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I mapped it out from our house, driving the ALCAN Highway, going up to Fairbanks, down to Anchorage and back home again is right about 6,500 miles.  So, taking that figure and estimating an average driving time of about 5 hours a day to allow for time to actually see stuff, that puts the trip to be about 23 days.  So, our estimate of 4-5 weeks is right on.

ALCAN Highway View

Pictured: A Day On the Alcan Highway 2, originally uploaded to Picasa by Seamus.

Next was to think about WHEN.  I would want to wait a year or two to be with my firm for a while before taking 5 weeks off.  We would want to give ourselves plenty of time to trick out the truck in the manner which we believe to be appropriate, which includes, but is not limited to the following:  beefed up suspension including a couple inch lift; adding an auxiliary fuel tank; new bumper with winch; new rear bumper custom designed to work with our Four Wheel Camper, which would hold a jack, spare tire, etc.; and possibly replacing the truck bed with a custom flatbed with removable storage compartments to fit perfectly with the camper with a locked box for the generator additional exterior storage.  Additionally, we’d want to give ourselves enough time to sock away a good amount of money to take on the trip so we could in our personal high style.

Another consideration on timing is the age of the kids.  We want B to be old enough to really get a memorable experience from the trip.  So ultimately, we’re looking at the summer of 2012 – that way if the world ends in December of 2012, we got to do this trip of a lifetime.  Yes, there’s a tone of sarcasm there.

Actually, I think that will be perfect timing.  It’s 2.5 years from now and quite frankly, it gets me pretty excited to think about the trip with my family.  How awesome will the experience be for the kids who will then be 3.5 and almost 8.

I’ve officially blocked out the dates in my calendar.  Now the planning begins.  Whee!

1510 Francis Borgia, Spanish duke and Jesuit priest was born.

Saint Francis Borgia. He is depicted performing an exorcism in this painting by Francisco Goya.

1538 The first university n the New World, the Universidad Santo Tomás de Aquino in the Dominican Republic, was established.

1664 The Duke of York and Albany’s Maritime Regiment of Foot, later to be known as the Royal Marines, was established.

1697 Canaletto, Italian artist, was born.

1846 Georges Auguste Escoffier, French chef, was born.

1848 The first railway in Spain – between Barcelona and Mataró – wass opened

1886 President Grover Cleveland dedicated the Statue of Liberty.

1890 New Zealand’s first Labour Day celebrations took place.

1893 Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Pathétique, received its premiere performance in St. Petersburg.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky by Nikolay Kuznetsov, 1893

1903 Evelyn Waugh, English writer, was born.

1914 Jonas Salk, American biologist and physician, was born.

1918 Czechoslovakia was granted independence from Austria-Hungary.

1927 Dame Cleo Laine, English singer. was born.

1929 Joan Plowright, English actress was born.

1941 Hank Marvin,lead guitarist for The SHadows, was born.

1942 The Alaska Highway (Alcan Highway) was completed through Canada to Fairbanks, Alaska.

1946 Australian politician, former leader of the Liberal Party, John Hewson, was born.

1948 – Swiss chemist Paul Müller was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of the insecticidal properties of DDT.

1954 The modern Kingdom of the Netherlands was re-founded as a federal monarchy.

1955 Bill Gates, American software executive, was born.

1960 Landon Curt Noll, Astronomer, Cryptographer and Mathematician: youngest to hold the world record for the largest known prime 3 times, was born.

1965 Nostra Aetate, the “Declaration on the Relation of the Church with Non-Christian Religions” of the Second Vatican Council, is promulgated by Pope Paul VI; it absolves the Jews of the alleged killing of Jesus, reversing Innocent III’s 760 year-old declaration.

1967 Julia Roberts, American actress, was born.

1970 Gary Gabelich set a land speed record in a rocket-powered automobile called the Blue Flame, fueled with natural gas.

1970 Britain launched its first (and so far, only) satellite, Prospero, into low Earth orbit atop a Black Arrow carrier rocket.

1982 Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) won elections, leading to first Socialist government in Spain after death of Franco.  Felipe Gonzalez became Prime Minister-elect.

2007 Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner became the first woman elected President of Argentina.

Sourced from NZ History Online and Wikipedia.

Friday – Watson Lake, Yukon

I got organised a bit late but I did not care, I only had a short day for riding as I was only intending going to Watson Lake. This would be the last bit of the Alcan Highway, I have done the other bits, in various directions, in fact I did the end before the middle

I had made some hot chocolate in the motel room and 4 cups of that and a muesli bar was breakfast, so I headed off into the cold, with all my heated gear powered up of course, but did not get far, I was not happy with my air pressure in the tyres and after all that hot chocolate I needed to unload some. The ground here looks wet, but is actually just the sun reflecting, I nearly dumped the bike here as I lost my footing turning around, no doubt I will pay for that with another strained leg muscle!

The roads were fast and smooth for a change and there was some nice scenery but not as much as I expected, maybe I am getting used to it all

I stopped again for yet another leak and this is where I understood the comments about the black flies on the Alcan Highway. As I had done the dirt last time through this country I had missed all this, so check out the 2nd photo, what does it look like to you?

Well, I was parked by the side of the road and all those small brown smudges that look like dirt are flies, millions of them, in fact it was hard to breathe without inhaling some! The cloud followed me everywhere, but they did not bite or anything, so I have no idea what they were after! I kept on going and after a while, thankfully I arrived in Teslin. I was down to the bottom of the tank as I had forgotten to top up in Whitehorse, so after I fuelled up I grabbed a hamburger and fries, that was a nice feed

After an hour I plugged back in and headed off again, I left the Yukon and entered British Columbia, but this was short lived, I went back and forth, not by choice mind you, that was where the road went There had been a massive forest fire here a few years ago by the looks of the dead trees, but there was green starting to appear again.

After some more scenic roads, I arrived at the continental divide, here was some interesting information as well. There are some riders I met who rode the divide, that would be an awesome ride, maybe next time as it looks like full on dirt only.

After this is looked all downhill but it wasn’t, but for some reason I was really tired and took no more pictures. I eventually somehow found a rest area near Watson Lake and pulled over for small nap, there looked to be Tepee type shelters here as well, but no coverings.

When I woke up the big map said I was about 30km from Watson Lake, I would be going there but I also would have to backtrack as I wanted to take the 37 down to Prince George, I had already done from Watson Lake to Dawson City on my way up.

The last leg and after a short while I got to Watson Lake and the official end for me of the full length of the Alcan Highway Yahoo 8)

So, I was back amongst the sign forest at the visitors centre where I asked about weather and camping. It was going to be in the low teens overnight so I chose the campground with showers and internet and headed down there to make camp

I started off sitting at my table sorting emails etc but was soon sitting in the shop getting power and doing some work. I had paid for two nights as I intended spending most of the day here getting the blog caught up. I also needed to find a bank, it was closed today, and a hardware shop etc, so I will do that tomorrow.

I cooked up some dinner afterwards and had an early night as I was still tired, maybe I can catch up on some sleep

Day 285 miles and 459 km
Trip – 31,319 miles and 50,503 km

Cheers
TravellingStrom

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I have a calling toward that mega roadtrip in his honor. Time is passing. I figure I would need a month to move up and back from Oregon to some meaningful end point to say we made it and to incorporate the fishing of B.C. and part of the Yukon. I am not sure I will make this happen. But, to write about it and the tough men that endured that experience is at a minimum important. It reminds me of my blessings. It reminds me of my genetics and upbringing. It reminds me to not be a complainer….he wasn’t. Duty, honor, country. He was man of complex components and a simple result…a rock. Love you dad.   

http://www.scribd.com/doc/277490/Construction-of-the-Alcan-Highway-1942     

http://www.alaskahighwayarchives.ca/en/chap2/7neal.php

http://www.historynet.com/alaska-highway-the-biggest-and-hardest-job-since-the-panama-canal.htm

If anyone knows of viable fly fishing opportunities up that way, let me know sometime. I may make it in a year or two.          

