burlington, NC to Asheville, NC. The distance to Asheville is 192 miles and we rode in the rain for the first 150 of them. At times it rained hard, but for the most part, it was a the constant face-stinging type. Even during a drizzle, when you're traveling 60 mph or more, the rain stings as it hits your face. That's why I generally wear a full-face mask made of polyethelene. The same thing scuba gear is made of.
About 30 minutes outside of Asheville, I looked in my mirror and as usual, could see Sludge, but not Batman. When it rains, Batman tends to slow down a little, but he was nowhere in sight. At the first available overpass, Sludge and I pulled over to wait. We waited and waited. Five minutes went by and decided to see if he had called. Just as I began to dig for my phone in the saddlebag, Sludge told me that he could see a motorcycle coming. It turns out that that cheap rainsuit he bought came apart. Well, the pants did anyway. He didn't even know it. A passing motorist told him about it! He had to stop and don his leather chaps.
When stopped in Asheville to have lunch and look at the maps. Months before the trip, while scheduling the stops, I thought it would be a fun ride to go through the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. There are a few great winding roads through the park. The views are spectacular.
After lunch, we drove the 30 miles to the exit that will lead us south to Waynesville, North Carolina on State Route 74. We wanted to stop at the local dealership, Ghost Town Harley-Davidson for a souvenir tee shirt. Another $30 bucks to the HD man!
The skies were sunny as we left the dealership. It didn't last long. Twenty miles down route 74, the rain was waiting for us. It was a torrential downpour and along with the traffic, we slowed to 30 mph. That may give you an idea of how hard it was raining. Our riding glasses were fogging up and our leather gloves were cold and soggy. As the rain let up, we found a fuel station and pulled in under the canopy.
The park was about ten miles away and the clouds were beginning to part. The sun decided to make an appearance. Thank you! Most of the way through the park, it was sunny, but the roads were still wet. We took our time and enjoyed the views. A few pics are attached. I hope that you enjoy them too.
As we exited the park and entered Gatlinburg, Tennessee, it was bright, sunny and warm. We realized that we had way too much clothing on. The rainsuits are made of a thick nylon that doesn't breathe. When it's warm and humid and you're sitting on a hot motorcycle, it feels like a sauna. If you want to shed a few pounds, wear one of these things on a hot day! I know that I have!
I had no idea that Gatlinburg was such a tourist trap. It reminded me of Wildwood Beach, New Jersey or Coney Island, New York. There were shops, game rooms and restaurants lined up for a couple of miles. North of Gatlinburg is Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, the home of "Dollywood", the theme park created by country singer Dolly Parton. She has not returned my calls. We stopped at a TGI Friday's in the north side of town about 7pm for dinner.
The hotel was another 41 miles and it looked like rain again. It was just a scare. The clouds were dark, but spared us the hassle. Right after we parked the bikes in the registration area, it began to rain again. As a side note, most of the hotels in this chain has allowed us to park right outside the registration desk under the canopy of the hotel entryway. Thanks to them.
We will be heading west again tomorrow. More rain predicted. Again, the rainsuits will be the uniform of the day. Great.
Mileage: 309
As we feared, it was raining this morning. The uniform of the day will be rainsuits. It's one thing getting caught in the rain, but having to start a ride in the rain is the pits.
Today's leg was from Burlington, NC to Asheville, NC. The distance to Asheville is 192 miles and we rode in the rain for the first 150 of them. At times it rained hard, but for the most part, it was a the constant face-stinging type. Even during a drizzle, when you're traveling 60 mph or more, the rain stings as it hits your face. That's why I generally wear a full-face mask made of polyethelene. The same thing scuba gear is made of.
About 30 minutes outside of Asheville, I looked in my mirror and as usual, could see Sludge, but not Batman. When it rains, Batman tends to slow down a little, but he was nowhere in sight. At the first available overpass, Sludge and I pulled over to wait. We waited and waited. Five minutes went by and decided to see if he had called. Just as I began to dig for my phone in the saddlebag, Sludge told me that he could see a motorcycle coming. It turns out that that cheap rainsuit he bought came apart. Well, the pants did anyway. He didn't even know it. A passing motorist told him about it! He had to stop and don his leather chaps.
