Day 16; day trip to the everglades
I am becoming painfully aware that there is a 3 hour time difference between California and where we are. Every morning is a little bit harder. A 7 o'clock start here is like a 4 o'clock start for me back home. Nonetheless, we got up and moving. My dad needed to replace his back tire and get valve clearances checked, and adjusted. We dropped off his motorcycle at a Honda dealership, and went to get a rental car for the day (air conditioning is one of the best discoveries ever made).
We headed out to the everglades to go exploring and look for alligators, and we found one! He was huge! During this time of year, alligators tend to stay in the shade or in the water to stay cool. The one we found was laying just beneath the catwalk in the shade and half way in the water. We also found a few different kinds of fish, grass hoppers, and turtles (super cool). The grass hoppers were huge as well (as long as my index finger and twice as fat). They didn't fly well...
After the everglades, we went shopping (well dad went shopping, I feel asleep in the car) and bought some supplies to replenish what we had eaten along the way thus far. Then it was time to break out the orange and black for the Giants game. Marlin stadium does not have chili dogs :( however, the pulled pork sandwich was pretty tasty. The Giants played a good game, but the Marlins played a better one (we will get them next time).
USA women's soccer beat Germany! America, f*** yeah! (We saw the parts at the stadium)
We picked up dad's bike after the game and I rode it back to the hotel (because I can't drive the rental). Now it's time to pack up and get ready for tomorrow. Our planned route should take just over ten hours, so I think we will change the plan slightly.
Going into Georgia tomorrow.
Much love, LB
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Monday, June 29, 2015
Day 15
Day 15; or day trip to Key West Florida (the deep south)
We started out our day with complimentary breakfast at our hotel :) We packed up just a few things to take with us. It's amazing how fast the motorcycles take off when you take a bunch of weight off! Today's directions were pretty simple, go south and then go more south until you hit the ocean.
To get there, you need to do key hopping. The highway on the south tip of Florida is over more ocean than it is ground. The original bridges are still standing, but have sections that were taken out to keep people off of them because they are old and frail. I had fun looking over the side of the road down into the water because it's so clear. Granted the water isn't deep there, I could see the ocean bottom and reefs. I also checked out all the mangrove trees growing out of the ocean.
Mangroves are interesting because they are one of the only plants in the world that can grow in the ocean. Normally salt kills plants, but mangroves have a purification system in their bark that keeps out the majority of the salt. Everything that gets through the bark is sent to a few leaves that die, and then fall off the tree taking the salt with them.
My dad and I got to key west and had lunch at Jimmy Buffet's restaurant, Margaritaville. The food was good, but it wasn't as good as the food in New Orleans. The margaritas on the other hand, were freaking delicious! (Best I've ever had). Dad had the house Margarita, and I got a guava one. Mmmmmmm!
I think the Margarita went to my dad's head because he got sucked into something terrible! I don't know how many of you know about Orogold, so I'll explain it a little bit. They sell products that make people look younger such as face creams, exfoliaters, and other things of that nature. One of the ladies workin there gave him a go bag, and then got him to sit down and got (I think of him a little differently now) an eye lift... I don't think he liked it very much, but I thought it was funny :)
I helped get him out of the store and then we headed to the southern most point in America. The line for getting a photo was ridiculously long so we took some photos from further away and now have random people in our pictures (like planned photo bombs), and I think we photo bombed a few people on accident. Oops...
We headed back to the hotel, made dinner and relaxed for a couple hours. Now we need to get some rest because we have a long day tomorrow. GIANTS GAME!!!!!
Much love, LB
We started out our day with complimentary breakfast at our hotel :) We packed up just a few things to take with us. It's amazing how fast the motorcycles take off when you take a bunch of weight off! Today's directions were pretty simple, go south and then go more south until you hit the ocean.
To get there, you need to do key hopping. The highway on the south tip of Florida is over more ocean than it is ground. The original bridges are still standing, but have sections that were taken out to keep people off of them because they are old and frail. I had fun looking over the side of the road down into the water because it's so clear. Granted the water isn't deep there, I could see the ocean bottom and reefs. I also checked out all the mangrove trees growing out of the ocean.
Mangroves are interesting because they are one of the only plants in the world that can grow in the ocean. Normally salt kills plants, but mangroves have a purification system in their bark that keeps out the majority of the salt. Everything that gets through the bark is sent to a few leaves that die, and then fall off the tree taking the salt with them.
My dad and I got to key west and had lunch at Jimmy Buffet's restaurant, Margaritaville. The food was good, but it wasn't as good as the food in New Orleans. The margaritas on the other hand, were freaking delicious! (Best I've ever had). Dad had the house Margarita, and I got a guava one. Mmmmmmm!
I think the Margarita went to my dad's head because he got sucked into something terrible! I don't know how many of you know about Orogold, so I'll explain it a little bit. They sell products that make people look younger such as face creams, exfoliaters, and other things of that nature. One of the ladies workin there gave him a go bag, and then got him to sit down and got (I think of him a little differently now) an eye lift... I don't think he liked it very much, but I thought it was funny :)
I helped get him out of the store and then we headed to the southern most point in America. The line for getting a photo was ridiculously long so we took some photos from further away and now have random people in our pictures (like planned photo bombs), and I think we photo bombed a few people on accident. Oops...
We headed back to the hotel, made dinner and relaxed for a couple hours. Now we need to get some rest because we have a long day tomorrow. GIANTS GAME!!!!!
