Well I made it back to the ghetto shack today! It is nice to be home. Thank goodness my neighbor has yet to secure his wireless network, so I am piggy backing off of him at this point in time. While I had not shut off my utilities, I did shut off my cable while I was gone, hence the Internet was off as well.
I do apologize for the poor blogs the last couple of weeks, after I got through the redwood forest, I had decided it was time to come home, but of course Tahoe and Vegas interrupted things a bit. After my tire episode in the desert and experience with the "diddler" I knew it was time to wrap up this part of the adventure. The negative point was the only way to get home was across the desert and the heat was overwhelming, until I got to northern New Mexico, the days were 120 plus temp wise and it was frustrating not being able to make good progress.
Once I got home today everything was just fine, with the exception of my hot water heater which would not light. I spend about an hour working on it, and finally gave up, while I was gone my crawlspace flooded, hopefully I can repair it with a new thermal coupler. After I worked on the HW heater I was really dirty, not to mention I was still wearing sweat soaked clothes from the last few days, I took a shower with no hot water and it was not uncomforatable at all, quite nice actually.
I am having trouble typing on this full size key board, what a reversal, it took me a month to get adept on the mini-key board, now I am learning all over again.
My AC unit is trying to catch up, and I am still tired and sunburned from the last week or so. I will be posting some follow up blogs the next few days, so don't tune me out just yet. There are a number of people that I need to thank, and I have a lot on my mind that I want to share in regards to this trip.
My plan for the next month or so, is to tie up some loose ends, help dad around the farm, etc...see old friends, and I really need to spend some quality time with my dog! I very much am looking forward to the autumn season and am planing a couple of little adventures, I will fill you in as they develop, and once again hope you will go along for the ride!
Tim
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Big catch up blog! July 26th thru Aug 3rd
I am sorry, to combine all of these bogs into one entry, the pictures below are in no particular order, but are some of the sights over the last week.
As I write this blog, I am in the town of Las Vegas "NEW MEXICO" about 60 miles north of Sante Fe New Mexico. I am totally spent! The Last week in the desert has been almost more than I can handle. I have captioned these pictures. I will try to bring you up to date on the last week. My recollections of time and dates are poor, and I hope that you will accept them for what they are, and appreciate the trails of the last week.
Fountains at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
Another fountain pic, with the sun shining through.
Entering Death Valley national Park.
Sand across the road in Death Valley.
The Grand Canyon.
Another Grand canyon pic.
Yet another Grand Canyon Pic.
Hoover dam, the water levels are very low!
I stayed at the Paris casino for a few days.
Motorcycle thermometer pegged at over 120, in death valley, and for many days to come!
Landscape in death valley.
New Bridge going over Colorado river below Hoover damn!
When I last left you, we were getting ready to head across death valley, after my stay in Lake Tahoe. Death Valley definitely stands up to its billing. I crossed the Valley floor at 10:00 am and the temp was already at 125 degrees! I was glad to get across! Aside from the many other extremes I have experienced on this trip, this was a point in time, when I truly felt bare and naked to the potential wrath of Mother Nature! I feel that our human form, and the mechanical aids which we depend upon are generally suited for temperatures that range from 0 degrees to 100 degrees, beyond that temperature range, the risk of failure increases exponentially. In my home I have a "Sauna" I set it at the 120 degrees and sit in it "bare ass" naked with a big bottle of water in my hand just waiting for the 20 minutes to click off the timer. The glue in the books that I read withers, the water bottle which I bring in with me expands, and after those 20 minutes I am glad to emerge to the relative calm of a normal environment.
As I traveled along the valley floor, the thermometer on my motorcycle pegged over 120 degrees which was its limit. It felt as if the tires of my motorcycle were traveling over "chewing" gum as I traveled over the asphalt. All the while in the back of my mind I was trying to keep the thought of mechanical failure at bay. While I had plenty of water with me, just the sheer pounding of the sun and temperature would be deadly in hours.
