Breakfast with Dave, Ebbetts Pass, home

After the rain yesterday afternoon and evening Friday morning was clear but a chilly 50 degrees as I loaded the bike. I met Dave at the Carson Valley Inn in Minden and we talked politics, technology, and TV shows for two hours over French toast and lots of coffee. When I left the CVI parking lot it had warmed to 60 degrees, but the sun was warm on my back as I rode south on NV 88 to the California border. A few more miles and I went left on Highway 89 through Markleeville, and then west on 4 to climb up to the 8700 foot summit of Ebbetts Pass. There were only a few cars on the road, the road itself was recently surfaced and lined, and it was a great ride to the top.

The ride up to Ebbetts Pass

 

I began to notice patches of fresh snow in the shadows alongside the road, evidence that yesterday's rain in the valley had produced snow at higher elevations. Highway 4 descends a bit to Hermit Valley, and there are a couple of small lakes on the south side of 4 that are probably fed by the Mokelumne River.

As Highway 4 climbed out of Hermit Valley to the 8000 foot Pacific Grade summit it became dirtier, with patches of mud and pine needles, which caused me to take a bit of extra caution. The road began its descent towards Bear Valley, but before it widened I encountered the unusual sight of a semi-trailer coming at me. There was no way the rig would be able to negotiate the sharp turns near the passes, so I assumed that it was going to pick up horses at a camp near Lake Alpine. In fact there were two other semis heading up and I passed one on the way down.

The temperature rose to a pleasant 70 at Bear Valley and gradually got up to 75 through Big Trees and I finally stopped in Angels Camp at Highway 49 for lunch. I had a turkey and avacado sandwich and coffee at a small cafe on 49, and I'll have to remember the place - the food and coffee were good. I also had a conversation with a couple from San Diego on a BMW GS who had been riding around in northern California. They were spending the night in Bridgeport before heading for home tomorrow. West of Angels Camp there's a 12 mile stretch of hills and curves before the road flattens after Copperopolis. From there it's a pleasant if unexciting ride to Stockton, the grassy hills golden in the Autumn light. After an unplanned half hour tour of Stockton (I missed the turnoff for the Highway 4 bypass - I think that you have to get on 99 north for one exit) I reconnected with 4, which I followed to I-5, then I-205 to Tracy, then I-580 to Castro Valley, the San Mateo Bridge to 101 and home, arriving a little after 5:30. Traffic was slow at various places in my direction (it was Friday evening rush hour after all) but it looked like 580 was a solid backup in the eastbound direction all the way from Livermore to Tracy.

The Suzuki once again proved to be an excellent long distance hauler, averaging 54-58 mpg over the 4300 miles of the trip with zero problems. My friend, Geo, called this trip the hajj to nowhere, and maybe he is right, but sometimes those are the best kind.

Home after 11 days and 4300 miles.

Fallon redeemed, rain

Since I was in no particular hurry this morning I left a little after 8:30 following breakfast at the Silver State Restaurant a short walk from the motel. It was partly sunny and a cool 60 degrees as I slowly rode through Ely, then sped up out of town to the 70 limit. Over three passes and into Eureka, then over another pass before climbing the Austin summit and descending into Austin. I thought that I might stop at the Austin museum, but it was closed, so I got gas at the Chevron station on the west end of town. A German (?) guy on an Indian Scout was at the next pump and I asked him how he liked the bike. He said it was OK, but that it wobbled at 40 mph - he made a shaking motion with his arms. I looked at the right side of the bike and noticed that the saddlebag was scraped, and also the right hand grip. I asked if he was OK, and he flexed his hand and said, "OK to ride - that's what's important."

After Austin it is just a long haul to Fallon with just one more pass. I took a picture of the shoe tree a few miles past Cold Springs, and also the sand dunes at Sand Mountain.