Next would be to bring my blog Stepping Up To The Plate to a successful conclusion.  Doing that would mean that I have lost a ton of weight-literally, not physically-and that I was able to play baseball one more time.  I think a Major League Fantasy Camp would be a great place to begin and end a second baseball career, but it will be difficult choosing one.  They all look like fun.

I want to visit Cuba.  Cigars, music, and 50’s Chevrolets are like siren songs to me.

I want to spend my winters in San Francisco.  I love the city, and it has been several years since we last traveled there.  I miss it.  I am not sure there is a better place anywhere to watch people.  Otis Redding’s song may have been melancholy, but I would like nothing better than to sit by the dock of the bay and waste time.

I would like to visit Gettysburg.  Actually, I would like to visit many Civil War battle sites.

One time only I would like to travel with the Ice Road truckers in Canada.

I would also like to drive the Alcan Highway to Alaska.

I would like to golf with Bill Murray at Pebble Beach.

I would like to visit Wrigley Field and Fenway Park.  And of course, I would like to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.

I would like to walk a marathon.  OK, that may be the craziest idea on the list.  I would need to walk 26 miles at a faster pace than I now walk 2 ½ miles.  I would like to walk a half-marathon.  That only sounds half crazy.  The Big Sur Half-Marathon was one I had in mind, but with the recent fires I may have to change my mind.  Although by the time I am able to walk that far, everything will be green again.

I would like to watch a Duke vs. North Carolina basketball game at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

I would like to do an oral history of the Settje and Meyer clan.

Being a writer, I would really love to cover the NCAA basketball tournament for Sports Illustrated Magazine or even ESPN Magazine.  Not just in typical sports journalist fashion.  Nope.  I would need a company like Net Jets and a hotel chain to sponsor me. My idea is to travel from city to city covering what everyone else is not.  I would travel to four different cities hosting the first and second rounds, and the following week spend one day at each regional site.  Of course I would go to the Final Four as well.  Hence the need for Net Jets and hotels.  I think this is a great story idea.

Another wonderful story idea would be covering the NCAA bowl week.  Again, I don’t want the story that everyone else is getting.  I would interview graduate assistants, punters, and hot dog vendors.  You know the ones that no one else talks to on media day.  I would also want to interview Erin Andrews, but that is another story.  It would be seven bowl games in seven days in seven cities.  That sounds like a tough job, but with the help of Net Jets and hotels, I am up to it.  C’mon ESPN, how can you pass on this idea? A monthly Mitty-esque column.  You’ve never heard of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty?

This bucket is overflowing.  I would love to check off just one of the items on the list.  Well, two would be nice.  Three would be even better.

I’m now in Erie Colorado with #2. However #1 daughter, #3 and #4 all live in the Denver area. I’ll be staying with #1 & her 4 children (ages 12, 9, 7 & 5) for the week after this.

Then I leave for my wonderful trip up the Alcan Highway continuing to the North Slope, through most of Alaska, the Yukon & British Columbia. To do that I have a 2005 GMC 1 ton turbo diesel with 4 wheel drive & dual rear wheels. It is fitted with an Arctic Fox 1150 cab over camper. It also has airbags to support the weight & drives like a dream. It has already taken me on Route 66, the complete Lincoln Highway, The Mormon Battalion Trek, the complete Lewis & Clark Journey & the Pacific Coast Highways from San Diego to the Canadian border.

I was fortunate to survive a stroke that left me unable to use my left arm, which is a minor inconvenience, and a weak left leg. This has allowed me the opportunity to really bond with my children & my 7 grandchildren. The travel has always been a dream…so I’m living a dream.

More to come 

Here it is, Saturday morning, 9-15-07, and we are in Dawson City, Yukon Territory.  This is day 11 of my 20 day dream trip and things are going pretty well.

We started out from the Lynden Border Crossing and spent our first night at Cache Creek, BC.  We nearly ran into a herd of Bighorn Sheep late that afternoon!  The next night we stopped at Prince George and then on the next day to Dawson Creek, the actual start of the Alcan Highway.

We had problems with the 12 volt power system in our RV so the rental company authorized a brand new battery to be put in the rig at Prince George.  The 12 volt system controlled many items inside the RV, not the least of which was the fan for the propane furnace. If the fan did not turn on, a safety feature prevented the furnace from turning on.  No heat!

Also, a low battery warning system would start “chirping”  whenever the battery got low;  invariably it would start chirping about 3:30 AM and I would have to get up and start the main engine to recharge the coach battery.  Unfortunately, the new battery did not fix the problem;  more and more it looked like a power converter problem.  3 days later in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, the RV company authorized a repair of the converter system and I have had perfect power ever since,

After Dawson Creek, we headed North up the Alcan to Fort Nelson and Watson Lake.  We saw a fair number of caribou, buffalo, and some Stone sheep.  Whitehorse is the largest city up here (about 19,000 pop.) so we stalked up on provisions.  The next day we travelled to Haines Alaska, one of the  most scenic parts of our trip so far:  lots of mountains and glaciers.  The next morning we took the Alaska Ferry up to Skagway and re-connected with the Alcan Highway.

We spent that night at Haines Junction and travelled on to Tok Alaska the next day.  Yesterday, Friday, was our most harrowing part of the journey:  We travelled Northeast toward Dawson City on the “Top of the World” Highway.  Of the 200 mile trip, 60% of it was gravelled road with lots of potholes.  It was so bumpy, that at one point, one of our water containers started leaking water on the floor of our little home.  Finally, we reached the Yukon River and were ferried across to the town of Dawson City.

It’s kind of bleak here and you can tell that much of the town has shut down for the winter.  (Plywood nailed across the doors and windows of many businesses made it pretty obvious!)  We are doing laundry right now and will head South toward Carmacks and Whitehorse.  Sunday night, I am treating Terry by taking her to the “Inn at the Lake”  in WH.  It’s supposedly a 4 star lodge with a gourmet restaurant;  we’ll see.

Terry is a real trooper;  we both know this is my dream trip and not hers and she is hanging in there just fine.  Her dinners cooked over a little 3 burner propane stove have been excellent.

My time is about up on this computer.  It has been difficult to access email.  Only 3 locations over the last 11 days had a computer.  However, most of the RV parks had WiFi.  If I had a laptop,  it would have been easy to go online every night.  Oh well.

All in all, it has been an outstanding trip so far, with only minor aggravations.  I am totally enjoying this once in a lifetime journey.  It has been called “The Last Great Road Trip in North America” and I agree.

All for now,

Mike

Hey guys, just double click on the center of this video, and laugh away.  This video has no audio, but is funny because they are on the Alcan Highway when it wasn’t paved, hence the flat tire.  -Matt

We got a late start due to packing and email concerns but finally hit the road out of Lynden about 2:00 PM and arrived at our destination in Cache Creek, British Columbia about 7:00 PM; about 200 miles.  The trip was pretty, with pleasant weather.  Just north of Hope BC we passed an old guy on a pedal bike, towing a small bike trailer with a sign on the back that read “Ted’s Jet”.  In between the bike and the trailer was a gas engine so I’m guessing he had some sort of home made moped.

A little further on at the little community of Spences Bridge, I nearly ran into a herd of Bighorn sheep!  About 15-20 strong, they were crossing the highway working their way uphill.  This was probably about 6:00 PM.  As we started downhill toward Cache Creek, there were several fruit stands.

We arived at Brookside RV park about 7:00 PM and I registered with my reservation in hand.  Cost was $25.00 CN with full services (power, water, septic) but no TV.  I am using their internet and computer right now on Thursday morning so that is a nice touch.  They have nice free showers and toilets, all in a heated and well-lit restroom,  and also have a laundromat.  There are picnic tables, BBQ pits and an unheated pool.  They are not Good Sam or KOA but it is a nice park.

