In search of catfish and pie and riding back home

The long post of the first part of the trip was becoming increasingly unwieldy to scroll through, so I started a new one for the rest of the trip. Also, it was suggested to me, in the nicest possible way of course, that there were perhaps an excess of pictures of motorcycles, which also adds to the length of the post. There are no motorcycle museums on the agenda between here and San Francisco, but one never knows...

(Saturday, July 2) The Day's Inn had served breakfast in the lobby, so I didn't leave until almost 9. I went into town and west on Highway 62, which wandered around through many small towns with low speed limits. Pretty enough, but slow. I finally went south on the Pennyrile Parkway to Hopkinsville, where I turned easy on US 68 to Cadiz and then KY 80 to Golden Pond and The Trace Road, which goes north-south on The Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. The lakes are Kentucky Lake and Barkley Lake, and the Trace Road is well-maintained, curvy,  scenic, hilly, and devoid of law enforcement. There was surprisingly little traffic on a holiday weekend, and I enjoyed the ride to the Fort Donelson National Battlefield where I went southwest on US 79 all the way to Brownsville,  where I got on US 70 for a few miles, before I finally gave in to the GPS and connected with I-40 west. The GPS was so insistent on getting me to I-40 that it sent me on a small backroad that isn't usually part of the GPS routing.

 

I-40 wasn't too bad until I got near Memphis, when the traffic increased along with the number of trucks. The day had been a pleasant 85 degrees, but it gradually warmed to a slightly uncomfortable 95, with high humidity. I crossed the Mississippi River and burned through the last part of the afternoon to I-30 into Little Rock, where I easily found Lettis Inn, famous for its catfish, which was closed for the holiday weekend.

 

 

I should have called. Back on I-30 I rode 20 miles to Benton, where I'm staying at an EconoLodge, another franchise. This one is managed by a member of the ubiquitous Patel family, and although there is shampoo, Kleenex, and even a hair dryer, the overall condition of the room is rather shabby, and I don't think that the cleanliness is quite what it should be, but I won't dwell on that. 

Fortunately, when I pulled into the EconoLodge I noticed a small restaurant on the other side of I-30 that looked promising, so after unloading the bike I walked over the freeway and had an excellent meal at mo' Betta Gumbo - blackened catfish with gumbo over it, collard greens, and a slice of key lime pie made with crushed macadamia nuts in the crust. Yes, that is way too much food. 

 

 

 

After today's disappointment at Lannis Inn, and at Carol's suggestion, I went online and checked the restaurants in Pie Town, New Mexico - both will be closed on Tuesday, when I was planning to ride through there. So, having already been through the town of Pie Town, I feel no need to return unless there is pie involved, and I'll look at the maps and probably find a more direct route back home to San Francisco. (458 miles)

(Sunday, July 3) The coffee at the Econo Lodge wasn't very good, but at least there was coffee. I left a little after 8 and the temperature was already 80 degrees, and about 90 percent humidity. After a few miles on I-30 I exited at US 70 towards Hot Springs, hometown of Bill Clinton. The road is mostly four-lane and goes through woods and there wasn't much traffic early on a Sunday morning. Hot Springs is an old resort town where people used to come to soak in mineral water from the hot springs that bubble up. As I rode into town I saw two men filling a dozen gallon jugs each at a central water supply. I rode around the town for a bit - old and quaint and charming, but quite touristy, although it's the old-fashioned kind of touristy that seems OK. The only likely breakfast place I could see was a pancake house that had about 20 people milling around outside, presumably waiting for a table. Then I spotted Granny's Kitchen, which worked out just fine. The waitress also solved a mystery for me: I'd seen signs for Hot Springs National Park, but couldn't find the park. It turns out that the town is the national park. After breakfast I walked across the street, up two flights of stairs, and to the Grand Promenade, that overlooks Central Avenue, the main drag in town. 

