My Carol was supposed to ride with me, but four weeks ago she crashed her bicycle and suffered a very severe bruise on her leg (among other injuries), which developed into a hard knot that wouldn't go away. Carol (and her doctor) decided that sitting on a motorcycle for many hours was a very bad idea until the swelling and bruising dissipated. So, instead of riding my BMW to the rally I switched to the Suzuki Wee-Storm in the hopes that later this summer Carol might ride with me to Nebraska (on the BMW which is more comfortable for her) to view the eclipse.
On Tuesday morning we continued east on US 50 past the sand dunes, the new shoe tree, through Austin and into Eureka where we had lunch at the Owl Club Cafe, a restaurant where I've often dined in the past. Both John and I have been across Nevada on US 50 many times, but this was a first time for Jeff and he enjoyed the empty roads, the numerous passes, and the beautiful if somewhat bleak scenery. We spent the night in Delta, UT - John and Jeff at a Day's Inn, and I at the Rancher Motel. Just as well that Carol wasn't with me because I don't think that she would have been favorably impressed with the motel, although I thought it was just fine.
After coffee at our respective motels we left at 8:30 and rode northeast on US 6 to Lynndyl, where we went east on UT 132 to Nephi, where we had breakfast at One Man Band near the Interstate. I-15 north has an 80 mph speed limit until it gets near Provo where it drops to 65, and where I waved goodbye to John and Jeff as I exited at US 189. They were going to their motel near the fairgrounds in SLC, and I was headed to Deer Valley near Park City to stay at Linda and Peter's condo there. Provo is a university town and somewhat spread out, but I was through it quickly and followed 189 through Provo canyon along the river, a very pleasant and scenic drive. This used to be a two-lane road with many tight turns and it was a lot of fun until you got behind a truck or motorhome. Now it is four lanes and the turns have been straightened out to a great extent, but it is still a good ride. I followed the GPS to UT 113 to Midway and then 222 and 224 over the pass and into Park City to Linda's condo. The road has only recently been paved all the way, and it was a very beautiful ride through groves of aspen trees with many tight turns.
At the condo I met Linda and Peter and unloaded the bike. I also talked with Tim, the property manager for the complex, who rides a BMW and who was very excited that this year's rally was going to be in his backyard. Tonya, Linda and Peter's elder daughter, and Tonya's kids, Nina and Forde, arrived later in the afternoon and Linda picked them up from the airport.
After breakfast at the condo Thursday morning I rode into Salt Lake City and to the Fairpark near the airport where the MOA rally was being held. Registration was quick and efficient, and I was told that I could transfer Carol's guest ticket to Forde, so I called Linda and she drove him to the fairgrounds. Forde is a gear head and he enjoyed all the motorcycles and the vendors' displays of motorcycle goodies, gear, and apparel. It was hot at the fairgrounds, 96 degrees, but most of the vendors and seminars were indoors in air-conditioned buildings. This dog was taking advantage of the cool, cement floor.
They were expecting 5000 people at the rally, and usually about 40% of the attendees camp on the grounds.
I managed to find a few small items to purchase, but Jeff added a Bluetooth system to his Schuberth helmet, and John purchased a tire changer, which he had shipped to his house. Friday was more of the same, although Forde did not attend. We watched the GS Giants in which riders, fully attired in protective gear (hot!) attempted to ride an obstacle course that included deep sand, narrow lanes, negotiating narrow planks, and other fiendish challenges, all aboard 600 pounds of motorcycle. Just watching for 15 minutes was enough for us, and we went back to the air-conditioned buildings.
