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| Life Elevated |
Distance today: 368 miles
Total to date: 1611 miles
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| Utah section of I-80, desolated as hell....literally |
Anyway, think I finally got my shit together & actually beat Robert in the AIS contest. What is the AIS you may ask....well this stands for Ass In Seat, as in locked & loaded & ready to go down the road. Am getting the hang of this group ride thing.
First item of interest for me was crossing into NV. We did this the first quarter mile out by driving out of Wendover, UT & immediately into West Wendover, NV. They had a white line about a foot wide painted across the street with NEVADA painted along one side of the line & UTAH on the other. Next went through another tunnel. Yah hoo! Remainder of day was spent driving across more desolate desert but at least there wasn't any white salt. Just scrub, hills & sand. Did I mention it was 94 degrees today & this was our first day of no rain?!
Wells, NV
http://bellasrestaurant.us
Stopped at this great place, Belle's Restaurant & Expresso in Wells, NV. Rarely plug anyplace on my blog but want to come back here. Home made everything & a fantastic wait staff!
Drove a long way today before seeing any wildlife & when I did, saw ONLY two pair of very skinny deer all day! I felt sorry for them for as my former neighbor Carlos (whose birthday ironically is today!) would say, "it'd be hard to make a living off this land". Very little water in this state or trees. Ironically the only time I saw any trees was by what little water was visible or in pockets by settlements. The trees appeared to be cottonwoods, which are water loving trees, which was a puzzle to me.
Passed thru Winnemucca which just happens to be the hometown of someone I used to know. What a God forsaken place to be raised at! No wonder prostitution is legal in NV. What else is there to do? But saw this sign along the road & had to check out just exactly what Butch Cassidy did to earn his $. The Wikipedia site sez: "Cassidy, (and two other men ) traveled to Winemucca,
Nevada, where on September 19, 1900, they robbed the First National Bank of $32,640." So is this sign suggesting visitors rob a bank while they are in town?!
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| Dust devil |
We hit a serious head wind just outside of Winnemucca which made the travelling very difficult. Nothing like driving into a head wind in addition to passing semi-trucks to get your knuckles white! And no, I'm not driving the 80 MPH speed limit at all (which surprises even me). It is amazing how much wind blows through these valleys but there is little to stop any flow since there aren't any trees. I did see something I'd not seen previously & had to do some research to figure out what exactly this was. Turns out what I saw was a 'dust devil'. Apparently there are such 'devils' of various materials such as fire, coal, steam & ash. Who knew?
There was also an area about 2-3 miles long where people had spelled their names, words, etc... out of rocks situated amongst the scrub in the dirt & positioned alongside the highway. Must be one of those things people do around here.
Along the way people are always stopping to visit like they know us because of the bikes. They are amazed I have driven my bikefrom Missouri! And that I'm headed to CA, etc....They share their stories, provide good recommendations & help break up the monotony of the trip.
Today a USN vet biker pulled up & parked next to me while I was waiting outside a convenience store for Robert. He was totally tricked out in black leather chaps, black jeans, black T shirt & black skull cap. The only item on his person that wasn't black was the USN anchor & US NAVY stickers he had on his helmet (black of course) & his gray hair & beard. During the course of our conversation I learned (& met) his companion, Jane, who is from Michigan. They met thru some online dating site. She flew out to NV from MI & they are on their way to WS to see the Dells. They are also going to the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee. I told them I was planning a trip there too in July.
And earlier today another guy from OK started talking to me, again while I was waiting outside for Robert. He was driving a white corvette convertible but has a Harley & wanted to share his story with me. How ironic that once folks find that common ground-motorcycles-all differences seem to melt away. Really adds zest to the trip however! I really enjoy hearing others' stories & tales.
One of the bikers that
visited with us today
There was also an area about 2-3 miles long where people had spelled their names, words, etc... out of rocks situated amongst the scrub in the dirt & positioned alongside the highway. Must be one of those things people do around here.
Along the way people are always stopping to visit like they know us because of the bikes. They are amazed I have driven my bikefrom Missouri! And that I'm headed to CA, etc....They share their stories, provide good recommendations & help break up the monotony of the trip.
Today a USN vet biker pulled up & parked next to me while I was waiting outside a convenience store for Robert. He was totally tricked out in black leather chaps, black jeans, black T shirt & black skull cap. The only item on his person that wasn't black was the USN anchor & US NAVY stickers he had on his helmet (black of course) & his gray hair & beard. During the course of our conversation I learned (& met) his companion, Jane, who is from Michigan. They met thru some online dating site. She flew out to NV from MI & they are on their way to WS to see the Dells. They are also going to the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee. I told them I was planning a trip there too in July.
And earlier today another guy from OK started talking to me, again while I was waiting outside for Robert. He was driving a white corvette convertible but has a Harley & wanted to share his story with me. How ironic that once folks find that common ground-motorcycles-all differences seem to melt away. Really adds zest to the trip however! I really enjoy hearing others' stories & tales.
One of the bikers that
visited with us today
So we are in Fernley tonight, which is about 35 miles east of Reno. Can you believe that according to Wikipedia, Fernley's average annual rainfall is 5 inches!!!! No wonder nothing grows here! Neither Rob or I are interested in gambling or being anywhere around a casino so we decided to NOT stop at Reno. Yet when we went to eat (at a place recommended by one of the local bikers we met today) the casino was on the opposite side of the building that also housed the restaurant.
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| Casino ceiling is made of glass & makes me dizzy |
Today is the first evening where I actually feel good. Don't know if this is because I got a good night's rest or what. Maybe I'm just getting used to the routine. But Robert & I should hit the CA & the coast tomorrow!
We are getting OFF the frickin' interstate -FINALLY- & going to the coast on a "scenic route", two lane road which winds it's way through Redding, CA, various National Recreation Areas & State Parks!! And there will be trees! No more desert! Hoo Yah! Destination Trinidad. Not to be confused with the Lesser Antilles (also known as the Caribbees) or the name given to a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Although I wouldn't mind going back there. But the west coast Trinidad will do just fine!!
We are getting OFF the frickin' interstate -FINALLY- & going to the coast on a "scenic route", two lane road which winds it's way through Redding, CA, various National Recreation Areas & State Parks!! And there will be trees! No more desert! Hoo Yah! Destination Trinidad. Not to be confused with the Lesser Antilles (also known as the Caribbees) or the name given to a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Although I wouldn't mind going back there. But the west coast Trinidad will do just fine!!
This blogger site is on crack tonight & don't have it in me to fight it, so pardon stuff & pics being all over the place!
1 comment:
Really enjoying these Steph! Love the pics too. Enjoy your ride! Hugs from MO!
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