Leg 17 - Montclair, NJ to Chelmsford, MA

Left Montclair May 31st at 7:10 am after staying two nights in Montclair.

I dressed for the predicted weather of 56 degrees and not rising above 62 degrees the entire day. One of the amazing things about this trip is the varied weather conditions. Just a few days ago I dressed for the mid 90's. Today I dressed for the upper 50's. I put on long johns, an UnderArmor cold gear top and snapped in my jacket liner. I was comfortable.

The weather today had predicted brisk 15 - 20 mph head winds the entire leg. The cold air coming down from the north took it's toll on my energy. I stopped frequently to recoup.

The plan was to travel into New Hampshire. My energy waned and I stopped in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. Still I was in five different states, NJ, NY, CT, RI and MA. Google Maps didn't have Rhode Island on the route, but I made a short detour just to visit the state.

I ate lunch at a place named Cherri's State Line Diner on Route 6 in Rhode Island. The sign in the parking lot said 'Bikers Welcome'. Hmmm, were there places where bikers weren't welcome?

There I had a cup of home made chicken noodle soup and a mushroom swiss cheese burger. Not the lunch my urologist would recommend, but delicious just the same.

I took the Interstate's the entire way. The population is dense between NYC and Boston. The best route is to simply pass the miles quickly which the interstate does.

Between the Interstate's traffic and the winds my energy was sapped by 3pm.

Overall, 278 miles and a little over 8 hours of riding. The third corner, Madawaska, ME is within reach, weather and energy permitting.

Leg 16 - New Hope, PA to Montclair, NJ

Left New Hope, PA at 11:30 am. This leg would be very short, just 72 miles, and I took the opportunity to sleep in. I arrived in Montclair shortly after 1 pm. I would be meeting a long time friend, Huwaida whom I had worked with in San Francisco and who recently moved to NJ.

Huwaida would not be getting home from work until after 5 pm so I had a few hours to kill. I found a Honda dealership 15 minutes away called Motorcycle Mall in Belleville, NJ www.motorcyclemall.com. The service department squeezed me into their service schedule to change the oil and filter when I told them I was on a 'road trip'.  I had ridden over 3000 miles since the last oil change in Houston.

Everyone I interacted with at the dealership was friendly. I even exchanged blog addresses with Monica in the apparel department where I bought a new pair of rain pants. Mine I had discovered in the previous leg had two big tears. Monica's blog address is www.storiesworthtellin.com, writing of a young person with compassionate eyes to modern issues.

Enjoyed the evening with Huwaida and her boyfriend Gregory. Both Huwaida and Gregory had to work the next day and I took the opportunity to visit New York City, one of only two major cities in the US I had never visited.

I took the train from Montclair to NYC, a short 30 minute ride. I visited the Empire State Building where I took the following photo from the 82nd floor observation deck.

From the Empire State Building 82nd floor

New York City is HUGE!

I then took the subway to downtown, shown in the above photo. On the subway three musicians played and sang 'My Girl' and exited two stops after I got on. A nice unexpected concert. They were very good.

I then visited 'Ground Zero', a sobering site. Like everyone I was glued to the TV coverage during 9/11. It raised the hair on my arms being in the same area where I had viewed the devastation over 12 years ago.

Ground Zero

The following photo of the One World Trade Center from Ground Zero. It is an awesome building. Love to New Yorkers for a gracious recovery.

One World Trade Center

I then walked down to the habor and saw the grand ole lady proudly hoisting her torch. There were street performers break dancing, doing athletic feats of strength and flips in the harbor park entertaining the visitors. They are not allowed to panhandle, but most gave something for the outstanding performance.

I took the subway back to Penn Station, the train back to Montclair to meet Huwaida coming home from work. We walked to an Italian restaurant in her neighborhood and chatted each other up over an outstanding dinner of rack of lamb and a nice Chianti.

Overall, 72 miles and 1 1/2 hours of riding.