When stopped in Asheville to have lunch and look at the maps. Months before the trip, while scheduling the stops, I thought it would be a fun ride to go through the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. There are a few great winding roads through the park. The views are spectacular.
After lunch, we drove the 30 miles to the exit that will lead us south to Waynesville, North Carolina on State Route 74. We wanted to stop at the local dealership, Ghost Town Harley-Davidson for a souvenir tee shirt. Another $30 bucks to the HD man!
The skies were sunny as we left the dealership. It didn't last long. Twenty miles down route 74, the rain was waiting for us. It was a torrential downpour and along with the traffic, we slowed to 30 mph. That may give you an idea of how hard it was raining. Our riding glasses were fogging up and our leather gloves were cold and soggy. As the rain let up, we found a fuel station and pulled in under the canopy.
The park was about ten miles away and the clouds were beginning to part. The sun decided to make an appearance. Thank you! Most of the way through the park, it was sunny, but the roads were still wet. We took our time and enjoyed the views. A few pics are attached. I hope that you enjoy them too.
As we exited the park and entered Gatlinburg, Tennessee, it was bright, sunny and warm. We realized that we had way too much clothing on. The rainsuits are made of a thick nylon that doesn't breathe. When it's warm and humid and you're sitting on a hot motorcycle, it feels like a sauna. If you want to shed a few pounds, wear one of these things on a hot day! I know that I have!
I had no idea that Gatlinburg was such a tourist trap. It reminded me of Wildwood Beach, New Jersey or Coney Island, New York. There were shops, game rooms and restaurants lined up for a couple of miles. North of Gatlinburg is Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, the home of "Dollywood", the theme park created by country singer Dolly Parton. She has not returned my calls. We stopped at a TGI Friday's in the north side of town about 7pm for dinner.
The hotel was another 41 miles and it looked like rain again. It was just a scare. The clouds were dark, but spared us the hassle. Right after we parked the bikes in the registration area, it began to rain again. As a side note, most of the hotels in this chain has allowed us to park right outside the registration desk under the canopy of the hotel entryway. Thanks to them.
We will be heading west again tomorrow. More rain predicted. Again, the rainsuits will be the uniform of the day. Great.
Day Twelve
Georgetown, Washington D.C. to Burlington, North Carolina
Mileage: 312
Waking up, per the weather forecast, we expected to see rain, but the skies were partly sunny. We started out at about 9am, one of the earliest we have begun any leg of this trip. As we merged onto Interstate 66 east, a throng of motorcyclists were passing by. Just like us, many of the RTR particpants were on their journey home. At the RTR, I looked around, but didn't notice any license plates from CA, AZ or CO at the RTR.
News reports estimated that there were approximately 250,000 motorcycles in attendance for the Rolling Thunder Ride!
When we reached Manassas, Virginia, we exited onto State Route 29 southbound. I've been on this road a few times in the past and it's a relaxing drive throught the countryside. There are a few stops lights at first in Warrenton, Virginia but from there to Lynchburg, Virginia, it's a smooth and comfortable 65 mph.
The weather was fine until we could see dark clouds just before our exit onto State Route 87 at Reidsville, North Carolina. In minutes, drops started to fall. Then the clouds opened up. I wanted to pull in under one of the overpasses only to see a dozen bikes hiding there and gearing up in rainsuits. Luckily, there was another a few miles further. We pulled off the highway and put on our rainsuits. Just as we were all dressed and ready to go, the sun came back out. Instead of taking them back off, we got back on the highway. Good thing because a minute later, as we were exiting onto route 87, the skies opened up again. This time it was really coming down. I once heard an analogy of this type of downpour. "It was was raining like a cow peeing on a flat rock!" That pretty much sums it up. It was coming down so hard that we almost couldn't see the road. We came upon a small gas station/store and hid under the canopy for 30 minutes or so. It let up enough that we could proprerly see the road so we continued on. The hotel was another 20 minute ride.
