Motorcycles in the Morning

Slept soundly after a dinner of bratwursts, canned vegetables and baked beans all washed down with a few nips from a rare bottle of 18 year old Talisker single malt Scotch Whiskey.

BMW. Jim. Triumph. BMW.

On Holiday with "Dick & Big Jim"

Two day, two-wheeled adventure to Clinton Lake Reservoir.

Lawrence, KS, Memorial Day Weekend

But is Barbados Ready for Me?

Itchy, but Stylish Feet

Wanderlust has taken hold of me once again. My feet, with the help of a little dough and human flight technology will soon find me among friends on the island of Barbados in the southeast Caribbean.

La Historidad

On Saturday and Sunday, Sabado y Domingo, I was able to wander around the narrow streets, amongst the brightly colored buildings with shallow balconies and picturesque railings within "El Viejo San Juan." I am enamored with the old city and all of it's aura. I was also able to tour the Catedral de San Juan, El Castillo de San Cristobal, y El Morro. Of which all construction was origjnally started in the early to mid-1500's. Tomorrow . . . . .

Fue Bailando en El Viejo San Juan

After enjoying a Mojto or two, Puerto Rico's signature drink, I was compelled to attempt to keep time with the live Latin rhythms pulsating from the corner of the small, tightly packed night club. Everyone else was dancing, either salsa, merengue, or something comparable while I just tried not to embarrass myself or offend anybody. But it was still a good evening.
Maybe tomorrow I will experience something more accustomed to me; like breakfast, or history.

More New Places

San Juan, Puerto Rico.

One Hell Of A Trip

5,440 miles.
93.150 gallons of gas.
81 postcards.
25 days.
9 States.
1 Great Adventure.


Northwest of Marfa, TX, Farm Road 505, Davis Mountains in the distance.

Back in Kansas

In West Mineral, KS, there lies a big machine, "Big Brutus." Currently a museum and local attraction, it is 160 feet tall (16 stories), weighs 11 million pounds, and at one time was the largest steam shovel in the world. A few pictures, then on to Fort Scott, KS to say "Howdy" to another firend before finally returning to Kansas City.

Meredith and Malley.

I Saw Dallas Today

Not sure why it was such a popular TV show, but I was talking about the city anyway. And at 70 mph, on the 45th anniversity of the unfortunate final day of President J.F.K. After leaving the dinosaurs behind, I stopped in Glen Rose, TX at "Debbie's Restaraunt" and filled up on multiple plates of their hearty all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet (which included some absolutely amazing grits). During breakfast I checked the weather forcast. My final planned stop on this motorcycle adventure was to see "Ol' Roy" himself in Dallas and to open up a barrell of monkeys and whiskey before returning to my origins. But rain and cold winds over the weekend were in the forecast, and my friend was to be out of town until Monday. Because of my lack of planning and for the sake of my digits, I had to take the warmer window of travel to the north. Presently, I am in Wagoner, OK, and tomorrow, shall continue north.

Deer, Hawks, and Dinosaurs, Oh My!

An easy day riding south on two-lane farm roads, I stopped frequently before I got too cold. I am about sick of gas station coffee and hot chocolate. For the night I set up camp in Dinosaur Valley State Park a few miles north of Glen Rose, TX.

Roar!

"Could someone please help me scratch my nose, I can't reach. These stupid forelegs are as underdeveloped as my brain."

The Architect & The Pilot

"There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots;

but there are no old, bold pilots."

Jennie and USAF Captain "Jammer"

Dan & Jennie

After a cold and tiresome day I was relieved to arrive in Wichita Falls, TX. Dan took me on a tour of Sheppard Air Force Base, where he is a flight instructor with the 90th Flying Squadron "Boxing Bears." And he let me try on his helmet and parachute pack.

At Least Tumbleweeds Have Enough Sense to Go With the Wind

But me, I fought the cold, fierce crosswinds of the North Texas Plains all day long as I first went South through Happy, TX then East to Wichita Falls. It was cold enough that I had to stop three times and thaw out my fingers and toes.

