Day 1

9th May 2006

Chicago – Springfield IL

26881 -27105 (224 miles)

Breakfast is at 7.30 and it is the first time that I meet my fellow riders, I sit at a table with the Swedish group and find that they speak very good English, we have a chat over breakfast which is bacon, eggs, sausage coffee and orange juice. After breakfast we are again greeted by Petra and David who then introduce us to Don Tomkins our tour guide and a retired fire fighter, he lives in New Mexico, he gives a briefing on what we can expect during the trip we have eight states and five biological regions to travel through. He stresses that this is going to be an adventure and to be prepared for alterations during the trip. We have over 2500 miles to travel and anything could happen. We can expect to have a break about every one to one and a half hours and gas up on every second stop, gas stops out west get fewer than the first part of the journey. He also says not to expect to follow all the signs for Route 66, as some will lead to dead end and parking lots, we have a support vehicle driven by Gary, who introduces himself, he comes from the state of Colorado. We also have a trainee guide coming along on this trip called Stuart; he is local and lives in Chicago.

Breakfast and briefing over we gather our things and meet outside the hotel ready for transport to Eaglerider to pick up our bikes. We are out on the pavement by 9am ready to go, the first problem arises they taxi’s have failed to turn up. Some frantic phone calls and shortly before 10 we are on our way. The first part of Route 66 is travelled by taxi, and 20 minutes later we arrive at Eaglerider, now we are late we have to wait while others are being given their bikes, eventually it is our turn and we are shown our bikes and run through the controls and check for damage. I have a blue Harley Davidson Electra Glide Classic, two years old with 26881 miles on the clock. A couple of the bikes have battery problems, we use the time to browse the nearby Harley Davidson shop and I find a pair of blue sunglasses with foam rims they seem ideal for the trip, eventually we are off instead of 10.30 it is now 12.20 pm. The sun is out and we are off on our adventure the first part taking us out on Highway 55, which replaced Route 66. We turn off and I say we when it was some of us turned off onto the old route, half our party miss the turn signal for whatever reason and carry on down Highway 55, not a good start to the trip. The support van follows them to ensure that we meet up again, the van and the tour guide are in radio contact but eventually the distance is too great and radio contact is lost. The front part of the group continue down the road and eventually we stop at Wilmington, to wait for the rest of the group and there is a historic landmark there of a giant spaceman outside a diner, a chance for photos.

Our lost party arrive and we are one group again, the weather is changing and there is a chance of showers to come so we get our wet gear out as a precaution and continue on our way. Some of the route has the old route 66 running parallel with the road we are travelling on it does not seem in too bad a state so why they built another road next to it the same size and all beats me. We stop for lunch around 2.30 everything is behind schedule due to the late start, and the servings are enormous. Then it was the first stop for fuel a top up was $5.64.

After that we carried on to our second historic landmark of the route, an old Philips Petrol station, preserved as it was first built in the 20’s. The old fuel pumps still stand outside, unfortunately it was closed, but just as we were about to leave the curator arrived and opened to open it up especially for us. Time unfortunately was against us and we had to push on, it was now 4.20 pm and we had miles to go before our first hotel.

A few more miles and another quick stop to allow a walk, yes walk on the old Route 66 which was realigned in 1952, there is a working non descript petrol station that was around when the road was originally running past. There are some information boards here with the history of the road here and a map painted on the road surface depicting the route from Chicago to Los Angeles. It is now 5pm and we still have over 70 miles to go so it is onto Highway 55 and straight into Springfield arriving two and quarter hours later. First hotel for the trip the aptly named Route 66 checked into the room and time for some diner it has been a long day with all the hold ups. The food is inexpensive and plentiful. Glad I got the sunglasses today they kept the dust out of my eyes and the threat of rain did not materialise. Scenery today has been very flat no crops growing yet and with the overcast sky anything very exciting.

I have settled into the bike well; feels like I was born to ride a Harley, no nerves riding a new bike, it is comfortable after a day of good riding, bring on the road. Food in the hotel was plentiful again and reasonably priced.

Day 2

10th May 2006

Springfield to Rolla MO

27105 – 27323 (218 miles)

Briefing for the days ride at 7am after breakfast, cases taken to the support vehicle and a briefing at 7.30 before we are off at 7.40. First stop was for fuel to ensure a full tank of gas, then on the road, it is very foggy or misty this morning it has cleared up since I first woke at 5am this morning. It stayed very gray and misty all morning and just hanging over the ground above traffic. We had our first encounter with the wildlife this morning we had two deer run out in front of us, one slipped half way across the road as soon as they got clear we continued riding. Riding through Middle America’s small communities, small houses made of wood on wide streets, we meander through side streets following the historic road, and this is old America. We stop for coffee at a small town built in the late 1800’s of Carlinville. Stop off in the town squares coffee shop and have a chat with the owner who points out the Court House to the rear of the shop which cost $1,000,000 to build in the 1800’s and was the idea of the local judge of the time to try and win state capitol status rivalling Springfield. The town square it self has a band stage and small grass area in the middle which tends to make it a large roundabout. It really has not changed much since the town came into existence. We mounted up and were on the road again and around 10.30 the rain started to fall and never stopped. Following the route we enter into Missouri on Interstate 55 the chain of Rocks Bridge is to our right one of the famous landmarks of the route but no longer stable to take traffic. We are crossing the Mississippi river as we look out to our left, the lighthouses guard the bridge and the river is flowing roughly over hidden rocks. Somewhere in the murk would be the St. Louis gateway an impressive archway over the city symbolising the gateway to the West, but cannot see a thing. Shortly after, we stop for lunch and a break from the weather. After lunch, the rain has eased a little and we carry on our way to another historic site, which is now a state park, the rain is starting to fall heavier now. We arrive at The Bridgehead Inn, the visitor centre for the state park, built in 1935, as we dismount the heavens open and the rain is bouncing off the road it was bad enough riding in as you could see very little because of the spray, lucky we can now have a break. We are given a brief talk about the history of the place and the surrounding area by one of the staff, Michelle, we can then explore around the museum with it history steeped in Route 66 and Times Beach a nearby ghost town.