I avoided the Friday afternoon getaway from SLC and left for the condo before 4. We all went into Park City where we enjoyed a meal at the Blue Iguana, a Mexican restaurant. Back at the condo everyone packed for the flight or drive to Cody, WY. Linda and Peter's 50th wedding anniversary is Saturday, the 15th, and all four of their kids plus all the grandkids will meet in Cody before they spend a week at a nearby dude ranch. On Saturday Linda and Peter loaded the car and left at 7:45 for the drive to Cody. Tonya and children flew out of SLC for Cody at 1:30 PM, and I left at 8:20 or so, headed for Hanna, UT. The previous day John and Jeff said that they were meeting an old friend, Thane, who lives in SLC, at their hotel and they were going for a breakfast ride to the Hanna Cafe on UT 35. That was very close to my route east to Boulder, so I said that I'd join them. The route took me through back country with many bicyclists on the road, along Wolf Creek and then up and over Wolf Creek Pass (9500 feet). About half way to Hanna I caught up with seven motorcycles following a truck. All the bikes passed the truck, and then three of the bikes, along with me, passed the other four bikes. I recognized John's bike and so followed the group over the pass, which was only somewhat marred by about 10 miles of gravel where the road was being chip sealed.
Thane, who was leading our small pack, is a tall Scandinavian and is 85 years old, and he set a brisk pace - I certainly wouldn't have gone any faster if I'd been alone. The Hanna Cafe seems to be the only place in town, and the food was good although the building was funky.
When I left John, Jeff and Thane they were discussing whether to spend the rest of the day riding around the mountains, or whether to return to the rally in SLC. I headed east on UT 35 and soon came to UT 87, which I rode south to Duchesne and US 40. I purchased gas in Roosevelt, and looked in vain for my favorite coffee shop in Vernal, which appears to have closed. Fortunately, the large, pink dinosaur at the east side of town is still there.
I stopped for a late lunch at the B & B restaurant in Dinosaur, CO where Andrew and I had lunch on our first motorcycle trip together in 1998 on our way to an MOA BMW rally in Missoula, MT.
The rest of the way to Craig, CO featured high desert, hot weather, and little traffic. I first time I rode through Craig was in 1972 on my first cross-country motorcycle trip, and Carol and I went through there several times on our way to Steamboat Springs to go skiing. Since then I've been through and stayed in the town many times over the years, and it has changed very little, in contrast to Steamboat which has grown by at least a factor of five. The motel, the Bear Valley Inn, is another place that Carol would probably not find enticing, but it suits my needs, although at $65.55 it's a bit more money than I usually pay.
I serviced the chain on the Wee, and then rode into town where I had a cup of coffee at the local book store and spent about 10 minutes talking with the owner, whose son is a junior at the University of Colorado in Boulder. I spent another 10 minutes seeing the town - plenty of time for that - and rode back to the motel, then walked a few tenths of a mile to a bar and grill for dinner.
Tomorrow I hope to get an early start for breakfast in Steamboat Springs, and then through Rocky Mountain National Park to Boulder. With any luck I'll beat the weekend traffic back to Denver and Boulder.
(Sunday, July 16) By 8 AM I was on the road and riding into the sun towards Steamboat Springs, where I arrived around 9 AM. To be honest Colorado on US 50 west of Craig just isn't that great - mostly straight road, high desert rocky landscape that is interesting for a half hour, and very few towns. Just east of Craig US 50 follows a river and railroad tracks, and curves and elevation changes make for a pleasant ride. In recent years I've been through Steamboat Springs in the summer, and there was a lot of traffic and the sidewalks were full of tourists looking for western wear, jewelry, and whatever it is that people look for in quaint places. Early on a Sunday morning the three blocks of the old town that line US 50 were serene, and I rode past the F.M. Light western wear store (established 1905) and the Cantina restaurant, where Dick and I had an excellent mexican dinner back in 1972. I parked around the corner from Winona's restaurant, where I sat outside and ate an interesting eggs benedict that came with thinly sliced and chopped ham instead of the usual slab of canadian bacon or ham. It was very good, as was the coffee - the best I've had on this trip so far. When I left Winona's there was a small crowd waiting for tables, and I got on the bike and continued east over Rabbit Ears Pass (9400 feet). Once again I didn't stop at a view area on the way up the pass to take a picture of the beautiful Yampa Valley - maybe next time. US 40 is two lanes going up to the pass, and there was little traffic, so I was able to enjoy the road and the scenery. The road becomes two lane once over the pass, and it winds through aspen groves and mountainous terrain to Kremmling, where I stopped for gas at a very busy Kum & Go station and talked to a couple on a Gold Wing trike who were headed for Ohio and a reunion. Back on the road I went through Sulphur Springs, which looks like it may be about to become a artist or alternate lifestyle community, and I turned left on US 34 just before Granby to head into Rocky Mountain National Park. The road goes by a couple of lakes and recreation areas so there was local traffic as well as people headed to RMNP, but it moved along OK.