Much love, LB
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Day 14
Day 14; Crystal Springs Florida to Miami Florida
We have been on the road for two weeks now, and I'm just now starting to go through the day without my bottom hurting. That coupled with the new callus's on my hands is making me a formidable biker!
This morning, I had to sleep a little longer than planned because of our lack of sleep the night before. We left this morning around 9 and went 98 south to 589 east, and then to 75 south. Part of our ride today went through what's called alligator ally. I'm guessing it's called because it's an alligator hang out spot. There was a fence next to the highway designed to keep them off the road. I kept my eyes peeled looking for alligators and I think it may have been successful. As we rode over a bridge, I looked off to my right side into the water and I think I saw a gator nose eyes! I've seen one in Florida before (a few years ago at the pond in front of our hotel), but it's still exciting.
We were riding through more forested areas for the majority of the morning. We stopped for gas around 11:30 and there happened to be an amazing lunch spot...Hooters! Since we skipped breakfast, we decided to have an early lunch.
After that, we had a great time with only a few sprinkles to dampen our day. Lucky for us because every time I looked to the sky, it looked like we were heading for a terrible storm. We kept on looking at storm tracker on dad's phone to see if we needed to put on our rain gear. It was so warm that when we did get sprinkled on, it was a small reprieve from the heat. We are staying in a hotel for a few days as weventure around Florida. Tomorrow we go to key west for lunch in Margaritaville. Should be fun!
Much love, LB
We have been on the road for two weeks now, and I'm just now starting to go through the day without my bottom hurting. That coupled with the new callus's on my hands is making me a formidable biker!
This morning, I had to sleep a little longer than planned because of our lack of sleep the night before. We left this morning around 9 and went 98 south to 589 east, and then to 75 south. Part of our ride today went through what's called alligator ally. I'm guessing it's called because it's an alligator hang out spot. There was a fence next to the highway designed to keep them off the road. I kept my eyes peeled looking for alligators and I think it may have been successful. As we rode over a bridge, I looked off to my right side into the water and I think I saw a gator nose eyes! I've seen one in Florida before (a few years ago at the pond in front of our hotel), but it's still exciting.
We were riding through more forested areas for the majority of the morning. We stopped for gas around 11:30 and there happened to be an amazing lunch spot...Hooters! Since we skipped breakfast, we decided to have an early lunch.
After that, we had a great time with only a few sprinkles to dampen our day. Lucky for us because every time I looked to the sky, it looked like we were heading for a terrible storm. We kept on looking at storm tracker on dad's phone to see if we needed to put on our rain gear. It was so warm that when we did get sprinkled on, it was a small reprieve from the heat. We are staying in a hotel for a few days as weventure around Florida. Tomorrow we go to key west for lunch in Margaritaville. Should be fun!
Much love, LB
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Day 13
Day 13; Panama City Florida to Crystal Springs Florida
Last night was rough. Florida is hot, humid, and impossible to sleep in. For hours last night, my father and I struggled to go to sleep. Around 3am the temperature dropped enough to get some rest. It was raining at 6 when our alarm sounded. Both of us were too tired to get up, so we slept a few more hours. Eventually we got up and moving toward our next destination.
It was 86 degrees when we left at 10am. We took highway 20 to 267 and then 98 all the way down to Crystal Springs (with a few breaks). We are running low on lunch items, but we had some snacks and salami. Ritz bits with salami is basically the same as cheese, crackers, and salami (a bit less healthy), so that's what we ate.
We almost took the wrong highway after lunch, but we realized it soon enough to make a simple course correction to go through a few national forests on our way deeper into Florida. Since we got almost no sleep last night, we weren't interested in having another night of struggles. That's why we got a hotel for the night and then went out to dinner.
The restaurant is Cody's roadhouse and it is delicious!!! Dad and I both got half a rack of ribs and half of a rotisserie chicken with sides and Cody's original BBQ sauce. Apparently there are 15 in Florida... would it kill them to put one in California? The food was so good that if I ever had to move to Florida, I would do it with minimal complaining (even though the bugs here are terrible).
Hopefully we can get some rest tonight because we had off to Miami tomorrow for a few days. It's going to be a fun few days, so stayed tuned!
Much love, LB
Last night was rough. Florida is hot, humid, and impossible to sleep in. For hours last night, my father and I struggled to go to sleep. Around 3am the temperature dropped enough to get some rest. It was raining at 6 when our alarm sounded. Both of us were too tired to get up, so we slept a few more hours. Eventually we got up and moving toward our next destination.
It was 86 degrees when we left at 10am. We took highway 20 to 267 and then 98 all the way down to Crystal Springs (with a few breaks). We are running low on lunch items, but we had some snacks and salami. Ritz bits with salami is basically the same as cheese, crackers, and salami (a bit less healthy), so that's what we ate.
We almost took the wrong highway after lunch, but we realized it soon enough to make a simple course correction to go through a few national forests on our way deeper into Florida. Since we got almost no sleep last night, we weren't interested in having another night of struggles. That's why we got a hotel for the night and then went out to dinner.
The restaurant is Cody's roadhouse and it is delicious!!! Dad and I both got half a rack of ribs and half of a rotisserie chicken with sides and Cody's original BBQ sauce. Apparently there are 15 in Florida... would it kill them to put one in California? The food was so good that if I ever had to move to Florida, I would do it with minimal complaining (even though the bugs here are terrible).