Tery and I spent the first night ORGANIZING!  It was too cool and windy to barbecue the steaks outdoors as we had planned so Terry cooked them indoors on our propane stove.  Very good!

Problem:  Of course, I had hooked up the landline for AC power right away when we got to Brookside.  The lights and power worked fine and we had our portable CD player going.  After dinner, I went to take a shower at the restroom, came back, and noticed the lights were very dim.  We had been on battery power the whole time and not AC!  We went to bed, totally in the dark, but comfortable.

This morning, I asked the manager to see if I actually had power at our AC hookup and he confirmed we did.  I unplugged and replugged the electrical connection and we had breakfast no problem.  However I suspect my “coach” batteries are drained and hope that when I start the engine and head North today toward Prince George, that the batteries get charged.

In fact, I hope my car engine starts today!  More later.

All for now,

Mike  

As we head out of town we stop for a photo op at the covered ‘welcome’ wagon that says “Needles California”. I sure wish I had the laptop during this time so that I could write down all the things running thru my brain and people I met. But for now I will just have to try and hit the highlights.

I write these blogs for purely selfish reasons, I want to remember what I felt, saw and the smells of the journey. I want to remember the interesting people I met along my way, ones that touched my life and heart with a simple smile or conversation.

As we leave Needles, we have to join I-40 for a bit. As we cross the Colorado River you can see the old Route 66 Bridge to your right. You can no longer travel on it; there is a gas pipeline that occupies it. Still I wonder how many families stopped to cool off, maybe have a picnic and take a swim. There is nothing but hot dry desert for hours and hours in all directions.

As we take the Oatman Rd exit, we find ourselves back on Route 66 and its sleepy hills and lazy curves. On the crest of each hill is a sign that warns drivers not to proceed if there is water on the road. This area of the desert is known for its flash floods, as we proceed you can seen the remains of the last flash flood on the road. Red clay covers the road, the shoulders of the road look like dried up river beds. The sky is blue, the breeze is warm, there is not a cloud in the sky – so we ride.

The book warns that although the road ‘looks’ like you can do 65 mph, take heed and follow the 45 mph speed limit signs. It was right, the curves are not banked correctly and you find yourself fighting to keep your bike on the right path. We find there is nothing but desert between Needles and Oatman. I can tell that we are getting close to Oatman some hour and half later when I see the signs to watch out for wild burros.

We turn a corner and sure enough, there is a small herd of 6 or so burros being fed by the tourist that have stopped. As we pull into Oatman, it is like stepping back in time. This single-lane town has not changed since the late 1800′s. if you are traveling out this way, you can’t miss the town of Oatman, it is worth the extra drive to come out here. You can read more about the town at http://www.oatmangold.com or http://www.desertusa.com/oatman/du_oatman.html.

We parked at a hitching post and wandered thru the town. This town is booming today, there were so many motorcycles and cars; it was hard to find a parking spot. We met a couple from Canada. They just got married last week, flew to NY and rented a Harley. They are traveling Route 66 to California so that his new bride can meet all his friends in LA. This town is wonderful, they stage gunfights, there is live music and you can walk thru the Oatman Hotel where Clark Gable and Carol Lombard honeymooned in 1939. It is the back drop to several movies, How the West was Won, Foxfire, and Edge of Eternity. There are many beautiful artists that call Oatman home, good thing I was on a bike, or I probably would have spent a lot more money than I planned. I did buy the cutest little monkey shirt – gotta love the monkey.

We ate lunch at the Oatman Hotel, it is covered and I mean covered in 1 dollar bills. The waitress will bring you a black sharpie and a stapler so that you can add your own. The food was good, I had something called “Burro Ears” which is really just homemade potato chips served with a salsa sour crème mix, and they were great. We take time to lube up (SPF 50!) and gear up and head out of town. Even though we used SPF 50, sometimes up to 6 times a day we still got very very dark.

The road to Kingman is filled with switchback corners and drop offs that make my tummy flip flop (no I don’t think it was the Burro Ears). Sitegreaves Pass elevation is only 3500 ft, but there is a spot you can stop at and see 3 different states: California, Nevada, and Arizona! The scenery is breath taking with all the crags and vast desert and Saguaro cactus. There are a few remains to gawk at as we zoom by at a whopping 40 MPH.

Regardless, of whether you travel I-40 and jump off to Route 66 for the sites, or if you stay on Route 66 for the whole trip; you will take the Business Loop of every town you come across. Downtown Kingman has done a wonderful job of preserving the Route 66 feel as you travel through it. There are many hotels that have restored the original signs and some remains of repair shops that allow your mind to travel back in time. Kingman is a good place to stop, refuel, and rehydrate; get your bearings and press onward.

It was somewhere along this long stretch of highway that I came up with the idea for a children’s book. The sky is so blue here and the clouds are so puffy, I found myself picking out a cloud and making up a story about it. I thought if I could start with a picture of a cloud on one page and then on the opposite page draw the image that it evoked in my twisted brain. I could write the story. At the end of book, I would put the same picture of the original cloud and kids could make their own picture from it. It is so weird some of the things that run thru your brain when all you have is wind to listen to.

On our way to Seligman, we stopped at the Grand Canyon Caverns. You can read all about the wonderful story here http://www.desertusa.com/mag99/feb/stories/gccaverns.html

I must say I was amazed at how much I enjoyed the tour. I just wanted to stop because of the giant dinosaur out front; I wanted my picture with him. Clint wanted to take the tour, and I’m glad he did. Our tour guide was animated and captivating.

It was hard to climb back on our bikes when the temperature in the cave is a constant 56 degrees and the temperature on our bikes was not! It was a whopping 104 degrees outside!! However, Seligman and the Roadkill Café called to us, and we had to answer.

Seligman is the birthplace the Historic Route 66 Assoc. of Arizona; they sponsor and annual Fun Run where in the spring classic cars, motorcycles and people fill the streets to take a run on Route 66. The Roadkill Café has wonderful food, their motto “you kill it, we grill it”. Thankfully, they declined the bugs that were on my windshield and fed me anyway. There are so many things to see in this town, they truly believe in keeping Route 66 alive.

The sun is slowing setting as we cruise on down the road, the gust of wind becoming a little cooler. We climb a few large hills and the sun drops below the horizon and I find myself shivering on my bike. The shivers signal that it is time to find a bed to sleep in.

We pull into Williams and call it a day. But the fun doesn’t stop there. The hotel has a fire pit out back by the swimming pool, Clint grabs a drink and we head out to enjoy the cool night air.

We meet a couple of travelers out there. One couple from California they are looking for somewhere to retire. Another couple, mom and son, that are headed east to take a truck to her oldest son that is in the military.

The California guy asks “are you guys part of those bikes out front?”

“Ummmm” Clint and I look at each other, “we are the bikes out front!”

The conversation only got better from there.

Ahhh the first day back on the bikes – had the hotel bus drop us off at the bikes, couldnt wait to see them. They were just as we had left them, safe and sound. We arrived in Millbrea around 6am – so we grabbed a room and slept till noon, we really wanted to ride so we started out of town.

Our plan is to hit Highway 1 and take the coastal route to Santa Monica; that is where Route 66 starts, on the pier. The final destination for this trip will be Cordell, Ok. That is where clint’s parents live. we will store our bikes there, fly home, pay off this trip and earn some more money to start planning our next trip.

We would like to finish Route 66 by the end of this Fall. For those that arent familar with Route 66, it is considered the Mother Road of America. It travels from Chicago, Il, to Santa Monica pier, Ca. Some of the history dates back to the late 1800′s.

The history is rich and there are still some business’ that are still around, most however are just ruins. Some time around the 1970′s the Interstates took over, poor Route 66 was left to die. But there are those in America that believe that “how” you get there is more fun that ‘how fast’ you can get some place.

Route 66 takes you off the fast track and allows you to enjoy the journey. In some places like Oatman, Ca. it is a step back in time, nothing has changed in this town since the early 1900′s (well atleast not on the surface). I will talk about Oatman later.