I crossed the valley floor and ended up in a town called "puhrump", a town of about 5000 just outside of Las Vegas about 50 miles. I was exhausted! I had changed my reservations in Vegas to Monday, and had a day to kill, so I stayed at a small casino complex and got a decent room for $50.00
The next day I headed for Las Vegas, there has been a heat wave going on, and the daytime temp was 115 degrees, the ride to Vegas was not so bad, but once I got into town and was navigating the "Strip", things got real hot, real quick.
I finally made it to the "Paris" casino, I originally was going to stay at "Cesar's Palace" for two days, but since I was running ahead of schedule, they did not have a room at "Caesar's" so they gave me three nights at the "Paris" instead. It was a nice room, not quite as nice as "Harrahs" in Tahoe, but who am I to bitch, it was free and right on the heart of the Las Vegas Strip.
I much enjoyed my stay, no huge sums of money were won or lost, I left town by motorcycle, rather than "Lear" jet, so obviously the cards were not completely in my favor, but I still had my motorcycle and the shirt on my back.
After leaving Las Vegas, I headed over to the "Hoover Damn", I have been there many times before, but always marvel in its "Grandeur", I took a few pics to note the water level. I have a collection of pictures from the first time I visited until today. While I am not a big proponent of "Global" warming, the water level is definitely down and it has been interesting to see its progress over the years.
I stopped in "Boulder City" did some laundry and headed down the highway to "Laughlin" Nevada. I did not intend to stay in Laughlin, but wanted to take the highway, as I had ridden it on a Bicycle in 1997 and remembered the hardship, and on more than one occasion during that bicycle ride, thought how nice it would have been to be on a motorcycle! Before leaving the Laundromat in Boulder City, I called my mother and told her how hot it was and was glad that I had not had any mechanical problems with my motorcycle. Well I should have "Knocked on wood" when I said that, because some bad luck was about to come my way!
The day was extremely hot, 125 degrees, it felt much like "Death Valley", about 25 miles outside of Laughlin, I felt the back end of my motorcycle act funny, I pulled over, and sure enough, my rear tire was going flat. I carry extra tubes, and a patch kit for such emergencies, but even under the best of conditions, using rudimentary tools, a rear tire change takes at least 1hour. Lucky for me I did have cell phone service, and after about 15 mins I was able to locate a "Kawasaki" dealer in "Bullhead City", (the town right next to Laughlin) I told them of my plight and asked if they could send someone out to pick me and my bike up and help me with repairs? They said that their service truck was out and they were short handed and there was no way they could get anyone out today to help me. They indicated that if I could find my way to their shop, that they would fix the tire. I reiterated the fact that I was in a dire circumstance, in the middle of the desert, it was 125 degrees and I needed help! In a curt tone, the person on the phone, said, "Welcome to the desert"! I hung up the phone, and called the "Good Sams' club" which is my RV membership, which is supposed to be the equivalent of Triple AAA for RV owners. In fact before I left on this trip, I up graded to the "Platinum" club level for better service. I called the toll free number and was put into an automated system and never got a live voice.
By this point in time, I had been standing next to the road for over 45 mins in 125 plus temps. I had a couple of quarts of water with me, and had been drinking them, but my energy was waning. I knew that I needed to act on my own. I knew that changing the tire was out of the question, so I removed the rear wheel and tire, and stood next to the road, and stuck my thumb out to hitch a ride. Fortunately it was just a few minutes and a guy in an SUV stopped and gave me a ride to town. I told him about my situation, and mentioned that maybe I would just have him take me to a Hotel, and I would deal with it tomorrow, as the "Kawasaki" dealer had indicated that they could help me the next day. He then told my that I was on Indian Land, and that while no one would probably mess with my bike during the day, that it would never last the night, and I would come back to either a missing motorcycle, or one stripped of anything of value!