Leg 15 - Salisbury, MD to New Hope, PA

Left Salisbury, MD at 6:15 am. The plan for this leg was to ride to a high school classmate, Marlene's house in New Hope, PA by 2pm. This would be a short leg of less than 200 miles.

I made a brief stop at an ATM for cash as there would be tolls along the route. I was down to my last three dollars of cash and wanted to make sure I had plenty of cash.

I stopped for breakfast in Conshohocken, PA at a place called Andy's Diner just after 10 am. There I was served up a great breakfast by a smiling waitress named Kathy O. Eggs, toast, Canadian bacon and hash browns, $6.10. They also had senior specials for as little as $1.99.

From Conshohocken, PA to New Hope, PA was a short 28 miles and it was around 10:45 when I was back on the road. I would be arriving sooner than expected. I hit a rain shower just 10 miles from my destination, the first rain I had this entire trip so far. I arrived at 11:30 am.

Marlene showed me some of the local sites which included where George Washington crossed the Delaware River. The town is appropriately named Washington's Crossing. Shown below is a replica boat and the rapidly flowing river.

Washington's boat

Delaware River

Marlene and I had dinner at Martine's Riverhouse in New Hope, PA. We chatted up old times, filled in one another of childhood stories and found we had a remarkably similar life path. The restaurant served up a great menu and overlooked the Delaware River. Marlene has a well received blog www.wife2widow2single.blogspot.com. The blog has been published into a book that can be found on Amazon, http://www.amazon.com/Wife-Widow-Single-journey-widowhood/dp/1490993797/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401453085&sr=1-1-fkmr2&keywords=marlene+brown+widow

Overall 178 miles and a little over 5 hours.

Leg 14 - Wilmington, NC to Salisbury, MD

Left Wilmington, NC at 6:15 am. I again packed the bike for rain but left off my rain suit. It was a nice cool 67 degrees. The predicted weather had isolated thunderstorms through the entire leg. About 75 miles into the leg I noticed the traffic on the south bound lanes had water spray coming from the vehicles' tires. The lanes going north were completely dry. It must have rained a short while earlier but there was no evidence of rain in the north bound lanes. Go figure.

My plan was to take US 13 north as far as my energy would carry me. I had to take Interstate 40 for a little while but after about 50 miles I was off the interstate and on US 13, a beautiful secondary road. 

I stopped in a tiny town somewhere in NC for lunch. What was interesting was the decor. There were photos of law enforcement raids on local moonshine stills. I guess a kind of tongue-in-cheek display was the following photo, a photo of a law enforcement raid and a tiny mock-up still right below the photo. Gotta love both sides of the issue.

A tiny mock up still.

The ride was gorgeous right up until I got to Norfolk, VA. Navigating the freeways through Norfolk trying to make it to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel was an exercise in urban survival. There were so many forks, left hand exits and lane changes that I marveled how travelers before Google Maps made their way.

What was interesting was it was 90 degrees at the toll booth before getting on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Less than five minutes later, riding out over the bay, it was 79 degrees. It stayed at 79 degrees all the way over the water until the toll booth on the north end.

I took the following photo at one of the view points on the 20+ mile trek over the Chesapeake Bay.

Chesapeake Bay

The following is a link to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel web site with a lot of interesting facts: http://www.cbbt.com/index.html

A little ways into Maryland I started getting a migraine. I get ocular migraines which do not have any pain associated with them. Ocular migraines are different for different people but mine are kinda like opening your eyes under water. It starts out mild with only a slight effect. But if I ignore it, it will keep getting worse until I am unable to see. Dangerous to be on a bike and have one, so I took note and began to look for a place to hold up for awhile. My migraines usually will last less than an hour so long as I stop what I am doing and simply rest. 

I found a nice seafood cafe, pulled in and ordered a crab cake sandwich, coleslaw, cup of homemade chicken noodle soup and a glass of iced tea. The food and atmosphere must have been magical because not five minute after I sat down the migraine was gone.