Since we got such a late start on the day – we only make it to a little town called Aptos. We are just grateful that we were able to find Hwy 1 without being run over by the rush hour traffic in Millbrea.

Aptof is just South of Santa Cruz. It is a quiet town, the streets rolled up at 9pm, we found this out at 9:15pm when we decided we were starving – only to find a vending machine to feast on. Here is a hint – dont get the chips that are good for you, they smell good, sun dried tomatoes and spinch but they taste like cardboard. but at this stage of the game i will eat anything.

The bed is soft, it is late. Im glad just to sleep.

well busy day today, need to get packed up and ready to fly home tonight.

I called several motorcycle shops in this area but they are all closed on monday. Clint found one on the net that is about 11 mi from here I called them.

Mission Motorcycle, Marc answered the phone, he said they had 2 windshields in stock but they fit a 7/8th handle bars. woo hoo i was in luck, the theives only stole the shield itself, i still had my mounting brackets (they are 1in). Marc was so sweet on the phone he wanted to know all about our trip, our plans and how my windshield was stolen.

It was a nice drive down to Daly,Ca where the bike shop is. The town was all misty but warm out. We decided to take the city streets instead of the freeways (those freeways are killer).

we found the shop, no problem. While i was explaining to the service guy about my windshield – marc popped out the back room. He is a little cutie, goatie, dirty blonde hair in braids and dreads under his granola stockin cap.

He points at me “Chick from alaska?”
I smiled.
“one sec” as he went back thru the door. two seconds later he pops out with the exact windshield i need.

It is all dusty and has seen some lovin, he tosses it on the counter. “Guess what i found?” he smiles.

He goes on to tell me that he thought he had just taken a spitfire windshield off his own bike a few months ago, so when we got off the phone he went looking for it. “its yours, if you want it”

I was flabergausted!!! I offered to pay him for it but he wouldnt hear of it.

“Good road karma.” he smiled “enjoy”

we bought a few bike covers and i found a Cortex riding jacket. I had to bring my leather home, it just does not keep you warm like Cortex does. Eventually i will find some riding pants to go with the jacket. The nice thing about Cortex is that it is rainproof, and breathable. It also has pads built into sensitive areas like elbows, kidneys, and shoulders.

I wore it back to the hotel and it was wonderful, the sun was out and i was still comfortable.

we lucked out storing our bikes, the hotel we were staying at has a secured long term parking. So we found a nice spot in the back under a tree and prepared the bikes for the 2 week rest. Unfortunately the bike covers didnt quite fit but good enough for now.

The flight home was uneventful, I read John Grisham’s new book Bleachers. it is a good story about some old high school football buddies that come back to their home town for their coaches funeral. it was just perfect, finished the book as we were descending into anchorage.

James was woke up just as we were falling asleep, cricket brought him in to our bedroom, He has changed so much, he sat up on my lap and was kinda yelling/talking to us. He really seemed like he missed us. He “talked” to us for about 15 min. What a little charmer he is.

hopefully i will see Jesse today after he gets home from daycare.
that is the downside to traveling, I miss my kids/grandkids so much. I get to talk to dakota everynight on the phone, she tells me about school and what she ate for lunch. Her newest thing is “14 days with no accidents”

That just means that she has gone that long with out peeing in her pants. Now she is ‘bigger and bigger’ and can move up to the next ‘grade’ in her school.

I got even luckier today, I was supposed to work but i was able to get put “on call”. So that meant i could sleep in, and just wait to see if the hospital needs me today.

I will be able to unpack and get some things done around the house.

/great to be home
kimber

what a great ride!!! we hung out in Ukiah until the only motorcycle shop that is open on Monday was open. we lucked out it was 2 blocks from our motel.

they didnt have a pop on windshield so i picked up a flimsy face mask that fit my helmet. the only downside (really an upside for me) was that I could no longer carry the helmet cam; so clint popped it on his helmet and we discovered it rides much better on his helmet – better picture!!! Sweet! off we go.

I have got to tell you this Hwy 101 is the best drive ever! It is not the fastest way to San Fran but it is definately the most enjoyable. we dropped out of the mountains into farm country – vineyards for as far as the eye can see. These places must really rake in the dough because each ‘farm house’ looked like a picture out of town an country magazine. They just made you want to stop at each one.

it was waaaaayyyyy to early in the day to be stopping for wine tasting – if i had started that i might not crawl back on my bike for a week. “Will work for Wine”

There are a few gorgeous mountains between Ukiah and San Fran – as we flew down the last one the wind started. Oh My Gooses!!!!! I thought the wind coming off the Arctic ocean was cold. The gust were so strong I really had to fight to keep my bike in my own lane. Regardless of what the speed limit is posted – everyone does 70-80. So keep up or get run over.

I was really feeling out of my element, like a little tiny fish in a great big ocean. Still feeling that way a little bit, but if i lived here – it would be a different story.

There is a little park on the west side of the golden gate bridge. We took the scenic tour with 15-25 mi curves, gusting winds and breath taking views of the bay/Golden Gate. (I will post pics when im done).

We stopped at a little pull out on the way down and parked our bikes with the view of the Golden Gate behind us. Before we could even get off our bikes a lady jumped out of her car and said “can i take some pictures for you of both you and the bikes?”

how sweet was that? There was a huge raven behind us. She commented that she has never seen one that big here (she was taking some friends sightseeing).

I told her it was alaskan size – musta followed us down the alcan. She tried to get the raven in the shot with us, but he wouldnt cooperate.

Going across the Golden Gate was awesome, it is something Clint has wanted to do all his life. he told me today – he hasnt been to California before; well, except when he was 2 yrs old and he doesnt remember it.

Hwy 101 snakes you thru down town San Fran all the hills and trolley cars, the beatiful old sculptured buildings. I really love going to downtown in any town. it is the heart of the city, the birthplace. there is usually so much history that you can just see in the way the buildings are made.

After a little bit of “touring” (i dont call it being lost) we found a hotel by the airport. well, i think it is actually ON the airport it is so dang close. Seriously, I can look out my window and watch them load the luggage.

We dumped our bags and headed out to Belise ( i think that is the way you spell it) Clints friend Tiny lives out there. It was around 430pm when we left here…… always plan your trips according to the time. in other words Dont leave during Rush Hour.

Belise is about 40mi from where we are – it took over an hour and half to get there. I was amazed to see that it is legal in California to “split lanes”. Not that i would ever do it, but it is legal for motorcycles to ride IN BEWTEEN the cars. You dont need a lane, just the dotted line!!! Since clint and I both decided that wasnt for us – that explains why it took an hour half to go 40 mi.

Belise is a wonderful little town that is surrounded on 3 sides by water and the Vallejo. tiny lives in my dream house. a Warehouse – with all the “toys” downstairs and a loft studio apartment upstairs. One day – when my kids are grown (all of them) I will sell my house and by a warehouse, half will be a dance studio, half for bikes/truck and my little loft studio apartment – ahhhhh that will be a wonderful house for me.
we have all day tomorrow to mess around in San Fran. I cant wait.

enjoy the pics

I told clint we jinxed ourselves when we didnt bring the rain gear in from the bikes the night before.

I thought crawling on my bike would be rough, it was cold and wet, but actually once i was on the road it felt wonderful. Now, i can see why people love Hwy 101. It travels along the cliffs of the oregon coast there are breath taking views with every turn. It is also laid out pretty cool. You have a little 2 lane hwy (55mph) that winds in and out of the trees; so there are lots of fun corners to play on then opens up into a 4 lane freeway (65mph) to free up the congestion. I thought it was a great way to prevent road rage and accidents from people trying to pass when they really shouldnt. if you got behind someone going 40mph on the 2 lane road, you knew that in 5 miles or so it would open up to a freeway.

my helmet cam is working great. i thought i would just film non-stop and then put it all on one disk in a higher speed. you know, like one of those videos where you can watch a flower sprout, bloom and wither in 2 min.

the “soft” day continued until we hit the California border (seemed weird crossing into a state where you dont have to stop and talk to the border patrol). We climbed one last mountain and as we decended on the redwood forest the clouds were gone! the sun was shining the birds were chirping – well maybe not chirping, they looked more like buzzards or condors.