 

I walked down the promenade to the visitor center, which is in the preserved old Fordyce bathhouse, and went on the self-guided tour of the building. 

 

I walked down Central Ave. back to the bike and along "Bathhouse Row" and saw one called Lamar Bathhouse, which housed an emporium that presumably sold T-shirts, mugs,and other tourist essentials. I didn't go in even though the place was named after my grandfather.

 

As charming as Hot Springs is, I had many miles to cover, so I left town on US 270 to Mt. Ida, then went west and south on AR 8 to Mena, then picked up 270 again into Oklahoma and US 59 north. 270 out of Hot Springs and 8 were great roads with curves, hills, woods, and little traffic. There's a scenic drive called the Talimena Trail that I'll have to save for another day. I rode on 59 up to OK 9, and then east. The road is pleasant enough, but it's a recreation area with many lakes, the largest being Lake Eufaula, and many small towns - every 6 miles or so. I hit a little rain and put on my overpants and gloves before I got wet. The rain only lasted a half hour or so, and was never hard, but later in the day I saw large puddles and flooded fields - evidence that there had been heavier rain elsewhere. OK 9 parallels I-40, and I decided to get on the Interstate about 50 miles sooner than I'd planned just to make better time. The Interstate wasn't that bad on a Sunday afternoon, even going through Oklahoma City, where there was construction and lane closures. About 30 miles west of OK City I exited on US 270 going northwest and after an hour and a half I stopped in Woodward, where I appear to be the only guest at the Wayfarer Inn.

 

The humidity was high all day, and the temperature was mostly 85-95, although it dropped to 80 during the brief shower. Tomorrow morning I'll have to plan my route for the day. I tried to do it at dinner tonight at a nearby Mexican restaurant, but couldn't make a decision. 

(518 miles)

(Monday, July 4) A short post today with no pictures, which seem to be slowing down the blog update when the Internet connection is slow. There were a few other cars in the parking lot this morning - either late arrivals, or guests who had been partying at the nearby casino. It was another warm day in the 80's most of the time, up to a high of 95. I left a little after 8 and continued on US 270/412 and OK 3 into the Oklahoma panhandle for many miles through ranch land, gentle hills, and mostly empty roads. I took OK 3 to Guymon and US 64 into New Mexico and Clayton, where my first difficulty of the day occurred when I searched for a gas station and a place to eat. My GPS showed a ConocoPhillips and a Shell, but neither was to be found, and there were no places to eat. I finally stopped at a Valero, which did not have a working washroom and no water at the windscreen washing stations. 80 miles later in Springer it was a similar situation - only a crowded and run down ConocoPhillips and no place to eat. Maybe I've been spoiled on this trip. I checked the GPS and no other stations were shown, but a few miles up the road on the Interstate there was a new Chevron with a restaurant. When I get home I'll have to make sure that I have the latest update for my GPS. I followed NM 58 to Cimarron and US 64 to Eagle Nest through very pretty mountain country on a well-maintained and interesting road. I'd been looking foreward to a stop in Eagle Nest for coffee and pie, but just outside town was a long line of stopped cars. It seems there was a Fourth of July parade in town, and everything was at a standstill. After waiting for 45 minutes and with no movement, I turned around and went back to Cimarron. I'd planned to ride to Red River and then down towards Taos and go west to Chama, where I'd spend the night. It was going to be tight getting there, and with the delay, I didn't think I could make it. I went east on 64 to I-25 where I went north to Walsenburg. That section of I-25 isn't bad for an Interstate, so I enjoyed the late afternoon cooling although I kept seeing thunderclouds. At Walsenburg I went east on US 160, a road I've been on before, crossing La Veta pass at 9400 feet west of town. The clouds were getting heavier, but everytime it looked like rain was coming the area ahead of me would clear up, although I did see signs of earlier showers - damp road, flooded fields,  and large puddles. I stopped in Alamosa to put on my overpants and jacket liner, and soon after the temperature dropped as the sun got lower and the elevation increased. Outside of South Fork I saw a huge RV/Motorhome park - there were at least 150 parked side by side in rows. It was almost dark when I went over Wolf Creek Pass (10,850 feet) and the temperature was 48 degrees, but soon I rolled into Pagosa Springs and found the San Juan Motel, a very basic and rustic place, where I'm spending the night. I'll work out a plan tomorrow morning, one with options just in case things don't work out as planned. (628 miles) 