He dropped my off at the "Kawasaki" dealer and I set about getting help, much to my disappointment, I found that there was an abundance of employees just standing around doing nothing, I also noticed, two pickup trucks in the lot which obviously belonged to the dealer ship. Fortunately I had also brought along my extra tube, as they did not stock tire tubes for my motorcycle. 20mins later the service tech brought out my repaired tire and wheel, and presented me with a bill for $80.00! That typically is the charge for having a tire repaired, when they take off the wheel and provide a new tube. I was pissed, but kept my cool. I went to the manager and asked if there was anyway that I could get someone to take my back to my motorcycle? I offered $50.00? He refused and said that due to liability reasons, he could not let any of his employees use their person vehicle for service reasons. I asked about the two company trucks on the lot? He indicated that those were used only for personal water craft which they rent for people to use on the river.
I calmed myself for a moment took a long inhale of breath and slowly said, "My motorcycle is broken down in the middle of F#@King nowhere, it is 125 degrees out, and you cannot help me solve this delima. I told him that money was not an issue, and I needed options. He suggested that I call a cab to get me back to my motorcycle! I graciously asked him if he would call one for me. He said yes. He called a cab, I waited until the cab arrived, put my tire in the trunk and asked the "Cabbie" to wait for a moment. I walked back inside to the managers office, and told him, that "A mans worth, in this life is the sum of his deeds which he will carry with him for the rest of his life,("Budda") and to you my friend, you will rot in Hell for the lack of yours! Then I walked out and got into the back of the Taxi.
I was so pissed off I could not see straight! Have you ever walked into a restaurant and were completely famished and the service was so bad that you lost your appetite then left? Same thing!
I got into the back of the taxi and gave him directions to where I wanted to go, he told me the cost would be the metered fare to my motorcycle, then it would have to double it for his return fair. I told him "Whatever, just get my back to my motorcycle". The cabbie then grabbed the stuff in the front passenger seat and threw it in the back seat next to me and told me that I would be more comfortable if I sat up front because the air conditioning was better, I declined.
How could my day get much worse? As soon as we get out of town, the cabbie starts talking about sex, and how he drives whores around, and asks me how I get off, while traveling around the country on a motorcycle? I told him It was none of his F@#king business and just get me back to my bike! As we get to my motorcycle he makes reference to the fact that some oral sexual exploits would make him forget about the cab fare. (Take into consideration that this guy is a sloppy, sleazy, 65 plus year old pervert that in hand to hand combat, I could probably kill in less than a minute). He was the stereotypical "Diddler".
I told him that I would forget what he had just said and be on my way and pay my fare, Then he said, "You may not have a choice" Then I thought, "shit" he might have a gun! So I asked, "What do you mean"? He said, "Your wheel is locked in my trunk". (At this point in time we are parked next to my motorcycle on the side of the road.) I then calmly told him, "No my friend, it is you that does not have a choice."
He opened the trunk, got my wheel out, and told me was just joking with me!
I handed him a $100.00, the one way fare was actually $55.00, but he did not quibble. He was lucky to be alive. As things would work out, the 10 minutes it took me to remove, the wheel, turned into 30 mins to replace it. In sweltering 125 degree temps. I found a new use for my "crock" sandles, they protected my knees from the scalding pavement while I installed the wheel.
After installing my wheel and repaired tire, I rode into Laughlin, thank goodness they have cheap hotel rooms, I checked in for the night at 6:00pm. I had been dealing with this tire issues for over 5 hours in 125 plus temps, I was cooked both mentally and physically. The next day, I called "Moab" Taxi company to register a complaint, they seemed indifferent. So I called the Bullhead city Police department, and they told me that I could register a complaint, but I would have to appear in court and appear as a witness, and it would be weeks before it would come before a judge.
So beware, the Diddler is out there!
I got the Hell out of Laughlin, and headed to the Grand Canyon, still in 120 plus temps, I have been to the canyon more than once, but just wanted to take a few pics, and get a sticker for my side box. I made it there just fine but as I pulled into the gift shop, my back wheel locked up! My rear brakes were scalded, I loosed a bolt and lifted the caliper off of the disk and tied it off with a zip tie.
I headed up the road and ended up in "Winslow" Arizona, yes the same "Winslow" that is in the song. I found a cheap hotel room and stayed for the night. I looked things over and found that the whole break assemply is just coated with tar, from the roads. I cleaned it off the best that I could. I also found that the "O" rings on my chain are worn out.