The shoe tree 10 miles west of Cold Springs on US 50

Sand Mountain about 20 miles east of Fallon on US 50

When I'd checked the weather report yesterday evening there was a prediction of rain in Fallon, and that proved to be the case. It began about 10 miles outside of town and the temperature dropped from 70 to 60. I was determined to find  a decent cup of coffee and a snack in Fallon, and rode around the historic downtown area, which mostly seemed to consist of empty storefronts and nail salons. I saw a sign for Java Hut, but after I'd parked the bike I realized that it was another empty building. Then I saw a place called Courthouse Bakery, right on US 50 at Maine St. I hadn't noticed it because the script for the sign was hard to decipher, and it's a busy intersection. I went inside and piled my rain gear in a corner, and found that it was a very nice place. I had a tuna salad and avacado sandwich on the bakery bread, and the coffee was good, but the real treat was a slice of  excellent strawberry/rhubarb pie. When I mentioned to the waitress that this seemed to be the only cafe in town, she advised me that there was a coffee shop called the Daily Grind next to Jerry's Restaurant on the west end of town - for future reference.

Much refreshed, I put my gear back on and headed out into the rain. The temperature dropped to a little under 60 - just warm enough that I didn't want to stop and put on my electric vest. The  60 miles to Carson City on US 50 went quickly and rather than take the bypass around the downtown to 395 I rode through the downtown area past the State buildings. I noticed that the Ormsby House seems to be undergoing yet another renovation.

I'm staying in Gardnerville at the Westerner Motel, just a couple of miles from the Carson Valley Inn, where I'll meet Dave for breakfast tomorrow.

Goblins in Utah, Ely, Nevada

The host at the Budget Inn in Green River, Utah provided a motel breakfast of cereal, toast, and little muffins (that he'd made). As promised, the coffee was good, so all in all not a bad deal. Today was to be a relatively short distance on good roads, so I was in no hurry to get started, leaving a little before 8:30. A few miles on the Interstate and I exited at Utah 24 towards Hanksville. I had the road mostly to myself, and after 20 miles turned off 24 towards Goblin State Park.

I paid the entrance fee ($5 for motorcycles) and rode to the observation area parking lot where you can walk down to the valley and wander around. My motorcycle boots are not so much broken in as they are broken down, and not suitable for hiking. Still, I walked around for a mile or two and took many pictures. The day was slightly overcast and cool for the Utah desert, so it was a pleasant walk.

Millions of years ago this area was a huge inland sea, and the sediment at the bottom formed shale, sandstone, and siltstone. When the Colorado Plateau emerged, the sedimentary rocks were exposed, and over a period of more millions of years the wind and rain eroded the softer areas and left the goblins behind.

Isolated goblins stand out as you leave the valley area

 

The pictures don't convey the weirdness of the valley - there are hundreds of the goblins all around you.

Back on UT 24 I stopped to take a picture of yet another interesting rock formation alongside the road.

On UT 24 outside of Goblin Valley

As I neared Hanksville and the junction Highway 95 I began to see the distinctive red soil and red  rock formations that line 95 south to Natural Bridges. Many years ago when Andrew was about 10 and we were on a motorcycle trip we stopped at a rock store in Hanksville. There were also many dinosaur bones, and the proprietor took us in the back where he had Andrew stand next to a thigh bone that was taller than he was (at the time). Alas, the store has been closed for many years.

The rock  store in Hanksville, Utah - closed for years.

Utah 24 west of Hanksville passes through Capitol Reef National Park, and it's a great ride with hills, curves, spectacular scenery, and many photo opportunities. Unfortunately, I was having too much fun to stop often enough to see all the sights, such as petroglyphs, an old schoolhouse made of red sandstone, a fruit orchard, and much more. However, I did make one or two stops. One of these trips I'll have to force myself to stop more often, maybe even go to the visitor's center. Maybe if I'm in a car...

UT 24 heading west through rock formations

Rock formations in Capitol Reef National Park

In Torrey I stopped at the Castle Rock Cafe for a slice of carrot cake (recommended by the proprietor and delicious) and a good cup of coffee.

Excellent coffee and carrot cake here in Torrey, UT

Refreshed, I continued on 24, which gradually straightened and climbed  to an 8400 foot summit. I rode by Koosharem and the landscape became the typical Utah high desert scenery.