Little Green Men

No not aliens, cadets, at the New Mexico Millitary Institute. After I visited the International UFO Museum & Research Center I passed the NMMI on my way out of town heading northeast toward Amarillo, TX. A rather monotonous ride across the North Texas prairie. I passed through towns like Portales, NM, "10,000 Friendly People and 3 or 4 Old Grouches," Friona, TX, "The Biggest Small Town in the Country," and Hereford, TX, "The Beef Capital of the World." I also passed six freight trains and was able to get five of them to honk their air horns. Tonight my tent is set up in Palo Duro Canyon State Park at the very bottom of the second largest canyon in the USA. There are no clouds and plenty of stars and it will be cold again tonight, but I do not think I will have to worry about any intoxicated New Mexicans being loud and obnoxious in the middle of the night.

My Kind of Place

Stopped here for breakfast and to thaw out my toes. However, my "steel horse" was the only equine object in the parking lot. Roswell, NM.

Blah, Blah, Blah, and a Cowboy Fish Dinner

Waiting all morning to have a new chain and set of sprockets put on my bike. Blah.
The bill. Blah. (But they did wash it.)
The nonstop ride from Albuquerque to Bottomless Lakes State Park east of Roswell. Blah.
Too dark, and too tired to build a fire, I enjoyed a "Cowboy Fish Dinner," of crackers and sardines, before crawling into my tent for a long, cold night.

Mineral Bath Monday

After building a crackling fire in the sand to keep me company and warm while I packed up in the morning, I headed for the historic Charles Hotel and Spa in Truth or Consequences, NM. An hour soak in the naturally hot mineral water was refreshing. Then it was north to Albuquerque for the night where I would pick up a new chain and set of sprockets the following morning. After having dinner at Lucy's Diner, which had been serving customers since the twenties, I spent the night at the Route 66 Hostel. Both were situated on the historic highway and in Albuquerque's downtown area .

Pie and Consequences

Out of Arizona, as I returned to the east side of the Continental Divide, I passed through Pie Town, NM, which consists of a few buildings and two cafes. And like the name may suggest, the town is known for having pie, so I stopped. At both cafes. I enjoyed a piece of New Mexican Apple pie, and a piece of Chocolate Merengue. Full of delicious pie I continued east to NM road 52. The majority of which is gravel and runs south between the San Mateo and the Black mountain ranges. One hundred some miles later I was in Elephant Butte Lake State Park north of Truth or Consequences, NM. I arrived at dusk and had some difficulty finding the tent camping area on the 36,500 acre lake. At one point I took a shortcut through a sandy area, there were lots of tire tracks, and it looked like solid ground, but it was mostly soft sand and I dumped the bike. Noone was around, but I was embarrased and irritated. Finally I found the remote and very empty camping area, set up my tent, built a fire, and slept soundly, despite the below 40•F temperature.

East : (

No more racing the sunset each day, it is time to return to the Central Standard Time Zone. I started by riding north through the White Mountains on Eastern Arizona #191, an appropriately designated scenic byway. Over a hundred miles of continuous "S" curves, steep grades, and "U" turns with steep mountain slopes inches from the edge of the highway. A beautifully frightening day of riding, but I was relieved once the highway straightened out. However, the two state parks I had considered staying at were closed for the season, so I spent another night in a motel, in Springerville, AZ.

By Area, What is the Fifth Largest State in the USA?

New Mexico.

Very happy to leave the mess that is El Paso behind me, I took NM # 9 west across the grasslands of southern NM with small mountain ranges to the north and south. Most of the few vehicles I encountered were border patrol trucks and semis. Covering 300 miles all day into Arizona, I passed maybe ten small towns, if you can call most of them towns. And at one stop in Columbus, NM, I was only three miles from the Mexican city of Palomas, and the locals said all I needed was my D.L. to cross the border and return. Very enticing, but I continued west through more new country and into the mountains of eastern Arizona where I camped at Roper Mountain State Park east of Cactus Flat, AZ.