Hopefully we can get some rest tonight because we had off to Miami tomorrow for a few days. It's going to be a fun few days, so stayed tuned!
Much love, LB
Friday, June 26, 2015
Day 12
Day 12; New Orleans Louisiana to Panama City Florida
So there is something I forgot to mention yesterday. You know it's bad when you can dodge the bugs coming at you...because that means they are big enough to see while cruising 65 or 70 miles per hour. My father and I had been riding to New Orleans across a very rural part of the country. It was pretty warm again, so I decided to lose my leather vest (leaving my upper body exposed).
Looking at burn piles and huge tractors occupied most of my time while riding until one moment... THUMP!!! What looked like the flying version of a cockroach smacked me in the chest so hard my dad heard it through our intercom system! I said ouch, and my dad started laughing. As I told him what it was he started laughing so hard, I thought he would fall off his motorcycle! Turns out he saw the bug coming toward him, over his windshield and heard it hit me. I was then on the lookout for more flying hazards.
Now for today's journey... We started out pretty early because we were parked in two hour parking overnight at the St. Pierre hotel (had to leave before the meter maids came around). We loaded up, and took some video of the French Quarter before finding I10 where we spent most of our day. We rode through Mississippi and Alabama to get into Florida making stops only for gas and lunch. We ate or last bread rolls yesterday, so we had subway for a quick lunch in Alabama. (Gas was only $2.43 per gallon!).
We hit some traffic shortly after lunch due to a crash. There was a semi off the road along with four other cars and a few emergency vehicles. I kept on turning my bike on and off to avoid overheating (worked like a charm). We ran into a few other traffic problems, but nothing serious. We took highway 90 to 98 in order to avoid the interstates.
We made it into camp pretty early today, so we decided to go swimming in the pool, take showers, and cook pasta with salmon for dinner. While cooking dinner, a large branch came crashing down from the trees landing a few feet away from our tent. Hopefully the tree next to us wants to hold on to the rest of its branches tonight. Now is time to go to sleep and I think it's hotter now than it was earlier today. Hopefully I can get some rest tonight (didn't sleep much last night).
Much love, LB
So there is something I forgot to mention yesterday. You know it's bad when you can dodge the bugs coming at you...because that means they are big enough to see while cruising 65 or 70 miles per hour. My father and I had been riding to New Orleans across a very rural part of the country. It was pretty warm again, so I decided to lose my leather vest (leaving my upper body exposed).
Looking at burn piles and huge tractors occupied most of my time while riding until one moment... THUMP!!! What looked like the flying version of a cockroach smacked me in the chest so hard my dad heard it through our intercom system! I said ouch, and my dad started laughing. As I told him what it was he started laughing so hard, I thought he would fall off his motorcycle! Turns out he saw the bug coming toward him, over his windshield and heard it hit me. I was then on the lookout for more flying hazards.
Now for today's journey... We started out pretty early because we were parked in two hour parking overnight at the St. Pierre hotel (had to leave before the meter maids came around). We loaded up, and took some video of the French Quarter before finding I10 where we spent most of our day. We rode through Mississippi and Alabama to get into Florida making stops only for gas and lunch. We ate or last bread rolls yesterday, so we had subway for a quick lunch in Alabama. (Gas was only $2.43 per gallon!).
We hit some traffic shortly after lunch due to a crash. There was a semi off the road along with four other cars and a few emergency vehicles. I kept on turning my bike on and off to avoid overheating (worked like a charm). We ran into a few other traffic problems, but nothing serious. We took highway 90 to 98 in order to avoid the interstates.
We made it into camp pretty early today, so we decided to go swimming in the pool, take showers, and cook pasta with salmon for dinner. While cooking dinner, a large branch came crashing down from the trees landing a few feet away from our tent. Hopefully the tree next to us wants to hold on to the rest of its branches tonight. Now is time to go to sleep and I think it's hotter now than it was earlier today. Hopefully I can get some rest tonight (didn't sleep much last night).
Much love, LB
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Day 11
Day 11; Winfield Luisiana to New Orleans Louisiana
My ears must be perfectly shaped, but we will come back to that. Today was supposed to be a short easy day (only 4 hours of riding). For this reason, we slept in a little before heading out this morning. We had a beautiful ride down 167 to 71 and then to interstate 10 where it started to rain cats and dogs (not really, figure of speech). Our ride ended up being 7 hours.
The storm was brewing out in front of us, so we stopped to put rain gear on. We rode through the rain today because the wind wasn't bad. As we rode, my motorcycle started to lose power. I would keep opening the throttle without gaining any speed (very peculiar). Then we got off the highway and stopped at a gas station while the bike dried out a bit before taking off again. Pretty soon after it stopped raining we hit traffic. Shortly after that, my engine started overheating (it's not liquid cooled). Fortunately, we got to the exit without too much trouble and rode to St. Pierre's hotel in New Orleans.
It's a really cool place (even though it's really small) to hang out in and has parts that have been around since the 1800's! We took showers, and headed out on the town. Toby (the man at the front counter) gave us a good place to go out for dinner, Pere Antoine. We had a sampler and blacked catfish for dinner. The sampler included jumbalaya, gumbo, creole shrimp, rice, beans, bread pudding, and we had bacon wrapped, deep fried shrimp with mushrooms. Amazing dinner. Then we had to work it off.
