USA Four Corners Motorcycle Tour

Final Entry....Home Sweet Home.

2006-06-15T21:35:00.000-05:00

Well, my calculations were wrong , as usual. Did not get home until 3:45am Tuesday morning. That would be almost 22 hours of driving time. Covered 1106 miles in that time. Too bad I didn't sign for an Iron Butt ride. The traffic and road construction in Houston was terrible to say the least.
Anyway, after getting home, I more or less died. Slept for 1 1/2 days. The bike is a mess and so is my butt. Still numb along with my left hand. The ride from Florida was all in the rain until we got into Alabama. Then it got really hot the rest of the way. Had to stop several times to soak my shirt with water to stay cool.
Miles from first corner to fourth corner was about 7,050 and total trip miles were 10,764. These numbers are taken from my odometer instead of figuring map miles.

Tour Map (click it)

Some other stats that might be interesting:
Equipment failure on bikes - Gold Wing, front tire valve stem - VTX, turn signal bulb and rear tire
Number of gas tank fill ups - VTX, 90 - Gold Wing, about half that
State with best roads - all of them except one
State with worst roads - Michigan
States with most road kill - Minnesota, Wisconsin
States most likely to have an animal walk onto the road - Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Maine
States with most rainfall - the whole east coast
Worst traffic areas - LA, Phoenix, Montreal, Houston
Best sights - every where
Number of states crossed (USA) - 29
Number of provinces crossed (Canada) - 3
Number of tropical storms (Alberto) -1

So, that's about it. Thanks to everyone that sent an e-mail for support and encouragement. Will try to respond to each one.
It was a great trip. We live in an awesome country. Would I do it again?..........no, nope, never!!!

More Trip Photos (click em')

Houston, Texas: Near The Finish Line

2006-06-12T23:11:00.000-05:00

We're plowing on through. By the time most of you read this we'll be back home. Should arrive by 2:00 am Tuesday. Thanks to Charles Lamb for the detailed tour map he created. I'll be updating the site in the next day or so with more photos and text. Thanks to everyone who dropped by the site. It's been one great trip, we're glad you could be there.

Tour Map: 10,764 miles total (click it)

Lake City, Florida

2006-06-11T23:02:00.000-05:00

We got bored and decided to head for Texas on the last leg of the tour. We rode in a downpour the whole way. We didn't find out until later that the storm was upgraded to a tropical storm named Alberto. Crossing bridges over water (especially in the Keys) was rather intense with winds gusting to 30 mph. Considering that we rode through a tropical storm, it wasn't that bad. If it would turn into a hurricane and keep moving West, we could be home in a couple of hours.
Key West, FL to Lake City, FL (click to see route)

Lake City, Florida Satellite Image

High Temp: 94, Low Temp: 72, Wind-SE, 15-30mph
Skies cloudy
Next Stop: Houston, TX (click to see route) Start Time 7:30am
Distance: 811.5 miles Time: 12 hrs 6 min

Key West, Florida

2006-06-11T13:31:00.000-05:00

As you can see from the satellite image, it's still real wet around here. So we're just going to hang out at Sloppy Joe's Bar until it stops. Thinkin' about another nap.

Key West, Florida Satellite Image
High Temp: 83, Low Temp: 79, Wind-SE, 16-25mph
Skies filled with water
Next Stop: Pensacola, FL (click to see route) Start Time 7:30am
Distance: 885.5 miles Time: 13 hrs 36 min

Key West, Florida. The Fourth Corner

2006-06-10T22:39:00.000-05:00

Hurray. We completed the fourth corner and stopped the clock at 10:46 am this morning. So we completed the run in 15 days. We picked up Barbara at the Ft. Lauderdale airport before continuing on to Key West. Next stop is Pensacola. I'll let you know the total trip miles after we make the full circuit to Ft. Worth, TX. As you can see from the satellite photo, we're getting slammed by some vicious thunderstorms. Winds are gusting to 30 mph. We'll wait out the weather before continuing. Stay tuned, more photos on the way. Me? I'm taking a long nap.