I never considered myself a bird watcher, but there is something spectacular about a predatory bird (eagle, hawks, ect) circling in the sky. I love to watch them and see if i can figure out what it is. They were everywhere on this part of the trip, it was hard to keep my eyes on the road.

We dropped into Cresent City, ca so happy just to be in california. even the sun was out there was still a chill in the air. So i kept most of my layers on, 2 shirts, 2 jackets, 2 pairs of pants, 1 pair of cow socks, my rain pants, but ditched my rain jacket with its duct tape cuffs.

I loved how the scenery changed from ocean to redwood so quickly. the redwoods were huge, but not as big as they were going to get. We stopped at Legget, ca and rode our bikes thru the giant redwood, I put some pics up of that one.

Clint and i decided we are going to try and stick to highway driving after this as opposed to freeway. people are so much more friendlier. we talked with this guy who is from Utah, he has rode his bike all over the lower 48 and up into the first part of canada but has not been able to take the trip to alaska. that is his next big dream.

He told us all kinds of wonderful places to ride on our next trip. unfortunately we are going to miss the Sturgis rally (it is the first week of august). however, he did tell us to take the NE entrance of yellowstone park and take the Bear Tooth loop thru it. So that will be on our next trip in August.

We arrived in Ukiah, Ca around 930pm, ordered some pizza and watched the movie Wild Hogs (man traveling is rough). I fell asleep during the last half of the movie, but what i did see made me laugh.

I’m so excited we are a little over 100 miles from San Fran. I just want to get on the road and go, but we have to wait for the honda shop to open next door so i can get a new wind shield (mine was stolen).

talk you guys tomorrow, hope all is well.

Well the trip has been pretty uneventful so far. We spend the last few days catching up with clints friends that he has known since kindergarten. I think the last time we saw them all was about 10+ years ago.

They all look wonderful, their kids are growing up faster than mine i think.

So today marked our first real day of traveling. It has been 80-90 deg everyday, but now that we are traveling along the oregon coast the temp is more like anchorage. it was a welcome change after the sweltering heat.

We took hwy 20 from Corvallis, or to Bandon, or. coming thru the mountains was heavenly. there were so many wonderful corners (bikes love corners). The sun we just breaking thru the thin clouds, warming the air in the forest, the smells were incredible; warm pine, fragrant flowers, fresh dirt. I love traveling thru the mountains.

As we topped the hill coming into Newport the smell of the ocean hit me full force. I used to love the oregon coast, the beautiful jagged cliffs that over look the ocean, the “Dr Suess” looking trees that stand like sentinals along the cliffs. Now, that im older I realize the tremendous wind and rain it takes to create such a picture perfect scenery, so as i was cruising down the highway i thought “man, i would never want to live here – the wind would blow me over”.

Weird how much you think you stay the same but yet are ever changing.

There is a fire blazing in away in the fireplace, the sun has set, the clouds are blushing pink, waves crashing on the beach; it is a good day to be alive.

it was hard crawling in a car, i feel closed in, trapped. went and had dinner with clints parents and his aunt and uncle last night.
I havent seen his aunt marie in 20yrs. what a wonderful woman, she is so welcoming, easy to chat with. i would liek to stop by again when we come down.

salem is a hard town for me to be. I spent most of my teenage years here. I was able to spend the last 9 months of my mom’s life with her here. now when i pull into town, i just miss her so much. she has been gone for 20 years and i have so much to tell her. weird even after 20 years, it makes me cry to be in this town. I wish she was here waiting for me.

I think im ready to come back to alaska. we will drive the rental car to seattle in a few hours and get on the plane. lots of packing to do,

see you guys tonight – we fly in at 730pm – then i have to work sat – tues. it is going to be a long haul

thanks guys for coming on this trip with me, i thought about each of you alot while i was riding – our total trip 2800miles.

/big hugs.
k

ahhhh the morning is incredibly beautiful – there isnt even any mist on our bike seats.

clint is sad – he has been hauling this little 2.5gal gas can on the back of his bike since we left anchorage. for the last 2 nights he has been hoping someone would steal it – but there it sits to greet him in the morning. HA HA HA

it is nice riding on the freeways – the road is so smooth, the corners are built for bikes. The traffic isnt too bad this morning.

we stop to fill up one last time before we hit salem. there are probably 6 UPS semi’s in the parking lot and it is like old home week inside the gas station. the 2 women running the place are calling each of the guys by name and harrassing them all unmercifully.

i chuckle at some of the banter – but im feeling like an outsider – i miss the camaraderie of the yukon territores.

Oh shoot i forgot to tell you guys about Frank. We met him yesterday in williams lake. he was riding a Boulevard – beautiful bike that i have never heard of.

Frank is in his late 50′s with a quick smile and a contagious laughter. his home is in Dawson Creek – just outside of Whitehorse. a few years back he went out and bought a little 900cc bike – he has never ridden a bike before in his life. He said he put about 500 mi on it and went home and told his wife he was going to trade it in on this new bike and ride to Florida. “wanna come” he asked.

she laughed and said “Frank, you have never ridden a bike before in your life. I tell you what you go to florida and if you make it – you call me. I will fly down there and ride home with you”

his nephew made the trip with him – all the stories he told made me laugh so hard. They got to florida and sure enough his wife flew down. they all had a great time on the trip home. sure wish i could tell the stories they way he does, you guys would be rolling.

Frank would have been the last person that we were able to sit and chat with until we stopped for gas today. this old man came up and started talking to us, told us of a trip him and his wife took back in the 80′s. he had a grey beard down to his belly. they were going to montana or wyoming and it started thundering/lightening they pulled off on the side of the road and knocked on this farm house door. the people wouldnt even answer the door. he said – “we just wanted to hide outside behind the barn till the storm passed” then he chuckled “i dont know if i would have answered the door either, we were probably pretty scarey looking”

we arrived in salem around 9am. sun shining it is going to be a scorcher today 80+deg.

this was our longest stretch ever 700mi this day. the sun was so hot for the whole trip we both got sun burned pretty bad. it is wonderful.

the countryside is wonderful, rolling green hills dotted with livestock – i even saw a llama!! oh yeah and the oreo cookie cow – black head and shoulders, black butt and hips, white creamy belly. Gotta love the oreo cookie cow complete with milk!!!

we took a wrong turn at cache creek and headed towards Kamloops. it wasnt a bad thing, it just meant that we missed riding thru hell’s canyon or devils canyon i cant remember. what i do remember from previous trips is that it is incredibly gorgeous!!

the road we took was so high up 1444 meters that it looked mostly like desert but still wonderful. it dropped us down into the little town of hope. where we stopped for a little lunch.

oh the border is so close i can taste it. before we knew it – we were in washington. it only took us a little over 24 hrs longer than we thought and technically our plane leaves seattle at 7pm. clint changed the plane reservations to friday at 7pm in quesnel (see i told you i was spoiled)

when we arrived to seattle i had to pee sooooo bad. dont forget im the one that told clint “we dont have to stop at rest areas to pee, i would prefer just to pull off, no stinky outhouse to deal with – just squat do your business and your back on the road”

pfft… in seattle it takes 15min to pee!!! you have to find an exit – stop at all the lights, find a gas station, get the key, do your stuff, (and the bathrooms are just as stinky as the outhouses) return the key, get back on the road, try and find the on ramp – no seattle doesnt always put the on ramps in the same location as the off ramp. deal with traffic, lights, pedestrians. and then finally 15 min later you are back doing 75mph.

i told clint ‘i want to go home, where the animals are friendly and predictable – (not like these hostile cars in rush hour traffic) and where it only takes 5min to pee.”