We walked around town to Pat O'brien's, and down bourbon street to get some daiquiris. They pack a punch!
Now back to why my ears are perfectly shaped! If you have never been down bourbon street, it's an experience in itself. There were people everywhere trying to get you to go into their establishment. The people who went in decided to go out on the balconies and we're throwing Mardi Gras beads down at people walking the streets. I had three thrown at me that I know of and I caught all three. Two on my ears and on in my hand as it was sliding off my head (the original planned landing spot). We made our way to the park and then back to our hotel. We are going to turn in early tonight so we can get an early start tomorrow.
10 states down, 38 to go! I'll be writing from Florida tomorrow!
Much love, LB
My ears must be perfectly shaped, but we will come back to that. Today was supposed to be a short easy day (only 4 hours of riding). For this reason, we slept in a little before heading out this morning. We had a beautiful ride down 167 to 71 and then to interstate 10 where it started to rain cats and dogs (not really, figure of speech). Our ride ended up being 7 hours.
The storm was brewing out in front of us, so we stopped to put rain gear on. We rode through the rain today because the wind wasn't bad. As we rode, my motorcycle started to lose power. I would keep opening the throttle without gaining any speed (very peculiar). Then we got off the highway and stopped at a gas station while the bike dried out a bit before taking off again. Pretty soon after it stopped raining we hit traffic. Shortly after that, my engine started overheating (it's not liquid cooled). Fortunately, we got to the exit without too much trouble and rode to St. Pierre's hotel in New Orleans.
It's a really cool place (even though it's really small) to hang out in and has parts that have been around since the 1800's! We took showers, and headed out on the town. Toby (the man at the front counter) gave us a good place to go out for dinner, Pere Antoine. We had a sampler and blacked catfish for dinner. The sampler included jumbalaya, gumbo, creole shrimp, rice, beans, bread pudding, and we had bacon wrapped, deep fried shrimp with mushrooms. Amazing dinner. Then we had to work it off.
We walked around town to Pat O'brien's, and down bourbon street to get some daiquiris. They pack a punch!
Now back to why my ears are perfectly shaped! If you have never been down bourbon street, it's an experience in itself. There were people everywhere trying to get you to go into their establishment. The people who went in decided to go out on the balconies and we're throwing Mardi Gras beads down at people walking the streets. I had three thrown at me that I know of and I caught all three. Two on my ears and on in my hand as it was sliding off my head (the original planned landing spot). We made our way to the park and then back to our hotel. We are going to turn in early tonight so we can get an early start tomorrow.
10 states down, 38 to go! I'll be writing from Florida tomorrow!
Much love, LB
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Day 10
Day 10; Cooper Texas to Winfield Luisiana
Surprise! Another hot day. My father and I woke up with wet tents because we had been sweating all night long. That, combined with my water bottle leaking, caused me to wake up a few times throughout the night lying in a puddle. Both of us got up around 6 this morning and packed up camp to get out and on the road. I had a little bit of maintenance to take care of while my dad paid for our campsite (Lake Cooper National Park). The park attendants didn't have ice for us to buy (for the cooler and our water bottles), but they suggested going to a bait shop just down the road.
Sure enough the bait shop had ice. I was unloading a bunch of stuff to be able to get to the ice while dad went to buy it (as usual). As we were filling our cooler and camelbacks with ice, a lady came out and asked us if we got our water. I was confused because we came to get ice... Turns out all bikers who go there get a free bottle of water! I don't know if it was southern hospitality or a love for motorcycles that drove this woman, but ice cold water will always be welcomed on a trip such as this one.
After the bait shop, we headed out of town on highway 24 to Paris! (Texas version) It's not as romantic as I thought it would be. Then we cought highway 82 heading east.
That has to be the worst marked highway that I have ever been on! Every time we came up to an intersection it was like playing where's Waldo. We turned the direction we thought we should go (based on the sun's position) and then saw the signs confirming we took the correct route (most of the time).
We had to take part of interstate 30 today as well. Usually we try to avoid interstates, but we had no choice. That made today a little stressful because my dad almost had a problem. Before I start the story, I need to tell you that he has two bells on his bike (one for him, and one for my mom) that symbolize biking angels (never ride faster than they can fly). Now back to the story... We were stuck behind a semi that was moving pretty slowly (comparatively), so my dad decided to pass. As he started moving out from behind the truck, I saw something in the road... Then I saw the bike jump, and a huge chunk of tire rolling across the road. My dad had run over the remnants of a semi blow out. Luckily he kept his rubber side down. I'm pretty sure he used both of those angels today. Both bells took a hit, but my dad didn't, and for that, I am very grateful!
We went through Elderado, took a quick nap (woke up sweating), and took 167 south all the way to Winfield. As we filled up our tanks, a storm started coming toward us. Not wanting to cook in the rain, we decided to get some pizza and wait out the storm. Unfortunately the storm only got worse, and the weeks started picking up. Riding in the rain is easy; riding in the wind is easy, but riding in both when you can hardly see is stupid. We stopped at the first place we saw (an econolodge) and got a room.
10 states down, 40 to go! Dad just took a shower, and now it's my turn! (From Louisiana) Goodnight y'all!
Much love, LB
Surprise! Another hot day. My father and I woke up with wet tents because we had been sweating all night long. That, combined with my water bottle leaking, caused me to wake up a few times throughout the night lying in a puddle. Both of us got up around 6 this morning and packed up camp to get out and on the road. I had a little bit of maintenance to take care of while my dad paid for our campsite (Lake Cooper National Park). The park attendants didn't have ice for us to buy (for the cooler and our water bottles), but they suggested going to a bait shop just down the road.