UT 24 ends in Salina, and I stopped downtown at Mom's Cafe for lunch. In spite of Nelson Algren's admonition to never eat at a place called "Mom's", the food was quite good.

US 50 goes from Salina to I-15, and you go south on the Interstate for 10 miles and exit to continue west on US 50 to Delta. The ride from Delta to the Nevada border was boring as usual and hadn't changed since I was through there a few days ago. Or, for that matter the 20 or 30 times I've been on it over the years. In Nevada the road climbs over Sacramento Pass and the old, yellow truck with the Buick grill is still parked at a ranch on the west side of the summit. Farther on about 60 huge windmills turn slowly in the breeze.

A wind farm in the Nevada desert

US 50 climbs over Connor's Pass before going into Ely. The day had become overcast and cloudy, and there were isolated pockets of water on the road, which let me to think that there had been a shower earlier in the day.

In Ely I saw a city police car waiting alongside the road with a radar gun, and farther on another cop was writing up an unlucky lady in a Prius. I also saw a State Trooper driving through town. I'm staying at the Rustic Inn, which is a bargain at $35 cash.  The room is small and spartan, but it's also clean and it looks as though the place was remodeled not too long ago. Dinner at the Hotel Nevada in the old downtown was disappointing - I've usually had better luck with casino food.

Tomorrow will be a short day as I'm only going as far as Minden.

Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Utah

Monday morning was a cool 58 degrees when I left the Riverside Motel in Hebron, Nebraksa and continued west on US 136. My destination for breakfast was the Red Brick Cafe in Red Cloud, Nebraska, where I'd eaten last year and enjoyed visiting the Willa B. Cather Historical Society Museum. Unfortunately, when I arrived at 9 AM the building that formerly housed the cafe was empty. I rode around town for a little bit and finally asked someone for a place to eat. He said that the only place was the Red Brick Cafe, which was now in the front of the town bowling alley. Sure enough, right on US 136, where there's a block of red brick street, was the bowling alley with an "open" sign in front. The same waitress and chef were there, and she explained that they'd just moved and they would have a proper sign for the restaurant in a week or so. I related how I'd been there last year and had a long conversation with a woman about the town and Ms. Cather, and the waitress said it was probably Jeannie, which sounded familiar.

New home of the Red Brick Cafe - the bowling alley has 3 lanes!

The rolling hills I'd been riding through gradually flattened and the farm crops gave way to empty fields, hay, and range land. I'd intended to ride all the way to Alma before angling down to Kansas and US 36, but Highway 136 was closed at Franklin, so I rode south on State Road 10 into Kansas where the road became 8 and in 25 miles turned west  on US 36, which Carol and I had traveled west to east earlier this summer. There's no way around it - western Kansas is rather bleak, which is not to say that there aren't interesting sights along the way.

About 100 yards from the dead steer is the twisted carcass of a house trailer. Tornado?

Hay bales in a field

US 36 in eastern Colorado becomes even bleaker, and the only thing that I had to look forward to was passing through Last Chance, which I did once again without even noticing. It was on my GPS, I knew that it was at the junction of US 71 and 36, and yet I didn't see it. People probably steal the town sign, and I passed by Highway 71 without it registering. Carol tells me that there is really nothing there to indicate a town.

Eventually US 36 joined I-70 and I followed my GPS into  Denver onto I-25 and off at Colfax Ave. It was the beginning of evening rush hour and what with construction on I-70 my progress was slow - no lane splitting in Colorado. I knew that western Denver and west Colfax Avenue in particular could be somewhat sketchy, so I'd made a list of motels that were a little farther out of the downtown area. However, I passed the Westway Motel, which had a nice neon sign out front and decided to take a chance. All the maintenance budget must have gone to the sign, because the motel itself was a dump even by my low standards.

Westway Motel - not my best choice of lodging this trip.