(Tuesday, July 5) It was only 60 degrees when I left the San Juan Motel this morning at 8:30 - the motel did serve a basic breakfast, so I ate there. I wore my overpants and jacket liner, so I was warm enough as I rode west on US 160 through a long valley with ranches and small farms. 160 is a heavily traveled road, especially during peak vacation time between July 4 and Labor Day, so there was a fair amount of traffic. I took it easy and enjoyed the fine day. I stopped in Durango for gas, and the next time I'll try to remember not to do that - get gas before, or after, but don't go into Durango. At the station I packed away the overpants and jacket liner and switched to lighter gloves as the day was warming up. It was mostly between 80 and 85, although I did see almost 100 degrees on the bike thermometer at one point later in the day. I don't care how dry it is, that's hot.  A few miles outside of Durango I turned south on CO 140 towards Farmington, New Mexico. This was a good choice as the road was interesting, there was little traffic, and the scenery was good. At the New Mexico border the road became NM 170 and I followed that to US 64 just west of Farmington and headed west. I stopped in Shiprock, NM in search of a snack and coffee, but finally settled for a McDonalds where I had an Egg McMuffin and the best coffee of the last two days.

Shiprock is probably named for a large rock formation south of town that looks like a ship if you have a good imagination.

 

I laid out my route for the rest of the day on my regional map, and continued on 64 to the Arizona border where it joins US 160. I followed 160 past Mexican Water, where Andrew and I had dinner many years ago and the elder of a Navajo family came over to me and said that we reminded him of Robert Pirsig's book, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, since we were traveling on a motorcycle. I stopped in Kayenta for gas and cold tea, went over Marsh Pass at 6750 feet, and fought a headwind and a fair amount of traffic. I've been on that road when I've gone for miles without seeing another car, but there was a steady stream of cars, trucks, RVs and motor homes today. The road is in good shape, and there are plenty of places to pass, and everyone moves along at a good pace anyway, but I prefer the isolation of a deserted road. I rode by the Anasazi Inn where Andrew and I stayed many years ago, but the place looked closed. 160 ends at US 89 a few miles beyond Tuba City, and I went south on 89 past Cameron and the turnoff for the Grand Canyon, south rim. The traffic was still heavy, the headwind had become a crosswind, and the temperature reached its high for the day until it cooled down to 80 as the road climbed over a 7200 foot pass before descending into Flagstaff, where I got on I-40 heading west. I-40 wasn't bad at all, without much traffic and decent scenery before it descended to a lower elevation. I exited in Seligman and stopped there at Lilo's West End Cafe, where I had Wiener Schnitzel, a Beck's NA, and fruit of the woods pie, which contained rhubarb, strawberries, and pear. The story is that the owner married a German girl when he was stationed in Germany, and brought her to Seligman and opened the restaurant. German tourists are big into Route 66 lore, and they bring license plates and German signs to the restaurant when they visit.

 

 

 

Seligman is very much into its connection with historic Route 66, and nearly every business makes some reference to the road. If you ever need a Route 66 T-shirt, mug, sign, back scratcher, or cat food bowl, Seligman is the place to go. 