Key West, Florida Satellite Image

High Temp: 83, Low Temp: 79, Wind-SE, 16mph
Skies filled with water
Next Stop: Pensacola, FL (click to see route) Start Time 7:30am
Distance: 885.5 miles Time: 13 hrs 36 min

Florida City: The Tour End is in Sight

2006-06-09T20:44:00.000-05:00

But we still have a long way to get home...
Saint George, SC to Florida City, FL (click to see route)

Key West, Florida Satellite Image

High Temp: 86, Low Temp: 80, Wind-SE, 16mph
Skies spongy, and rain, rain, rain
Next Stop: Pensacola, FL (click to see route) Start Time 7:30am
Distance: 885.5 miles Time: 13 hrs 36 min

Hey everyone.
Sorry not to have posted any text in the last three days. Have had lots of trouble trying to get connected in the last three hotels. (In case you're wondering, the audio is done by cell phone. Cool, huh?)
The last three days have been a trip. Lots of miles behind us, most of it in the rain. Tuesday had my rear tire replaced in Bangor, ME. Tread was down past the wear bars and was starting to vibrate. The guys at Bangor Motorsports got me in and out in less than an hour. Thanks very much to Luke, Rick, and Josh in the shop. Extremely great price on the tire and labor. Check em' out if you are in the area.
Good deal that the tire was changed Tuesday because Wednesday we woke up to rain. A steady miserable down pour. Did not get out of it till about 2:30pm. One intense moment to report, I was following Gary up an incline turning to the left and hit a slick spot. Bike almost came out from under me. Was very lucky that it didn't.
Spent Wednesday night in Roanoke, Virginia. Just so happens that the Hot Rod Power Tour was in town. There were more hot rods and muscle cars than one could imagine. I was told that there were over 2500 cars on this year's tour. Stayed up way too late talking drag racing, cars, and joke telling.
Started out Thursday morning and wasn't on the road for an hour and here came the rain again. Finally got out it at about 11:30am. Goal today was Deals Gap and the infamous Dragons Tail run. The ride from Knoxville, TN was great. Made it to the start of the Tail at 2:00pm and went after it. WOW, there are 318 very sharp turns in 11 miles. Might need some new foot pegs when I get back, VTX's are kinda too low to be doing that stuff. All kinds of bikes and cars were there making the run. Made it to the bottom and stopped in at the Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort and had lunch. There were about 250 bikes there and more coming in. Left about 4:30pm and made it to St. George, South Carolina before another rain storm caught us with out any gear on. Got thoroughly soaked.
Left St. George, SC this morning and made it to Ft. Lauderdale, FL and picked Barbara up at the airport. Stopped tonight in Florida Cty, FL.
Will head out for Key West tomorrow and make the last corner and end this craziness.

Tree of Shame at Dragon's Tail (click it)

Saint George, South Carolina

2006-06-08T22:08:00.000-05:00

Fall Into The Gap.

Roanoke, VA to Saint George, SC (click to see route)

Saint George, SC Satellite Image

High Temp: 91, Low Temp: 67, Wind-NE, 7mph
Skies clear, sunny
Next Stop: Fort Lauderdale, FL (click to see route) Start Time 7:30am
Distance: 547.2 miles Time: 8 hrs 24 min

Photos from Oregon segment (click em')

Roanoke, Virginia

2006-06-07T21:52:00.000-05:00

Cool Cars and Cold Beer.

Sturbridge, MA to Roanoke, VA (click to see route)

Roanoke, Virginia Satellite Image

High Temp: 84, Low Temp: 61, Wind-W, 5mph
Skies cloudy, rain
Next Stop: Deal's Gap (click to see route) Start Time 7:30am
Distance: 157 miles Time: 3 hrs 41 min
Dragon's Tail (Deal's Gap) Website

Meet the Dragon (click to enlarge)

Photos from San Francisco segment (click em')

Sturbridge, Massachusetts

2006-06-06T20:48:00.000-05:00

Black Flys, and Mooses, and Tires. Oh My!

Madawaska, ME to Sturbridge, MA (click to see route)

Sturbridge, Massachusetts Satellite Image

High Temp: 74, Low Temp: 54, Wind-NE, 10mph
Skies cloudy, rain tomorrow
Next Stop: Raleigh, Nawth Car-o-lina (click to see route) Start Time 7:30am
Distance: 672.1 miles Time: 10 hrs 28 min

Trip Photos
San Juan Capistrano, CA

Madawaska, Maine. Three Down, One to Go.

2006-06-05T21:28:00.000-05:00

Rolled into Madawaska, Maine today. I lied, we pushed it. What a ride.
Check out the route.

Rocket Convention and Sunny Beaches.

