Dennis' Ride Across the Country April 14, 2011 - May 12, 2011

Out to CA


Left home in Jupiter on Thursday April 14, and with the exception of a short stop at the TC Harley dealership, I just went straight up I 95 to the Hyatt Riverside in Jacksonville where Harley Davidson was holding a two day training session for about 800 HOG Chapter Officers from around the country. Trip was about 285 miles from my home.The hotel was very nice, right on the river and about one block from Jacksonville Landing, also on the river. HD did the event very well and although I can't say I had any great "ah ha" learning experiences, I did come away with a good handful of ideas I believe can be applied to help improve our chapter. Bob Cutler and Betty Thayer attended the session also and I believe they too got some value from it. Randy Prange, who is still a member of our chapter, was an instructor for HOG at the session and he did an excellent job

 

I left Jacksonville on Sunday April 17, at about 10:00 AM; after sleeping in and a leisurely breakfast. It was colder than I thought it would be. I had on a T-shirt and long sleeve cotton shirt and a denim jacket over that. I was thinking the whole day I should put my leather jacket on but never did. I took I 10 across to Tallahassee and then cut down to 98 and rode along the Gulf to just past Panama City Beach where I stayed the night at a La Quinta. Pleasant ride although it stayed a little colder than I would have liked and even though I had not seen Tallahassee in over 10 years, I don't think the ride through town was worth the hassle (lots of traffic and stop lights) but now I have no need to do that again for at least another 10 years.

 

Monday, April 18, back on the road at about 8:50 AM, it was about 55 degrees and this time I put on my leather jacket. Stayed on 98, which is more built up every time I take it, until the eastern edge of Pensacola where I got on I 10 to jump past Pensacola and Mobile. Got off on US 90 on the western edge of Mobile and that was a good decision. Interesting ride through small towns in Alabama and Mississippi and then along the beach through Biloxi, Gulf Port, etc. Note: if anyone ever asks you where the highest density of Waffle House restaurants is, I think the 20 mile stretch of beach starting in Biloxi would be a good guess. Regardless, staying on 90, I began winding through the Bayou which starts almost as soon as you hit Louisiana. I ended up in New Orleans at about 4:00 PM and another 325 miles or so. I decided to stay near the airport, not because I would recommend this to anyone but because it put me near where I wanted  to get back on 90 and then head deep into the Bayou tomorrow.

 

Tuesday, April 19, and the weather as I leave New Orleans is better. About 75 degrees at 9:00 AM and clear. I left town on US 90 and then after about 50 miles or so I cut south into the bayou heading for Houma. This was an interesting ride through little towns and swamp areas but also there was a lot of marine industry and shrimping operations. I suspect this was all at a much reduced pace since the hurricane and oil spill. Houma was bigger than I thought it would be and even had a HD dealership. I stopped there and they gave me some good back roads through a scenic part of the bayou and I took that west and ultimately north to Lafayette. There I got on I 10 and went to Lake Charles LA where I stopped early, after only 256 miles, because it is laundry day. Good ride although there was a significant wind and when I was up on I 10 it was about a 60 degree cross wind the whole way with a few gusts that moved me around a little. However, no real problem

 

Wednesday, April 20. Left Lake Charles with weather in the 70's and overcast. Rode down to the coast on Creole Nature Trail and then followed around  to Port Arthur TX. Damage still visible from Katrina but they are rebuilding. However, coast road past Port Arthur under repair for at least 30 miles so detoured around and then back to coast down to Galveston. Took Ferry to Galveston and met a fellow on the ferry that gave me some roads to head south and then west to miss Huston and also San Antonio before getting back on I 10. He also told me not to go further south than a certain point because it was dangerous (they shoot people). Did about 330 miles and stopped in Victoria TX where I was surprised to find that all the better hotels and motels are booked for the year by oil and gas guys. Somebody is busy down here.