I think what brought it on was instead of bottled water at a previous gas stop I drank a half bottle of Gatorade. There must have been some chemicals in the Gatorade that brought on the migraine. It has been the only migraine I have had on this trip and it was quickly cured.

I pulled into Salisbury, MD a little after 5 pm.

Overall, 398 miles and 11 hours of riding. The total miles so far are a little over 5000 miles, over half of the total miles I estimated for entire trip. 

Leg 13 - Jacksonville, FL to Wilmington, NC

Left Jacksonville, FL at 6:10 am after a good night's rest. When I got to the motel the night before I was so drained from the heat that I laid on the bed to rest and quickly fell asleep. An hour later I got up and had enough energy to shower and get some dinner at a local Italian restaurant recommended by the motel clerk. I got plenty of rest and felt rejuvenated for the days ride.

I packed the bike for rain. The weather forecast had isolated thunderstorms for the entire leg. I have rain fly's for the exposed bags. I didn't bother putting on my riding rain suit. The thought was that it would be just too many layers of clothes for the predicted weather. Rain gear over a leather jacket would almost be unbearable in 80+ heat. As it turned out I only hit a little sprinkle the entire day.

This was another four state day, FL, GA, SC, NC. I started out on the Interstate 95 but caught Hwy 17 in Brunswick, GA. I stayed on Hwy 17 the entire ride until arriving in Wilmington, NC.

The ride was absolutely gorgeous. Hwy 17 cut right through a Georgia state park. I came out of a tree lined section into an open valley about a mile long. The entire valley on the right side was filled with blue flowers stretching as far as I could see. It was an awesome site in the cool early morning.

My plan was to tack on the miles for as long as the air stayed cool. I started out in about 72 degrees and by 10 am the temperature was around 82. It would stay in the lower 80's the entire day, much different from the 90+ on yesterday's Florida leg. 10 degrees makes a huge difference.

I snapped this photo at a gas stop.

Mud truck

The truck pulling this trailer was a brand new shiny blue Dodge pickup. No doubt the guy spent the Memorial weekend mud racing. He's got quite a clean up job ahead.

While crossing one of the many suspension bridges on this leg, I saw a group of people walking the bridge. One guy in the front was carry a huge American Flag on a 10' pole. With the winds around 10 mph the flag and the procession of people was nice to see on Memorial Day. The bridge was over a mile long.

I stopped for a late breakfast at a small Mexican place in a tiny town in SC. I walked in and was greeted by a woman who said she didn't have a menu. She said she only had tacos. When I asked if she had huevos (eggs) she said yes and could make me huevos rancheros. When I asked for iced tea, she said she didn't have any, but would make me a glass. It all went down eagerly and was delicious along with a couple slices of ham. When I asked for a bill she simply put in a couple numbers on the cash register and came up with a total of $5.75. I happily paid it and tipped her $1.25. 

The winds picked up a little bit as predicted. Nothing like I had ridden in Texas or Florida. But enough to sap a little extra energy. I pulled into a Best Western in Wilmington, NC a little after 5 pm.

Overall, 440 miles and 11 hours of riding.

Leg 12 - Naples, FL to Jacksonville, FL

Left Naples, FL at 6:45 am, Sunday May 25th, Memorial Day Weekend.

I spent two nights in a Best Western and two nights at a long time friends house. The Best Western had a guest laundry and I took the opportunity to wash clothes. Three dollars worth of quarters took care of all of it. The motel also had a pool, jacuzzi, exercise room and a shallow pond on the grounds that had turtles, nesting birds and from what one guest said, otters that would come and feed on the fish.

Thursday I had a 4pm appointment with Florida Motorsports to get two new tires balanced and mounted. I showed up close to 4 and right on schedule the service department started on my bike. It was hot in Naples, over 90 degrees. While the guys at Florida Motorsports worked on my bike, I took the opportunity to sit in an air-conditioned pizza parlor nearby. This northern California rider is not used to the baking Florida heat.

