Day 18 - Wednesday

I wake up early to get a good jump on the day. I turn the weather channel on and see this huge front pushing my way. I load the bike in a hurry and set off to see if I can get in front of the storms. As it turns out the storm front was massive and followed me across I 80 all day. In and out of the rain. I put the rain suit on and left it on. I'm surprised at the miles I rode considering the conditions.

The storms forced me to take a break.

The rain let up near Chicago and I had clear sailing for the last couple of hundred miles home, although it threatened to storm the entire way.

I made it back, 18 days on the bike!

Day 18 = 678 miles

Total Trip = 6,739 miles

Day 17 - Tuesday

Today is the day I have to head back. It is a brisk, beautiful morning. I have about 1300 miles to ride in two days.





It is difficult to say goodbye to Jamie. It has been such a great trip and I am not sure when I will see her again, but I have to head home. So I say goodbye to her and the mountains as well.

Beautiful day to start home. The VW Microbus belongs to Jamie's neighbor.

Go my gear packed and ready to head back.

The ride back is off to a good start. Coming out of the Rockies towards Denver in the morning is great. It was dark when I came through here a couple of weeks ago so I didn't see much. Views are good and the Eisenhower Tunnel is a trip.

Traffic is light, weather is good, and the bike continues to run great. I kick back, put the feet up on the highway pegs and set the cruise control on 78.

I make it as far as Council Bluffs, Iowa where I pull off for the night.

Day 17 - 642 miles

Day 16 - Monday

We wake to a solid rain. Very grey out and it's coming straight down. Our string of flawless days has come to an end. I think we jinxed ourselves. The night before after unloading the bikes we were discussing putting the covers on and Jamie remarked about all the stars that were out and how there wasn't a cloud in the sky. I got suckered in and left the cover off. The next morning the bike was soaked, but it did get a little of the dust knocked off it.

We took our time getting around and by 10 am or so the rain had stopped. It was still very grey and menacing looking out there so I opted to put the rain gear on. Jamie went without.

I put the rain gear on to head to the Black Canyon

When you're riding in this type of weather it's easier to put the gear on and keep it on. I think Jamie learned this the hard way. I poured a couple of times and we had to stop on the side of the road so she could get her rain gear on.

It had quit raining before we got to the Black Canyon National Park. Yet another National Park I have not heard of. We were rewarded for our trip here! Very few people in an extremely rugged and beautiful place. The canyon is remarkable.

Here is a link to the park info:http://www.nps.gov/blca/index.htm


There is a 7 mile drive along the rim that we explored. There are scenic overlooks everywhere and we were fortunate that it did not rain while we were there.

Heading into the Black Canyon we got to see some wildlife.

One of the locals.

It's hard to describe the vertical drop with a picture.

Jamie enjoying the view.

You can see the Black River way down there.

Another stretch of the canyon.

This was called Sunset Overlook. Very nice.

We said goodbye to the Black Canyon and headed towards the town of Gunnison (still on 50). Gunnison as it turns out is an excellent little resort town with lots of activity going on. We stop for gas and pick out a quaint looking place for lunch....

Salmon Salad with a Balsamic reduction. They gave Mom's a run for her money!

We continue on and find the weather turning a little nasty. It's blowing and windy and we are facing one the passes that we must cross. Monarch Pass is at 11,300 feet where we cross at the summit. The way up is via very tight switchbacks and steep inclines. The ascent is slow going. Still manage to enjoy the views despite the weather. The descent was much gentler and it was enjoyable. The rain was contained on the other side of the mountain.

At these altitudes through the temps had dropped considerably. Temp gauge was reading around 50.

We ran into some bikers while getting gas in the little town of Buena Vista. There were 3 couples, all on Harleys pulling trailers. They were from Little Rock, Arkansas and were heading for Keystone. They had all of their clothing on and were freezing their a**s's off. Also, they were a bit lost. I told them Jamie lived in Breckenridge and they practically sprinted over to where she was at to get directions from her. She told them the way and they gave us some Road Trip 2009 stickers for our help. Cool.


We were getting close to Blue River now. We had s couple of passes to go through on our way (we are back in the heart of the Rockies now) and the views and ride were great.

We arrive back at Blue River without incident, but sadly the road is over for Jamie.

Arriving back at Jamie's place in Blue River.

We get cleaned up a bit and call a cab out so we can go into Breckenridge for a nice dinner and a bit of celebration. Jamie wants to go to Motis, a somewhat upscale restaurant in Breck. The servers there are all friends of hers and we have a very enjoyable time. Wine was good, food was good and a great time was had by all.