Sure enough the bait shop had ice. I was unloading a bunch of stuff to be able to get to the ice while dad went to buy it (as usual). As we were filling our cooler and camelbacks with ice, a lady came out and asked us if we got our water. I was confused because we came to get ice... Turns out all bikers who go there get a free bottle of water! I don't know if it was southern hospitality or a love for motorcycles that drove this woman, but ice cold water will always be welcomed on a trip such as this one.
After the bait shop, we headed out of town on highway 24 to Paris! (Texas version) It's not as romantic as I thought it would be. Then we cought highway 82 heading east.
That has to be the worst marked highway that I have ever been on! Every time we came up to an intersection it was like playing where's Waldo. We turned the direction we thought we should go (based on the sun's position) and then saw the signs confirming we took the correct route (most of the time).
We had to take part of interstate 30 today as well. Usually we try to avoid interstates, but we had no choice. That made today a little stressful because my dad almost had a problem. Before I start the story, I need to tell you that he has two bells on his bike (one for him, and one for my mom) that symbolize biking angels (never ride faster than they can fly). Now back to the story... We were stuck behind a semi that was moving pretty slowly (comparatively), so my dad decided to pass. As he started moving out from behind the truck, I saw something in the road... Then I saw the bike jump, and a huge chunk of tire rolling across the road. My dad had run over the remnants of a semi blow out. Luckily he kept his rubber side down. I'm pretty sure he used both of those angels today. Both bells took a hit, but my dad didn't, and for that, I am very grateful!
We went through Elderado, took a quick nap (woke up sweating), and took 167 south all the way to Winfield. As we filled up our tanks, a storm started coming toward us. Not wanting to cook in the rain, we decided to get some pizza and wait out the storm. Unfortunately the storm only got worse, and the weeks started picking up. Riding in the rain is easy; riding in the wind is easy, but riding in both when you can hardly see is stupid. We stopped at the first place we saw (an econolodge) and got a room.
10 states down, 40 to go! Dad just took a shower, and now it's my turn! (From Louisiana) Goodnight y'all!
Much love, LB
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Day 9
Day 9; Altus Oklahoma to Cooper Texas
Sleeping in felt amazing! I had forgotten how comfortable beds can be after a long day of riding. Today was a bit more mellow (drove a little over 300 miles) making stops in Keller Texas for a photo opportunity, and then on to Gas Monkey Bar and Grill.
For those of you who don't know, Gas Monkey Garage is a TV show where a few guys buy old beat up cars, fix them up a bit, and then sell them (awesome show). We went to Dallas Texas to their restaurant for lunch and it was delicious! I had a GMBG burger, and dad had a mix between beef brisket and a grilled cheese sandwich (interesting but he said it was good). The only problem was getting out of Dallas. As if it weren't a maze already, there was construction going on everywhere and it felt like a thousand degrees! We ended up taking a round about way too get where we ended, but got here nonetheless.
On a kind of gross note, I think my motorcycle needs some tlc because it's getting hard to see through the windshield with all the bugs on it! We took out some big ones today, and dad almost took out a few other animals as well (couple of birds, ground hog, that kind of stuff). I think the birds are suicidal...
Anyway, we got to camp safely, took showers, ate some snack food (still full from lunch) and am ready to sleep (if that's possible in this heat).
Much love, LB
Sleeping in felt amazing! I had forgotten how comfortable beds can be after a long day of riding. Today was a bit more mellow (drove a little over 300 miles) making stops in Keller Texas for a photo opportunity, and then on to Gas Monkey Bar and Grill.
For those of you who don't know, Gas Monkey Garage is a TV show where a few guys buy old beat up cars, fix them up a bit, and then sell them (awesome show). We went to Dallas Texas to their restaurant for lunch and it was delicious! I had a GMBG burger, and dad had a mix between beef brisket and a grilled cheese sandwich (interesting but he said it was good). The only problem was getting out of Dallas. As if it weren't a maze already, there was construction going on everywhere and it felt like a thousand degrees! We ended up taking a round about way too get where we ended, but got here nonetheless.
On a kind of gross note, I think my motorcycle needs some tlc because it's getting hard to see through the windshield with all the bugs on it! We took out some big ones today, and dad almost took out a few other animals as well (couple of birds, ground hog, that kind of stuff). I think the birds are suicidal...
Anyway, we got to camp safely, took showers, ate some snack food (still full from lunch) and am ready to sleep (if that's possible in this heat).
Much love, LB
Monday, June 22, 2015
Day 8
Day 8; Grants NM to Altus OK
Oh boy, where do I begin? First of all, thank you to all of you who are following our trip. It has been, and will continue to be, a great vacation! It meant a lot to my father and I when my mother told us how many of you asked how we are doing. I can't even describe how great it feels knowing you care for us and our safety. I miss my friends and family that I don't get to see for two months, but the messages through Facebook help:)
On a sidenote, I usually sign off using my initials (GK); however, that is going to change. My mother texts me to ask how we are, and share how she is throughout the day, but doesn't use my name... Instead she calls me her little biker; despite the fact that I am the biggest person in my immediate family other than my dad. From now on, I am going to be LB. Love you mom!
