[gallery]

We left Solana Beach around 9:45 under cloudy skies and temps in the low 60’s. Headed down the Old Highway 101 toward Del Mar, taking the scenic route. Down in San Diego we hit I - 8 and headed east into the mountains. Up in the pass at 4180 feet elevation it was a tad nippy. That little detail wouldn’t be a problem for long. It took about an hour to get through the mountains, which were very rocky (big ‘uns, too) and barren. The long downgrade into the desert was not quite as steep as the one into San Bernardino the other day, but was enjoyable. We had a nice tailwind all day, making it a very relaxing ride. Once down on the desert floor, we promptly made a pit stop to remove our warm gear. By the time we got to Phoenix (Scottsdale, actually) it was 84 degrees and we were cookin’!

There were no points of interest to stop at today, so we just stayed on the road. You don’t even want to know where we had lunch. Scenery wise, the mountains were interesting, the desert was pretty boring, but there are a lot of farms green from irrigation. I did see a snake on Arizona Hwy 85. I thought there was a board in the road ahead and swerved to avoid it, but it slithered in front of me and I ran it over! Whoops. Not a board. I couldn’t tell you what kind it was , as I was tooling along at 70 mph.

By the way, we did get a face shield for Sharon, but that was a little too late - - the sun had already cooked her good. Then she decided she didn’t want to wear it as it impeded her vision and was difficult to take pics of the scenery and such. Just an FYI so those who care know that we tried! Also, when riding through states that do not require helmets, the face shield is a rather moot point. Thanks for caring, though!

By the numbers: Miles traveled today: 412; 3 gas stops (for the bike not us!): 42.5 mpg; 45.6 mpg and 41 mpg. Miles traveled total so far: 3,422 (whew!)

Today has been an absolutely delightful, sunny, laid back, gorgeous day!  We slept in, had a nice homemade breakfast, relaxed over coffee, and took the pups for a walk through town.  After a tour of town, we hit the beach for a photo op, and watched the surfers ride the waves.  What a gorgeous little community.  Then we got a few needed tasks accomplished.  We started with getting some laundry going, then proceeded to wash the dirty, filthy, bug encrusted bike.  It actually looks good again! 

While walking through town, we dropped in to Moreland Choppers (www.morelandchoppers.com) and looked over the bikes they had for sale and projects in progress.  They are doing some really nice work over there!  I chatted with Ben about getting ready to cross the lower southwest and whether or not to go to a higher viscosity oil.  He said with the springtime temps, I would be all right with the 20 - 50 I am using.  So seeing as I had 3000 miles on this oil already, I bought some fresh juice and a filter and proceeded to give the old girl some fresh fluid.  (The bike, not Sharon!) 

My sister is an awesome hostess!  For dinner, she rustled up some rockin’ good porterhouse steaks and salmon!  MMMMM!  Dessert…chocolate decadence…mmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!  Ya’ll come visit, now, ya hear?  She spoils the heck out of us.  We’re lovin’ it!  Too bad time constraints demand that we hit the road again tomorrow.  This time tomorrow we will be in Scottsdale with Teddy and Craig, barring any problems.

By the numbers:  nuttin’, honey, we stayed put!

P.S. We love all of your comments…please keep them coming!  Thanks for being with us.

[gallery]

Here we are in our 2nd full day in California.  Today saw us leaving Debbie in Pasadena around noon and heading south down the coast to Solana Beach and sister Susan.  Temps were in the 60’s with overcast skies and barely a hint of wind.  Heading south through LA to the coast, we hit the carpool lane (2 or more people per vehicle!) and cruised nicely to the Pacific Coast Highway (at 80 mph of course).  It was great to get on the PCH and run slower and experience the local flavor.  There are still offshore oil rigs from pre-ban days in view from the LA area.  Who knew?  Running down the coastal highway with the ocean on our right and the homes on our left, seeing all the local shops and sights, was very enjoyable.

The houses on the bluffs and hills overlooking the ocean are amazing.  Some areas are reminiscent of photos of Tuscany, Italy, with all the tile roofs and stucco walls.  It was probably the most pleasant day of riding so far on the entire journey.  The clouds burned off around 1:30 or so, but the temps never got too hot, so it was simply a glorious day for riding.