I got Dunlop Elite 3's put on front and rear. They mounted and balanced them for a total of $434. Motorcycle tires are expensive compared to automobile tires. I have more confidence in the new tires. The old tires were the original tires that came with the bike and were nine years old. The wear on the tires and the age of the tires increasingly became a concern. I won't have to change tires for the rest of the trip.

I got to my friend Joani's house on Friday around 11 am and spent Friday and Saturday night as Joani's guest. It was great to catch up on the 35 years that we had not communicated except on the phone. Joani showed me the beautiful white sand beaches of Naples and had a great recommendation for a seafood restaurant, Bone Fish. The grouper was outstanding.

I left Joani's house at 6:30 am this morning and after stopping for gas was on the road at 6:45 am. I took Interstate 75 from Naples, FL to Ocala, Fl. From there I took US Hwy 301 to near Jacksonville, FL. I rolled into Jacksonville around 2:30 this afternoon and began to look for a motel.

Last night I got less than optimum sleep and riding in the heat sapped my energy. I stopped several times just to pour water on my neck to cool off. I ride in full riding gear no matter the temperature, leather jacket, boots, gloves, etc. Riding in 90+ degrees takes it toll.

Overall 356 miles and 8 hours on the road.

Leg 11 - Homestead, FL to Key West, FL (Second Corner) to Naples, FL

Left Homestead, FL at 6:10 am, Wed. May 21st. I have been on the road now for a little over two weeks. My riding muscles are getting in good shape. Also, my mind has become accustomed to long stretches of maintaining focus on the task of riding. I have found a rhythm that includes stopping every couple of hours, either for gas, something to eat or to take care of nature and re-hydrate.

This leg was unique. There is one road from Homestead to Key West, Hwy 1. It is 135 miles long and I needed to traverse it twice, the only time on this trip I will need to retrace my tracks. On the ride out I had a tail wind of 15 mph. Nice for getting better gas mileage. It was a beautiful ride with long bridges between the keys, blue water on both sides, sunny and a nice 75 degrees.

I arrived at the southern most point of the continental US just after 9 am and asked a passerby to take the following photo.

I ate breakfast at a local cafe called 'Six Toed Cat'. The 'Popeye' omelet and honey wheat toast hit the spot. I have gotten used to having iced tea for breakfast instead of my usual hot black tea. No doubt I will switch back when I get back up north.

There is something unusual about Key West. There are wild chickens all over. One rooster was strutting on the sidewalk just outside the deck where I ate breakfast. He would crow the customers for bits of food. The server said it was ok to feed them, so he got my left over toast and a slice of tomato. On the way out of Key West, there was a police patrol car stopped in the oncoming lane. I noticed a hen with four little chicks crossing in front of me and stopped to allow them to cross over my lane. Seems like the locals and the wild chickens live well together.

I took one other photo to document this second corner. It shows Hwy 1 mile marker 0 (zero).

The return to Homestead, FL on Hwy 1 was just as beautiful. I was happy to have the opportunity to see it twice. 

Once in Homestead I stopped for another bite to eat and more iced tea. I found a Honda dealer in Naples, FL who had tires in stock for my bike. I had scheduled a stop in Naples to see a long time friend and it was an opportune time to change tires. The cupping on the front tire is a bit worrisome. I simply depend on my tires too much to try and stretch out the mileage. I knew I would be changing tires on this trip at some point.

The dealer only had a 4pm appointment open tomorrow, so I will be staying in Naples for a few days taking in the sties and visiting with my friend.

I got to Naples around 4:30 pm. I took 'Alligator Alley', Hwy 41, through the Everglades National Park. I actually saw an alligator lying in a pool along the highway at a rest stop, the only alligator I have seen in the wild since arriving in Florida. 

Overall, 395 miles and 10 1/2 hours.

Leg 10 - Homosassa, FL to Homestead, FL

Left Dawn and Frank's right at 6 am after a good nights sleep. When I woke up and walked out into the kitchen at 5:15 am , both Dawn and Frank were sitting at the table checking the news.