The rain is still falling and Don our group leader gathers us together in a room and gives us some options due to the weather. One is straight down the Highway 55 and into the hotel at Rolla about 2 hours away, must admit I did not fancy riding down the highway in this rain would be like riding blind. Two riding Route 66 again and stopping off at a Harley Davidson franchise about 2 hours away, or three stopping off at the Meramec Caverns on route which is part of 66, my vote and that of the Swedes was for the Caverns as who knows if we will ever pass this way again and we are already wet. The vote tends to go against us with the British voting to go to the hotel the Hungarians I do not think understood the vote and did not vote. Well the rain has eased off and we are on our way, along the route, we see signs for the caverns. However, as we rode the weather cleared slightly the rain eased and we did go to the caverns. What a ride in, twist turns and tree-covered roads what riding is all about! Half of the group did a tour of the caverns, famous for Jessie and Frank James and the hole in the wall gang for hiding out and escaping from a pursuing posse. The caverns are huge and the two brothers went to the back while the posse waited outside for three days before going in after them, the deputies got the blame for them escaping from the cave the sheriff said they got drunk one night and they slipped past. In fact, it was not until the 1930’s when the water level dropped that they found that the cavern was not a dead end but a short underwater swim took you into another cavern. Here they found the strong box and a few other items that indicate that the James brothers had in fact swam through to the second cavern and left by way of an underground stream that left the hillside further down the way. The water level has remained low and you can now walk around the caverns they estimate them to be some 26 miles long. There are stalagmites and dolomites galore in the passageways well worth the visit and lasts around 80 minutes. As we leave the caverns, the heavens open again and we finish with a wet ride into Rolla. Luckily the rooms have heat and after ringing out my gloves in the sink hang them over the hear along with my boots, jacket and trousers, fortunately my rain gear kept most of that dry it was just a bit damp around the edges. Off to the steak house opposite the hotel for dinner for an all you can eat steak buffet food excellent and cheap only $11 including tip. One of our parties fancied some fruit after dinner and came back to the table with a lovely red apple. She sat down to tuck into it but then had a thought and discovered that it was in fact a bit of display fruit what a laugh we had, even the waitress was unaware that there was display fruit at the desert stand. Most people seemed in a better mood tonight after all that rain today a bit of food and heat can make all the difference. There are some strange liquor laws here, the restaurant cannot sell alcohol so our van driver offered to go to the local liquor store and get what anybody wanted. For me it was bed as it was another early start and long day, but the bike is still comfortable. Oklahoma here we come.

Day 3

11th May 2006

Rolla MO – Tulsa OK

27323 – 27653 (330 miles)

A dry start to the day if a bit on the chilly side its 7.30am and we are on the road straight out onto Route 66 which runs outside the hotel. Mile upon mile of bending road undulating through the hills of Missouri, passing through small hamlets on the way. Most of the time running parallel with the main highway, the road goes into the Ozark Mountains the view of the mountains covered in trees is splendid. Climbing up to peaks and dropping down again but never as far as we have climbed up, crossing rivers so different from Illinois. We have to stop of at a Harley dealership for some repairs to a couple of the bikes, used it as a rest stop. Whilst there had a coffee with coffee mate with hazelnut flavour, tasted it for the next couple of hours. We continue along route 66 Missouri is really the start of the road I imagined the hills and road are magic. Road kill is becoming more common, mainly possum the occasional racoon and the rare skunk. We passed the skeleton of a large animal possible a deer. Lunchtime comes and we are in Kansas, it is a little dogleg of about 14 miles through the state. We stop for lunch in Baxter Springs and have lunch in a diner which was once a bank robbed by Jessie James who allegedly just walked in and demanded money and walked out with $3000.