We are heading home!!!
I would rather camp out, "Slathered" in Bacon grease in the wilds of Alaskan "Grizzly" country, than deal with the oppressive heat of the desert in August, and the "Dilladlah"
I am glad that you all have taken the ride with me, I will not be posting travel logs for a few days. I want things to "Sink" in for a bit.
It has been over 2 months, 14000 miles, we have seen some great things. I plan to be home sometime the middle of this week. How I miss home!
After a trip like this, it is difficult to prioritize what, or whom I want to see the most. During this trip, through thick and thin, I have thought about people, places and things. To a great extent!
What I look forward to the most is stopping at the end of the driveway of our family farm. Miles from pavement, a place that no one would know where it is, if not for the fact they had been there. The place that I started my journey, the place that I will end my journey.
For all of those of you along the way that said, "You ain't in Kansas anymore"
Well, I am back and there is no place that I would rather be!!!
As I write this blog, I am in the town of Las Vegas "NEW MEXICO" about 60 miles north of Sante Fe New Mexico. I am totally spent! The Last week in the desert has been almost more than I can handle. I have captioned these pictures. I will try to bring you up to date on the last week. My recollections of time and dates are poor, and I hope that you will accept them for what they are, and appreciate the trails of the last week.
Fountains at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
Another fountain pic, with the sun shining through.
Entering Death Valley national Park.
Sand across the road in Death Valley.
The Grand Canyon.
Another Grand canyon pic.
Yet another Grand Canyon Pic.
Hoover dam, the water levels are very low!
I stayed at the Paris casino for a few days.
Motorcycle thermometer pegged at over 120, in death valley, and for many days to come!
Landscape in death valley.
New Bridge going over Colorado river below Hoover damn!
When I last left you, we were getting ready to head across death valley, after my stay in Lake Tahoe. Death Valley definitely stands up to its billing. I crossed the Valley floor at 10:00 am and the temp was already at 125 degrees! I was glad to get across! Aside from the many other extremes I have experienced on this trip, this was a point in time, when I truly felt bare and naked to the potential wrath of Mother Nature! I feel that our human form, and the mechanical aids which we depend upon are generally suited for temperatures that range from 0 degrees to 100 degrees, beyond that temperature range, the risk of failure increases exponentially. In my home I have a "Sauna" I set it at the 120 degrees and sit in it "bare ass" naked with a big bottle of water in my hand just waiting for the 20 minutes to click off the timer. The glue in the books that I read withers, the water bottle which I bring in with me expands, and after those 20 minutes I am glad to emerge to the relative calm of a normal environment.
As I traveled along the valley floor, the thermometer on my motorcycle pegged over 120 degrees which was its limit. It felt as if the tires of my motorcycle were traveling over "chewing" gum as I traveled over the asphalt. All the while in the back of my mind I was trying to keep the thought of mechanical failure at bay. While I had plenty of water with me, just the sheer pounding of the sun and temperature would be deadly in hours.
I crossed the valley floor and ended up in a town called "puhrump", a town of about 5000 just outside of Las Vegas about 50 miles. I was exhausted! I had changed my reservations in Vegas to Monday, and had a day to kill, so I stayed at a small casino complex and got a decent room for $50.00
The next day I headed for Las Vegas, there has been a heat wave going on, and the daytime temp was 115 degrees, the ride to Vegas was not so bad, but once I got into town and was navigating the "Strip", things got real hot, real quick.
I finally made it to the "Paris" casino, I originally was going to stay at "Cesar's Palace" for two days, but since I was running ahead of schedule, they did not have a room at "Caesar's" so they gave me three nights at the "Paris" instead. It was a nice room, not quite as nice as "Harrahs" in Tahoe, but who am I to bitch, it was free and right on the heart of the Las Vegas Strip.
I much enjoyed my stay, no huge sums of money were won or lost, I left town by motorcycle, rather than "Lear" jet, so obviously the cards were not completely in my favor, but I still had my motorcycle and the shirt on my back.
