Greetings and thank you to our faithful followers, friends and family,
Today we departed Flagstaff at 7:00 a.m on the last day of our journey. It was only the second time that we donned jackets since leaving California some three weeks ago. We only needed them on the first morning of our trip and the last morning. Just passing Williams, AZ, after 30 minutes on the road we encountered a terrible roll-over single-car traffic accident on the shoulder. An person was being attended to by a deputy sheriff. Several other motorists had stopped, but no paramedics or ambulance had arrived yet.
Descending down out of the cool pine covered mountains of Flagstaff we headed for Kingman, AZ, two hours away. Sadly, it appears that the dreaded Bark Beatles that we saw devastating the forests in Canada last year were doing the same thing to the pine trees in Flagstaff this year. Several were dead or dying. It seems there is no cure.
Arriving in Kingman we opted for breakfast at the local Cracker Barrel restaurant and gassed up for the trek across the desert home. Passing the California state line near Needles, the temperature soared beyond the one hundred degree mark.
California's budget reduction program has manifested itself in the closure of all of the highway rest stops, so when we arrived in Ludlow, CA, for gas, hydration and a comfort stop, the gas station/convenience store was overflowing with customers.
Traveling by motorcycle is a wonderful way to see the country and I often say that every day is a good day to ride, some are just better than others. But, I have to admit, anything over about 95 degrees is pretty miserable, especially when you stop. We resorted to soaking our bandannas and shirts with water for some limited evaporation cooling. Sylvia packed her bandanna with ice. It was good for about 50 miles as the heat continued to climb. My outside temperature gauge buried itself at the top of the scale near 120 degrees and stayed there until I reached Victorville where it decreased to about 110 degrees.
In Victorville, CA, we stopped for our final tank of gas, more water and to say our good byes after twenty three days together. It seemed odd to not say. "Where do you want to have dinner tonight." We departed for home in different directions.
Our adventure took us a little more than 6,300 miles over 23 days. We purchased approximately 950 gallons of gas and 70 hotel rooms. We consumed about 160 meals, countless bottles of Gator Aide and a few adult beverages along the way.
In closing I want to say thank you to my traveling companions for your friendship, support, camaraderie, cooperation, laughs and willingness to change our plans as may have been necessary. I very much enjoyed traveling and sharing this great experience with each of you. I also want to personally thank you our faithful blog followers for your time, interest and comments.
It's all right here in the diaries, mostly true, most of the time.
Sincerely,
John and the Usual Suspects, left to right, Bill, Lane, Steve, Bob, John, Tim and Sylvia
Outstanding job on the narrative (as usual) Pops. I know it's hard to pack all of the days events, sights, etc. into a few short paragraphs. I'm sure a lot gets left out.
ReplyDeleteI'm fairly certain that I speak for others when I say that I may not always comment on your updates, but I do follow daily, to see what you're all seeing, and more importantly to know that you, and everyone is safe.
XXOX
JR.