After lunch we ran into a problem with one of the bikes the steering lock would not release, eventually we have to give up to get it off and get the spare bike of the trailer and manhandle the bike onto the trailer, it has taken almost two hours to get it sorted. We then backtrack a few miles to visit another icon of Route 66 the only remaining bridge of its type left, Rainbow Bridge made of iron covered in concrete. A photo opportunity for all and a brief talk on the history of the area infamous for Quantrill’s Raiders and the raid on Baxter Springs during the American Civil War. We ride over the bridge and it is on our way to Oklahoma. The land is opening up before us no more mountains, you look ahead and the road disappears over the horizon. Over a brow of a hill and the road disappears again into the horizon, deserted buildings along the highway signs of a once thriving community that served travellers along this route. Not only buildings deserted but also vehicles also just left where they stopped dating back to the 1920’s to the 1960’s. Some of the buildings are being restored back to there former glory for the tourist trade is bringing the road back to life. We have passed oil derricks in yards and fields mostly single ones pumping oil from the ground, they are of the nodding crane type, a reminder of the oil riches from the early days.

We arrive in Tulsa it has been the best day so far of the trip the dream is coming alive. So far, Missouri has been the best for the Mother Road, Oklahoma is just starting. Have been sunburnt during the days ride the wind has caught the exposed cheeks. As we have crossed Oklahoma, more cattle and horses have appeared in the fields so much different from the start of the ride where there was very few livestock seen. Passed our first long train today, it was close to a mile long.

There have been signs along the road, which state ‘ROAD IMPASSABLE WHEN WATER IS HIGH’; the tide sure goes out a long way here.

What a welcome we got when we arrived at the Big Western Hotel in Tulsa, the management came out to greet us and asked for a group photo. They laid on a fruit punch and cookies in the reception area for us and in the rooms we had a welcome note, two bottles of water and two packs of cheese and peanut butter biscuits (strange taste these Americans have) and the room was excellent.

Went out for dinner across from the hotel, the problem here is trying to eat healthily and what I would class as normal size portions. Went out with our French representative of the group tonight and killed the French language, unfortunately he speaks no English just French and Portuguese, but we get by.

Day 5

13th May 2006

Clinton OK – Amarillo TX

27866 – 28056 (190 miles)

Off at 8am after breakfast and a few miles down the road we stop off at Elk City another museum on the history of the area, we arrive before it is open. It has two buildings dedicated to the history of route 66 and the rest of how the area was developed.

Out on the route again we arrive at a part of unused road of the original route. We stop for photo opportunities and a ride up and down on the road; the road has grass growing through it and bushes overgrowing the section. After our ride, we were back out on a later alignment the road is snaking across towards the state of Texas. We pass our first snake today it was a Common Prairie Rattlesnake. We leave Oklahoma and arrive in the town of Shamrock Texas, Oklahoma looked big but Texas is starting to look bigger. Texans go for a different type of oilrig in the field they seem to cover the pumps up and no moving parts can be seen. With our first stop in Texas for dinner and the portions, seem to have bigger, if that was possible.

After lunch, we paid a visit to a 1930’s art deco petrol station that has been restored to its original beauty, and very impressive it is. It looks fabulous with twin towers one smaller than the other and everything you would expect for that era too good to be a petrol station.

As we travel along, we are seeing more and more derelict buildings where people have just upped and left everything. There are advertising signs from the past still left in the windows of diners and a number of abandoned cars and trucks going all the way back to when the road was first brought into existence, it is an amazing sight to see all this history just left at the side of the road to rot.

We stop off in McLean to visit the Devils Wire (barbed wire) Museum, who would think that there are 450 patents for the stuff, thought only 50 types are commonly used. This tamed the West and brought an end to open ranges.

Just down the road is a Philips 66 petrol station, it is very small one roomed building, with aging petrol truck parked at the side, whilst there we saw very little traffic and you could well have been back in the 20’s or 30’s.

By travelling down the roads, we are showing how much the old road is still in existence despite attempts to kill it off. However, mainly single carriageway roads and parts paved over with highways we are keeping very close to the original route. Some parts are well maintained, whilst other parts are not.

Oklahoma was big but Texas looks even bigger and the road just travels on and on out of sight. It has been a good days riding, we stopped to get a view of the big country and hopefully the photographs when linked together will give some idea of the vastness of it all. We must have been looking over 50 miles or more to the horizon.

The bike is great to ride; it is comfortable for mile after mile, hour after hour of riding. Though it shakes rattles, rolls, the gears are clunky, and you have to take the key out or they will be shaken out, IT IS GREAT. So far, we have covered over 1200 miles and it is still as comfortable as day one.

Tonight we went out to the ‘Big Texan’ for a meal; we had a ride to the restaurant in a Limo with Texan Longhorns on the bonnet (or hood if you want to be American about it). This place has a challenge to anyone willing to take it on, eat a 72oz steak together with side salad and jacket potato within an hour and you get it free. On arrival a woman was halfway through her attempt at this feat, and oh yes you have pride of place in the restaurant to eat it so everyone is looking. She failed and did not look too good as she made her way out carrying her doggy bag. Then we had a young lad have a go and not only did he do it, he done it in half the allotted time and his prize for eating all this was a huge chunk of fudge cake. Just thinking about it makes me queasy.

Tomorrow’s start is 8am and it is likely to be a long day, we also have a time change and gain an hour.