After leaving Las Vegas, I headed over to the "Hoover Damn", I have been there many times before, but always marvel in its "Grandeur", I took a few pics to note the water level. I have a collection of pictures from the first time I visited until today. While I am not a big proponent of "Global" warming, the water level is definitely down and it has been interesting to see its progress over the years.
I stopped in "Boulder City" did some laundry and headed down the highway to "Laughlin" Nevada. I did not intend to stay in Laughlin, but wanted to take the highway, as I had ridden it on a Bicycle in 1997 and remembered the hardship, and on more than one occasion during that bicycle ride, thought how nice it would have been to be on a motorcycle! Before leaving the Laundromat in Boulder City, I called my mother and told her how hot it was and was glad that I had not had any mechanical problems with my motorcycle. Well I should have "Knocked on wood" when I said that, because some bad luck was about to come my way!
The day was extremely hot, 125 degrees, it felt much like "Death Valley", about 25 miles outside of Laughlin, I felt the back end of my motorcycle act funny, I pulled over, and sure enough, my rear tire was going flat. I carry extra tubes, and a patch kit for such emergencies, but even under the best of conditions, using rudimentary tools, a rear tire change takes at least 1hour. Lucky for me I did have cell phone service, and after about 15 mins I was able to locate a "Kawasaki" dealer in "Bullhead City", (the town right next to Laughlin) I told them of my plight and asked if they could send someone out to pick me and my bike up and help me with repairs? They said that their service truck was out and they were short handed and there was no way they could get anyone out today to help me. They indicated that if I could find my way to their shop, that they would fix the tire. I reiterated the fact that I was in a dire circumstance, in the middle of the desert, it was 125 degrees and I needed help! In a curt tone, the person on the phone, said, "Welcome to the desert"! I hung up the phone, and called the "Good Sams' club" which is my RV membership, which is supposed to be the equivalent of Triple AAA for RV owners. In fact before I left on this trip, I up graded to the "Platinum" club level for better service. I called the toll free number and was put into an automated system and never got a live voice.
By this point in time, I had been standing next to the road for over 45 mins in 125 plus temps. I had a couple of quarts of water with me, and had been drinking them, but my energy was waning. I knew that I needed to act on my own. I knew that changing the tire was out of the question, so I removed the rear wheel and tire, and stood next to the road, and stuck my thumb out to hitch a ride. Fortunately it was just a few minutes and a guy in an SUV stopped and gave me a ride to town. I told him about my situation, and mentioned that maybe I would just have him take me to a Hotel, and I would deal with it tomorrow, as the "Kawasaki" dealer had indicated that they could help me the next day. He then told my that I was on Indian Land, and that while no one would probably mess with my bike during the day, that it would never last the night, and I would come back to either a missing motorcycle, or one stripped of anything of value!
He dropped my off at the "Kawasaki" dealer and I set about getting help, much to my disappointment, I found that there was an abundance of employees just standing around doing nothing, I also noticed, two pickup trucks in the lot which obviously belonged to the dealer ship. Fortunately I had also brought along my extra tube, as they did not stock tire tubes for my motorcycle. 20mins later the service tech brought out my repaired tire and wheel, and presented me with a bill for $80.00! That typically is the charge for having a tire repaired, when they take off the wheel and provide a new tube. I was pissed, but kept my cool. I went to the manager and asked if there was anyway that I could get someone to take my back to my motorcycle? I offered $50.00? He refused and said that due to liability reasons, he could not let any of his employees use their person vehicle for service reasons. I asked about the two company trucks on the lot? He indicated that those were used only for personal water craft which they rent for people to use on the river.
I calmed myself for a moment took a long inhale of breath and slowly said, "My motorcycle is broken down in the middle of F#@King nowhere, it is 125 degrees out, and you cannot help me solve this delima. I told him that money was not an issue, and I needed options. He suggested that I call a cab to get me back to my motorcycle! I graciously asked him if he would call one for me. He said yes. He called a cab, I waited until the cab arrived, put my tire in the trunk and asked the "Cabbie" to wait for a moment. I walked back inside to the managers office, and told him, that "A mans worth, in this life is the sum of his deeds which he will carry with him for the rest of his life,("Budda") and to you my friend, you will rot in Hell for the lack of yours! Then I walked out and got into the back of the Taxi.