Madawaska, Maine Satellite Image

High Temp: 67, Low Temp: 50, Wind-NE, 6mph
Skies clear
Next Stop: Gary's working on it. I'm thinkin' south. Start Time 7:30am
Distance: 0 miles Time: 0 hrs 0 min

Click here for total miles to date and actual route.

Toronto, Ontario, "Avast ye matey!"

2006-06-04T20:12:00.000-05:00

We popped out of bed at 4:00am after a full nights sleep (3 1/2 hours) and loaded up and headed for the ferry. Only took about 30 minutes to get there and there was a nice snack bar/waiting area serving breakfast stuff. Waited about 30 minutes before the ferry started loading. We were first on, but the ferry was not going to be very full. Straps were provided to tie the bikes down. After that was taken care of we checked out the uppper deck and the seating area. Very large captains chair to kick back in and enjoy the ride. Talked for awhile to some other people that had brought their bikes on board for a ride in Michigan and then sat down in one of the chairs and was out like a light (Gary too). Anyone know how far it is across Lake Michigan? Didn't wake until the ferry was pulling up to the dock 3 hours later.
Didn't get any pictures crossing the border into Michigan. I guess there is a sign out in the middle of the lake. Could not take any pictures at the border going in to Canada, the Officers there would not allow it. Felt like we were back at the Golden Gate Bridge. Headed towards Port Huron, Michigan and the Canadian border. Crossed into Canada about 2:00pm and arrived in Toronto about 5:30pm. Will stop for the night and catch up on some sleep and blog back log.
Will head east on Hwy 401 to Montreal and then I 20 to Quebec. Quite possible to be in Madawaska, Maine tomorrow night. Will not push it though.

Toronto, Ontario Satellite Image

High Temp: 63, Low Temp: 53, Wind-NW, 5mph
Skies partly cloudy
Next Stop: Quebec (click for route) Start Time 7:30am
Distance: 496.4 miles (after ferry) Time: 7 hrs 43 min

June 3, 2006 - Long, long ride today. Started at 7:00am and did not stop until 11:10pm. Drove from Bismark, ND to Milwaulkee, WI. I think that winds up being about 770 miles, give or take a few. Went to sleep at midnight.
First stop of the day was at Gun & Reel Sports Honda to get another look at Gary's front tire. They got him in right away and pulled the tire off and went to looking for the leak. Dustin, the mechanic, found the problem right away. The valve stem, which had been checked several times was bad. The tire was dismounted and a new valve stem installed, then remounted. The whole job took about 1 1/2 hours.
While the work on Gary's bike was taking place, I was inspecting my rear tire , which is looking worse every day. Have lowered and raised air psi and it still is wearing really bad. The front tire still looks new, so I don't have an answer for this. Looks like I'll be replacing a tire very soon. Metzlers should wear better than this.
On the run across Minnesota nothing out of the ordinary happened. Going into Wisconsin looked like more of the same until we started seeing animal carcasses littering the road. Looked like an animal wrecking yard. Deer, racoons, and whatever were strewn on either side of the road. Kind of thought might being seeing cows and horses among them sooner or later. When we decided to make it into Milwaulkee, we knew that it was going to be dark before arriving and the thought of being on that road at night was scary. Expected to see a deer flying over the top of a semi and landing in front us at any time. Or worse, one just walking out in front off us. Well, too much thinking for nothing, we did not see anything.
Arrived at the hotel at 11:10pm and it was midnight before we got to sleep. Had to get up at 4:00am to catch ferry across Lake Michigan so I didn't post anything on the blog.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

2006-06-03T23:36:00.000-05:00

Do They Serve Beer Here?

Milwaukee to Muskegon (Lake Michigan) Ferry (website)

Milwaukee, WI Satellite Image

High Temp: 73, Low Temp: 54, Wind-NE, 10mph
Skies sunny and clear
Next Stop: Sarnia, Ontario (click for route) Start Time 7:30am
Distance: 221 miles (after ferry) Time: 3 hrs 8 min

We'll be in Canada tomorrow. Go Oilers.

Montana To North Dakota Photos

2006-06-03T06:19:00.000-05:00

Bismarck, North Dakota

2006-06-02T21:26:00.000-05:00

Nitros Scooter.