we are so close to our destination and yet so far. I told clint i would ride until i was too cold to ride any more. that is how we ended up in lacey, Wa. only 160 mi from our destination. it was about 9pm when we pulled in. we ate first and then went to our room.

normally we kinda unpack a little, straighten up stuff, hang up our gear (mostly so it will dry by morning – hee hee it has been dry for 2 days now), but not tonight, we laughed the next morning – there sat all our stuff in a giant heap on the floor. we were so tired after 700mi it was all we could do just to take it off and die for the night.

im so excited – we are almost there.

we got about 30m down the road and my fingers were so cold i could hardly brake.the roads werent bad this morning just a little wet so we were making good time it was just so dang cold. i pulled off and asked clint if we could change bikes. His has a huge windshield.

oh my gosh!!!! his bike is heaven!!! my body stopped shivering…. my fingers could move somewhat freely – i dont think i will ever give his bike back.

about another 30miles down the road and he stops. crawls off the bike “damn woman – you are one tough chick!! i dont see how you rode this bike all this way” he had to add some more layers and adjust some of his stuff so he could stay warm. he would go on to tell every one we talk to from here on out ” i wasnt on that bike for more than 30 min before i had to pull over to get warm and she did 1800 miles in that!!!”
i have such a wonderful husband. he makes me smile so big.

We stopped at Wonowon to fill up and the guy running the place told us we just missed the hail storm. hee hee miracles DO happen!!

the ride was incredibly beautiful – up so high – we were riding even with the snow capped mountains in the distance. I was so glad clint changed bikes with me. i was able to stop shaking long enough to enjoy it. we didnt see any animals on the trip down the mountain, a few eagles and lots of hawks. that is ok though, I am thrilled that i was able to see all the bear – 11 total.

i wish i could remember what town we had just left when we saw bear #10. I was on clints bike – so it had to be on this leg of the journey. He was a huge black bear, about as big as my bike. we could see him crossing the road in the distance. so we slowed down. as we got closer, he just stopped in our lane. luckily it was on a straight stretch – i was worried about stopping in the middle of the road and being rear-ended.

we were revving our bikes and inching closer. clint started honking his horn and still the bear just looked at us. he was like a troll that wanted something so that we could cross his road. I was trying not to get too close – you know a bear can be 0-60 in 3 leaps. although that cant keep that up long – it is certainly enough to grab hold of my bike.

it felt like forever – this stand off with this bear – but either he finally figured that we were worth much – or that the noise from our bikes was deafening. he wandered off to the side of the road and we rode past. just around the corner were some tourist parked sideways on the road looking at a moose. silly tourist…. they could have looked a bear right in the eye if they had kept moving.

ahhhh it ‘was’ going to be like my strawberry mornings!!!! The sun!!! i feel its heat thru all my gear. our next stop for gas – we start peeling layers. What a glorious day!!!!

We decided to take the Hudson Hope loop because it was sunny, the roads were dry and it is a beautiful drive- saves you a couple hours. we were waiting to make the decision until we were closer, mostly because the road has soooo many corners and sooooo many deer.

I am glad we took it – we dropped down off that mountain into some of the most incredibly beautiful farm country!!! and yes there are a ton of deer. luckily they all just sat on the side of the road eating breakfast watching us go by. i thought wow… dinner and a movie for the deer – no wonder they like to eat here.

we stopped at a town called clinton ( hee hee gotta stop there for my husband) for breakfast – peeled off the last of our gear – repacked and we were back on the road. we left our leather on for safety reasons – we are able to go 75-80mph now. the curves are so smooth you dont even have to slow down – wow this is a great day.

prince george is a large town – we were able to find a bike shop with a universal windshield that would fit my bike. it was about 80 deg outside. we had to peel our jackets off for the rest of the ride.

i have noticed now that we are back in “civilization” that people arent as quick to strike up a conversation. no one talks to each other at the gas pumps, no one hanging out drinking coffee outside talking about their adventures. it makes me a little sad. i love meeting people – hearing their stories, hearing their plans for what is next.

i am thankful for this whole trip – with out the rain, the mud, the crappy horrible roads, or if i had a windshield ….. think of how boring my trip would be!!! all these things are great. There would be no trash bag butt, no garbage bag feet….. nothing to tell at all. I love this trip and really am not ready for it to end. even though we are still so far from our destination – i have a feeling that the adventure is over – now it will just be a trip.

we got to quesnel around 7pm – tired, a bit sunburned – starving.
ate some dinner and slept – damn – beds feel so wonderful when you are so tired.
that was the first place with internet access so i was able to start the blog. however, i was too tired to write it all.

didnt even have to set the alarm clock this morning – the thunder and lightening woke us up around 530am.

made a cuppa insta sanka – crawled into my semi dry clothes, complete with new garbage bags for my feet. trudging out to the bike i wondered “who’s brainy idea was this any way?”

it was sooooo hard to crawl on the bike that morning, looking on the horizon there was nothing but black black clouds. once again i was smacking myself for not having a windshield.

on the brightside, the roads were smooth and mostly straight.

I have always been a little worried about riding in the rain, my bike hydroplanes so bad, you have to take corners so slow – no leaning your bike into the corner.

this was going to be a long long day.

about 10 min into the trip i could feel cold rain water soaking my butt, /sigh – it is going to be even longer than i imagined.

we stopped at the first lodge we came across, there were about 6 other bikers there headed N. I stripped off my rain gear, they all laughed when they saw how wet i was. then they pulled out their rain gear and started putting in on before they headed out.

i went in and bought some large heavy duty garbage bags, dug some semi dry jeans out of my bag – poked 2 holes in the bottom of the garbage bag and slid my legs thru them.

as i was tucking the top of the garbage into my jeans, the waitress wandered by and said “nice butt” – imagine this huge bubble of air trapped in the garbage bag (front and back) “yeah but check out my package” i said as i turned around. everyone laughed. it was fun

cuppa coffee later – repack and we were off.

The garbages worked like a dream!!! I was dry, so cold….they said the temp was 7-9c – not sure what that is in F – but let me tell you at 70mph it is cold – damn where is my windshield.

we saw another grizzly with 2 cubs, i dont think i have ever seen so many bears in one trip.
we saw a young brown bear hanging out with a young black bear. clints first thought was “where are your mothers?”

there were so many buffalo i lost count. a few moose (they look so small compared to ours) but for the most part, they all just sat on the edge of the road and watched us go by.

we finally got to fort nelson around 3pm – found a work store and bought some rain gear. it isnt meant for motorcyles but at this point i didnt care. i just wanted to be dry. oh did i mention i finally bought some riding boots. All this time I have been in street boots with 3 inch heels!!

there are a few women who can say they rode their bikes down the alcan, they might even be a few that can say they did it without a windshield. but I would like to find the one that can add “and i did it in 3 inch heels”

the rain just never stopped that day. we tried to push on but about 60 clicks out of town, by body was broken, my feet so cold i couldnt shift my gears any more.

we stopped at the first lodge we found. so full of life, every one gathered around the fire, talking about their day, eating dinner.
when they lady told me they were full – i almost cried. then she said there is another lodge about 15 clicks down the road. nice place you will like it.

as i was drying my gloves by the fire there were some pictures of this young man, Jeremiah, on horse – all signed by him. He rode his horse from palmer, ak to mexico!!! it only took him 2 yrs to do it. he kept in touch with this lodge and sent them pictures and post cards along the way. one of the sayings on his picture was “if your gonna be dumb – you gotta be tough”

back out into the rain – the 15 clicks felt like 1500 clicks. but there at the bottom of hill sat a tiny little store, 3 cabins off to the side. as we pulled up a man came out to greet us. rain beating down on him – “sure we got a room – take them middle cabin the door is open”

sure enough it was open. we dumped our helmets and went to pay for the room. the store was so warm and cozy, lazy dog by the fire, too tired, or too cold to get up to greet us. the mans wife popped up out of her easy chair and came right over. “welcome” the man behind the counter “take some movies – there is some microwave popcorn over there” he said as he pointed to the wall of movies. “i will be right back – gonna turn the heat up in that cabin for you guys” he was out the door before we could stop him.

what a nice couple – they went out of their way to make us feel welcome, warm, entertained and dry. once again i dont remember my head hitting the pillow.

this was the longest day yet – on the road 16 hours. only made 500 clicks. trying not to be depressed about it – listening to the rain hit the roof – i slept.

the border crossing was uneventful, the guard seemed bored and ready to go home. By the time we hit beaver creek, about 10 mi E of the border, the first rain drops hit us. The sky was dark and angry.