 

Thursday, April 21. Left Victoria on TX 87 and followed this winding country road all the way to the edge of San Antonio and then took the 410 loop around the city and got on I 10. Not much choice in SW Texas. Had a lot of wind again. The weather channel said it was between 20 - 30 MPH constantly. However the temperature was fine so I just pushed through. Even though Texas is having a severe drought, I did get about 20 miles of rain towards the end of the day. I just kept going and did not even put on my rain suite. Stopped for the night in Ft. Stockton TX and was dry by then. Did about 430 miles today.

 

Friday, April 22. There was a two lane road heading north towards Roswell NM one block from where I stayed on I 10 so I took it through Pecos TX to Carlsbad NM. Nice ride but other than being a small road off the interstate, it was not much different than I 10. However, I stopped for gas in Carlsbad and asked a fellow there about roads and he recommended not going all the way up to Roswell but instead taking 82 west from Azeria. I did this and got a great ride winding through the mountains finally dropping down in Alamogordo which was good because it was cold in the mountains. I then headed back SW towards Las Crucas past White Sands. I think the wind had much of the white sand in the air but the ride was good and I got  back on I 10 and wend to Deming NM for the night. The wind is still blowing here so this is about 3 days in a row with 20 - 30 MPH winds. I did about 420 miles today. I found another route off of I 10 that goes from Lordsburg all the way to Phoenix through an Indian reservation. I will check this out tomorrow.

 

Saturday, April 23, and it was 51 degrees as I prepared to leave Deming NM. It was not long before I put on my fleece under my jacket. after about 60 miles on I 10 I took the exit to US 70 in Lordsburg and headed north west. This turned out to be a great route winding through the wide open scrub brush with almost no other traffic to Globe AZ at the base of the mountains where you switch over to US 60 to head into Phoenix. I had put my chaps and leather jacket on in preparation for the mountain twisties and the expected colder weather from the altitude. The twisties were very good with a long series of good curves but nothing very extreme and as a pleasant surprise, it was not as cold as I expected. The speeds on this route are obviously slower than I 10 but the route cuts off the elbow in I 10 that goes to Tucson so I got to Phoenix with enough time to get my bike serviced. It was nice to just push the Harley button on my GPS and be directed to the closest dealership. Unfortunately, that dealership could not take me so I picked the next closest one and that turned out great because it was in a nice area and there were a good selection of hotels and restaurants around it.  I picked the La Quinta as I have been having good luck with them on this trip and it was a good choice. I may just sleep in tomorrow (Easter Sunday). Did about 315 miles.

 

Sunday, April 24, I decided to sleep in and stay another day in Phoenix. Place is very nice and weather is beautiful. I took about a 100 mile loop ride the HD dealer recommended. This went out the Apache Trail, into the mountains, past a chain of lakes and to Tortilla Flats where I had lunch. The Last 10 - 12 miles approaching Tortilla Flats was great with continuous tight curves going both up and down through the mountains that were marked as 15 or 20 MPH. I had been in this area near the Lost Dutchman Mine and the Superstition Mountains 40 years ago and they were just as impressive today with a lot of boats and swimmers taking advantage of the man made lakes. Just going to goof off and enjoy the jacuzzi while I do laundry (a day early) for the balance of the day.

 

Monday, April 25, I left Phoenix and headed north on US 60. I was trying to stay off interstates but hindsight says I should have taken I 17 north about 30 miles and then cut over to 60 because of the traffic lights. However, once out of the city reach I had a great ride north on 60 and then 93 to Kingman AZ where I had lunch and then got on Historic US 66 twisting through the mountains through Oatman where I stopped for some pictures and to look around. If you have not been to Oatman, you should consider it. This is an abandoned mining town that now is a series of shops still housed in the old wooden buildings. When they abandoned the mine, they also abandoned the burrows that were work animals. Apparently burrows like it there and now the distant relatives of those work animals are wild and walk the streets as well as the surrounding desert. They come right up and try to bum food and they walk right up on the walks in front of the shops. Also abandoned US 66 is a fun series of twists and turns up and down the low mountains for more than 20 miles on the Oatman Highway (old Rte 66). After I left Oatman, I rode out to AZ 95 north to Bullhead City and then crossed the river to Laughlin NV where I stayed the night at the Pioneer Casino Hotel ($25/ night). Did about 270 miles this day.

