I’m sitting in the Arizona desert/prarie/open lands (whatever the right term is) after dark in Meteor Crater RV Park. I just finished pitching my tent by the headlight of my motorcycle, and I’m feeling pretty good.
The screen of this laptop is by far the brightest thing around. There is a constant wind rustling the trees (which was just enough to make it tricky to pitch the tent), and the moon just barely flicking through the branches over me. It has a very isolated feeling, and I like it.
Anyway, I left Las Vegas later than I’d planned this morning. I was sore and slept in until 9, and fought getting started. Even then it took almost two hours to get on the road. I had to shower, inspect the bike (my daily inspections are VERY careful), and load the gear. The quick and and easy loading system I was so proud of at home still takes about twenty minutes (pack stuff into the bags, AND mount the bags on the bike properly).
Over all, it was a great ride. Very hot getting out of Vegas, but it wasn’t very far before I saw signs for Hover Dam. I hadn’t realized that would be on my way, so I redirected and had breakfast in a little town nearby (Mel’s Diner). While sitting at the counter, my riding suit sparked a conversation with the guy next to me about cross country riding and the time he spent in Panama on a one cylinder 350.
After that, I started across the dam, despite the really heavy traffic. Things were slow (and hot) enough that I put the bike in neutral and killed in the engine during some of the down hill parts. It worked pretty well and kept the engine heat off of me.
Just like a number of other parks I’ve been through, there was a security checkpoint on the way in. And once again, the checkpoint was just waving everyone through. Seems like we have to have them now, but can’t afford to have them slow things down enough to have any real effect.
Hoover Dam really is impressive, and I did stop to take pictures several times. For a couple of them, I didn’t even bother to pull over. That should tell you what traffic was like from the construction.
After getting past the dam, the country side almost immediately seems to turn back into desert, but it soon cooled down enough to be comfortable riding.
When I stopped for a break at a trading post (part of old route 66), I noticed one of the gnarliest, most grizzled old harley riders you coud imagine. Dressed in old beat up leathers with a white handle bar mustache, standing around watching people, but not saying anything. I went outside to sit and rest for a bit, when I noticed him come out and start talking to a group of 3 other people decked out in Harley style gear, but not speaking english. From the looks I was thinking Mexican, but it wasn’t spanish, or any indian language I could start to recognize. Then he sat near me and started up a conversation in his broken English. They were a Swedish group on vacation the US. They’d rented bikes and were touring cross country as well.
Yet again, when I reached I40 and stopped for gas and food, another biker came up and asked about the riding suit. He said he’d seen my bike, and just knew the rider had an Aerostich. We sat and talked for a while. He’s toured all 48 continental states, and had a lot of interesting things to say. Most of them about how to do a trip like this for a less money. I think his earlier comment about the suit was based on the idea of someone who had more money than experience (plus, my tie down gear came from Aerostich and says so). He also recommended the simple answer of Ibuprofin to help with assorted soreness, especially in the seat (which worked pretty well).
After that it didn’t take me very long to reach Meteor Crater. I was a bit later than planned, and only bought my ticket 5 minutes before the stopped selling them, which means I only got to poke around for 30 minutes. It’s a really impressive site, and I took a ton of pictures, but I doubt they’ll do it justice. I may head back towards it in the morning to get a couple of more shots from a distance.
(Posted on day 4, but written on day 3)