Nevertheless, I checked in, did my bike checks and chain maintenance, and read for awhile before riding towards downtown to meet Vanya at Table 6 for dinner. Dinner was very good and Vanya  and I talked and caught up. She'd  been in town briefly for a wedding just two weeks ago, but we'd barely seen her. In spite of my trepidations about the motel, I wasn't murdered in my sleep or devoured by vermin, and when I looked outside on Tuesday morning I realized that I'd slept through a hard rain. I met Vanya for breakfast at a café downtown called City O'City, and afterwards she gave me a tour of the Justice Center where she works. It's a fairly new building, probably built in the last 10 years, and everything is clean and unmarked, with bright  rugs, wood-paneled offices, and leather chairs in the reception areas and conference rooms.

Vanya  in the rotunda in the Justice Center - State Capitol in the background

 

After parting I walked around downtown a bit before going back to the bike and heading towards I-70 and out of  town.

The Denver Art Museum

I-70 mostly follows old US  6 but the Eisenhower tunnel on the Interstate bypasses Loveland Pass on US 6. Back in July in 1972  Dick and I crossed over Loveland Pass on our way to a pig roast in Wisconsin following our visit to California. It was about 2 in the morning and the fog was so heavy that I couldn't see 50 yards in front of me, and I was struggling to follow the taillights of the car ahead of me. Dick was having even more trouble seeing the small taillight on my motorcycle. We stopped to warm up at a cafe in Idaho Springs and after we were there for a few minutes a truck driver came in and asked us which way we were headed, because he'd just come down from the pass and it was snowing. Today it was fresh and clear, and after creeping through some road construction on I-70 I exited the Interstate to ride over Loveland Pass again. There was no traffic, the road is in great shape, and the curves and the climb were fun.

Almost 12,000 feet - that's a high pass

The view from the top

 Continuing on 6 there are more curves and then sweepers, and the road eventually straightens as it goes down  to the Keystone ski area and then on to Breckenridge. I got back on I-70 at Dillon and rode past Vail then got off at Eagle for lunch. Someone in the Colorado Department of Transportation has gone mad for roundabouts, because  every small town where I exited seemed to have a dozen or so. Eagle was no exception, and I went through three of them to get to a rest area, then another two to get outside of town (now on US 6 again) where I finally found Heidi's Restaurant hidden behind an Autozone, which itself was hidden behind a Costco. It was worth the search because the salmon melt sandwich was delicious and coffee was very good. Refreshed, I got back on the Interstate, which in that part of Colorado is quite scenic. There was more road construction through Glenwood  Canyon along the Eagle River, but even past the canyon area the scenery is interesting as the road crosses the Colorado River again and again. Eventually, however, the land becomes high desert with rocky buttes and continues to be the same in eastern Utah.  I'm spending the night in Green River, Utah, at the Budget Inn, one of my kind of places. There is Kleenex and shampoo, however, and a good WiFi connection, so I can't complain.

Tomorrow, a detour to Hanksville, and into Nevada. US 50 again.

Felsen Tribute, rolling hills in Iowa, Nebraksa

Valley Junction is several blocks of the old downtown business district of West Des Moines, built back when the town was separated from Des Moines by fields and woods. Now of course it's all one big urban/suburban area with malls, business parks, and freeways. Valley Junction isn't exactly quaint as it is old-fashioned. There are too many ordinary businesses that just happen to be housed in old, red brick buildings. There are also boutiques, candy stores, and crafts stores along with hardware stores and a pharmacy. Sport of a preserved 1960. This Sunday morning 5th St. was shut down for the Henry Gregor Felsen Tribute hot rod show. Mr. Felsen wrote several books for teenagers back in the 50s and 60s, and he remains popular today, especially among those who have an interest in old hot rod cars. It was a short ride to Valley Junction from my hotel, and I arrived and parked a little after 9 AM. About half of the 200 cars in the show had already arrived and were lined up along both sides of 5th St. It was another beautiful autumn day, sunny and mild, and I took a quick turn up and down the street looking at the cars. At the registration area I looked at the T-shirts and posters, and picked up a copy of Hot Rod, Felsen's first (and my favorite) novel. Several of his books have been re-issued by Amazon with some corrective editing, and introductions by his daughter, Holly, and son, Dan. In the course of talking with the lady at the booth, it came out that I'd come to the show from San Francisco, and she said, "You have to meet Holly, she'll be thrilled that someone came that for for her dad's show." Holly was right there and we were introduced and spent quite a bit of time talking about her dad, growing up in a small Iowa town, cars, and how Felsen's books have remained popular over the years.