Day 4

12th May 2006

Tulsa – Clinton OK

27653 -27866 (213 miles)

We had a lay in this morning not on the road until 8am. A cooked Breakfast is laid on, when we are ready to leave the management again come out to wave us goodbye, (a big five* for this hotel). We are on the move a few minutes late at 8.10am and onto the Highway slow moving at first with the morning traffic, once out of Tulsa we are back on the old road again winding our way through small towns, the road is still undulating through Oklahoma. Stretching out before us towards the horizon and beyond as you crest over the brow of a hill, we arrive in Chandler and a photo opportunity. They are in the process of restoring a Philips 66 filling station, they hope that by next year it will be complete now the outside is complete, together with two trucks from the 1930’s. Just down the road is a local museum, which holds the history of the local tribe and how the area developed in the early years by European settlers. This is a fair sized town but is still not the hustle and bustle of the towns back home.

Moving on from the town and an hour or so down the road we arrive at Bristow where one of the oldest parts of the road still exists, paved with brick, a ride up and down on this section of road from 1926. Soon it is time for lunch and stop off in Arcadia at the Hillbilly Restaurant. A charming place to stop for lunch again good food and a good price, you could call it very rustic in its charm. A few yards up the road stands the round barn build in 1898 and another landmark of this route.

After lunch, we move continue on the road, which is still undulating over hills. This section of road is different in parts to the rest we have seen as we go up the hills the sides of the road are curved up for some reason, could be to direct the flow of rain water down the road and into gullies only the designer would know for sure. Pass the body of a black bear that has been hit by passing traffic, must have been very unlucky as we have seen very few other vehicles using this route, most of it is using the main highways. Around 4pm, we crest out at the top of the plateau at a height of 1500 ft above sea level, higher than that of Missouri. The scenery now pans out before us opening out into a large expanse of flatness, now heading towards Clinton the road stretches out before us. In the distance, large wind turbines stand on the skyline and remain there for the next hours ride, riding into Clinton we call into a route 66 museum.

Here they chart the early history of Route 66 with exhibits from the 1920’s through to the demise of Route 66. A diner is laid out as it might have been in the 50’s, a short film of the road and what lays ahead of us should be fun.

The weather has been warm today temperatures in the high 20’s C, plenty of sunshine and a touch of sunburn on my wrists where I had the zips undone whilst riding. Dinner was good at the hotel and a decent portion, though they also have funny ideas of fillings and toppings, be prepared to brave the toppings or make sure you hold them, they are quite happy to put them on the side for you. We have another lay in tomorrow not off until 8am and it promises to be another fine day with some spectacular scenery, the road is certainly living up to expectations.

Day 6

14th May 2006

Amarillo TX – Santa Fe NM

28056 -28366 (310 miles)

Early start for breakfast but sleep through the alarm for 5 minutes first time on this trip that I have needed the alarm to wake. Breakfast was complimentary but took forever to be served, others that came after us had theirs first and gone before we saw ours and it was only scrambled egg on toast. Therefore, it was a bit of a rush to eat it and get out to the van to pack the bags, having arrived in time for a leisurely breakfast it failed to be that.

On the road at 8am and first stop a short while later at the Cadillac Ranch, where the owner has planted 9 cars nose down in the soil as a symbolic gesture to the end of an era. Over the years, visitors to the site have covered them in graffiti. We have a photo opportunity and then it is off on the road sweeping across the plains of Texas.

The road undulates for the next hour or so and soon, we reach Adrian the midway point on Route 66, 1139 miles each way so we stop for a coffee in the 1950’s diner that is there gathering for a group photo. From there it is just a short hop across the road to a Philips 66 gas station and there meet with a hostile reception. This is the first negative attitude we have encountered on the trip (and the last). Therefore, if you plan to travel that way it a gas station to avoid, there are others not too far away.

After this encounter, we carry on Route 66 at times crossing over or under the parallel highway. In places, grass and weeds grow through the surfaces, at one point the road just came to a dead end at a fence and no sign of the road, so we turn around and pick another part of the road. We are passing more and more places that have been abandoned, as if some great disaster hit and the population vanishes. We start a stampede of cattle as we ride by.

The road scenery begins to change the plains are giving way to bluffs they are rising out of the ground ahead of us and the road is starting to climb ever upwards. Soon we are riding through cutouts in the bluffs, going across bridges that run over dry riverbeds. Gates appear in fences with ranch names but no sign of a ranch. We arrive in New Mexico; the landscape has changed from the open ranges of Texas to the more barren and beige of New Mexico. The grass is brown, soil is a light brown to terracotta, and we stop for lunch and have gained another hour by crossing into New Mexico. After lunch, the road begins to climb and climb the altitude shown on town signs we are now 3000 feet above sea level, it is climbing in gentle undulations it is no problem for the bike. We go over a brow of a hill and the road stretches before us into the horizon, as we descend before the next rise. Cattle are appearing along the roadside more and more now. Eventually we hit the plateau and the country spreads out before us, the gentle undulations have given way to flat roads, we are on the way to Santa Fe.

We had two ‘Wind Devils’ (similar to tornados but caused by heat rising from the ground in a swirling motion generally not too much of a problem but have been known for the larger ones to lift livestock off there feet), one after another today. First was not a problem as it was going in the same direction as us in a field, the second one started to come across the road as we passed but fortunately, we all passed before it reached our side of the road.