The park is pleasant enough (I've been through there many times) and traffic, while heavier than I would like, moved along at the 45 or 35 mph speed limit. Near the top the traffic increased as people pulled into or out of view areas, and there was a sign at the large visitors' center at the top of Trail Ridge Road that proclaimed the lot was full. Although I'm sure that I could have found room for my bike, I continued on, having been there and done that. A mile or so from the top I did stop at a convenient pull-out to take a picture of the Rockies.
The road down the mountain was a bit slow with traffic, and at the east gate I measured a half mile long string of cars waiting to get into RMNP. Estes Park is very much a mountain tourist and outdoors town, but I found the Kind Coffee shop just outside the busy downtown, and I also stopped to admire a very large, black German Shepherd. The owner explained that the black variant was used by the Czech and Slovak police, and that was the origin of her dog. A scone and a good cup of coffe later I headed for Boulder.
The last time I rode from Boulder to Estes Park I took the somewhat more scenic CO 7, which is higher in the mountains and goes through forest with only the occasional lodge or vacation home. This time I rode on US 36, which follows a river (complete with people riding tubes) and winds through a rocky canyon and groves of trees. In Boulder there was an unusual amount of traffic for a Sunday afternoon, but I found the Rodeway Brokers with no problem and checked in. I've stayed here several times over the years, and the place is slowly moving from faded elegance to slightly funky, with paint splatters on the bathroom floor, hot-cold reversed on the sink faucet (the tub faucet is conventional), and an air conditioner that struggles mightily to keep the room at the high end of tolerable.
I called Vanya and Nikki (Vanya lives in Boulder and her younger sister stopped here on her way back to San Francisco) and they drove to the Brokers with Rocky, Vanya's large and exhuberent lab mix, and we went for an hour's walk along the creek, which Rocky kept splashing in. Dinner with Vanya and Nikki was pizza from Garage Pizza and we watched last season's finale of Game of Thrones before watching this season's premier.
(Tuesday, July 18) Yesterday morning Nikki and Rocky and I took a walk along Boulder Creek for over an hour. Rocky enjoyed splashing in the water and at one point he was swimming against the current - sort of a doggie water treadmill.
Vanya picked Nikki and I up and we drove to Arabesque, a Mediterranean restaurant on Pearl St. where we met Jon (Carol's sister and her husband live in Boulder) for lunch. After lunch Vanya returned to work and Nikki and I wandered on Pearl St. for an hour or so. Pearl St. is the shopping center of Boulder, with upscale stores and a lot of touristy stuff that you find everywhere. It's very well presented and fun in it's way - a bit like Main St. in Park City. Monday evening the three of us went out to dinner, after which we said our goodbyes - Nikki was flying back to San Francisco the next morning.
This morning (Tuesday) I was in no particular hurry to get on the road because I was heading south from Boulder and I wanted to miss the morning commute traffic. At a little after nine I was riding south on CO 93, Baseline Rd., and the traffic wasn't bad all the way out of the Denver area. US 285 is a scenic ride through the mountains, but it is a major North/South road, so it carries a lot of traffic. Fortunately, there are many passing lanes and on this morning everything moved well. I stopped at the Java Moose in Fairplay (elevation almost 10,000 feet) for coffee, a pastry, and to check out the map for an alternate route to US 285.