Day 16 = 230 miles

Day 15 - Sunday

Our time is running a little short now. Jamie has to be to work this Wed. and I would like to be home Wed eve or Thurs to give me a few days to rest up before I have to be back to work. So we decided to start winding back towards Colorado.

We take 89 north, another scenic byway according to the map. Turns out the map was right and we enjoyed another good stretch of road.

Scenery along 89

We found ourselves needing a east - west road to head towards Breckenridge. Looks like we finally have to get on the interstate for awhile. That would be I-70 heading towards Colorado. Interesting that this is also Route 50 coming over from Nevada. I checked the map and it turns out that 50 runs all the way to the Atlantic ocean. Hmmmm, sounds like a future trip!

Saw a sign declaring Moms to be the best restaurant anywheres!

OK - I don't know about the best anywhere but the grilled trout for lunch was tremendous!

Neither of us had been on this section of I-70 before and it was very scenic.

When 50 separated from I-70 we took it to the southeast towards Montrose. We got in around 7 pm and caught dinner and turned in around 10. We were right on the edge of the Black Canyon National Park and planned on hitting it in the morning.

Day 15 = 408 miles

Day 14 - Saturday

What a ride yesterday was. It's very warm this morning and looking at the map I decide I don't feel like crossing the Great Salt Lake Desert today so we opt to take a southern route down scenic byway 93, heading generally towards the direction of Bryce Canyon.

93 was a good road and another great ride. Not nearly as intense as some of the other roads we have travelled, but very remote, lots of open range and nice scenery. At one point while we had stopped for a break I asked Jamie if she could hear it. "Hear what ?" she asked. My point exactly. Sitting there you couldn't hear anything but the wind. No autos, people, jets, etc. It was great.

The open range in Nevada

More open range, we were looking for Elk but didn't see any.

We reached the town of Panaca and headed east towards Bryce Canyon. Though we had better stop for lunch first. This was another of those one horse towns where you better take advantage of what is available.

Another local diner...home made burgers and good coffee!

We cut across Utah on Route 56 and passed through Cedar City and headed into the Bryce Canyon area. Scenic roads abounded in this area and the ride was great. We picked our way through the back country and eventually made it to the edge of the Bryce National Park.

Scenic drive heading to Bryce

Outstanding views

The red rock was amazing

Jamie riding through one of the tunnels

We reached the edge of the park and were brought back to reality. We have avoided the crowds and tourists throughout this trip. Even while in the Redwoods, as it was midweek, crowds were minimal. Here, however, it was a different story. Tour buses, huge groups of Europeans, people everywhere. We got some info on the area and decided to come back in the off season so we can better enjoy the area.

Day 14 = 293 miles

Day 13 - Friday

Today is the day we take on 'The Loneliest Road in America'. Of course it's already hot as we leave Reno. The string of near 100 degree days continues. But when you're travelling a road like this, I wouldn't have it any other way.

http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/2033/

It goes like this for miles.

We've been cruising for awhile now. The road is good. Jamie has the lead and we're running at 75 - 80 mph. All of the sudden Jamie signals that she is pulling off. Apparently she spotted a place for a break.

Jamie pulled off here.

A rather unique place.

The Shoe Tree

I don't have any background on this tree, but there are literally thousands of pairs of shoes hanging from this tree. And, there are likely as many lying on the ground. Apparently this has been going on for awhile. It's a big tree and casts a lot of shade so we took a good break

Jamie hooping under the shoe tree.

The road is actually pretty neat. It is mesmerizing as you cruise along. The scenery is interesting, with mountain peaks over 10,000 ft on the horizon and the summits that the road crosses are running 8,000 to 8,500 ft.

A couple of interesting things did happen as we crossed Nevada. At one point we had been cruising and were quite laid back on the bikes when all of the sudden this rather high tech looking military jet came screaming over the nearby bluffs, banking hard. The damn thing blew right over our heads at what seemed like a height that was barely clearing the ground. I checked into it and found out that the Air Force uses this part of Nevada for a lot of their training. Well, it sure shook us out of complacent cruise we were enjoying.

Later in the day we experienced a weird weather phenomenon. As we're heading east a dark and menancing strom seems to be forming to the southwest. Seeing as we're still cruising as 80 mph, I'm not concerned. However. whatever this thing is, it's closing on us. I know it's not a tornado, and I'm not sure what a cyclone is, never experiencing one, but this thing is closing fast. When it hit us it literally blew me across the road into the other lane. The same thing happened to Jamie. We are leaning into it heavily just to keep on the road. We have to slow down and get things under control. Of course there is no cover anywhere in sight. This thing, whatever it is, blows through to the northeast and leaves us no worse for the wear. Never experienced wind like this. No rain whatsoever, just wind. Very bizarre.