I was so excited about the trip, I didnt care. Clint asked if i wanted to put my rain suit on (called frogs) but i thought “nah, it is just a few sprinkles.

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could only cruise along at about 40mph because the road is so tore up, big patches of deep gravel that grab your bike and send it off the other way. Rain so hard that it is now coming down my helmet and in thru the face shield (yes I was wearing a helmet).

so we pulled off on the side of the road and put our frogs on. Better late than never.
the road wouldnt get any better till the following morning, the frost heaves are so big that every time i went over one my butt would fly up in the air and thud down on my seat, knocking all the wind out of me!! I told clint when we stopped for the night “i think i fractured my kidney”

we stopped at destruction bay, around 930pm – whew 30 min before the kitchen closed. food never tasted so good!! the soup was hot, the coffee great and the people are so friendly.
they talked to us forever about everything, then told us all about the road ahead. I love canadians. what a happy group of people.

it took about an hour in the laundry room, drying all our gear, leather takes a long time to dry. I dont even remember my head hitting the pillow, all i remember was it was soft and dry.

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Well, it is still a bit cool here in the mornings, donning jacket and leather chaps we head out for the day.

Highway 1 continues to snakes it way south along the Pacific Ocean, the drive is beautiful and quiet. Around 5:00 pm we hit Malibu, Ca. Now life on this sleepy little highway picks up! I find myself doing 55-60mph in a 40 mph zone just to keep from getting run over.

No longer do we stand along the cliffs and look down at the white beaches, no more para-surfing. Now all that fills my sights are condominiums crowding the way with little glimpses of beach front.

We rounded a corner and there was a van flipped over in front of us. It must have just happened; the occupants were still trying to get out. I pulled over to see if they needed help. The two occupants that made it out were sitting on the sidewalk, a little dazed and scratched but ok.

There was still one man left in the van; it appeared that he was trying to free his leg. Another man stopped to help also, name was Angel I thought it was very appropriate. Meanwhile several bystanders were calling 911. I was trying to talk to the man in the van thru the windshield. I didn’t know if he couldn’t hear me, or if he didn’t speak English.

I was trying to tell him to stop moving and sit still until paramedics arrived. Angel was translating for me in case the trapped man didn’t speak English. He finally stopped moving, and indicated that his left side hurt and his right leg was still trapped. The police arrived about this time.

I was surprised at how rude the police were to us, and even ruder to the men that were in the accident. When we asked the police later how they thought this happened he replied, “Stupidity”. It made me mad that they judged the men before they had the truth.

We left when the paramedics arrived; one paramedic and one policeman thanked us for stopping. Angel wandered over to our bikes as we were gearing up and asked my name. I asked him if he knew the men and thanked him for his help in translating and providing paper towels to stop the bleeding on the other two guys. He didn’t know them, but he wanted to tell me thank you, “most people, when they see Mexicans don’t stop, they just look and drive on by, thank you so much for stopping, I wouldn’t have known what to do.”

What a nice man, I’m glad I met him.

The rest of the drive to Santa Monica was uneventful, thank goodness. I definitely rode differently after seeing that accident.

We got to the Santa Monica pier around 6:00 pm, the pier was packed with people. I was amazed to see the carnival rides complete with Ferris wheel! All the sights and sounds that go along with a carnival, cotton candy, the metallic music from the carousel wheel, all the stuffed animals hanging, begging you to win them and take them home.

One half of the pier is the carnival the other half is shops and street vendors. There are artist there that can carve your image in clay in less than 20 minutes! The likeness was amazing. I saw puppeteers, jugglers, painters and sketch artist. At the end of the pier people were fishing, live music from a one man band echoed out across the water, just behind the Mexican restaurant.

The breeze felt good against the city heat, even this late in the day but the sun would be setting soon and we needed to be on the other side of LA before night fall.

Rumor has it that Route 66 starts at the Santa Monica pier, I tried to find it so that we could take it thru LA. This is probably the most troublesome part of Route 66. If we were in car I could navigate it better but since we were on a bike we choose to get on Highway 10 and cross over LA then pick Route 66 up on the other side.

By nightfall we found ourselves in West Covina. It was a good place to call it a night. Tomorrow we would find a book store and get some good maps and head out.

I call Barnes and Noble and the girl there tells me that they have several books on Route 66; she will hold them at the counter for me. I thought the store was just up around the corner, well keyword is thought.

We drove for over an hour trying to find this bookstore before my radar kicked in and we were able to find it. We bought several quick laminated pull out maps, one book about stories on Route 66 and this book called “EZRoute 66″. That was the most complicated book of them all. I told Clint not to buy it “there is no way I can use that book on my bike”.

Thank goodness he bought it. If you are ever going to take the adventure of Route 66 this is the book for you. The quick laminated maps are nice to find interesting stops or read a little bit of history now and then. The EZRoute gives you piece by piece details of where to go, what the road is like, the date that section of the road was built and used, and a little bit of history that pertains to that section of the road. It is an amazing book, I highly recommend it. Now I’m getting ahead of myself.

We stumbled over to the Starbucks to pour over our maps and plot our adventure. We are such yuppie riders, “I’d like a hazelnut latte and a side of smashed bug (for my windshield).” We sit down and start looking, a nice gentleman besides says, “I couldn’t help but overhearing your plans, can I help you find a good starting place? These towns can be so confusing.”

I welcomed the help, from what I could see there were at least 6 different ways to get to Route 66 and all of them looked hot! He pointed out the two easiest ways to get there and let us choose. We choose the freeway start, since it was 11:00 am and traffic was heavy and hot.

He was right within 5 min we were on Route 66 and headed to San Bernardino. Oh I am so excited. I never dreamed that I would be traveling like this. The high of being on Route 66 over rides the boringness of the freeway. It takes us a little bit to get thru San Bernardino using the EZRoute book because it takes some getting used to, I think by the time we get to the next town I have got this “Bible” figured out. Until then I struggle and we take lots of wrong turns, find new interesting routes and love it all the way.

We decided to skip the McDonald’s museum and zoom on ahead to Rialto, Ca to see the Wigwam hotel. This is one of two hotels left in a chain of hotels along Route 66. The rooms are unique, individual little tee pee’s to stay in. Although one book suggests that you not stay there because it is the local working place for hookers. I found it clean and well kept; it was just too early in the day to stop for the night. Now is the time I am digging out my EZRoute book and find that it is the best one to use.

In Victorville, Ca we stopped at our first Route 66 Museum. This museum is a must. It is packed full of memorabilia like one of the first Model T’s, the 15 foot tall hula dancer and the famous Teardrop trailer. The man running it has more stories about Route 66 than many of the books he sells there. He has traveled the Mother Road six times. For more information or pictures http://www.califrt66museum.org.

Route 66 takes us away from I-15 now, I’m so thankful. The temperature is around 102 degrees and the desert offers a breeze so hot, you swear you just opened the oven too quickly on your turkey!! The breeze hits my hot engine and blows up in my face igniting my nose hairs. I will have to admit it is better than the interstate where the heat from all the semi-trucks only add to the heat from the bikes. The speed limit is 45 miles an hour and we see an old couple in a 1970′s truck; they look to be around 80 years old, flashers on, as they drive 45 MPH, putting along on Route 66. I think that will be Clint and I one day. I was hoping they would stop somewhere along the way so that I could strike up a conversation with them and maybe beg for a picture but we lost track of them. It’s too hot to do 45mph we choose to 55.