However, black clouds are looming and we stop to put on rain gear before carrying on towards the threatening storm. We arrive at a gas station to fill up just as the rain starts and the lightening starts to strike the hillsides. We take shelter in the gas station to let the storm pass the lightening is hitting the hillside regularly about every 30 seconds, strike after strike. Not something, you would want to be caught out in the open with. The storm passed right overhead and eventually cleared away the rain easing, so we started again for Santa Fe about 50 miles away. The road went rolling through the hills up and down up and down, some good riding and nice scenery shame about the rain, first time it had rained in about a year according to the locals at the gas station. The rain stopped and breaks in the cloud let the sunshine through, as we came down into Santa Fe we could look to the left and into the valleys below. We rolled into town and entered a different world; streets are narrow compared with the rest of the towns we have passed through. The architecture is very Spanish; you could well be in parts of southern Spain or even Mexico. Buildings are coloured terracotta or pinks it is a stunning place with a small square in the centre of town you would never imagine that this was the State Capitol. I had a stroll around the town in the evening and it has a very Aztec feel to the stores especially in the jewellery and pottery. Tomorrow is a day of rest and shall explore some more and take some photos.

Day 7

15th May 2006

Santa Fe

Today is a day off a chance to do your own thing; the rain has stayed with us overnight and continues in the occasional heavy downpour during the morning. A chance to send some more post cards and get them posted. Spent some of the morning have a stroll around the square and visiting the oldest mission in the USA founded around 1610. However, beneath the mission are ruins of an older dwelling dating back to 1300 and it is believed to be the ruins of the local Native Americans that lived here. It would appear not all Native Americans lived in tepees; many tribes lived in small villages.

The afternoon has arrived, the rain has stopped, and the sun is coming out every so often, during my walk I notice that the mountains nearby still have snow on there peaks. The area is known for the number of artists that live and work in the area and it has the third largest gathering of artists in the world behind Paris and London. Many of the works of art are on display in the numerous galleries and museums in the town. The local tribe set out market everyday in the square selling there goods, apparently they draw lots everyday as to where they are going to set up there wears, most of it is silver jewellery and at a very good price.

Have been keeping in touch with home by text but felt something was wrong at home so rang home today to find that my youngest daughter had been taken into hospital with DVT (deep vain thrombosis) but have been assured that she is alright and getting treatment.

Day 8

16th May 2006
Santa Fe – Gallup NM

28366 – 28577 (211 miles)

Left the hotel in Santa Fe at 8am, wind our way through the narrow streets of the centre of the city, and get out onto the Highway 25 once again. Ahead is old route 66, it is dual carriageway for most of the way to Albuquerque where we plan to have breakfast, the last 10-15 miles is the single carriageway road we have come to love so much. The dereliction is still prevalent at the side of the road, the landscape is still changing it is getting more and more like desert now. The soil is light coloured sand, brown grass and a few shrubs pass a dead coyote at the side of the road and pull into Albuquerque. Here you can really imagine the stagecoach coming into town, besides paved roads the centre cannot have changed much since it was first built. Breakfast is in a small cantina just off the town square, the food is good and reasonably priced, though I must admit some of the breakfast menu had some strange offerings.

A quick stroll around the town along the board walks outside the shops complete with hitching posts, the quality of leather goods are excellent and the prices low. Still not a lot of room on the bike for such extras, would have to get a second suitcase to go home with things. We make a stop for gas and then a few short miles we stop off at the Rio Grande for a photo opportunity, the ground is pure white sand and is held in place by tall long grass.

Back on the bikes again and the temperatures are getting up into the high 20’s, we are riding across the plains now and have mountains all around us. Red buffs rise out of the ground, some fun is had with the road as we have come across some decent bends cut through some small bluffs and it is a chance to practice, as these are the first real bends we have had in a long time. We cross over dry riverbed after dry riverbed the scenery is changing again rocks rising from the ground signs of volcanic activity long ago. We have a train running parallel with us for a while until we stop off in Grant for a break, and I get a chance to text home for an update on my daughter, during the ride, my mind has not really been on the scenery or the road. The train passes us by and continues on its journey towards or next destination.

Leaving Grant we travel across a flat landscape, we have bluffs to our right, rising up you can imagine the canyons and the Indians riding out across the plains, it is like scenes from the movies only in improved colour, this is real cowboy country.

It is quite amazing how the re-routing of Route 66 destroyed so many livelihoods and devastated so many towns.

Arriving at Gallup at an early hour 4pm, we get our rooms and I ring home for an update and told to carry on with the trip as things are going all right at home. So with this bit of news I go for a dip in the hotels pool, the first time on this trip that we have had time to get in a pool, our last stop did not have one. Feeling a bit more refreshed and happier with the situation at home, I feel that I can relax a bit tonight.

Our tour guide has arranged for us to have a meal out at El Rancho, which is famous for the number of film stars that it had staying there during the heyday of Hollywood, whilst making films nearby. We are being picked up in a limo again tonight and transported to El Rancho, never been in a limo before this trip and now twice within a week, not only that we had motorcycle outriders provided by Chapter 144 of Dons motorcycle club, Fire and Wind, (made up of fire-fighters, ex-fire-fighters and police). El Rancho is an amazing place built in 1930 and has all the grandeur of that era, sweeping staircase and loads of highly polished wood. The evening was great and the people so friendly after the meal we had another ride back in the limo with outriders; we said our thanks and goodnights and waved them off.