Frank had helped me plan a route to Homestead, FL using Hwy 98 and Hwy 27, secondary roads he knew well.

The sun didn't rise until 6:30 am. It was gorgeous seeing the lush green fog covered valleys in the early morning light.

I spotted a box turtle or maybe a tortoise crossing Hwy 98 in one section which was four lanes. It had a long way to go as I swerved to avoid it while riding in the slow lane (no pun intended). I was headed south and it was going east so it had the rest of the two southbound lanes, the median and the two northbound lanes to make it to the other side.

Stopped for breakfast after a few hours of riding. Eggs and grits are getting to be a breakfast staple.

I checked the predicted weather and knew I would be in for some crosswinds for the last 175 miles. At a gas stop I took the following photo of my front tire. Motorcycle tires are subject to 'cupping', a condition brought on by riding in crosswinds. You can see the left side of the tire (right side in the photo) is darker than the other side. The crosswinds were strong enough to cause the bike to lean to the left, riding on that side of the tire for most of the 175 miles. I will have to stop soon and get it changed.

Pulled into a Best Western in Homestead, 'The gateway to the Keys' around 4:30. Sitting in the room having a well deserved Modelo. ;-)

Overall,  348 miles and 10 1/2 hours.

Leg 9 - Pensalcola, FL to Homosassa, FL

Left Pensacola at 6 am. The idea was to again use secondary roads as much as possible. One problem is that Google Maps on the iPhone has limited functionality in selecting alternate routes. I have to put in a town name along an alternate route that is not too far. Then when I reach that town, stop and put in the next small town. Otherwise, Google Maps wants to keep me on the interstate or at most one other alternate route.

Also, the app sometimes gets confused and stops operating. I drove on waiting for a turn direction and didn't notice I had gone well past the amount of time I mentally calculated as my next turn. I stopped and restarted the app only to find that I had to get on the interstate to continue.

The plan was to travel to Homosassa, FL to spend the night with one of my high school classmates, Dawn and her husband Frank.

I got off I 10 just after Tallahassee and road the rest of the way to Homosassa on US 19 arriving at Dawn's around 5:30 local time. I am now in the eastern time zone losing an hour from Pensacola. At least I won't be changing time zones for awhile. I will stay on EST until I start heading back west from Madawaska, ME.

Spent a wonderful evening chatting up old times, eating fresh corn on the cob, stuffed zucchini and pork loin.

Overall, 455 miles and 10 1/2 hours.

Leg 8 - New Orleans, LA to Pensacola, FL

Decided not to spend the extra night in New Orleans. One night on Bourbon Street was plenty.

I had some Jambalaya for dinner on Bourbon Street which was good. I then walked to Frenchman Street, about 12 blocks, where I was told there were jazz clubs. Music clubs would have been a more accurate description. The music was good although a 'one drink per set' minimum put a damper on staying longer than one set. By the time I got back to the hotel it was after 1 am, a long day since I got up at 5 am starting leg 7.

I took the following video just before leaving Bourbon Street. I have never seen that many over liquored people in one spot, ever. Even on the Las Vegas strip. It was one solid mass of party, party, party.

Bourbon Street

I left New Orleans, LA at 9:30 am after a short nights sleep. I was not charged for the second night of the reservation.

I kept with my plan to stay off of the Interstate as much as possible. I took US Hwy 90 E to Pascagoula, MS. From New Orleans, LA to Pascagoula, MS, Hwy 90 E hugs the southern coast. It was absolutely gorgeous. The white sand beaches of Biloxi, MS were an awesome sight.

I stopped in Pascagoula, MS for lunch. I saw a place off of Hwy 90 that had a full parking lot, a sure sign of good food. I was not disappointed. There was no menu, just a large buffet of fried chicken, black eyed peas, fried green tomatoes, corn bread, mashed potatoes and much more. All you can eat for $11.75! No wonder the parking lot was full. Tough to do better than fried chicken in southern Mississippi.