Left Butte, Montana at 7:00 am this morning heading east on I 90. Still having problems with Gary's rear tire is still losing air. There must be a bug convention in eastern Montana. These large black bugs were everywhere. Even when we stopped for gas they would swarm us. Must be some kind of Ninja bug because just before they smash into you I swear you could hear this faint high pitched "Bonzai". You can even feel them through the Joe Rocket Ballistic jacket and pants. Anyway, after crossing into North Dakota, they disappeared.
Stopped to take the border crossing picture going into ND and then ran across the freeway and got one of the Montana sign, so Gary's off the hook for not stopping the last time. That only leaves me for missing the Washington sign.
Had to be at the Honda shop in Dickinson, ND by 4:00pm, so decided to stretch out the stops between fill ups. The run from Billings and Miles City was about 144 miles and fairly flat so I tried to make that on one tank. We were going above the speed limit and against a 25 mph head wind. Made the exit at Miles City (148 miles) and ran out of gas. There was a gas station one block away but, having already dropped the bike once, I was not going to push it that one block. Gary got out his one gallon reserve tank and I put a splash of gas in and drove to the station. Next time I will try to stretch out a tank full under normal circumstances.
We arrived at the Honda West in Dickinson at 4:05pm and they were swamped. The manager said he was sorry and we would have to come back at 9:00am tomorrow. I ask if there was some way that we could do our own work and he replied that would be great. Wow, you never would hear that where we live in Texas. They provided us with rags, tools, and a place in the shop to do the oil change. Took less than an hour and gave us a chance to do a quick check on the bikes. A big thanks to Thomas and the guys at Honda West. If anyone passes through Dickinson and needs some work done, stop in and check them out. Super nice people.
Back on the road and stopped at Bismarck, ND at 8:15pm for the night. Logged about 650 miles today. Will head out east on I 94 tomorrow. Have three routes to pick from, trying to decide which would be best. Maybe the ferry across Lake Michigan.

Click the photos to enlarge

Bismarck, ND Satellite Image

High Temp: 90, Low Temp: 58, Wind-SE, 20mph
Skies clear
Next Stop: Not Sure, Thata' Way (pointing East) Start Time 7:30am
Distance: about 600 miles Time: A.S.A.P.

Butte, Montana

2006-06-01T22:25:00.000-05:00

Long ride today. Decided not to take Hwy 2 east because of rain and colder temps. Took I 90 east instead to make for some time. Left Everett, WA at 7am and arrived at Butte, Montana at 7:30pm. Somewhere around 635 miles. The run through Idaho on I 90 was great. Long sweeping turns, one right after the other, almost all the way across Idaho. The beautiful countryside just went on forever.
Saw an unusual vehicle also. Looked like the O_ _ _ _ Mayer Weenie Mobile, but instead of the hot dog and bun on top, it had three huge Hershey Kisses. It was having a very hard time going up the mountain.
The road out of Washington was starting to eat away at my rear tire. Looks like I lost about 30 % of the tread. Dropped a couple pounds of air pressure help it wear better. Gary's front tire started losing air pressure. Ever time we stopped it had lost 5 to 7 psi. Stopped at the Honda shop in Ellensburg, WA and had it checked. No leaks were found. Even checked the Schrader valve, it had some trash in the seating area. Cleaned it and checked for leaks, still could not find any. The tire stopped loosing as much air, but is still leaking. Gary will have it checked again when we stop for oil change. Big thanks to Central Honda in Ellensburg, WA for taking a look at it right away.
No animals to deal with so far. More than enough highway patrol. One was shooting radar and waved at me to slow it down. What luck.
We missed the border sign going into Washington and Montana, so we had to improvise.

Click photos to enlarge

Butte, MT Satellite Image

High Temp: 79, Low Temp: 47, Wind-SE, 5mph
Skies mostly clear, scattered thunderstorms
Next Stop: Dickinson, ND (Click to see route) Start Time 7:30am
Distance: 542.5 miles Time: 7 hrs 22 min

Everett, Washington

2006-05-31T22:54:00.000-05:00

We began the day in Portland, OR. We zipped up I-5 past Puget Sound and made the second point in Blaine, Washington about 3:00pm. Then reversed back down I-5 the way we came. Except the reverse trip was made in the rain. As you can see from the satellite image, we got a pretty good shower. There's quite a bit of snow in the mountains we have cross, so tomorrow we'll go to Seattle and take I-90 East until we get to Spokane. From there, we'll follow route 2 East. We don't have a specific target destination. We'll just see how far we get. I'm better rested and had no problems nodding off today.