Holly poses in front of her recently completed hot rod.

Holly's older brother, Dan, was also there and I met him as well. In her introduction to Hot Rod Holly says the Dan was into cars like his dad, whereas she didn't care anything about them, but that she and her dad shared a love of baseball.

The cars were mostly classic rods, although there were a few resto-mod 1950s models, as well as a few stock old cars, rat rods, modern performance cars and 60s era muscle cars.

A classic hot rod

Another classic rod

An elegant '32 Packard

'59 Ford Skyliner - the original retractable hardtop

A nice pair of hot rods

a '40 Ford

'55 Chevy resto-mod

Street scene in Valley Junction

A friend of Holly's from Portland, Oregon was singing in a coffee shop, so I listened to his songs for a half hour or so. His songs are all about cars, and are whimsical and wry - much like those of my friend, Joel.  Scotty (the singer-songwriter) writes for car publications, and corresponded with Felsen over the years until Felsen died in 1995.

I left Valley Junction around noon and rode down I-35 to State Highway 92 west to US 169, which I took south to US 34 and then west to Creston, where I stopped at the town Visitor's Center, which is an old Philips 66 gas station. I believe that I took a similar picture of the same place last year or the year before.

Visitor's center in Creston, IA

I continued on 34 to US 71, which I took south to Clarinda, and then UT 2 west to US 59 south into Missouri, where I finally turned  west on US 136 in Tarkio. That's a lot of wandering around, and it gave me a chance to appreciate that part of Iowa with it's rolling hills, streams and rivers, woods, and fields. Not twisty mountain road scenery, but quite lovely nevertheless.

By now it was late afternoon and I was riding into the sun. I stopped just over the Missouri River in Brownville, Nebraska, to take a picture of a paddle wheeler that appeared to be undergoing reconstruction.

The Captain Merriwether  Lewis

I've ridden on US 136 many times  over the years, and I went through Auburn, Tecumseh,  Beatrice (which is quite a large town with several blocks of red brick buildings), Fairbury, and  finally, just as the sun was beginning to get low in the sky, Hebron, where I'm spending the night at the Riverview Motel, the river being the Little Blue., I had a dinner of fried chicken at nearby Mary's Café, and there was even strawberry/rhubarb pie for dessert. It was dark as I walked back to the motel,  and I admired the large full moon that was low in the east. Later when I went out to the bike I noticed that there was an impressive lunar eclipse, which I hadn't known about.

Tomorrow on to Denver and dinner with Vanya.

A side trip to Coon Rapids, Iowa

After yesterday's rain  it was a fresh and sunny morning when I left the motel for Star Motorsports in Lincoln. I'd intended to ride on US 34 all the way to Lincoln, but a few miles down the road there was a sign advising that the road was closed ahead, so I rode south to I-80 and blasted along the Interstate. A few miles from Lincoln I noticed that there was a several mile backup on westbound 80, and I guessed  that  there  was a football game at the University of Nebraska today. I found the motorcycle shop (where the service writer confirmed the cause of the backup) with no problem and had breakfast at a nearby Cracker Barrel while the shop installed the tire. Just after I finished breakfast the shop called to say that the bike was ready. I paid up and as I was loading the bike  the mechanic came out to tell me what tire pressures he'd set, why he'd replaced the tire valve stem, that he'd taken it for a test ride, and that the brake linings would need replacing before too long. A nice touch by the mechanic.

Following breakfast I'd booked a room in West Des Moines, and now I had several hours to kill before I could check into the motel, which was only three hours away via  Interstate. While I was looking at the map yesterday, I noticed that there was a town called Coon Rapids a mere 80 miles or so out of my way, so I decided  to go there. Rather than get back on the Interstate I went into Lincoln and followed Ave. O (US 34) east out of town to US 75 by the  Missouri River, where I went north. This is all rolling hillsides and prosperous farmland, the road was in good  shape, there was no traffic, and a town every 15 miles or so gave me something to look at besides the fields of brown corn. The temperature  had been 56 degrees when I left Aurora in the morning, and 65 by the time I arrived in Lincoln. It stayed around 70-75 for most of the day, maybe a little warmer by late afternoon. Perfect riding weather.