Fortunately, after this freak storm passed, the rest of the ride was uneventful.

View from Route 50

Lunch stop in Austin

We made it to Ely!

We reached Ely and grabbed a room for the night. Sleep came easily.



Day 13 = 325 miles

Day 12 - Thursday

Today we're off towards the Reno / Tahoe area with designs on the infamous Route 50 across Nevada tomorrow. It's already hot early in the day. Yesterday, as it turns out, set a record high of 101 for the day. Today it seems will be more of the same. Still, with no humidity it is comfortable at cruising speeds.

We head out Route 44 towards Susanville. This is another of the scenic byways that we have been travelling.

Real nice rest area along Route 44

Big pines, clear, cool stream, nice place for a break.

It wasn't long before we came upon Lassen Volcanic National Park. Ever hear of it? Me neither, but since it is a National Park and it is already hotter than a volcano, we thought we better check it out.

It's a very good drive and and when we get to the entrance to pay our fee we are informed by the park volunteer that this is better than Yosemite without the crowds. Well, I'll withhold that comparison, because I'm not thinking I will find anything comparable to Yosemite Falls, Half Dome and El Capitan here.

What was surprising was the size of this place, the elevation changes, alpine lakes, and actual volcanoes. And the lady was right, there are no crowds here. I took a few pics as we checked the place out. Occasionally the odor of sulphur was very strong. Here is a link to other photos to give you an idea of what we're seeing...

http://www.nps.gov/lavo/photosmultimedia/photogallery.htm?eid=200372&root_aId=424#e_200372

A little info on the last explosion

View of Lassen Peak (10,457 ft)

There was a campground here that could be worth coming back to.

Summit Lake

Kings Creek Upper Meadow - That's a few thousand feet straight down

Jamie cooling down with her Camo-back.

We leave the park and head over to Susanville then take 395 down to Reno. We get to Reno wit a fair amount of daylight left, but it's a little too late to go further, so we decide to stay the night. The ElDorado looks like a logical place to stay. We tired to Valet the bikes but they wouldn't go for it. There was a secure parking area of motorcycles only, so that worked out.

We had a great dinner, played some blackjack (I won $190, not bad) and enjoyed a fabulous evening. Tomorrow we were heading across Nevada on Route 50, so this was a great choice for the evening.

Nice little pit stop!

Day 12 = 234 miles

Day 11 - Wednesday

Today we're planning on heading down the 101 to tour the Avenue of the Giants. It's about 45 degrees and foggy on the coast.

Foggy morning on the Pacific

The Avenue of the Giants is located at Humboldt State Park. We have to take 101 about 90 miles south to get there. At Humboldt we will get off on the 'old 101' for a 40 mile tour on the 'Avenue'.

As soon as we get away from the ocean the fog disappears and the temperatures begin to climb. The drive down is going good, road is nice and twisty.

One thing that you notice out here is that this region seems to be a gathering place for the remaining VW Microbusses that still run. We see these things all over the place. Some are what you would expect, some old hippie type dude still cruising around in the 60's, but others are occupied by a much generation generation. I was surprised at the 20 somethings cruising around like this. It's somewhat like stepping back in time. I don't think you can see this anywhere else in the country.

We reach Avenue and get off on the Old 101. The road is narrow, twisty, and completely enjoyable. Reminds me of a quote I read - "I'd rather be riding my motorcycle thinking about God than sitting in church thinking about my motorcycle'.

A little info on the trees.....

Quick break before we begin

Jamie utilizing her gymnastics talent

Pics cannot capture the beauty of this place

Jamie cruising through the 'tree'.

After a magnificent ride and some short hikes, it's time for lunch. We find yet another quaint diner at the end of the Avenue and stop in. Once again, we manage to hit a good spot and chill out for a bit. Oh yeah, those climbing temp and now reached over 100 but as long as we keep moving it doesn't seem that bad.

Sign says it all.

It's time to leave the Redwoods now and head for Redding. We're taking Route 36 to Red Bluff which cuts right through the mountains. This road is very twisty, steep, and slow going. Great riding.

Jamie has taken the lead as we head off. She sure knows how to handle her Sportster and I'm having a hard time keeping up with her through the twisties on a fully loaded Ultra Glide.

View from 36

Didn't expect this, but it was fun!

One thing really surprised me about this section of Northern California...I didn't realize how remote it is. You are miles and miles from any services. Some of the little side roads that head off deep into the canyons are a little bit spooky, as were some of the people we saw in pickup trucks occasionally. Just a little reminiscent of a trip I took rafting in W. Va one time. Once you get off the beaten path you never know what you'll find.

We make Redding right at dusk, do the usual hotel/dinner thing then crash once again.

Day 11 = 360 miles