KOA cabin camping

Dori, Marsden, the two dogs and I left on Nov 14 for a 3 day trip. 2 motorcycles, Dori and dogs on her Valkyrie trike, Marsden and I on the Valkyrie, hauling the trailer. We went to needles, ca and got there about 3 pm after stopping for BBQ in Wikiup, az. We stayed at a KOA campground and had reserved a cabin for two nights. This was something new, stopping someplace for longer than the night. Less gear to carry this way. The next day we rode the old Route 66 to Oatman, AZ, home of the wild burros. After hours of wandering around town and buying various shirts and magnets we returned to Needles. On Saturday we loaded up and Dori turned South to return to Buckeye. Marsden and I turned North and I returned her to her home in Las Vegas. Stayed overnight, gaming with my buddy Bruce. On Sunday I turned South and returned home to Buckeye. I went back crossing the new Hoover Dam bridge, highest in the US. It was shorter than I thought it would be and you can't see down because of 3-4 ft walls on the sides. Saved about 30 miles going that way so that is my new preferred route.

San Diego run

Well the August trip fell thru due to Dori's job. So then I decided to go on a trip on Highway 1, the west coast. This trip was an unhappy experience from the start. After my last east coast trip I had decided to increase my carrying capacity and go with comfort. I bought a 4x4 Harbor Freight trailer with a car top carrier mounted on it. I changed from a 1 man backpacking tent, to a 4 man family tent, for just me. And I got an expedition grade (holds 600 lbs) cot. I also decided to take a chair. Now since before I carried everything on a single motorcycle rack I foresaw no problem with room. Was I ever wrong. It turns out that the shape of the car top carrier really limits what it will hold. Marsden was going on the coast ride with me and Dori was going to ride to San Diego camp the night and return the next day. Did I mention she was bring two dogs on her bike? We didn't make it to San Diego. We ended up camping in a National forest campground about 50 miles out. I really messed up, we camped at just under 4000 feet in Nov. It was very cold, the dogs were having problems and Dori's air mat went down in the middle of the night. In the morning I told everyone that I was canceling the rest of the trip. I was just tremendously unhappy with the way the equipment choices were working out. Dori said that she is NOT happy camping anymore. We rode back to Buckeye after a big breakfast at the top of the pass, it's indian land and there is a casino. After getting home we decided to go this next weekend and camp in a KOA cabin for two nights and ride old hwy 66 by Oatman, AZ....will let you know how it goes.

Planning is underway.

This year I plan on leaving in early Aug and returning late Aug/early Sept. Instead of just going for a ride and to see friends and family. This year I have added aliens and abrahms to the list. Lots of museums and the USS Constitution.

Homeward bound, Day 25, May 15, 2011

I stayed and played computer games(world of tanks) with Bruce on saturday but today it was time to go.

Packed the bike, though there was less on it now and headed home to buckeye,az. A trip that I have made many times. Heading in on the last day always stirs many feelings. Sorry the trip is ending but happy to be home...and the desire to start planning for the next trip.

approximately 8000 miles covered.

This trip had some of the worst weather that I have ever had. Brush fires in TX, 328 tornados chasing us in the east. Rain, thunderstorms, freezing cold and 4 days of 50-60 mile an hr gusting winds. Lots of fun, but oh, the stories it will make later...

Will add pictures in a day or two

Going South to Las Vegas, Day 24, May 13,2011

Today was a great day to ride, sunny and clear.

Did I mention the koa had ducks? Ducks quacking and waddeling everywhere. When I started talking about removing feathers they left my area.

Going thru St George was beautiful.

380 miles later we pulled in Marsden and Bruce's home and unloaded. For Marsden the trip is over but I have a few days left.

West thru Wyoming, Day 23, May 12, 2011

Got up this morning, and started checking the weather channel and the Wyoming road depts road maps. The road west from casper to rawlins looks good, not like last night when it was snowing.

We had our typical motel breakfast, actually not to bad for the price...free..and packed the motorcycle. It was a hundred miles to casper, the first 80 were cold but doable, but the last 20 were not fun. By the time we arrived the shivering had started so after a lot of coffee we went to an outfitters supply store. I got a red thermal union suit (longjohns), wool socks and some chemical heaters for my gloves. Marsden got some more thermals. We were now wearing four layers including the suit. We went to rawlins, 120 miles, with no problem and then on to green springs. Since the weather was still holding we pushed thru to evanston, wy, the last town in wyoming. By now we had covered 400 miles thru the cold. But we knew there was always a chance that the pass to salt lake city could snow in so decided to go for it. We finally stopped at a koa in provo, ut. 530 miles from our starting point, buffalo, wy. I was beat but very happy to be out of the miserable weather we had been in for the last four days.

Went to a golden corral buffet to celebrate, they were closed but opened the doors for us, very nice.

Looking forward to good riding weather tommorow and reaching las vegas.

To Montana and back, Day 22, May 11, 2011

I was up early today and in the jaquizzi by 6:30. The weather looked better and it was supposed to be warmer. Had breakfast and got on the road north to alaska, no make that montana. By the time we got to the the custer battlefield the sun was out and we had clear skys.

We were done about 2:30, got some lunch and headed south. The temperature was dropping and the clouds were dark and filling the sky.

We had decided to return to buffalo,wy and hole up there for the night. On the way back,about the time I was thinking we had about 20 miles until reserve the engine coughed once, I switched to reserve thinking that was very strange and worried that since we went on reserve very eary that gas consumption may have jumped and spent the next 18 miles worrying about running out of gas. Because of that and the poor weather I decided not to stop at fort phil kearny, site of the fetterman fight.

When we got to buffalo I found that I still didn't have to be on reserve....somthing else had caused the cough but what? The bike had run fine the rest of the way.

We had a good time as always visiting the custer battlefield. But the museum at garry owen wasn't open yet.

We are now worried about our route tommorow, it is snowing south and west of us but will check the weather channel before leaving in the morning.