A small hotel by a small rail yard - maybe Carson, Iowa

Impressive building in downtown Griswold, Iowa

I remembered that US 34 crossed the Missouri at Plattsmouth, but there's now a new and improved 34 and a new bridge that  crosses the river several miles  north. No matter, I turned north a few miles into Iowa on a small, twisty road that is apparently a favorite of  the local motorcycle cruisers - I saw dozens of bikes out for a ride on a beautiful  autumn Saturday. The road wasn't challenging, but with the  hills and gentle curves it kept your attention, and it was very scenic with woods, creeks, a few small towns, and patchwork farmland. East of Council Bluffs I picked up State Road 92, which I followed east through more rolling hills and farmland until I arrived at US 71, which I took north to the intersection with I-80 and then for another 15 miles to 44 east and then Chester Street into Coon Rapids. There's a rail yard on the edge of town, and Main Street is very wide with small shops and businesses on each side and parking in the middle of the street as well as at the curb. It's a little to rough and run down to be quaint, but that may come. I stopped at Chuck's Place  where I had coffee and a slice of peach pie - they listed strawberry/rhubarb but were out of it. While I was there the waitress educated me on corn harvesting - I'd thought that the fields of brown stalks were evidence of a dry summer, but that is a normal cycle for corn, and it isn't harvested until some time after the stalks turn brown.

Downtown Coon Rapids, Iowa. It may not look like much but it has a certain charm.

Back on the bike I took State Road 141 east  towards Des Moines. After 30 miles the little country road became a four lane expressway as it  angled to I-35 south to Des Moines. I found the Valley West Inn with no problem, but the place isn't quite as upscale as I'd thought it would be. It's a bit like the Broker's Inn in  Boulder - there's a sort of faded elegance to the place. To add to the disappointment the hotel's Internet is down, and I'm writing this via my phone's mobile hotspot. There's an Olive Garden and a Red Lobster just across the street from the hotel, but when I checked both places there were dozens of people, mostly families with kids, waiting outside both restaurants, so I went the opposite direction to a Mall where I dined at a Chipotle's.

Tomorrow, the car show!

The Plains of Colorado and Nebraska

The day got  off to an inauspicious start with a 20 minute wait for road construction on CO 14 just east of Fort Collins. A few miles after clearing the construction zone, fog descended, hanging low over the surrounding corn fields and range land. It was about 55 degrees, but I was dressed for the cool temperature, and when I reached Sterling, Colorado, 100 miles down the road, the fog had begun to disperse. I had breakfast (eggs Benedict - OK, but not as good as the waitress described them to be) at the Old Town Bistro. Sterling is a fairly large town, with a nice downtown area and stone buildings. I had noticed that the front tire on the Wee was beginning to "cup" (wear unevenly)  and from past  experience I know that  when a tire  begins to cup it wears at an increasing rate. While I ate breakfast I got on my iPhone in search of a motorcycle shop that had a tire for the bike, and that could install it on short notice. I called several motorcycle shops in North Platte, Grand  Island, and Lincoln, Nebraska and finally found a shop in Lincoln that had a tire in stock, and the man said that they could put it on Saturday morning.

With that taken care of I continued east on CO 14 to Holyoke, CO where I picked up Highway 23 which I followed northeast into Nebraska. This is a little traveled farm road with a small town every 15 or 20 miles and mostly local traffic. The weather cleared gradually and it warmed up to about 65 degrees. At US 83 I went  north to North Platte, NE where I picked up I-80. I'd intended  to go north and then east to Broken Bow, NE, but since I had an appointment in Lincoln early in the morning I didn't want to add another couple of hours to my day's ride.

I got  off I-80 in Brady for a coffee and muffin at a local Espresso shop, which was located by the Sod House Museum.