Just outside Fairplay I turned southeast on CO 9, which had very little traffic, and goes through mountain valleys and forest. Before I reached Canon City I turned west on US 50, which took me through a canyon along the Arkansas River. At Texas Creek I went south on CO 69, and it's a similar road to 9, but with more curves and hills. There were ranches and the occasional lodge along the road and after 90 miles of happy riding I stopped in Walsenburg for a late lunch. The patrons of George's Drive-in all seemed to be local, and the chicken sandwich was grilled and tasty.
After 30 miles of US 160 west out of Walsenburg the road goes over the North La Veta Pass (at 9400 feet) and then descends into the verdant and serene San Luis valley. At Fort Garland I went south on CO 159, which becomes NM 522. Just before riding into New Mexico a couple of very small towns a couple of miles apart each had a marijuana dispensary - last chance! A mile into New Mexico and the dark clouds that I'd seen earlier in the day opened up and my jeans became a bit soaked before I found a place to turn off the highway so I could put on rain pants and gloves and close the vents on my jacket. This was a proper thunderstorm with lightning, thunder, and finally hail. Back on the road the rain soon stopped and in Questa I went east on NM 38 to Red River and the Ponderosa Lodge, where I'm spending the night. I'd been to Red River once before about 15 years ago when I attended a BMW rally there. At the rally I met John C. and Dan, two of the Gang of 4 that rode to Alaska several years ago. Red River is a ski town in the winter (the town is 8750 feet) and a fishing and general recreation town in the summer. Across the street at Brett's Bistro I had an excellent catfish diner, and then wandered around the town, which is all along NM 38 - tourist stuff, outfitter stores, and several angling shops. Red River seems like a friendly town - everyone I passed on my walk smiled and said, "Hello."
This evening I plotted out a route for tomorrow and reserved a room in Socorro.
(Wednesday, July 19) The Ponderosa Lodge was probably a fine place in the rustic tradition 30 years ago, but it's in need of a few upgrades and maintenance - I'd like a hot shower in the morning. As long as I'm complaining, I may as well mention that the coffee shop across the street was not open, in spite of the fact that last night I was told at the shop would open at 5. There was a coffee maker in the room, but it seemed silly to brew a 10 cup pot for just me. It was 52 degrees when I began packing the bike, so I wore my fleece jacket liner and my overpants when I headed out of town on NM 38. There were few cars or trucks, and the road and the weather were clear so I enjoyed the mountain road, the forest and the scenery.
Once over Bobcat Pass (9854 feet) the road begins a slow descent through valleys and into Eagle Nest, where I was confronted by road construction on US 64. At the intersection I couldn't tell whether the part of town with the restaurants was to the left or right, so I chose to go right since the one-way traffic control was letting cars through in that direction. Wrong choice, since 64 soon ran out of town. I could have turned back, but that meant another wait at the construction zone, so I continued on for about 15 miles to Angel Fire, which is on NM 434. and found The Bakery & Cafe, which provided a good breakfast.
Angel Fire is a ski area with year round lodges and outdoor recreation. After breakfast I stowed away my fleece liner and overpants and switched to light gloves, and continued on NM 434 south, which went through valleys and evergreen forest and by ranches and the occasional lodge. The road was in good shape except for about 10 miles of construction with short waits at one way traffic control, and unsaved road. Once out of the construction the road became even more pleasant until it ended in Mora at NM 518. Northwest on 518 through the Sanger De Cristo mountains I enjoyed the scenery and the road - the whole area is criss-crossed with small roads, tiny towns, recreation areas, ski areas, and beautiful scenery. I went west on NM 75 then south on NM 76, which is a tiny road that goes southwest from Penasco to Chimayo where I went on NM 503 south of Espinola, then 502 to Los Alamos, where I found a new tourist town complete with a Starbuck's where I had a sandwich and coffee. I spent a half hour at the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, which is a small building with a few exhibits and a 20 minute film about the project. Most of the original labs, housing, and other buildings were allowed to deteriorate and then were torn down, but there's an effort to preserve what is left and build a more extensive museum.