We arrived at the hotel about 6pm and unloaded the bikes. We were in a bit of a hurry because the plan was to meet Sludge's father and sister for dinner and his home is nearly an hour ride. We got to Sludge Senior's home near 8pm and was greeted by his sister and her friendly, 10-month old, 90-pound, German Shepard puppy. Yes, I did say puppy. He's the biggest Shepard I have ever seen.
It was a pleasure to meet Sludge's father and sister. An hour or so of good conversation lead to dinner. Ms. "K" grilled steaks for us and since we were such good little bikers, served ice cream as dessert! Great dinner! Thanks again. It really hit the spot.
Another hour of talk and we had to head back to the hotel. It was already after 11pm and we had a long drive to the hotel on winding roads in the dark. Good thing Sludge knew the roads! Too bad he didn't stay longer. I know that he would have like to do so. I also want to mention that after meeting some of Sludge's family, it's apparent that this is a family of geniuses. All of then are well very educated. His father and older sister have doctorates, his younger sister has a Master's. Sludge and his late mother have Bachelor's degrees. Wow, so much intelligence in one family! The thing is, of the people in his family, you'd never know of their education. Along with Sludge, they're all very down to earth and genuine people. It really was a pleasure to meet both Sludge Senior and Ms. K.
I watched the weather for the Burlington, NC area for the next morning. Again, the forecasters call for rain.
Mileage: 312
Waking up, per the weather forecast, we expected to see rain, but the skies were partly sunny. We started out at about 9am, one of the earliest we have begun any leg of this trip. As we merged onto Interstate 66 east, a throng of motorcyclists were passing by. Just like us, many of the RTR particpants were on their journey home. At the RTR, I looked around, but didn't notice any license plates from CA, AZ or CO at the RTR.
News reports estimated that there were approximately 250,000 motorcycles in attendance for the Rolling Thunder Ride!
When we reached Manassas, Virginia, we exited onto State Route 29 southbound. I've been on this road a few times in the past and it's a relaxing drive throught the countryside. There are a few stops lights at first in Warrenton, Virginia but from there to Lynchburg, Virginia, it's a smooth and comfortable 65 mph.
The weather was fine until we could see dark clouds just before our exit onto State Route 87 at Reidsville, North Carolina. In minutes, drops started to fall. Then the clouds opened up. I wanted to pull in under one of the overpasses only to see a dozen bikes hiding there and gearing up in rainsuits. Luckily, there was another a few miles further. We pulled off the highway and put on our rainsuits. Just as we were all dressed and ready to go, the sun came back out. Instead of taking them back off, we got back on the highway. Good thing because a minute later, as we were exiting onto route 87, the skies opened up again. This time it was really coming down. I once heard an analogy of this type of downpour. "It was was raining like a cow peeing on a flat rock!" That pretty much sums it up. It was coming down so hard that we almost couldn't see the road. We came upon a small gas station/store and hid under the canopy for 30 minutes or so. It let up enough that we could proprerly see the road so we continued on. The hotel was another 20 minute ride.
We arrived at the hotel about 6pm and unloaded the bikes. We were in a bit of a hurry because the plan was to meet Sludge's father and sister for dinner and his home is nearly an hour ride. We got to Sludge Senior's home near 8pm and was greeted by his sister and her friendly, 10-month old, 90-pound, German Shepard puppy. Yes, I did say puppy. He's the biggest Shepard I have ever seen.
It was a pleasure to meet Sludge's father and sister. An hour or so of good conversation lead to dinner. Ms. "K" grilled steaks for us and since we were such good little bikers, served ice cream as dessert! Great dinner! Thanks again. It really hit the spot.