We stop at what is left of the “Bottle Tree Ranch”. It is amazing to think this little secured lot was once a booming stop on the route. Now abandoned like so many other ruins we have seen along the way. I snap a few pictures of all the colorful bottles that are mounted on poles. People are so creative. As we guzzle our water and Gatorade, I picture all the 1940′s cars and trucks pulling in here, woman running for the bathrooms, men chatting as they filled the gas tanks, checked the oil and the tire pressures; children just running wild around the bottle trees after being couped up in the backseats for so long.

“You headed East?” one man ask, as he wipes off the oil dipstick.

“Yeah, we gotta get to Chicago, for her mother’s funeral.” States the other man, “You?”

“California, my brother has a job for me on those new oil rigs. They are putting them right on the ocean now!” The man shakes his head. “Oh boy, this thing uses more oil than any car I have ever had. Still low and I have already put in 12 quarts.”

“Well, you better grab some of those water bags to put on the radiator, that desert will suck all the life out of it if you don’t” the East-bound man states, “see, I placed one on each side, helps cools the engine and you can add water to the radiator when it gets too hot.”

“hoo doggy, what will they think of next.” States the west-bound man as he wipes his brow.

“Good think you have a job waiting for you, there is an army patrol at the border of California.” The east-bound man states, “They aren’t just letting anyone in there.”

“Dad! Dad! You gotta see this Hula girl” shouts a little boy, excitedly “she is bigger than our house!”

The man glances over at his son, waves. “Yeah, I heard rumor about that back home.” The west-bound man replies, as he pours his 3 quart of oil in the engine. “but I didn’t reckon they were true.”

“Hey, you gonna stand here all day and stare at that?” Clint asks me.

Well, I probably could, I think to myself. “Nah, lets head out”.

We gear up and as we drive down the highway, I think “man, my brain can really put together some weird stuff. I totally mixed all my eras together in that last scenario; 1890s and 1940′s. On my left I see the turn out for the Roy Rogers Double R Bar Ranch and decide quickly, it is too late in the day to stop.

California has done a great job of marking the old Route 66; they have painted the emblem on the road every few miles. It gives me comfort to know that we are on the right highway; I don’t want to get lost in the Mojave Desert. The highway is dotted with ruins we don’t stop at them all, just enjoying the view of life gone by.

We pull into Needles, fill up and find a place to stay for the night. The laptop is still dead and I am worried that I will forget all this before I am able to write it all down. After a hot shower and some grub, I find I’m too tired to write, I fall deep asleep.

When traveling on the Interstates you go at speeds so fast you can barely find your exit. They also tend to snake thru the land out in the middle of nowhere; you know there is life out there because you can see the houses in the distance. Interstates were meant for one thing; getting from point A to point B quickly.

I like the slower pace of the highways. There is so much to see. Highways take you through those little towns – remember the houses you saw in the distance? Highways open the window to the town’s history as you travel through it. There are old buildings with the paint peeling, weeds growing tall where people once used to walk. You see old cars, rusty, no windows, no wheels, flowers sprouting out the engine compartment. These cars once used to travel these roads; taking families on vacation – kids fighting in the backseat. Maybe, they stopped for ice cream at the parlor up the road and decided they liked this town so much they stayed.

Highway (Hwy) 1 snakes along the California coast, along the cliffs of Monterey through the mountains of Big Sur and down onto the beaches of Santa Monica. The road is well paved for the most part, there are lots of fun corners most are 25-10mph. You find yourself doing a 180 degree turn and heading back the direction you came.

The breeze that comes off the Pacific Ocean is cool; I still wear my jacket and chaps to keep warm thru the huge trees. As the sun rises and warms the land you can smell the pine tar and the flowers that grow wild along the highway. I love all the smells as you travel; well for the most part. I could have done without the skunk or the roadkill on the side of road.

There is a route we want to take in Monterey, Ca called the 17 mi loop. This loop takes you out along the cliffs of the Pacific along Pebble beach. We pulled up to the toll booth, so excited, the road ahead is shady from all the trees, so scenic. But the toll booth attendant tells us that they don’t allow motorcycles on this loop.

As we head back through town and head towards Hwy 1, I was a little sad that we will miss that part of our journey.

Our next stop is Big Sur. The climb thru the mountains is wonderful, filled with breathtaking scenery of the ocean and the mountains. I was amazed to find Belly dancing stuff at the gift shop at Big Sur!

She had typical coin belts and some of the most beautiful Kuchi cuffs I have ever seen but they were $435 so I just looked. There is a mini bus that someone turned into a store. You just grab a cool drink and head out back to the little creek that runs behind it. There are lawn chairs in the creek, kick your shoes off, roll your pants up and cool off in the creek.

Next stop is San Simeon, Ca., I want to tour Hearst Castle. As we waited for the tour I sat outside and shared a cookie with the ravens. Man I love ravens. The tour last around and hour and is wonderful. This castle sits about 5 mi off the hwy (you have to take the tour bus up there). You can read all about Hearst Castle at http://www.Hearstcastle.com . It was built in the late 1800-early 1900 and is absolutely amazing.

I realized something through this long twisty ride, it is a lot like life. When you are traveling you keep your eyes on where you ‘want’ to go. Once in awhile you glance in the rearview to see where you have been. But then you quickly switch your focus back to where you want to be. You don’t look at the road directly beneath you or you will see all the bumps and rocks that can trip you up. You focus on the horizon.

It is the same with life, don’t look at the past too much or you lose focus on where you ‘want’ to be. It is easy to get stuck, ‘no matter how far down the scale we fallen we will see how our experience can benefit others’. Believe it or not I’m thankful for my past; it is made me who I am today. This statement may shock those that know my past, but it is true, and it has given me peace.

In life it is easy to get tripped up by the little stuff that falls at our feet as we go through our daily life, same as focusing on the ground as you ride. It is better just to glance once in awhile to stay safe, take care of things that you can, let go of the things you can’t.

I discovered that in life, and in riding, I tend to focus on the horizon. I enjoy the scenery, I enjoy the experience, and I enjoy the journey.

All of this came to me because of the one time I wrecked a motorcycle when I was 15 yr. My family was coming home from bike trip to the Oregon Coast. We each had our own bike. My brother, Dale, and I were in the lead and kinda playing around, we went to make a right hand curve, I took the inside and he was on the outside. I hit that small pea-gravel on the inside corner and down I went.

I can still remember to this day, sliding on the gravel, it is all in slow motion in my brain. So now when I take corners, I lose my focus. I tend to look at the ground under my feet, my bike slows way down and my riding is not as effective as it could be.

Clint noticed this and suggested I look as far into the corner as I can, keep your focus there, he said. I did, well I tried, old habits are hard to break and I found he was right.

This new way of taking corners didn’t come easily for me, I had to keep trying and even know 4000 miles later, and I find I still want to look down at my feet, but can quickly switch my focus back to the horizon. It is a good thing.

We stayed the night in San Simeon. The hotel where we stayed had a hotel with an outside patio. Everyone on the patio applauded when the sun dropped into the ocean – yeah there was lots of drinking. Then the weirdest thing, all the wait staff brought out blankets and bundled us all up so we could finish our dinner. It was a great dinner; wish I could remember the name of the place.

We went back to our room and Clint decided to take a Jacuzzi. He filled the tub and checked all the jets, then turned it on. As the water sprayed everywhere – I scrambled off the bed trying to get out the stream, running to the jacuzzi trying to find the off switch. Meanwhile, Clint was trying to block the jets from spraying all over, but he was out numbered 12 to 1. The water shot all the way across the bed to the front door and walls and everything in between, including the bed.

Needless to say, the laptop was on the bed and it too got a jacuzzi. That was the death of our laptop. Sometimes it is the little stuff that trips you up.