I took Interstate 10 E from Mobile, AL to Pensacola, FL where I decided my energy level just wasn't up for pushing on any further. I checked into a Holiday Inn Express around 3:30 pm.

This was the first time on the trip where I was in four states all in the same day; LA, MS, AL and FL. A big difference from almost a week just in Texas.

Now that I am in Florida, I will be here for at least five days. I have to cover the panhandle and the entire length of Florida twice. Once going south to Key West, FL and a second time going north for the third corner in Maine.

Overall, 235 miles and 6 hours.

Leg 7 - Houston, TX to New Orleans, LA

Left Houston at 5:40 am after spending five wonderful days visiting with family. I stayed with my niece Ericka, her husband Sam and her three beautiful children. The newest addition Hannah has got to win the award for 'Most happy baby!'.

I decided to get off the interstate and take a few secondary roads to New Orleans. It made the trip a bit longer but was well worth the extra time.

I stopped and ate breakfast in Livingston, TX at the Courthouse Whistlestop Cafe; eggs and pancakes. I burn a lot of calories riding the bike so I don't have to worry about carbs, etc. The cafe was exactly what I thought a Texas cafe would be. There was taxidermy everywhere and very Texas friendly.

Whistlestop Cafe, Livingston, TX

When I saw the 'Welcome to Louisiana' sign I let out a 'YAHOO!'. Wow Texas is big. From El Paso, TX to when I crossed the border into Louisiana was over 900 miles.

I stopped for gas not far into Louisiana in a tiny town named Merryville. At the gas station I met a guy on his bicycle from San Diego, CA named Tim. Tim is 70 years old and left the beginning of April from San Diego. His final destination is St. Augustine, FL for a total of just over 3000 miles. Given that he had already biked over 2000 miles in the last 6 weeks, I would say his chances of success are pretty good.

Tim from San Diego, CA

I stopped in a small town named Opelousas, LA for lunch. I saw a cafe sign for Crawfish Étouffée and simply could not resist. It was exactly what I wanted, authentic Cajun food. 

Opelousas, LA

I picked up I 10 just outside Baton Rouge, LA, made the final stretch to New Orleans and checked into a Best Western right around 4:40 pm. I plan on staying two nights, making my way to the French Quarter for some live jazz and more Cajun food. ;-)

Overall, 432 miles and 11 hours.

Leg 6 - San Antonio, TX to Houston, TX

Left San Antonio at 7 am. This is a short leg but I didn't have the energy to tack it on to yesterday's ride. 

There was no sense in leaving any earlier. The ride would have the same conditions as yesterday. The weather report showed the winds were steady coming in from the gulf at 15 mph out of the SSE with gusts up to 25.

I gassed up a little over 110 miles east of San Antonio. I ate breakfast at a place called Frank's. The waitress asked me if I would like hash browns or grits, the first time someone has asked me that in a long time. I opted for the grits and was not disappointed. I will have them for breakfast at every opportunity.

The ride was pretty much the same. Not a lot of scenery, just flat interstate asphalt. There were plenty of green trees along the highway, something I hadn't seen much of since leaving Cleveland National Forest. The next leg I will get off of the Interstate. There are just too many 18 wheelers, pickup trucks with campers or trailers and cars.

The rest of the trip should have plenty of secondary roads, scenic highways.

I got into Houston right before a two day thunderstorm was predicted to hit the area. I heard the thunder just as I was dozing off last night.

Today I am sitting in the comfort of my niece Ericka's house listening to the rain while doing laundry. Later in the week I will get the oil changed on my bike at a local Honda dealer.

Overall a short 215 miles and 4 1/2 hours. 

I plan on staying in the Houston area for about a week. 

Leg 5 - El Paso, TX to San Antonio, TX

Left El Paso at what I thought was 4:40 am. Turns out it was 5:40 am as my iPhone did not have the local time.  I had to change my iPhone settings to change the time automatically. 