Outside of town the route took me through the Los Alamos laboratories, where I stopped at a guard gate and was warned not to go off the main road and not to take pictures. On NM 4 I rode southeast - more mountain road, more extraordinary scenery, and very nice riding.
Eventually 4 began a long descent and the scenery changed to red rocks and dirt, much like in southern Utah.
NM 4 ended at the southern end of US 550, which I followed to Bernalillo and I-25. I'd noticed that the bike would be due for an oil change in a few hundred miles, so I stopped at a Home Depot (air conditioned) and called a Suzuki shop in Albuquerque to see if I could get a quick oil change. Not today, I was told (it was 4 PM so that wasn't surprising), but they could do it tomorrow first thing in the morning. Having already reserved a room at the San Miguel Inn in Socorro, about 80 miles south of Albuquerque, I continued there, checked in, lubed the chain, and also called the Suzuki shop to see if they could add a rear tire to the work they were doing. Not a problem, I was told, so I went to dinner (El Camino Family Restaurant - recommended by the person who checked me in at the motel) and planned on an early start in the morning.
(Thursday, July 20) After a very stingy breakfast at the motel I was on I-25 heading north at 7:10, and I arrived at the shop at 8:40 - plenty of time to remove the panniers and engine protector (skid) plate before they opened at 9. While they worked on the bike I had a real breakfast at nearby Owl Cafe, one of those places that manufactures nostalgia and attempts to cash in on the Route 66 thing. But, the food was good and the 50s and 60s rock 'n' roll was fun to listen to. Back at the shop I had a short wait while they finished up the bike, and I discovered that the rear tire was on sale, so I was out of there for under $300 - at least 50% less than I pay for similar service in San Francisco. I was buttoned up and back on the road before 11:30 and soon was back in Socorro where I went west on NM 60, a lonely, high desert road. I stopped for gas in Magdalena, and discovered that there is actually an old downtown, which consists of maybe half a dozen buildings.
The scattered clouds of the morning had gathered together and I headed into increasingly threatening skies. Just before I reached the VLA (Very Large Array) radio telescope site, the rain began and I stopped to zip up the jacket vents, and put on rain gloves and overpants.
Through Datil, across the continental divide, and, finally, Pie Town. The Pie-O-Neer is an old, wooden building that has basic tables and chairs in front of a counter that has the whole pies and slices on display. In the back you can see into the kitchen where two women were working making pies. I had the peach and chopped green chili, which in spite of my doubts was very good. I also had a slice of blueberry pie, which was equally good. I spoke with the owner for awhile - he's a friendly guy who is really into pies.
Although the rain had stopped, the sky looked threatening, so I stayed with my rain gear. Good thing, because shortly I rode through another thundershower and would hit showers off and on for the rest of the afternoon. Still, the road was in good shape, the scenery was interesting, and I made good time until 15 miles south of Gallup, NM where there was a detour around the reconstruction of a small bridge. I should say that there had been a detour, because a flash flood earlier in the day had washed out the detour. After waiting half an hour I walked up the small line of vehicles and spoke with an NM Department of Transportation worker, who said that he'd been there for four hours and they weren't much closer to repairing the damage. I waited another half hour, and spoke again with the worker who said that he'd just been told that the detour would reopen in another two or three hours. I decided to take the advice of a Native American woman I'd been speaking with, who directed me through the reservation as a way to bypass the closed detour. After one wrong turn, I found the right road and indeed some kids had put up hand-lettered signs directing people to the right road. Something it seems to me that the road workers or the highway patrol could have done themselves.
Unfortunately, a good part of the detour was on dirt and gravel road, so perhaps that's why the officials were reluctant to direct people there. Eventually, I arrived in Gallup, where I purchased gas and continued on to Window Rock, where I'm spending the night at a Quality Inn.