We hit Solana Beach around 3:30, kicked back and visited with Susan and the dogs.  We had dinner at her and Roy’s favorite local Mexican joint, Tony’s Jacal.  We were joined by her friends Peggy and Walter.  Walter used to ride Harleys, so we had plenty of good biker conversation.  Then back to Susan’s for dessert.

By the numbers:

Yesterday:  55 miles, 1 fill up 35.11 mpg

Today:  117 miles, didn’t buy gas yet!

3010 miles since leaving Belleville.[gallery]

Just a hop, skip, and jump to Pasadena from San Bernardino, so we took our time getting on the road.  Less than an hour later, we were at Debbie’s door.  After chatting a while and getting reacquainted, we decided to head over and tour the Gamble House.  That would be the Gamble of Proctor and Gamble.  It was built in 1907 and is still in great shape.  The woodwork inside is phenomenal!   The grounds are very well kept, and the architecture by Greene and Greene is very unique and attractive.  Then we headed down the arroyo and saw the Rose Bowl (Frank’s request). 

Lunch was at Island’s, a restaurant with a Hawaiian theme.  Very good burgers and very cold beer.  Picked up some groceries and dinner is at Debbie’s.  We thought about going out to hear some live music, but Sunday night didn’t have much to offer, so we’ll just chill out and visit.  Tomorrow we head down the coast to Solana Beach.[gallery]

Rolled into San Bernardino just before 8:00 local time.  What a day!  Woke up in Vegas (without hangovers!), checked out and loaded the bike, said good bye for now to Susan (sis) and Roy, then met up with Ted (brother) and Cheryl for breakfast at IHOP.  I guess we lingered there a little too long; didn’t hit the road for Laughlin till 10:50 AM.  It was worth it to spend the time with them. 

Traffic was light heading to Laughlin, but oh, that wind!   It’s been such a constant out west that I think I’m actually getting used to it (he’s not on the back of the bike!).  We started wearing ear plugs after Forrest City, AR and that has helped us deal with the wind and traffic noise.

Laughlin was very cool.  This was our first bike rally, and we didn’t know what to expect.  Riders were coming and going all day, so we saw lots of bikes on the road before and after we left.  While there, we enjoyed the constant thunder of bikes rolling up and down the street.  We cruised the vendor tents, of course while enjoying adult beverages!  The Indian Company had a semi wth lots of nice bikes, and there were several custom builders displaying their machines.  We also chatted for several minutes with Sherry from Hog Holder Co (http://www.thehogholder.com/ ).  I loved their product and will probably get one when I am back home.  See picture below.  Of course we had to get event shirts, and a nice nutritious vendor tent lunch (no chains here!).  We finally rolled out around 2:30 or so.  Did I mention it’s windy out here? 

We figured with the late start we wouldn’t make it to Pasadena, and we were right.  But we’re close!  It was just getting dark when we rolled into San Bernardino.  Coming down the mountains there is a wonderful long and winding 6% grade that felt almost like the downslope of a roller coaster.  It was exhilarating to travel that stretch going 80 mph on the bike!  Tomorrow we meet up with Debbie Hockersmith Fukuhara in Pasadena.  Can’t wait!

By the numbers: here are today’s stats: drove 340 miles; fill ups were 41 mpg and 44 mpg.  Later gators![gallery]

What a weird feeling after 6 days to not even ride the bike anywhere today.  We spent today with Susan and Roy looking around and snapping a few pics.  We visited old LV down by Fremont St. and had lunch at Hennesey’s Tavern (a giant pint glass facade).  The beer and food and company were all great.  We didn’t lose any money since we are not gamblers, just watched a few hands of black jack and a couple rolls at the craps table.  Pretty much just a laid back, relaxing day.  Yes, the wind is still howling big time. Glad we aren’t riding in it again today.  Soon we head out for the wedding and some celebrating.  Tomorrow it’s back on the road, first down to Laughlin, then out to Pasedena.[gallery]

Everyone knows it’s windy…..