Mug shots at the second corner. (Click to enlarge)

Everett, WA Satellite Image

High Temp: 70, Low Temp: 56, Wind-SE, 10mph
Skies unloading
Next Stop: East of here (Click to see route) Start Time 7:30am
Distance: a bunch of miles, Time: till we get tired

2006-05-30T23:30:00.000-05:00

Oregon Photos. The yellow Piper cub is identical to the first plane I flew in. In Oregon gas stations a person actually comes out to fill your tank. We were told that it is a state law.
Click on the photos to enlarge.

Portland, Oregon

2006-05-30T22:09:00.000-05:00

We made it to Portland, OR tonight. The ride today was pretty much uneventful. The Oregon coast line is fantastic, reminds me of Maui.
The bikes are doing great. Tires are starting to get some flat spots, but not to much. I have to stop twice for every one of Gary's stops for gas.
The Evergreen Museum in McMinnville is a super place for those that like aircraft of all kinds. Lots of WW II planes. Over forty that are still air worthy and certified to fly. Best one of all is the Spruce Goose. WOW, that thing is huge. Don't see how it got up in the air. Guess that's why Howard Hughes flew it only once.
Tomorrow will start out from the Portland airport and head to Blaine, WA. This will be the second corner. Once that is taken care of, Gary and I will head east on Hwy 2 and go as far as we can. Till tomorrow.

Portland, OR Satellite Image

High Temp: 78, Low Temp: 56, Wind-SE, 5mph
Skies mostly cloudy (it's Washington)
Next Stop: Blaine, Washington (Click to see route) Start Time 7:30am
Distance: 283.2 miles, Time: 4 hrs 36 min

Drop Whatever You're Doing and...

2006-05-29T22:49:00.000-05:00

Grants Pass, Oregon

2006-05-29T10:31:00.000-05:00

Monday, May 29th-Left San Francisco at 07:00 this morning and headed for the Golden Gate Bridge to continue northward. We tried to stop at the south bound entrance and get some pictures but got busted by some toll booth person that was yelling over the PA system that we are breaking the law, cannot stop here, get on your bikes and go before the police are called. Well, no pictures were taken.
We took Hwy 1 all the way to Crescent City, CA. There are sections of this road that have tons of twisties (curves). Went through one part that had over 200 turns in an eight mile stretch. Won't feel to bad if we miss Deal's Gap later on in the trip after going up Hwy 1.
Still having the problem of nodding off and have to stop and walk a bit. Seems to happen between 11:00am and 2:00pm. Might be that I am supposed to be working nights this week and my body hasn't adjusted yet. Tried some Red Bull this time, didn't help.
The scenery is absolutely fantastic. The rocky coast lines, the huge sandy beaches, winding roads through vast red wood groves. The red woods are so tall and large that no sun light can get through. It's like driving down the road and some one is turning a light switch on and off.
Tonight we stopped in Grants Pass, OR. got here at 7:30pm. Thats 12 1/2 hours driving today but only about 440 miles. Going through all the twisties is time consuming. Tomorrow will cut back over to Hwy 1 for awhile then head up to McMinnville, OR and stop in and see the Spruce Goose that Howard Hughes built back in the forties. After that, have to drop Barbara off at the airport in Portland (that's gonna suck; no one to catch me when I fall over). Gary and I will then head towards Blaine, WA (the second corner) and get as far as we can in that direction.

Grants Pass, OR Satellite Image

High Temp: 75, Low Temp: 47, Wind-NE, 5mph
Skies mostly clear...mostly
Next Stop: Portland, Oregon (Click to see route) Start Time 7:30am
Distance: 355.8 miles, Time: 9 hrs 7 min

San Francisco Photos

2006-05-29T08:15:00.000-05:00

Click To Enlarge.
Left to right- Us Hwy. 1, Barbara at Santa Monica, Gassin' Up, the Golden Gate, the 1st point, Carl (in yellow) on Lombardi Street, dowwntown SF, Alcatraz Island.

San Francisco, CA Satellite Image

High Temp: 59, Low Temp: 51, Wind-NW, 10 to 20mph
Skies gooey (it's San Francisco)
Next Stop: Portland, Oregon (Click to see route) Start Time 7:30am
Distance: 782.1 miles, Time: 18 hrs 52 min

Thanks to all the fine folks in Canada who have dropped by.
Go Oilers.