Another hour of talk and we had to head back to the hotel. It was already after 11pm and we had a long drive to the hotel on winding roads in the dark. Good thing Sludge knew the roads! Too bad he didn't stay longer. I know that he would have like to do so. I also want to mention that after meeting some of Sludge's family, it's apparent that this is a family of geniuses. All of then are well very educated. His father and older sister have doctorates, his younger sister has a Master's. Sludge and his late mother have Bachelor's degrees. Wow, so much intelligence in one family! The thing is, of the people in his family, you'd never know of their education. Along with Sludge, they're all very down to earth and genuine people. It really was a pleasure to meet both Sludge Senior and Ms. K.
I watched the weather for the Burlington, NC area for the next morning. Again, the forecasters call for rain.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Day Eleven
This is the day! The secondary reason why we took on this adventure.
We had breakfast by 7:30am and were at one of the four staging areas at the Pentagon before 9am. Last year, 9am was the perfect time to arrive, but not this year. There were more than 1,000 bikes already there! Here's an idea of how many bikes were there before us. We parked in line at 8:45am. The procession began promptly at noon. It was 2:10pm before we even started our bikes! That's more than 5 hours! During our wait, we walked around the Pentagon, talked with many other riders and I even took a nap.
Last September 11th, the Memorial for those that died when terrorists flew a plane into the Pentagon was opened. It was a well planned site. There were monuments for each person that died that day in D.C. The ramps facing away from the Pentagon displayed names for those that died in the Pentagon and the ramps facing the Pentagon displayed names of the people that died on the airplane. The presentation stone said that a total of 184 people died here that day. The youngest was 3 years old. He was on the plane with his 9-year old sister and his 35-year old father. Can you inagine losing your son, daughter and Husband in the same attack? It's horrible. The oldest was a 71-year old retired Air Force Officer. The memorial was well thought out and serene.
As I said, the ride started in rows promptly at noon. When we finally started moving, it was already after 2pm. The ride route took us by the American History Museum, The White House and countless other famous buldings. People were standin behind crowd barriers on both sides of the street waving American flags and holding signs thanking veterans for their service. In some areas, people were standing on the side of the street asking for "high-fives" or to rev up our motors. I was great to see so many people cheering us on.
The procession ended at one of the many War Memorial parks. Literally thousands of motorcycles were in attendance. We walked across the park to visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, or "The Wall" as it's known, and then on see the WWII Memorial. "The Wall" is one of the more emotionally moving places I ahve ever been. To see Vietnam Veterans standing with their hand over the name of one of their lost buddies can bring a tear to even the toughest of people. Friends and relatives leave flowers, pictures, notes and even the departed veteran's favorite pack of cigarettes. At each end of this memorial are books that show all of the names and which block they can be found according to birthdates, hometowns, duty station or company. Then you can take a special cut of paper provided, along with a pencil, and transfer the name of the person onto this paper by rubbing the pencil lead back and forth over the name. That's a very nice touch to provide another form of remembrance for friends and family. There are also Wall volunteers that will provide this service, especially if the name is too high to reach.
This was an extremely moving experience for all.
We were back at the hotel by about 5pm to do some laundry and get packed. We plan to get on the road 10am.
The weather forecast here is for thunderstorms all day for Washington D.C. and scattered thunderstorms for most of the way southbound. It looks to be a rough start for our trek back home.
I'll write more when I can.
We had breakfast by 7:30am and were at one of the four staging areas at the Pentagon before 9am. Last year, 9am was the perfect time to arrive, but not this year. There were more than 1,000 bikes already there! Here's an idea of how many bikes were there before us. We parked in line at 8:45am. The procession began promptly at noon. It was 2:10pm before we even started our bikes! That's more than 5 hours! During our wait, we walked around the Pentagon, talked with many other riders and I even took a nap.
Last September 11th, the Memorial for those that died when terrorists flew a plane into the Pentagon was opened. It was a well planned site. There were monuments for each person that died that day in D.C. The ramps facing away from the Pentagon displayed names for those that died in the Pentagon and the ramps facing the Pentagon displayed names of the people that died on the airplane. The presentation stone said that a total of 184 people died here that day. The youngest was 3 years old. He was on the plane with his 9-year old sister and his 35-year old father. Can you inagine losing your son, daughter and Husband in the same attack? It's horrible. The oldest was a 71-year old retired Air Force Officer. The memorial was well thought out and serene.