The Sod House Museum

The sod house

Standing by a buffalo sculpture

As I was getting back on the bike it began to sprinkle, and once on the Interstate (75 MPH speed limit) it rained off and on for the next couple of hours until I stopped for the night in Aurora, CO where I'm staying at Ken's Motel  ($40). It's actually a nice place and even Carol would approve. To balance my fancy breakfast I dined at Pizza Hut this evening.

Autumn ride to Des Moines, Iowa

In the 1950s and early 1960s Henry Gregor Felsen wrote several books aimed at teenage boys who,were also car nuts. These were not particularly happy novels - there were violent deaths, abusive and alcoholic parents, and much general angst. I of course read and enjoyed every one. Recently, I discovered that Mr. Felsen's children organized a car show - The Henry Gregor Felsen Tribute - that has been held annually for the last several years in West Des Moines, Iowa. That seemed like a good excuse for a long ride.

After breakfast and Walter's morning walk I left San Francisco a little after 10:30 on Tuesday morning, September 22. The hot weather had finally broken and San Francisco was a cool 60 or so and overcast, but once in Marin the sky cleared and by the time I was in Vallejo the temperature had risen to a pleasant 70 or so, and it gradually warmed as I headed east into the Sacramento Valley on I-80. There was a brief slowdown for road work after Donner Summit, but all in all it was about as pleasant a ride on I-80 as can be imagined. At Fernley I turned on US 50, which I followed to Fallon where I had an early dinner at a Mexican/Italian (!) restaurant in the old downtown. Just before sunset I arrived at the Pony Canyon Motel in Austin, Nevada where I'd made a reservation. Once I saw the place I realized that I'd stayed there before, and the place I really wanted was next door (the Cozy Mountain Motel). No matter, the place was OK, although the floors were slanted, and there was even a friendly cat hanging around. I'm riding the Suzuki DL650 V-Strom (AKA the Wee-Strom, or the Wee) on this  trip, so I lubed the chain as soon as I checked it.

This morning I left a little after 7:30 when it was still 55 degrees. I climbed  out  of town over the Austin Summit (7900 feet) and descended down the twisty, well-paved road on the other side of the summit towards Eureka. I was little worried about wandering wildlife that early in the morning and in the hills, but the only wildlife I saw were a couple of touring bicyclists and a dog. It was a sunny and pleasant morning with little traffic, as you might expect on that road at this time of year. In Eureka I was disappointed to learn that the Owl Club Cafe, my intended breakfast stop, didn't open until 10:30 - must be post-Labor Day hours. I finally had breakfast at 10:30 in Ely, and also put 5.3 gallons in the Wee's tank. The tank is supposed to hold 5.8 gallons, so at 265 miles I  was pushing my range a bit.

Mural on a building in downtown Ely

After Ely US 50 goes over several passes in the 6500-7500 foot range before descending into Utah and going straight to Delta, where I stopped at a city park for water break. The temperature was in the mid-80s and very pleasant as long as you were moving. Outside Delta I followed US 6 northeast to Lynndyl and UT 132 to Leamington and Nephi at I-15.

                                    The art project in Leamington hasn't changed

In Nephi I looked around the old downtown for a restaurant, but failed to find one and finally stopped at a One Man Band cafe at I-15 - part of a small, Utah chain.

Veterans memorial garden in Nephi, Utah

I-15 is posted for 80 MPH for several miles and I followed the Interstate to Provo, where I exited at US 189, which goes right through town on University Avenue. Downtown Provo and the University are impressive, but at 4:30 on a weekday afternoon there was a lot of traffic. Outside of town the traffic thinned and it was a pleasant ride through Provo Canyon along Deer Creek. Many years ago this was a very twisty, bumpy, poorly maintained, and probably dangerous ride, although it was a lot of  fun if you weren't stuck behind a truck, motorhome, or slow-moving car. The road has been improved and straightened over the years and much of it is even four lanes, so an exciting ride has become less so but more enjoyable overall.