(Friday, July 21) My efforts to find a place to stay for tonight in Torrey, UT or Escalante or any of the towns nearby were in vain, so I booked a room in Hanksville, only 300 miles down the road. A small breakfast at the restaurant in the Quality Inn was included with the room, and after eating I was on the road by 8:30. It was cool and overcast, and just outside Window Rock I turned north on BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs?) 12, which winds around through the reservation to the east of Canyon de Chelly National Monument until it joins US 191 in Round Rock. The sky became more overcast, and I ran into a few sprinkles at the tops of hills, but eventually the showers stopped, the weather cleared and the day warmed up from the low 60s to the 80s. All the land on BIA 12 was high desert with scattered small houses and trailers, but it became more scenic on 191, which follows a river. At US 160 in Mexican Water I stopped for gas and a cup of coffee at the restaurant nearby, and continued for a mile or so and went north on 191 to US 163 where I turned west towards Monument Valley. After a few miles I rode by the road for Valley of the Gods, a dirt road that winds around through scenic rock formations and which Andrew and I drove on about 12 years ago when he was just learning to drive. A few more miles and I went north on UT 261 and in another 8 miles I was at the base of the Moki Dugway, a steep, narrow, winding, and unpaved road that goes up the side of a cliff for 3 miles. There were a couple of places to pull over, but the road is barely a lane and a half, and in some places one narrow lane. Fortunately, the only car coming down the road while I was on it was stopped at a pull-off area. The road has mounds of gravel in places, so one has to pay attention and not gawk at the scenery, which is dramatic.
At the top I was so enthusiastic about the dirt experience that I immediately turned off onto a dirt road for 3 miles looking for a good picture site, but eventually turned back when the deep sand and gravel began to worry me.
A couple of signs at the upper end of the Moki Dugway:
Dirt riding desires finally satisfied, I continued on 261 for 30 miles until it ended at NM 95, which I followed northwest past Natural Bridges National Monument and then through the Glen Canyon Recreation Area. The red rock desert and formations are scenic, although this is familiar territory to me.
There are hills and curves on 95, although the road isn't challenging - just a relaxing ride with enjoyable views and very few vehicles of any kind, although I did see a few trucks pulling large boats - there is access to Lake Powell from 95. I crossed over the Colorado River, and in mid-afternoon rode into Hanksville, where I'm spending the night at the Whispering Sands motel.
(Saturday, July 22) This may have been the easiest 500 mile day ever. This morning I was on the road at 7:30 headed west on UT 24 which I followed for 60 miles through Capitol Reef National Park. It was 62 degrees with scattered clouds and I enjoyed the scenery and the absence of traffic headed west. There were a couple of dozen vehicles going east, mostly large pickups towing large boats headed for Lake Powell.
I stopped at the Castlerock Coffee and Candy in Torrey at the junction of Highway 12, which goes to Escalante and Bryce. Breakfast was quick and tasty and the coffee was good. I stayed on 24 through Bicknell and Loa and rode over an 8400 foot summit near Koosharem. The scenery was rolling hills, ranches, and some farm land, and the day warmed up as I descended to a lower altitude. Soon I joined US 50 near Salina (too early for lunch at Mom's) and followed that to I-15, where I rode south for 10 miles until I exited and followed 50 to Delta, and continued to the border, where I stopped for a sandwich at the Border Motel Casino and restaurant. The service was a bit slow, but I was making better time that I thought I would, and I continued east on 50 through Ely and Eureka where the sky darkened and I even felt a few raindrops. Fortunately, the weather seemed to be to the south.
After an enjoyable ride over the Austin summit I came into Austin, where I'm spending the night at the Cozy Mountain Motel. There are three motels in Austin, and I've already stayed at the other two, so I thought that I'd give this one a try.
Diner tonight will be at the International, the only place in town that's open.