Touring San Francisco On Foot

2006-05-28T22:17:00.000-05:00

Well, we are here in San Francisco. Got in about 8pm Saturday. Spent 16 hours on the bikes getting here. Started today at 7am walking to the Alcatraz pier to see if there were any tickets left. I was supposed to get reservations last week, but never got around to it. They were booked up solid for the next three days, so we opted for the bay cruise. It was very good. Cruised around Alcatraz very close so that pictures could be taken and then to the Golden Gate Bridge. Cruised around the rest of the bay for a little bit and then back to the dock. Since there's no place you can park in this town for more than 15 minutes, we walked to Telegraph Hill by way of several steep flights of stairs and went up in the Coit Tower. This gave us a 360 degree look at the city and bay area. San Francisco is very beautiful, but the hills can wear one out quickly.
We then walked to China Town and made like tourists. This place was also very interesting to visit. I found a leather shop that had some nice stuff and wound up buying a black leather jacket
I would guess that we walked about 15 miles today, up and down the hills. I cannot see how the people deal with that every day.
One thing about San Francisco that I have always heard of is the great food. Every place that we dined at was awesome. Guess all that walking was to keep us from getting miserable.
Tomorrow we will be on the road again heading up the coast highway towards Portland, OR. First thing in the morning is to cross the Golden Gate Bridge and get some pics.

Texas to California Photos

2006-05-28T00:51:00.000-05:00

Click the photos to enlarge.

Made it to San Francisco. (Click for route) Will update tonight.

Van Nuys, California

2006-05-26T22:49:00.000-05:00

Did You Know That Traffic is Bad in L.A.?

Click for todays route from El Centro, CA to Van Nuys, CA

Van Nuys, CA Satellite Image

High Temp: 72, Low Temp: 55, Wind-SE, 5mph
Skies partly cloudy
Next Stop: San Francisco, CA (Click to see route) Start Time 6:30am
Distance: 448.7 miles, Time: 8 hrs 50 min

El Centro, California

2006-05-25T01:35:00.000-05:00

IT HAS BEEN ONE LONG DAY. Arrived at the hotel in El Centro, CA about 9:30 PM. Had about 13 hours actual drive time today. Logged 640 hard miles.
We left Socorro, NM at 05:30am and headed towards AZ on Hwy 60. Two hours later we were in Arizona. Absolute beautiful drive. We left the hotel and the temperature was about 63 degress. An hour later the temperature dropped down to about 45 and we had to stop and add more clothes. Found a great place for breakfast in Quemado, New Mexico called the Largo Cafe. Will have to stop again during the next 3Flags trip. After passing through Springerville, AZ, the ride became awesome. From Springerville to Globe, AZ, the road was a bikers dream, 130 miles long. Twisting left and right hand turns, down to the bottom of canyons and back up again, and then start all over again. Came upon a Ford Bronco that had a collision with an elk that looked to be about 1800 pounds. Neither one fared too well. Not to long after seeing that, a small deer ran out in front of Gary. He saw it in time and had no trouble avoiding it. Not to long after that, a naked chipmunk or squirrel ran out in front of me. Can't tell whether I missed it or what.
After passing through Globe, AZ. things went down hill. First came the road construction, then when merging onto Interstate 10, the traffic became a nightmare. By the time we got close to Phoenix, the temp was reading 107. So, it's like really hot, traffic is terrible, and road construction going on and I (Carl) start having these nodding off spells. Bumper to bumper, people all around us, horns honking, people screaming at each other because the Phoenix Suns kicked Dallas' ass in the NBA playoffs, and I'm trying to take a nap while riding the bike. So we had to pull over 3 times so I could walk around and get awake again. One of these stops, at a rest area, we met a guy named Nigel from the South of Wales, UK. He was borrowing a bike (BMW) from a friend in Houston and riding to CA and go up the west coast to Vancouver, B.C. Nigel is here on a 3 month visa and taking a 6 week vacation.
Gary said, "Not a bad idea; too bad we can't have a 6 week vacation." Maybe someday !
Made good time driving down to El Centro. Arrived at the hotel and cleaned up the bikes. MORE BUGS !
Considering the heat, no performance awards and no trouble. Its been a pretty good day !
The plan for tomorrow is to make the first corner at San Ysidro, then to the airport and pick up Barbara, the up the west coast highway to San Francisco. Do not know how many stops we will make.