Day 10

18th May 2006

Grand Canyon AZ

28842 – 29021 (179 miles)

This is a day off so a return to Williams for the night after a day at the Grand Canyon. Some of us have a pre booked flight in a helicopter over the Canyon at 10 am this morning. A smaller group are going to travel up by train. We depart at 8am for the airport riding out of the mountains and onto the desert plains again. We ride east for a short while the first time since the trip began, nearly 2000 miles ago. The ride in is quick, arriving at the airport in plenty of time for the flight, its book in and get weighed, glad to say my weight has not gone up with all the eating that has been going on. Lift off is just after 10am and we head out to the east rim flying at 300’ above the tree level due to noise restrictions over the area.

We arrive at the rim and we behold an amazing sight, you just cannot believe the scene that is unfolding before you. Our route takes up towards the Colorado Rivers, flying generally north, the colours of the rock and the formations beyond belief. The canyon is a mile deep and we come to the rivers, the Little Colorado River is an amazing colour blue, and flows into the duller Colorado River, we are told that when it rains the blue turns to a muddy colour. We can see the rapids in the river and there is a raft making its way down the river. We fly over the North rim, which is higher into a rain shower, and head west for a short while before entering Bright Angel Canyon on our southern run back to the airport. The sights are changing time and time again, soon we are back where we started from and time has just flown by, (no pun intended), we have been up for almost an hour but is only seems like minutes.

Its back to the bikes for the ride into the National Park and a rid along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, on the way in an Elk was grazing in the woods. It was slow going getting into the park; goodness knows what it is like in the height of the season. One in we head for the first viewpoint, it is so crowded that we ride through and onto the next point, Yavapi Point that is less crowded. The views from this level are stunning the scale is breathtaking and distance incomprehensible. The distance between South and North Rim varies from about 8 miles to over 27 miles depending at which point you are standing and looking out across too.

A short visit to the Grand Canyon Village and met up with the group form the train, they had been entertained on route by cowboys staging a hold up, it has taken them about two and a half hours to get here. The view is taken over by squirrels that are very friendly and always looking for free handouts. The party split and go our own way to explore the area; I set off for Desert View at the far end of the park about 30 miles away and am joined by two others.

On route it starts to rain with lightening so we take shelter in a rest stop and soon joined by other bikers from our group and a couple from Virginia. The toilers here are just holes in the ground surrounded by a very nice building, which gives the impression of all mod cons. The shower soon passes and we move on stopping at one or two of the viewpoints, but is becomes apparent we would be better off going to the end and working our way back as each time we stop we are crossing over traffic twice.
We arrive at Desert View and there we see a viewing tower at the edge, we climb to the top and look down towards the Colorado Rivers, can just make out a raft on the river making its way towards some rapids. From here we head towards Mather Point our original stop off in the morning, but on route stop off at Navajo Point, Lipin Point, Moran Point and Grandview Point, taking lots of photographs at each stop, the views changing by the minute with the clouds casting shadows over the rock face. Finishing at Mather Point before the return to the hotel at Williams, we see some more wildlife on the way, Jack Rabbits and deer. The wind is picking up as we ride across the desert and tumbleweed rolls across the road.

Arriving at Williams we enter on the old Route 66, it is a one-way system so ride up one way and back the other, stores line the route on the way back. Williams was the last town to be by-passed by the highway, but far from dying out it has boomed as a historic stop for the old road.

It has been a fun day and the helicopter trip is well worth the cost. If you have seen the Grand Canyon, you know that words cannot describe it adequately if you have not seen it then its well worth putting on your place to visit list.

The evening meal was at the hotel we were staying in, a Holiday Inn, the restaurant was set out as a gambling saloon of Doc Holiday, and he was away from the table while we were there but he left his hand of cards on the table along with his hat and coat. Ordered a rack of beef spare ribs and wished I had gone for the smaller portion of three; they were enormous and just about made it through the meal.

Day 9

17th May 2006

Gallup NM – Williams AZ
28577 – 28842 (265 miles)

Another fine day and we set off with the sun beating down, first port of call is gas and then onto the highway, old Route 66 has been overlaid or torn up. As we travel along the highway just to our right there is a herd of horses roaming free on the parallel road. We are still travelling over desert, and have been for the past couple of days.
The route takes us through the National Park of the Petrified Forest, as we stop at the entrance our first problem of the trip rears its head, one of the bikes has a serious oil leak it is coming out of the exhaust. Arrangements are made for later that day to get it looked at.

We are now free to travel through the park at our own pace for the next couple of hours; it is 28 miles long and is at a height of 5826 feet. We can stop and look at the views over the Painted Desert, walk around ancient ruins from the 13th century and look at the petrified forests, trees that have been turned into stone. You can see the features of the trees, its bark the age rings, most are just small chunks but there are also a couple of large logs.