.At Heber City I turned east on US 40 and climbed over 8000 foot Daniels Pass and then descended to Duchesne, where I spent the night at the River Inn. When I called from Heber City to make the reservation I asked the lady for directions, and she said that the motel was on the northwest corner of the only traffic light in town, so I didn't have any trouble finding the place. After doing chain maintenance, I had dinner at Cowan's Cafe, where I realized that I'd eaten there before and that the service had been very slow - that hasn't changed, although to be fair there was only one waitress and one person working in the kitchen.

This morning was a chilly 55 degrees and I wore my overpants and jacket  liner again as I rode east to Vernal. It's pretty country - high desert, and some interesting rock formations in the otherwise bleak landscape. However, that part of US 40 carries a lot of truck traffic - apparently from local extractive industries - which, along with more car traffic than I would have expected, made  for a ride that wasn't quite as lonely and pleasant as it might have been.

Over the years I've ridden on US 50 and US 40 many times. This year alone I've been on 50 three times and US 40 twice. I have to say that the charms are beginning to wear thin.

Overlooking Vernal, Utah from the west

 After breakfast at the 7-11 Ranch Restaurant in Vernal, I took a few pictures downtown and stopped at the coffee shop. Earlier this summer I had coffee there and spent quite a bit of time talking with Anna Maria, a very lively and pleasant young Macedonian woman. Fortunately, she was there this morning and we chatted for a bit. She said that a lot of the employment in town is with the oil industry, and that with the slump in prices the companies are laying  off people, which has affected the housing market and the local businesses. Still, Vernal is a lot bigger and more vibrant than when Carol and I drove through there 35 years ago on our way to Steamboat Springs to go skiing. There are several museums, new public buildings, and dozens of flower planters lining the main street - not  to mention the dinosaur statues. Vernal does love it's dinosaurs.

A couple of dinos in a park

Apparently this Tyranosaurus likes hamburgers.

Leaving Vernal the traffic gradually eased and I was able to enjoy the scenery - more high desert, hills, and  harsh landscape. Inside Colorado I rode through the town of Dinosaur and continued to Craig, the desert gradually turning into range land as US 40 went into the Yampa River Valley.

In Craig I looked for a coffee shop in the downtown area and finally stopped at a bakery where I had coffee and a sandwich. Riding around in Craig I went by a park that had several wood sculptures.

Old hippie says "peace" in Craig

 

It's a short ride to Steamboat Springs from Craig, and the traffic increased. Steamboat spreads along the US 40 to the west, so it was slow going for several miles until the downtown, where I finally found a Conoco station. The coffee in Craig was mediocre and I should have waited until Steamboat - the gas station advertised a local roast and there was a Starbucks next door.

An old Royal Enfield rests outside a gas station in Steamboat Springs

 US 40 quickly climbs to Rabbit Ears Pass (9500 feet) east of Steamboat, and on the right I looked across to the side of a mountain where golden pockets of Aspen trees stood out against the dark green of the surrounding pines. There were more golden Aspens along the road, and although I hated to stop I had to take a few pictures.

Aspens on the hillside

Aspens along the road

More Aspens - you really had to be there

Not far past Rabbit Ears Pass I turned north on CO 14 towards Walden, CO. This is a high mountain plateau through forest and range land, and it's a thoroughly pleasant ride, especially on a sunny and crisp Autumn day. At Walden 14 goes southeast towards Fort Collins, climbing over Cameron Pass at 10,200 feet before descending through scenic mountain terrain and eventually following the Poudre River. I've been on the road twice before, both times from the other direction and both times in the summer with a lot more traffic. It's a great road with a lot of variation in the surface, sharp turns, and many recreation areas alongside, so the low (45 MPH) speed limit on much of it probably makes some sense, although I rode considerably faster than that. Fortunately, the Park Rangers, Sheriffs, State Patrolmen, and other constabulary were otherwise occupied this day and I didn't see a one.

Fort Collins may be an interesting town, but every time I've been through it for the last several years the roads have been torn up and under construction. I had thought that I would find a place in town and wander around a bit, especially since I was stopping early for once, but the motels in town that I passed were surrounded by road construction, so I finally gave up and settled for a Motel 6 near I-25. To put a cap on my choice of lodging, I had dinner at a Denny's.

Tomorrow across the Great Plains. Again.