 

On Tuesday, April 26, I crossed back over to the AZ side and headed south down AZ 95 to Lake Havasu. There was construction on the road leading to London Bridge so I just continued on then took the old road over the Parker Dam and twisted through the desert hills to CA 62 and crossed the desert on that back road to 29 Palms where I ate lunch at a Denny's that gave 20% off for my AARP card. After lunch I rode across the Joshaua National Park where I finally got back on I 10 towards LA. I decided to stay the night in Deming CA, about 85 miles from LA and go into LA tomorrow to time up with my wife's arrival. Did about 340 miles this day.

 

On Wednesday, April 27, I just took I 10 through the pass and did the last 93 miles to my daughter's house in LA. Timed it perfectly to meet my wife's plane but, of course, the plane was late. Had the opportunity to read Mike Woodward's first week trip review. He mentioned wind. I concur. Seems like it was blowing 20 - 30 MPH all the way across the country. Glad I was not pushing as hard or as far north as he was. I am now going to stay in LA and vist with our son and daughter that live out here. I will resume my trip next week when my wife leaves for home.

 

AND THE RETURN HOME

 

 

Tuesday, May 3. My wife left to fly home from CA today. I had lunch with our two kids that live in the LA area and then restarted my ride which will eventually lead home. As with the ride out to CA, my route will be decided daily based on whims and weather. I left my daughter's house in Studio City and took the 101 heading north and then got off on Topanga Blvd. to head to the coast at my daughters suggestion. However, I soon tired of the traffic lights and got on the 118 west to Ventura and then back on the 101 along the coast. My main objective for the day was to get far enough away from LA that I did not have to worry about that traffic the next morning. I rode along the coast from Ventura to San Luis Obispo which was a nice ride but the temperature was alternating from the 60's to the 80's every few miles based on the wind and the mountain structure. I had a little over 200 miles for the day when I stopped.

 

Wednesday, May 4. This was a great riding day because the weather was good and I spent the entire day on scenic and twisty back roads. First I did CA 58 from just above San Luis Obispo across the mountains to Bakersfield. This road was about 90 miles of two lane twisties through the mountains with 82 miles of it between service stop opportunities. Lots of rolling wooded hills broken up by the occasional ranch or vineyard. From Bakersfield I took CA 178 across the Sequoia National Forrest and this was another wonderful scenic and twisty road. I then headed north on CA 395 up to CA 190 which I took across Death valley and then stopped for the night just over the NV border. On the first part of CA 190 which was about a 30 - 40 mile two lane straight away across the desert with mountains about a half mile or so off on both sides and where I was the only vehicle in sight, I was buzzed by two military fighter jets at about 50 feet off the ground (they were directly on top of me). I would have to describe this in person to convey the full effect. I did a little over 400 miles on this day

 

Thursday, May 5. I started off on the Nevada border and rode back south into CA and then crossed back over into Pahrump NV where I picked up AZ 160 which I then took all the way to Las Vegas. This was basically a ride that gently wound its way through the desert until I got to Vegas where I got on the 215 around the city and then on to NV 93. I wanted to ride the new bridge over the Hoover Dam which I had looked up at from the Dam last year when it was being built. I thought the view would be spectacular because when viewed from the dam, the bridge looks a mile high. Unfortunately. They have built high walls on the bridge to protect high vehicles (and motorcycles) from strong cross winds so I saw nothing. I then just continued down 93 to Kingman where I stopped at Mother Road HD to ask a few questions and plan where to go next. I decided to head toward the Grand Canyon and did so on I 40 because I wanted to get close before it got too late and the temperature dropped. I stopped in Williams AZ which is at the base of the road that leads about 60 miles north to the south rim of the canyon. I am a "cold wimp" as I get older and the weather in Williams was 74 as a high and in the 30's for a low so I will see how I feel about going up to the canyon in the morning. Today was about 350 miles.

