I'm in the middle of a road trip to Vegas. Company is paying for gas because they aren't going to have to pay for a plane ticket! Awesome!
So far, I've gone:
Linky thingy
I got rained on pretty extensively but lemme tell ya, it was all worthwhile.
Backing up, I started yesterday at about 3:30 NM time. The flat slab to Grants, NM was just hellatious. Why is it that a flat slab will wear you down instantly but a twisty road 10 times as long will actually refresh you?!! Gassed up there and headed on. My favorite tamale place across the street was already closed for the day so I sucked it up and kept on going.
The section of the road from there to Ramah and Zuni, NM is incredible. The views just can't be beat, no matter what. Passed over into AZ, and went South to St. Johns. That ride is a bit of a slab and it was just started to get to dusk. Clouds were starting to chase me down, too. Gassed up, did a quick map check and radiator flush and kept right on going.
When I was about 20 miles from Show Low, the rain started to come rather persistently. not hard, but constant. About 10 miles from Show Low it started raining buckets. I ride just as fast in the rain as I do any other time and people ho I was passing were probably thinking I was insane, just for being out there for one thing and for going past them for another.
I don't mind riding in the rain at all, as long as it isn't cold, that is. Aside from that, I'm fine with riding with the rain coming down. On the other side of Show Low, it was definitely dark and still pouring buckets. I was pretty well soaked and the fact is, it WAS starting to feel cold. Especially at 80 miles an hour. Oh, well.
My destination was Heber AZ where I had arranged to stay with my cousin and her family for the night. About 10 miles from Show Low, the rain finally stopped and over the next 20 miles, I actually dried out. The roads cleared up and visibility was all good!
Stayed the night with my cuz and got the royal treatment! Beautiful family! At about 5:00 this morning, it had started to rain in Heber but it was a light rain. Steady. Geared up in this and hit the road. Loved it. Then it started to REALLY pour again! For about 5 miles, it was buckets from the sky again. When it stopped, I dried out pretty good again.
When I got to Payson, I gassed up again, and started hunting for coffee. My cousin is Mormon and they don't have coffee. Dangit. Found a little restaurant and sat down. Didn't get service for what seemed like forever so I got up and left. It was raining once again, and pretty good again so I just kept on going.
When I got to Mesa, I stopped at an AM/PM and drank a cup of their crappy Jave and went and hung out with one of my brothers for a couple hours. Then went and had dinner at Chee Burger, Chee Burger in Chandler where I met up with another of my brothers for an hour or so.
Hit the road again and gassed up somewhere in Peoria. Went to Wickenburg and, not knowing just how far it was to Prescott, topped off the tank there, flushed the radiator once more and got under way to Prescott. Realized it was only about 60 miles but it was getting dark. That road from Wickenburg to Prescott is PERFECT for motorcycles. The only problem with it is that it's not long enough. Those of you in CA who ride ACH, would find this road much more satisfying. Better turns, and better asphalt. My only regret was having to ride it in the dark.
Oh, well. I'll do it again some time when it's light.
More to come as I go to Vegas tomorrow and head home on Friday!
--Wag--
P.S. Didn't bring the camera; too much luggage to squeeze it in. Sorry, peeps.