El Centro, CA Satellite Image
High Temp: 106, Low Temp: 67, Wind-W, 10mph
Skies clear
Next Stop: San Francisco, CA (Click to see route) Start Time 5:30am
Distance: 644.3 miles, Time: 8 hrs 50 min

May 24, 2006 - (The one I didn't post last night) Well, here we are in beautiful downtown Socorro, NM. We rode 11 hours today and covered 650 miles. The first place we stop for gas was a joke. A major oil company truck stop that you couldn't go to the bathroom (out of order), no coffee for Gary, and they couldn't take credit cards because the PC was down. Hope this isn't an omen of things to come.
Going through west Texas the head wind was awesome. Dropped the gas mileage on my bike down to 33 mpg. With my bike carrying a lot more weight than I usually do, Gary and I decided to stop for gas every two hours. This will also give us a short break that should enable us to ride longer per day. Weather was really nice until we got past Snyder, TX. Ran into several bug showers (check out the audio blog for the intense moment of the day).
Upon arriving in New Mexico, the temperature was 100+. Best way to cool down was to stand out in the sun when stopping for gas, get a good sweat going, then hop on the bike and take off. The wind would keep us cool until the sweat evaporated. Stopped at the border and took pictures, something we plan to do at every border that is crossed.
Talked to a guy that was staying in the same hotel and he had just ridden in from Yuma, AZ. He was about 65 years old and riding a Honda Shadow 1100. He was checking on his winter home in Yuma and was heading back to Colorado to his summer home. Man, If I could afford a summer and winter home, I think I would fly the airlines.

Socorro, New Mexico

2006-05-24T22:23:00.000-05:00

Radioactive Suicide-Attack Bugs

Socorro, NM Satellite Image

High Temp: 94, Low Temp: 60, Wind-NW, 5mph
Skies clear (except for giant bugs)
Next Stop: El Centro, CA (Click to see route) Start Time 5:30am
Distance: 618.7 miles, Time: 11 hrs 32 min

Short Film-Tour Start

2006-05-24T07:55:00.000-05:00

Fort Worth, Texas

2006-05-24T07:32:00.000-05:00

It's 5:30am and we're on our way to Socorro, New Mexico (Click to see route). We'll see you after our little 600 mile hop. Note: Click on the photos to enlarge.

Tour Begins Tomorrow!

2006-05-23T13:42:00.000-05:00

2006-05-23T03:16:00.000-05:00

Hey, Carl here. Only 26 hours left before time to leave. Gary and I will meet over in Fort Worth at 05:30 and start from there.
After I get home and sleep for a couple of hours, I will finish up any loose ends that need attention. Just remembered that I need to get the bike inspected before leaving. Wow, nothing like waiting till the last minute.
Barbara gave me a MP3 player to take so I would have some tunes to listen to. I have tried to load some CD's on the thing and it is just not working. I can pretty much find my way around a computer, but this thing is driving me freaking crazy. Gave it to one of my sons, Nick, to load up.
First leg of the trip is to ride from Fort Worth, Tx to San Ysidro, CA. After arriving at the first corner and taking care of the necessary paper work, we'll ride to San Diego airport and pick up Barbara (the Babe). She will be with me on the second leg of the trip till we get to Portland,Or. We are planning to stop in San Francisco for a couple of days and do some touristy stuff.
Hopefully the next post will be from Socorro, NM.

2006-05-20T03:08:00.000-05:00

Four days to go before we leave. Working nights this weekend, but cannot keep my mind on the job. All the maintenance is done on the bike. Talked to Gary today, just had new tires installed on his bike and has a couple of minor items left to take care of. Both of us are ready to go now! For those that do not know, this ride is sponsored by the Southern California Motorcycle Association. It is not a race or rally, but kind of endurance test. The idea is to ride your motorcycle to the four outer most corners of the continental United States in 21 days or less. You can go at any time of the year and take any route you want. The four corners are San Ysidro, Ca, Blaine, Wa, Madawaska, Me, and Key West, Fl. Time does not start until you reach the first corner and stops when the last corner is reached. There are certain tasks to perform at each corner to verify that you have been there.
The big question now is how to load all the stuff I need to take. Will practice over the next couple of days packing and unpacking.

2006-05-16T18:02:00.000-05:00

New tires are here. Will install them along with all the other maintenance that needs to be done. Ten days now before Gary and I leave for the big adventure. Plenty of time to have everything in place and ready to go. Still trying to convince myself that I can do this. I have all the confidence that the bike will have no problems.