Arrive at the meeting place to find that Stewart, the trainee guide has been forced off the road by a car and is nursing a bruised knee, the car responsible failed to stop, a felony offence here and could lead to a jail sentence. Once that has been sorted out, we are back on the road again.

We are now in Arizona and stop at Holbrook at the Wigwam Motel; you can sleep in the comfort of your own concrete wigwam. After a photo opportunity, we carried onto Winslow made famous by an Eagles song, and ‘stood on the corner in Winslow Arizona’ which is the junction of South Kinsley Avenue and East Second Street. A J. C. Penny store that was on the corner has burnt to the ground with just the storefront standing and remains in a very dangerous condition. The paintings on the storefront wall are great and make you take a second look.

Leaving the town behind us, we take a small detour while that bike with the oil leak goes onto to Flagstaff, we stop at Walnut Canyon where early cave dwellers once lived and farmed some 800 years ago. Again, this is a National Park situated 7000 feet up and the walk is testing to get to the caves, bring oxygen. We are off again but another small mishap someone has forgotten to take the disc lock off and takes a tumble to the ground, no injuries just embarrassment and some minor damage to an indicator. Bike picked up and we roll on into Williams around 6pm, quite an eventful day, the scenery has changed we are now in mountains with forests have replaced the desert it has been another warm day. Diner in the hotel have beef spare ribs and wish I had chosen the smaller 3 ribs as opposed the 5 rib, but get through them slowly.

Day 12

20th May 2006
Laughlin NV – Victoriaville CA

29218 – 29441 (223 miles)

Off by 7am this morning to try and get some miles in before it gets too hot, it is already in the 80’sf, we head out of town a few miles and stop for a photo opportunity of views across the desert, what a wonderful sight. It is scrubland with course sand; we ride on and are soon in California and after a ride of about half an hour stop again for a break the heat is really building up already. The place is abandoned general store at a place called Goff’s, it appears that someone is in the process of restoring the place but it is a long way to go before it is even close to being finished. The ground is a very fine sand and we sink slightly in as we pass over it, certainly in this trip no matter what fear you may have about riding in rain, over mountains with drops or loose surfaces we have faced everything on this trip.
We carry on again only for a short while before another break, ensuring that we are replacing body fluids, you just do not feel it going away the air is so dry. At our stop, a gas station the prices are daylight robbery over $5 a gallon, I suppose that if you are the only gas station in the middle of nowhere you can charge what you like. Fortunately, we do not need gas just the rest; the view is great here with palm trees framing the scene. Watered we move on and the road stretches for miles across the desert another photo opportunity taken, people have written there name with stones along the side of the road. Paton trained his tank corps here during the Second World War before going to the deserts of Africa.

We carryon to Amboy and Roy’s café, another abandoned property but one with hope, a local businessman has brought the property only at the beginning of the month and intends to do it up to its former glory. It is again in the middle of nowhere, but there is a post office opposite, the local school has also been shut and boarded up. As had been the adjacent hotel, chairs, tables and curtains left behind.

We ride on across the desert and soon the road becomes very rough, probably the worst road along the whole route, enough to knock out your fillings, potholes all over the place, weeds are taking over the side of the road and in places encroach onto the road surface It is a rough ride. We are riding at the boundary of Crater National Park, cannot see the big crater but there is sign of volcanic activity in the area and there are small black craters dotted along the road. They stand several hundred feet high. Eventually the road smoothes out and we stop off at the Bagdad café at Newberry Springs. The desert stretches towards the mountains ahead of us scrubland to the side arriving at Bristow for lunch we only have 30 miles to go and an early day with a dip in the pool to cool off.

We have only been on the road a few minutes when a red light splits the group; I come to a stop at the line as the car coming out from the left moves off. When from behind there is the sound of tyres screeching and the next thing I know, I am hit from behind and sent forward and to my right ending up on the ground. One of the other riders has misjudged everything and run into the back of me. I’m lucky only a bang to the left shin and slight whiplash, I think my leathers have taken the brunt of the impact. The other rider is not so lucky he has hurt his elbow and we think that it is broken. The police attend and he is taken off to hospital, my details are taken then the police go off to the hospital to see the other person. The bike has taken quite a knock the left pannier has been ripped off the crash bars are bent and one of the side panels has also been broken off. A few other scratches to boot but the bike starts up and I get back on and re-join the group and head off to the hotel, Route 66 has gone onto to become a highway with very little of the original left.

We arrive at the hotel a few hours later than planned and once unpacked, I go into the pool to ease a few aches, the pool is cold but that could be because I feel so hot. The pool works out the aches and cools me down after about an hour have had enough and go for a shower to freshen up for the evening meal. The farewell meal was a bit subdued after today’s events; we were missing the Hungarians who were at the hospital together with one of the Swede’s (acting as interpreter), Gary and Stewart. Don just made it in time for the meal which was paid for by Eaglerider Tours. Tomorrow seems to be a deflation of the tour the completion is LA freeways, which is virtually from the moment we leave the hotel; it could prove an interesting ride, as it will be the first bit of heavy traffic we have faced since Chicago.