My plan was to make it to San Antonio. It was a little longer then what I had been riding but there really wasn't a whole lot between El Paso and San Antonio.

I stopped in Fort Stockton, TX about 10:30 am to gas up a second time and get some breakfast. I ate at a local place called Pepitos. Tuns out it was a good choice. I met up with a couple of riders who were heading back to Corpus Christi, TX after a weekend ride. They would be going through San Antonio on their way back to Corpus Christi.

The following photo of Vince and Jen was taken at a gas stop in San Antonio. Vince was riding his Harley and Jen her Buell. 

Vince and Jen

After riding with them I came away with a new found respect for West Texas riders. They took the 16 - 20+ mph crosswinds with ease. Since the speed limit on I 10 is 80 mph and allowing for a little overage, we ate up the miles pretty quickly. Vince took the lead, Jen in the middle and me taking up the rear. We gassed up every 100 miles or so and took the opportunity to drink much needed water as the temperature was in the mid 80's.

Vince and Jen dropped me off in San Antonio and went on to their final destination, Corpus Christi.

Thank you both. I recovered some much needed skills on the ride.

I checked into a motel in San Antonio around 5 pm and took a well deserved shower. Currently sitting at the motel restaurant washing down the road dust with a Stella or maybe two and having dinner.

Overall, 531 miles and 9 1/2 hours.

Tomorrow I make the short 205 mile trip to Houston, TX where I plan on spending several days visiting with my brother, niece, nephew and their families.

Leg 4 - Tucson, AZ to El Paso, TX

Left Tucson at 6:10 am. The temperature when I left was a nice 67 degrees and I dressed for it. What was interesting was the ride out of Tucson goes up in altitude. Turns out the high desert gets chilly at night and only warms up with the late morning sun. What was a nice comfortable 67 quickly turned into a chilly 50 degrees.

Took this photo outside the motel this morning before I left:

A couple hours later I stopped in a tiny town to gas up. At the station I asked the attendant for a breakfast spot recommendation. He said Grandma D's about 3 minutes down the frontage road served up a nice breakfast. He was right as I was loved up by the food and the waitress.

The winds were a 10 - 15 mph tail wind right up until El Paso, there they turned into a 20 mph crosswind with 30 mph gusts. I got great gas mileage with the tail winds. I had planned to ride to Carlsbad Caverns but stopped into a Chili's in El Paso to wait out the winds. While at Chili's I checked the wind forecast.

My plan was to spend a couple of days exploring Carlsbad Caverns but I put a kibosh on those plans when I saw the following forecast for the area.

The predicted winds were a bit over my comfort limit, especially when the gusts could be a bit higher.

One thing about a motorcycle trip of this length is you have to be flexible.

The south west is one of two areas where winds present a problem at this time of year. There is a web site that has wind predictions: http://www.intellicast.com/National/Wind/WINDcast.aspx?region=elp. The following is a prediction taken from the site for Sun, May 11th. Notice the south west and south central has the most severe winds this time of year along with North Dakota which I won't need to worry about for awhile.

Once I get out of the south west I will be less hypersensitive about winds.

Interesting to note is the central US, especially Kansas in this graphic. Notice the high winds coming up from the south meeting the high winds coming down from the north. Perfect circumstances for tornados.

Waited out the winds at Chili's for a couple of hours. The waiter suggested I get back on I 10 East and stop at the east end of El Paso for a motel. 40 minutes later I checked into a Holiday Inn Express to treat myself to a nice room. The place has an indoor pool, a jacuzzi and serves a complimentary breakfast at 7 am. I plan on leaving earlier but the desk clerk said there would be coffee, bagels and fruit available.

Overall 328 miles and 9 1/2 hours including the 2 1/2 hour wait at Chili's.