I had trouble getting out of bed this morning. (It took 3 alarms and my dad to get me moving) We did our normal morning routine (break down camp and load up the motorcycles) and then partook in a complimentary continental breakfast (fruit loops and nonpowdered milk!).
After that, we headed out to interstate 40 to go through the rest of New Mexico, the top portion of Texas, and ultimately into Oklahoma. We had another warm day (over 100 degrees) and rode the farthest either of us have ever ridden in one day (545 miles). That's pretty much 200 more miles than what we should be doing in one day, but that brings us up to 8 states in 8 days. (Only 40 states left to go!)
Keep in mind that we are losing time as we move east due to time differences across the country. Almost every night we get into our campsite when it is dark outside or during the sunset; tonight was no different. The place we wanted to stop had no campgrounds or motels, so we kept on going. Still didn't find a campground (didn't look very hard), but I'm sure we earned a real bed to sleep on tonight.
This will help us rest up for tomorrow's trip!!!!!!! (Kind of excited) There is a show called fast and loud where a few people buy old cars, fix them up a little bit, and resell them. Then they decided to make a bar and grill. Guess where we are going!!! Plus, doing a ton of miles today allows us to... wait for it... SLEEP IN!!! We will stop by Keller Texas on our way there too (very cool).
PS. For those of you following us on Facebook, look for my dad photo bombing my selfies at state signs. (He's in there somewhere) Also, my uncle Stanley is gently resting in a few more states:)
Time for me to get some beauty rest (I need it)
Much love, LB
Oh boy, where do I begin? First of all, thank you to all of you who are following our trip. It has been, and will continue to be, a great vacation! It meant a lot to my father and I when my mother told us how many of you asked how we are doing. I can't even describe how great it feels knowing you care for us and our safety. I miss my friends and family that I don't get to see for two months, but the messages through Facebook help:)
On a sidenote, I usually sign off using my initials (GK); however, that is going to change. My mother texts me to ask how we are, and share how she is throughout the day, but doesn't use my name... Instead she calls me her little biker; despite the fact that I am the biggest person in my immediate family other than my dad. From now on, I am going to be LB. Love you mom!
I had trouble getting out of bed this morning. (It took 3 alarms and my dad to get me moving) We did our normal morning routine (break down camp and load up the motorcycles) and then partook in a complimentary continental breakfast (fruit loops and nonpowdered milk!).
After that, we headed out to interstate 40 to go through the rest of New Mexico, the top portion of Texas, and ultimately into Oklahoma. We had another warm day (over 100 degrees) and rode the farthest either of us have ever ridden in one day (545 miles). That's pretty much 200 more miles than what we should be doing in one day, but that brings us up to 8 states in 8 days. (Only 40 states left to go!)
Keep in mind that we are losing time as we move east due to time differences across the country. Almost every night we get into our campsite when it is dark outside or during the sunset; tonight was no different. The place we wanted to stop had no campgrounds or motels, so we kept on going. Still didn't find a campground (didn't look very hard), but I'm sure we earned a real bed to sleep on tonight.
This will help us rest up for tomorrow's trip!!!!!!! (Kind of excited) There is a show called fast and loud where a few people buy old cars, fix them up a little bit, and resell them. Then they decided to make a bar and grill. Guess where we are going!!! Plus, doing a ton of miles today allows us to... wait for it... SLEEP IN!!! We will stop by Keller Texas on our way there too (very cool).
PS. For those of you following us on Facebook, look for my dad photo bombing my selfies at state signs. (He's in there somewhere) Also, my uncle Stanley is gently resting in a few more states:)
Time for me to get some beauty rest (I need it)
Much love, LB
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Day 7
Day 7; Moab to wherever we end up stopping tonight
Last night was beautiful! Not too hot or too cold for sleeping, and I slept all through the night! We got up at 615, had the breakfast of Champions (snack bars and jerky), and the went into arches national park to see the delicate arch. I did not know this, but it's a mile and a half hike (felt like way more) to see the arch. Now, motorcycles don't allow you to bring your whole wardrobe, so I left my hiking shoes at home... Motorcycle boots suck for hiking! It was worth seeing, even if it did hurt my feet.
The arch is beautiful and while we were resting at the arch, a couple of girls did back bends (they look like an arch) underneath the arch. Very clever! I climbed as high as I could and took a "panoramic video" if you will, of the 360 degree view of awesomeness! (It will be on Facebook as soon as I figure out how to put it there)
As I'm sure you all know, today is father's day. Given limited space on a mtorcycle, I thought it would be silly to give my dad a gift that he would have to carry with him for the rest of our trip. This is the reason why we stopped at a Dairy Queen and got blizzards. It was a nice reprieve Ron the heat, gave my mtorcycle some time to cool down, and served as a good time to hang out with dad and talk to mom.
We decided to change or route slightly to make up for time lost looking at monuments, so we rode some interstate today to get to a KOA in Grants New Mexico. I love KOA's because they have showers and wifi which allow me to smell nice and write to all of you.
We met a nice girl named Vivian here at the KOA who came down here from Toronto Canada for a road trip. She is a little bit new to camping (has never camped before), so my dad and I are helping her figure out how to use her camping stove to make chef boyardee Lasagna. Now we are relaxing, trading stories, and giving some advice for future camping experiences.