Wow.  We had no idea it would be this extreme.  Every flag we pass is blowing straight out from the pole.  We constantly have to lean into the wind to stay straight on the road.  Multiple bikes have to stagger…there’s no question about riding side by side…you’d end up in each other’s laps.  The gusts are unpredictible and strong….Frank lost his skull cap to a gust on 93 North before Hoover Dam.  But the skies were sunny and the temps got HOT!  A bad day riding beats a good day at work…and this was not a bad day, just a challenging one.  It was a bit chilly when we left Flagstaff at 9:10 this morning, and stayed cool till we hit the valley.  We packed up our warm gear after lunch in Kingman, AZ, and never even thought about being cold after that.

Old route 66…what can I say…It is said that with the advent of the interstate you could cross the country without seeing anything.  All I can say after this stretch of the mother  road is you could have crossed the country before without seeing anything, just not as fast!  The wind from Seligman to the Indian reservation is wicked.  It is open range with mountain vistas in the distance and nothing of note to mention.  After that, you get into the mountains and canyons and the wind is somewhat blocked and the scenery much more interesting.  Is the mother road over romanticized?  Maybe.

93 North through the Golden Valley…now there’s a wind tunnel!  Yowza!  Get past that and the police checkpoint before the dam, and marvel at the sight that is Hoover Dam.  Wow.  Absolutely worth the trouble, thank you Stephanie at La Quinta in Elizabethtown, KY.  Best advice we’ve had so far.  The new bridge they’re building over the dam…words fall short of the engineering and construction feat happening there.  Absolutely amazing.

We saw more bikes on the road today than the entire trip so far…obviously due to the River Run at Laughlin.  We plan to get down there for a look see Friday or Saturday.

We hit Vegas around 3:30 Thursday afternoon.  What insanity!  Traffic from hell, and more people than I care to deal with.  We met up with my sis Susan and Roy and got checked in, then joined everyone for my nephew’s rehearsal dinner.  It was at the Brio Tuscan Grill in Town Square south of town.  What a mall and what a meal!  Top notch all the way!

By the numbers:  265 miles traveled,  32 mpg, and 45 mpg.  What a difference mph makes!  Total miles between Belleville and Las Vegas=2500 give or take a few.  A few extra miles on side trips, but that is our distance over 6 days.[gallery]

Here’s the rundown on day 5, folks -

We left Santa Rosa early;  moderate temps and sunny skies with just a hint of wind.  Made good time enjoying the ride, and had to run a special errand for Frank’s stepmother Donna just outside of Albuquerque.  She wanted us to run up to Rio Rancho to check out the 4 lots she has for sale.  Easier said than done…with no real estate contacts and only the lot and block numbers to go by.  We got close, but didn’t find the exact location even after calling some local realtors.  Took some pictures of the general area, then got on the road again, heading for Flagstaff, AZ.  This excursion took 2 hours out of our day, and added 80 miles to our itinerary.  Mission only half accomplished; such is life!

Saw a lot of antelope on the way from Santa Rosa, NM, and did we mention the 2 prairie dogs we saw yesterday in Amarillo, TX?  Traveling through the rest of New Mexico was  uneventful, although the scenery was pretty cool.  Once we crossed into Arizona, the wind picked up and we almost lost Sharon to the wind shear!  We thought it was windy a couple days ago, but HAH!  This was quite intense - in fact, it was so windy we had to lean the bike to go straight.  Along with the challenge of the wind, it also brought two sandstorms for us to contend with.  Ok, Mother Nature, enough already!!

Our day 5 destination was Holbrook, AZ, but we decided to push on toward Flagstaff instead.  The time changes we have been through make us think we are making really great time to each destination, but we’re just going along as we feel able.  As we neared Flagstaff, the elevation went from 5,000 ft to 6,000 ft, and kept climbing.  As such, the weather changed as well, and not for the better.  We thought we were heading toward the heat, not the cold!  We left that behind in MI!!

For the numbers-minded folks, here are today’s stats:  total miles: 505.  Fuel economy: 37.4, 43.7 and 38.1 mpg.

Only 273 miles to Vegas, our week 1 destination.  Should be around a 4 hour trip.  Tomorrow we will be riding old Route 66 on the far west side of AZ - should be a special ride![gallery link="file"]