Leg 3 - Cleveland National Forest to Tucson, AZ

I spent one night at the campground and left at 6:40 am. I made a cup of hot tea while packing up the camping gear and loading the bike. The night was chilly as it was 6000 feet. I left the rain fly off of the tent and had a nice view of the stars through the tent ceiling. The camp gear I had purchased for the trip performed well. I did have to put on some sweats in order to be comfortable in the sleeping bag.

I made it through the strong wind section without incident. Using the calm of the morning helped, but I can see where it would have been a lot worse had the winds been strong. I 8 travels through some rock canyons and the winds whip around from all directions.

You know you are in an area of heavy winds when you are riding through the middle of wind turbine farms with the blades spinning.

I 8 is a very boring highway. It is straight as an arrow for miles and miles. I knew this part of trip was going to be a grind and it lived up to my expectations.

I had planned on camping at Saquaro National Park just outside of Tucson but there was no camping in the park. The Ranger Station directed me to a local county campground. I checked it out, but the campsite was completely empty and with good reason. It was in the middle of the desert with nothing but cactus and rocks. I decided to take a pass.

I checked into a Motel 6 and took a much needed shower. Wow, it's the simple things that feed the spirit.

I ate at a great Mexican restaurant that had been in south Tucson since 1936. The chile relleno stuffed with shrimp was absolutely outstanding. Must say Mexican food is pretty good in Tucson.

Overall, 412 miles and 9 1/2 hours with the detour taken looking for a campground.

Leg 2 - Ojai to San Ysidro (First Corner) to Cleveland National Forest

Thursday, May 8th was the second leg of the trip. I left Ojai, CA at 6:40 am and pulled into the Burnt Rancheria campground in the Cleveland National Forest at around 2:40 in the afternoon, exactly 8 hours and a total of 312 miles.

I stopped in San Ysidro, CA around 1 pm and took a couple of photos of the San Ysidro Post Office  documenting my stop. San Ysidro is the first of the four corners and the Southwestern most corner of the US just across the border from Mexico. I gassed up and got a receipt from the San Ysidro gas station further documenting my stop.

From there I set Google Maps to the Cleveland National Forest where I am spending one night leaving early for leg 3, the Saquaro National Park just outside of Tuscon, AZ.

This is my first night of camping. I was lucky in that I got the last 'accessible' campground. Accessible is where you can park your vehicle right at the campsite. The others you have to schlep your gear in from a parking area.

I set up the tent and sleeping stuff, packed my gear into the tent all before 4 pm. I plan on leaving as early as possible tomorrow as the winds in these next couple of legs could be a problem. About 15 miles back on I 8E there was a road sign warning of strong winds possible for the next 68 miles. I am hoping to be out of that particular area early tomorrow morning when the winds should be quite calm.

The campground is at 6000 feet. The air is crisp and cool but clear skies. I took a couple of short walks and I could feel the elevation.

One funny thing. There are bathrooms and showers, but the showers are coin operated. Four quarters gets you four minutes of water. Fine if you have quarters. :-)

Leg 1 - Novato, CA to Ojai, CA

Monday, May 5th was the first leg of the trip. I left Novato, CA at 7:40am and pulled into my daughter Allie's driveway in Ojai, CA at 3:40, exactly 8 hours and a total of 410 miles.

Ojai is about 20 miles southeast of Santa Barbara. The wind started picking up just after my first gas stop in King City, CA. The weather site had the wind speed at 12-17 mph with gusts to 25. I hadn't been in many cross winds since purchasing the Goldwing, but the bike handled it well. What was interesting was that the wind was unpredictable and came at different times from different directions. At times I had a tail wind. Other times a head wind, cross wind from the left or cross wind from the right. Weather is a primary factor in motorcycle travel and I have bookmarked a couple of very good weather sites.

 I have mapped out a total of 33 legs. Each leg covering a reasonable distance, which for me is about 350 miles. I will be staying in Ojai for a few days visiting with my younger daughter Allie and my granddaughter Kaiya. Then off to the first corner, San Ysidro, CA which is about 220 miles south east. Funny, but Reno Nevada is actually further west then San Diego.