 

Friday, May 6. This was primarily a "tourist day". I waited to leave Williams until 10:00 AM waiting for it to warm up. It turned out to be a perfect day. Williams AZ is an interesting little old west town with old Route 66 as its main street. Lots of vintage cars including a perfect and original 1956 pink and white Ford Crown Victoria sitting in front of a local diner. I just followed 66 which turns into AZ 64 north about 60 miles to the south rim of the Grand Canyon and then rode about 50 miles along the rim before heading back south to Flagstaff. I then decided to take scenic and twisty AZ 89A down to Sedona where I had a late lunch in a great little place right on the main drag. I was thinking about heading down to Phoenix but the waitress convinced me the weather would be good so I went back up to I 40 and then to Winslow AZ. Did about 320 miles and all but about 80 were on small and scenic roads. I think if we could bring the road from Flagstaff to Sedona to South Florida we could easily sell rides on it to motorcyclists and get rich.

 

Saturday, May 7. Not much of interest today, I left Winslow on I 40 and just headed east. Did about 400 miles. My thinking was they had snow in the Albuquerque area last week and I wanted to get past there in the heat of the day. As it turned out, this week the weather was hot. I did get off on to old Route 66 for a short while and started to head to the Petrified Forrest but after a short while, I decided I had been there before and was more interested in heading east so I got back on I 40. Stopped at another La Quinta in Santa Rosa NM and will head down to dinner at the Route 66 Cafe now.

 

Sunday, May 8. Another day of just making miles. Went from Santa Rosa to OK City, 425 miles all on I 40. I want to get my oil changed at OK City dealership on Monday. The ride on I 40 would have been boring but there was a major cross wind most of the way so I had to ride leaning into it and stay alert to the gusts. They have areas where they post wind warning signs and the sign posts have a wind sock on them so I guess my experience was not unusual. Also, as I mentioned previously, I was prepared for cold but it hit 100 today.

 

Monday, May 9. I left the hotel in OK City with intentions of getting an oil change at the HD dealership a few miles away on I 40. I pushed the Harley button on my GPS and followed it. Unfortunately, I was expecting an exit right and it was an exit left. No problem, I got off expressway after exit right and back on looked at the GPS and it indicated a turn in about 1.4 miles. That was different than I expected but I thought it recomputed the route based on my wrong turn. I turned where it told me and looked again, this time it said "Next turn 189 miles". I have theories on why this happened but, regardless, I continued to Fort Smith AK and got my oil changed there. Turned out great as the owner of the dealership had a new Street Glide with a 120 inch engine and he let me ride it through some curves and on some highway. He must sell a lot of bikes that way because I am certainly in love with that 120 engine. I left Fort Smith and took AK 71, a nice country road, all the way to Texarkana. Great ride through a good number of small towns and yet not one traffic light or stop sign. After a week or so in the desert, It was nice to travel through green wooded areas. I did 390 miles this day.

 

Tuesday, May 10. I left the La Quinta in Texarkana about an hour later than I had been KSU on previous days because of a political debate I got into with another guest at the free breakfast. Took me an hour past that to calm down but then it was a nice ride further down 71 and then 49 to Hattiesburg MS. I crossed the Mississippi in Vicksburg. There was a small lake area I passed just before I got to the main river and there was a house submerged with only the roof showing. The river itself was clearly swollen but I had no trouble and continued on to Hattiesburg MS. Today was a nice 395 mile ride, mostly on secondary roads, ending in a laundry night and another La Quinta.

 

Wednesday, May 11. Left Hattiesburg MS and continued down 49 for a short way and then took 98 to Mobile. From there, I decided I had seen most of the scenic roads many times so I just got on I 10 and then I 75 to Lake City. Stayed there for the night and will be home tomorrow via I 75 and Turnpike. Did 457 miles.

 

Thursday, May 12. Just went straight down I 75 and then the turnpike to home. Did about 300 miles. Total trip miles was 7,165.