Much love, GK
Last night was beautiful! Not too hot or too cold for sleeping, and I slept all through the night! We got up at 615, had the breakfast of Champions (snack bars and jerky), and the went into arches national park to see the delicate arch. I did not know this, but it's a mile and a half hike (felt like way more) to see the arch. Now, motorcycles don't allow you to bring your whole wardrobe, so I left my hiking shoes at home... Motorcycle boots suck for hiking! It was worth seeing, even if it did hurt my feet.
The arch is beautiful and while we were resting at the arch, a couple of girls did back bends (they look like an arch) underneath the arch. Very clever! I climbed as high as I could and took a "panoramic video" if you will, of the 360 degree view of awesomeness! (It will be on Facebook as soon as I figure out how to put it there)
As I'm sure you all know, today is father's day. Given limited space on a mtorcycle, I thought it would be silly to give my dad a gift that he would have to carry with him for the rest of our trip. This is the reason why we stopped at a Dairy Queen and got blizzards. It was a nice reprieve Ron the heat, gave my mtorcycle some time to cool down, and served as a good time to hang out with dad and talk to mom.
We decided to change or route slightly to make up for time lost looking at monuments, so we rode some interstate today to get to a KOA in Grants New Mexico. I love KOA's because they have showers and wifi which allow me to smell nice and write to all of you.
We met a nice girl named Vivian here at the KOA who came down here from Toronto Canada for a road trip. She is a little bit new to camping (has never camped before), so my dad and I are helping her figure out how to use her camping stove to make chef boyardee Lasagna. Now we are relaxing, trading stories, and giving some advice for future camping experiences.
Much love, GK
Day 5
Day 5; Las Vegas to Bryce Canyon; 279 miles; 5 hours 45 minutes
Last night it was so hot that I didn't even take my sleeping bag out of its stuff sack. I woke up sweating and the day only got hotter. Fortunately, we had to buy a ten pound bag of ice to fill up the cooler and our water bottles. We didn't have enough space to put all the ice, so my dad put some in a bag and handed it to me. I was going to put it in my bag next to my water to keep it cold when I had an ah hah moment (drum roll please).... put the ice on me to keep me cool!!! I then shoved a quart of ice inside my vest on my stomach and I was cool as a cucumber as long as I had my ice pack.
The first part of the day's ride was beautiful winding roads with amazing scenery! Then we hit some of interstate 15 on our way to Zion National Park. We ran into some traffic due to construction; my bike overheated and shut down. We sat on the side of the road for close to twenty minutes waiting for the motorcycle to cool down. When it did, we took off again.
Riding through Zion was a little time consuming, but so worth it! The rock formations there are absolutely incredible! We have a lot of video via gopros... At the end of Zion, we found two things that we had not seen much of the last few days. The first being grass. I guess it doesn't grow well in extreme heat... The second was shade! Caused by a tree!! We decided to lay down a while and relax, and relax we did. I'm not actually sure about the temperature, but I think it got down to 102 during our little break.
Now we are 20 miles outside of Bryce Canyon and I'm cuddled up in my sleeping bag because it's probably down to 60 degrees or lower. It's supposed to be 50 degrees tonight :)
Much love, GK
Last night it was so hot that I didn't even take my sleeping bag out of its stuff sack. I woke up sweating and the day only got hotter. Fortunately, we had to buy a ten pound bag of ice to fill up the cooler and our water bottles. We didn't have enough space to put all the ice, so my dad put some in a bag and handed it to me. I was going to put it in my bag next to my water to keep it cold when I had an ah hah moment (drum roll please).... put the ice on me to keep me cool!!! I then shoved a quart of ice inside my vest on my stomach and I was cool as a cucumber as long as I had my ice pack.
The first part of the day's ride was beautiful winding roads with amazing scenery! Then we hit some of interstate 15 on our way to Zion National Park. We ran into some traffic due to construction; my bike overheated and shut down. We sat on the side of the road for close to twenty minutes waiting for the motorcycle to cool down. When it did, we took off again.
Riding through Zion was a little time consuming, but so worth it! The rock formations there are absolutely incredible! We have a lot of video via gopros... At the end of Zion, we found two things that we had not seen much of the last few days. The first being grass. I guess it doesn't grow well in extreme heat... The second was shade! Caused by a tree!! We decided to lay down a while and relax, and relax we did. I'm not actually sure about the temperature, but I think it got down to 102 during our little break.
Now we are 20 miles outside of Bryce Canyon and I'm cuddled up in my sleeping bag because it's probably down to 60 degrees or lower. It's supposed to be 50 degrees tonight :)
Much love, GK
Day 6
Day 6; Bryce Canyon to Moab
In the interest of saving time so I can get some sleep I'll keep this short. Today we rode into Bryce Canyon and had breakfast at the amphitheater (one of the rock formations). We walked around and found a couple of people wearing Giants gear. (dad had to say hello) then we moved on cruising basically the whole day stopping along the way to look at viewing points (which are beautiful) and recording with the go pro.
We met a strange woman at a gas station who told us to be careful on the road we were going to ride... It's a road with cliffs on both sides! It was fun:) We stopped there for lunch and then continued on through the heat. As a few hours went by, I started to get a little bit sleepy. We found a nice piece of shade under a cottonwood tree in hanksville and took a 30 minute break. The rest of our traveling today was on the interstate, so we got moving. I topped out my speedometer today, and I wasn't even speeding! Utah highways are cool!
Anyway, we got the last spot at a KOA in moab and it's time for sleep.