(Sunday, July 23) When I was at the Pie-O-Neer in Pie Town, I spent some time talking with the proprietor, who had lived in several places including Seattle, but had been in Pie Town for 40 years and wouldn't live anywhere else. He said that his aunt used to live in San Francisco and he enjoyed visiting her, but that one is trapped in San Francisco. I think he meant that being at the tip of a peninsula, you can't go anywhere except south without crossing a bridge, but I think about being trapped here sometimes because of the traffic. I usually don't go anywhere on a Sunday, and avoid driving or riding anywhere on Saturday if I can. During the week I don't go out before 10 AM and avoid being on the road after 3 PM. Since I'm retired I can get away with the self-inflicted and limiting schedule, and of course it isn't like I can't go anywhere - I just choose not to because I don't like dealing with traffic. I thought about this as I fought through several traffic jams once I crossed into California in the late morning.
The day began with just a few scattered clouds and the temperature was already over 70 degrees when I rolled out of Austin at 7:20 in the morning. The room in the Cozy Mountain Motel was small, but clean and comfortable. Sandy, the owner, was a bit of a character as one might guess from the outside of the motel office. The overnight condensation brought out the smell of sage in the desert air, and I went over a few summits outside of Austin.
Sandy had recommended breakfast at a cafe in Middle Gate, about 60 miles down the road, but she wasn't sure when it opened on Sunday. I decided to stop in Cold Springs 50 miles), where I saw another bar/cafe that was open. Breakfast was good and there were numerous old guns hanging from the ceiling over the bar and the tables. Back outside the day had warmed considerably, and I switched to light gloves and opened the vents on my jacket before setting off. I passed the cafe in Middlegate and I could see that it was open, so I'll have to stop there next time. There was little traffic on the road and I went over decreasingly lofty summits as I got towards Fallon, which I went through without stopping. Another 20 miles or so the Fernley, and I was on I-80 heading west. I stopped for gas about 5 miles from the California border, last chance to refuel without having to deal with the annoying vapor recovery nozzles - a CA exclusive.
There was no sign of the fire that had halted our eastward progress two weeks earlier, but there were a couple of traffic slowdowns before the Donner Summit. I stopped at Ikeda's in Auburn for special granola for Carol and a slice of pie for me - the place was very crowded with a line outside waiting to order food, although the store where I got my purchases wasn't bad. In Roseville, about 15 miles east of Sacramento, there was the first of several traffic stops where I resorted to splitting lanes for a few miles. There was another jam west of Sacramento where I-80 goes from four lanes to two before it merges with Business 80, and another couple before I turned off on Highway 37 at Vallejo. This is usually a reliable way of avoiding the heavy traffic and jams on the bridges, but on this Sunday everyone seems to have had the same idea. Just when I'd committed to 37, on George Miller bridge, the traffic slowed and stopped. It was stop and go about halfway down the 10 mile stretch of Highway 37 two-lane, and even after it began moving steadily it was only moving at 20 or 30 miles per hour. Finally, once past the Sears Point intersection and the Lakeville highway stoplight, the traffic began moving at the limit. I could see that the cars going east were in for slow moving as well. At Novato I turned south on Highway 101 and rode along at the limit, although there was a slowdown at the approach to the Golden Gate Bridge - nothing like it would be later in the afternoon when everyone from SF and the peninsula who had gone to Marin or Sonoma or Napa counties to enjoy a summer day would return.
Walter was very happy to see me, as were Carol and Nikki, although they didn't give me big, sloppy kisses like Water did.
The total mileage for the trip was over 4000, and the bike ran faultlessly, getting 55-60 miles per gallon on regular gas, although the mileage dropped when I spent any significant time going 80 mph on I-15. The bike, which is "only" 650cc, makes for a great solo tourer. The only time I felt the need for more power was when making passes at high altitude. The bike is comfortable for me, handles well when loaded up, and makes for a great companion on the road. Next trip will be to Nebraska to view the eclipse in late August.