As I said, the ride started in rows promptly at noon. When we finally started moving, it was already after 2pm. The ride route took us by the American History Museum, The White House and countless other famous buldings. People were standin behind crowd barriers on both sides of the street waving American flags and holding signs thanking veterans for their service. In some areas, people were standing on the side of the street asking for "high-fives" or to rev up our motors. I was great to see so many people cheering us on.
The procession ended at one of the many War Memorial parks. Literally thousands of motorcycles were in attendance. We walked across the park to visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, or "The Wall" as it's known, and then on see the WWII Memorial. "The Wall" is one of the more emotionally moving places I ahve ever been. To see Vietnam Veterans standing with their hand over the name of one of their lost buddies can bring a tear to even the toughest of people. Friends and relatives leave flowers, pictures, notes and even the departed veteran's favorite pack of cigarettes. At each end of this memorial are books that show all of the names and which block they can be found according to birthdates, hometowns, duty station or company. Then you can take a special cut of paper provided, along with a pencil, and transfer the name of the person onto this paper by rubbing the pencil lead back and forth over the name. That's a very nice touch to provide another form of remembrance for friends and family. There are also Wall volunteers that will provide this service, especially if the name is too high to reach.
This was an extremely moving experience for all.
We were back at the hotel by about 5pm to do some laundry and get packed. We plan to get on the road 10am.
The weather forecast here is for thunderstorms all day for Washington D.C. and scattered thunderstorms for most of the way southbound. It looks to be a rough start for our trek back home.
I'll write more when I can.
Day Ten
So here we are in Georgetown. It's a sunny day and we've agreed to do a little sightseeing. We passed the White House, the Treasury building and FBI Headquarters. I wanted to visit the Navy Memorial because a few months ago, a plaque commemorating the submarine I served aboard was added to one of the display walls inside.
There was a Memorial Day speech given by Commander Kirk Lippold of the USS Cole. He was serving as the Commander in October of 2000 when it was attacked by suicide bombers in the Yemeni port of Aden. Seventeen American sailors were killed. He honored those sailors and his speech was very moving.
After his speech, we walked down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol and then north to Union Station where we stopped at the Harley-Davidson store for a tee shirt and then lunch. Sludge made a comment that he wanted to go to the Harley-Davidson store we visited the day before because he wanted to buy cleaning products for his oxidized wheels. When we arrived, there were hundreds of motorcycles parked everywhere! There were a dozen vendors selling everything from patchs to leathers to chrome parts. We bought our supplies and went back to the hotel, cleaned up the bikes and got ready for dinner.
For dinner, we decided on Bertucci's Italian restaurant. The food is pretty good and the price is reasonable. After dinner, we walked around the area and found a local bar that had close to 30 flat screen televisions tuned to an array of sports from basketball to UFC fights.
We were back at the hotel by midnight to get rested for the huge Rolling Thunder Ride the next morning.
There was a Memorial Day speech given by Commander Kirk Lippold of the USS Cole. He was serving as the Commander in October of 2000 when it was attacked by suicide bombers in the Yemeni port of Aden. Seventeen American sailors were killed. He honored those sailors and his speech was very moving.
After his speech, we walked down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol and then north to Union Station where we stopped at the Harley-Davidson store for a tee shirt and then lunch. Sludge made a comment that he wanted to go to the Harley-Davidson store we visited the day before because he wanted to buy cleaning products for his oxidized wheels. When we arrived, there were hundreds of motorcycles parked everywhere! There were a dozen vendors selling everything from patchs to leathers to chrome parts. We bought our supplies and went back to the hotel, cleaned up the bikes and got ready for dinner.
For dinner, we decided on Bertucci's Italian restaurant. The food is pretty good and the price is reasonable. After dinner, we walked around the area and found a local bar that had close to 30 flat screen televisions tuned to an array of sports from basketball to UFC fights.
We were back at the hotel by midnight to get rested for the huge Rolling Thunder Ride the next morning.
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