 

After dinner I continued west on old 66 through Peach Springs, Valentine, past the closed-for-the-day Route 66 Hackberry store, and finally into Kingman where I'm staying at a Motel 6, appropriate, I think, since I spent a couple of hours on the Interstate today and Motel 6 is an Interstate kind of place.  (572 miles)

(Wednesday, July 6) Last night I decided that this would be the last day on the road, so I got an early start at 7:30 and the temperature was already 85 degrees. The Motel 6 lobby had a machine that makes individual cups of coffee, and it was tasty, so I was in a correspondingly good mood as I headed west on the Interstate for a few miles before turning off on Historic Route 66 to Oatman, Arizona. The road is sparsely populated with isolated houses, house trailers, and ranches, and then there's nothing but road, desert, and hills. The road becomes interesting as it climbs in elevation, and it had been recently resurfaced and lined. The few miles before Sitgreave's Pass (3523 feet) are very twisty and challenging and after I passed a road crew that was sweeping the road there was sand and gravel in many of the corners, so I was cautious. In Oatman I stopped at the restaurant for breakfast, but the lady outside smoking a cigarette informed me that they didn't open until 9 (it was 8:15).

I asked about the motorcycle museum, and she said that it didn't open until 10. The Oatman "season" is from September to May, the rest of the year being too hot. Sorry Clark, no pictures of old motorcycles today. Even the burros that usually wander around the town weren't there. The temperature had already climbed to 95 degrees, and with no reason to linger I left town and enjoyed the next 20 miles or so of hills and curves and desert before entering Golden Shores and then onto I-40.

 

I stopped at a Denny's in Needles for breakfast, got back on I-40 and in 120 miles stopped again in Newberry Springs on Route 66 to take a picture at the Bagdad Cafe, where the movie, Bagdad Café, was filmed.

Back on I-40 the GPS had me exit at CA 58 in Barstow, the shortest way to I-5 if you are going north. The road is mostly four-lane divided except for a couple of long stretches where it is two-lane, although a new road is under construction. The new road was also under construction a couple of years ago when I rode through there. Such is the pace of progress in California.

Just after the Tehachapi summit (4064 feet) I exited and rode the few miles into the town of Tehachapi and stopped at Knudsen's Bakery and Café for a salad with turkey and German vegetables and German dressing and a mini boysenberry pie.

Back on CA 58 the road descends into the messy sprawl of Bakersfield and I went on CA 99 north for 20 miles and then west on CA 46 to I-5. Ever since I entered California in Needles and all across the Mohave desert there was a constant stream of trucks, RVs, motor homes, and cars with a strong crosswind or headwind. The desert isn't particularly scenic - beige, rough ground with sage and distant hills - but I usually find it to be relaxing although not today with the heavy traffic.

I had thought that I might take back roads for the hundred miles from Coalinga to Hollister instead of staying on 5, but I decided not to take the extra time and just followed the GPS, which had me stay on 5 to CA 152 to Gilroy - an old and narrow four-lane (most of the way) where there was heavy traffic (do you notice a pattern here?), although it moved right at the limit. In Gilroy I joined US 101 and rode through Morgan Hill to CA 85 through the western suburbs of San Jose (almost a million in population now) and then I-280, along the ocean on Skyline, and then San Francisco, where it was 55 degrees and gray, and home, 12 hours and 15 minutes after I left Kingman. Carol and Nikki being at classes, Walter was the only one at home, except for Joey the cat, who may or may not have noticed that I was back.

Walter and I spent some time getting reacquainted, and then I unloaded the bike, took a shower, and unwound.

The bike turned over 150,000 miles yesterday just before I gassed up in Williams, Arizona. It ran perfectly, returned 50 miles per gallon most of the time (except today when the winds and high speeds cut the mileage to 45), and was just as comfortable and steady in the 15 mph corners outside of Oatman as it was on the Interstate at 75 mph, mixing it up with the trucks and crosswinds. There were over a hundred miles of construction zones, but there was little construction taking place. I encountered no significant rain during the three weeks - just a couple of showers that totaled less than an hour. My thanks to family and friends along the way, who provided entertaining company, good food, and a place to stay. The trip took three weeks exactly, and I covered 7256 miles, today being the longest mileage at 667 miles.