Day 11

19th May 2006

Williams AZ – Laughlin NV

29021 – 29218 (197 miles)

Out on the road before 8am the day is going to get hot in to triple figures (degrees Fahrenheit), first stop is for gas. The road is changing we are starting to come down from the high desert towards the Mohave Desert; we stop at Seligman for breakfast at the Snow Cup diner. Another photo opportunity the diner is from the 50’s with stools at the counter, I opt for a short order of pancakes what a mistake to make. They are as large as diner plates and about half an inch thick. I fail to make an indentation into them and soon so full, I have to leave the majority of them. A walk to the souvenir shop which is full of memorabilia and good priced leather goods.

Back on the road again and the countryside is looking desolate and is getting hot. We pass a sign at 11.15am, which gives the temperature at 89f. Arrive at Hackberry general store in the middle of nowhere but still trading in souvenirs and the restroom is a visit in its self, the men room walls are covered in female pinups, whilst the females are just starting to fill with male pinups.

Refreshed and the bandanna dipped in ice cold water and put around the neck to ward off dehydration which is now very much a real problem, plenty of water drunk together with re hydration powder added every other water stop. The temperatures are still rising and we are still descending. We are crossing over part of the Mohave Desert approaching a range of mountains, the road is undulating across country and we can see the road winding its way up the hillside. There are small communities littered along the route, we pass and estate agent situated on its own.

We start climbing, the road drops off to the side we are going up the mountains, and the road is twisting and turning as we climb. How a car from the early days made up here beats me, there are switchbacks, tight curves, and always climbing. Suddenly we hit the crest and what a sight greets us, a splendid view of the valley below; then it is descending more curves, switchbacks and tight curves what a wonderful ride and then we enter the town of Oatman and we are back in the old west. Once a mining town but no longer workable the miners up and left but left their burro’s behind. They are now the tourist attraction as they roam the town where they like and take priority over motorised vehicles, you can buy carrots to feed them if you like but with the temperatures, they are more interested in finding shade than carrots. There are hitching posts throughout the small town and you walk on boards outside the shops, they sell some good quality leather goods, oh if only I had more room in my suitcase.

A break from riding before off across the desert again, the wind is blowing but it is blowing hot air and the bandanna that had been wetted again dried out in no time at all. The air temperature on the motorcycle was off the scale and it goes to 120 degrees, we cross into Nevada and make our way towards Laughlin, tuning the radio into a local radio station hear that the temperature is 105f and that’s in the shade, boy is it hot. We park up in a garage attached to the hotel and enter the air-conditioned luxury of the hotel. The lobby was crazy with people booking in, standing in line worse than an airport check in, over dinner find out people had been waiting three hours to check in, fortunately we got booked in at the tour check in which was easy. My room is on the 17th floor of the Flamingo and a view of the mountains and a mini Las Vegas , after a nice shower I feel much better, typical casino hotel no clocks or no coffee in the rooms they want you spending your money. The meal was a buffet style, so the meals were a better proportion and was able to have a desert for the first time during this trip.

Day 13

21st May 2006

Victoriaville – Santa Monica Los Angeles CA

29441 – 29545 (104 miles)

A late start for the day van loaded at 8.30am and off on the road at 9am. Don has said this is going to be the worst part of the trip, although he hopes as it is a Sunday it will not be as bad as a weekday. He says that LA traffic is bad; they travel too fast, too close and will go through any gap, so keep the bikes close and eyes wide open (safety tip given is that if anything happens always go to the right). It is highway all the way to Santa Monica now as Route 66 cuts through so many districts some of them not particularly good that for time we need to the highway.

We learn that the Hungarian has been moved to a medical centre nearby and has had his arm set in a temporary cast and will be operated on back in his home country. We will be meeting up at the end of the journey.

We set off and onto the highway; traffic is flowing and probably the heaviest since leaving Tulsa. The San Bernardino Mountains lay ahead of us snow capped some of them. We roll into the outskirts of LA around 9.45 traffic is getting heavier and the one thing Americans cannot do and that is drive safely. We are travelling at the speed limit and are the slowest vehicles on the road, traffic just cuts through any gap and there are nearly several collisions.
11am and still travelling into LA traffic is extremely heavy and we almost come to a stand still, having safely negotiated LA traffic we arrive at Santa Monica Pier at 11.30 the unofficial end of Route 66. We park up in a small car park just to the left of the pier and walk the few hundred yards to the official end of the route, marked by a plaque on the sidewalk; we have ridden 2661 miles since leaving Chicago.
The weather is dull but it is still warm, the hot air of the desert is drawing in the cold air of the ocean and bringing with it a sea mist. A walk to the end of the pier, walking over the Pacific Ocean, whilst looking at its amusements and vendors. See the Bay Watch towers but no Bay Watch Babes and visit the original Muscle Beach now a play area for kids, (it moved further up the beach).
We visit Venice Beach and we do a lap of honour on the way out to Eaglerider to return the bikes. This adds an extra 14 miles making our total for the trip 2675 miles in 13 days. It has been a great time, we met up with the Hungarian and he seems happy enough considering said our good byes, at Eaglerider and it was off to the airport.

The End!!

As for the trip, was it as good as the dream? No, it was better!
Would I do it again? In a heartbeat.
Did I want to come home? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
How would I sum up the trip? MAGIC.