I was so pissed off I could not see straight! Have you ever walked into a restaurant and were completely famished and the service was so bad that you lost your appetite then left? Same thing!
I got into the back of the taxi and gave him directions to where I wanted to go, he told me the cost would be the metered fare to my motorcycle, then it would have to double it for his return fair. I told him "Whatever, just get my back to my motorcycle". The cabbie then grabbed the stuff in the front passenger seat and threw it in the back seat next to me and told me that I would be more comfortable if I sat up front because the air conditioning was better, I declined.
How could my day get much worse? As soon as we get out of town, the cabbie starts talking about sex, and how he drives whores around, and asks me how I get off, while traveling around the country on a motorcycle? I told him It was none of his F@#king business and just get me back to my bike! As we get to my motorcycle he makes reference to the fact that some oral sexual exploits would make him forget about the cab fare. (Take into consideration that this guy is a sloppy, sleazy, 65 plus year old pervert that in hand to hand combat, I could probably kill in less than a minute). He was the stereotypical "Diddler".
I told him that I would forget what he had just said and be on my way and pay my fare, Then he said, "You may not have a choice" Then I thought, "shit" he might have a gun! So I asked, "What do you mean"? He said, "Your wheel is locked in my trunk". (At this point in time we are parked next to my motorcycle on the side of the road.) I then calmly told him, "No my friend, it is you that does not have a choice."
He opened the trunk, got my wheel out, and told me was just joking with me!
I handed him a $100.00, the one way fare was actually $55.00, but he did not quibble. He was lucky to be alive. As things would work out, the 10 minutes it took me to remove, the wheel, turned into 30 mins to replace it. In sweltering 125 degree temps. I found a new use for my "crock" sandles, they protected my knees from the scalding pavement while I installed the wheel.
After installing my wheel and repaired tire, I rode into Laughlin, thank goodness they have cheap hotel rooms, I checked in for the night at 6:00pm. I had been dealing with this tire issues for over 5 hours in 125 plus temps, I was cooked both mentally and physically. The next day, I called "Moab" Taxi company to register a complaint, they seemed indifferent. So I called the Bullhead city Police department, and they told me that I could register a complaint, but I would have to appear in court and appear as a witness, and it would be weeks before it would come before a judge.
So beware, the Diddler is out there!
I got the Hell out of Laughlin, and headed to the Grand Canyon, still in 120 plus temps, I have been to the canyon more than once, but just wanted to take a few pics, and get a sticker for my side box. I made it there just fine but as I pulled into the gift shop, my back wheel locked up! My rear brakes were scalded, I loosed a bolt and lifted the caliper off of the disk and tied it off with a zip tie.
I headed up the road and ended up in "Winslow" Arizona, yes the same "Winslow" that is in the song. I found a cheap hotel room and stayed for the night. I looked things over and found that the whole break assemply is just coated with tar, from the roads. I cleaned it off the best that I could. I also found that the "O" rings on my chain are worn out.
We are heading home!!!
I would rather camp out, "Slathered" in Bacon grease in the wilds of Alaskan "Grizzly" country, than deal with the oppressive heat of the desert in August, and the "Dilladlah"
I am glad that you all have taken the ride with me, I will not be posting travel logs for a few days. I want things to "Sink" in for a bit.
It has been over 2 months, 14000 miles, we have seen some great things. I plan to be home sometime the middle of this week. How I miss home!
After a trip like this, it is difficult to prioritize what, or whom I want to see the most. During this trip, through thick and thin, I have thought about people, places and things. To a great extent!
What I look forward to the most is stopping at the end of the driveway of our family farm. Miles from pavement, a place that no one would know where it is, if not for the fact they had been there. The place that I started my journey, the place that I will end my journey.
For all of those of you along the way that said, "You ain't in Kansas anymore"
Well, I am back and there is no place that I would rather be!!!
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