Much love, GK
In the interest of saving time so I can get some sleep I'll keep this short. Today we rode into Bryce Canyon and had breakfast at the amphitheater (one of the rock formations). We walked around and found a couple of people wearing Giants gear. (dad had to say hello) then we moved on cruising basically the whole day stopping along the way to look at viewing points (which are beautiful) and recording with the go pro.
We met a strange woman at a gas station who told us to be careful on the road we were going to ride... It's a road with cliffs on both sides! It was fun:) We stopped there for lunch and then continued on through the heat. As a few hours went by, I started to get a little bit sleepy. We found a nice piece of shade under a cottonwood tree in hanksville and took a 30 minute break. The rest of our traveling today was on the interstate, so we got moving. I topped out my speedometer today, and I wasn't even speeding! Utah highways are cool!
Anyway, we got the last spot at a KOA in moab and it's time for sleep.
Much love, GK
Friday, June 19, 2015
Day 4
Day 4; Lake Havasu City to Las Vegas; 162 miles; 2 hours 52 minutes
Our shortest day yet felt like one of the longest. Bob and Monika took us out to the lake and up the river on their pontoon boat. We cruised up and down the river for a couple hours, saw some Indian petroglyphs on one of the canyon walls, and had sandwiches out on the boat.
Monika and Bob like to keep the river clean, so along the way they tried to scoop trash out of the river with a net that didn't do a great job. It had a hole in it. After that my father and I decided that we would go for a dip every once in a while when we saw some garbage. We would spot the trash, Bob stopped the boat, and we would jump in to get the trash. (Helpful and refreshing)
After the lake, everyone went back to the house around 11 because Ed and I had an interview for a father's day article for the Marin IJ. The interview lasted an hour and a half, and made me really think about why we are taking this trip aside from just having fun.
The last few years, I have been away from family while attending San Jose State University. Because of this, I grew further away from my family and a lot of people that I care about. Now that I have moved back home (for the time being) I have started mending those relationships, and this trip is a great way to spend time with my dad.
Following the interview, I took a nap! (You all know how I love my naps) we were taking our time leaving because we didn't want to ride in extreme heat anymore. We ended up leaving Lake Havasu City around 5pm and rode 3 hours to Lake Mead. 3 states down, 45 to go.
We went to Las Vegas after setting up camp and.... well you all know the saying; what happens in Vegas....
Our shortest day yet felt like one of the longest. Bob and Monika took us out to the lake and up the river on their pontoon boat. We cruised up and down the river for a couple hours, saw some Indian petroglyphs on one of the canyon walls, and had sandwiches out on the boat.
Monika and Bob like to keep the river clean, so along the way they tried to scoop trash out of the river with a net that didn't do a great job. It had a hole in it. After that my father and I decided that we would go for a dip every once in a while when we saw some garbage. We would spot the trash, Bob stopped the boat, and we would jump in to get the trash. (Helpful and refreshing)
After the lake, everyone went back to the house around 11 because Ed and I had an interview for a father's day article for the Marin IJ. The interview lasted an hour and a half, and made me really think about why we are taking this trip aside from just having fun.
The last few years, I have been away from family while attending San Jose State University. Because of this, I grew further away from my family and a lot of people that I care about. Now that I have moved back home (for the time being) I have started mending those relationships, and this trip is a great way to spend time with my dad.
Following the interview, I took a nap! (You all know how I love my naps) we were taking our time leaving because we didn't want to ride in extreme heat anymore. We ended up leaving Lake Havasu City around 5pm and rode 3 hours to Lake Mead. 3 states down, 45 to go.
We went to Las Vegas after setting up camp and.... well you all know the saying; what happens in Vegas....
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Day 3
Day 3; Joshua Tree to Lake Havasu City; 267 miles; 4 hours 58 minutes
We were supposed to start at Lucerne Valley today; however, we went a little bit further than planned yesterday. For that reason, we only actually rode 180 miles. Compared to our last few days, today was a cake walk!
The ride through Joshua Tree National Park was beautiful! The roads were winding through the park with Joshua trees all around, Cactus Gardens, and Skull Rock. My father and I have both been to Joshua Tree before on Boyscout outings, and I have fond memories of climbing on Skull rock with all my scouting friends. On this trip, we climbed up into the eyes for a couple photos and kept moving. (when it's over 100 degrees you dont want to stay in one place very long) Then we went to the cactus gardens where we were swarmed by bees while taking photos. I think it was because we were wearing cooling vests, (they hold water so we can stay cool while riding in extreme heat) and they liked the moisture. My father and I decided to get out of there pretty quickly to evade the bees....one bee had another plan.
As we rode away, my dad noticed that he had a new passenger for the ride on the mouthpiece of his camelback! The bee stayed there for a while before flying around between my father and his windshield. Eventually, the bee flew too high and was taken out of the safety zone by the wind coming off the windshield and was left behind.
We rode out to Interstate 10 and found a place to stop for gas. I swear we didn't know there was a FosterFreeze inside the gas station until after we filled up! Dad took a call for work while I went to check out some tanks that were at the General Patton Museum. I had to take a couple photos because my god-brother is a fan of wars and wants to buy a tank.
Once we crossed over into Arizona, we found a nice place to have lunch next to the Colorado River. We made our sandwiches at a picnic table, ate lunch and then I changed into my swimming gear. I use the term swimming gear loosely because I only changed my shoes before walking into the river; that's right, fully clothed! The rest of the day was spent riding through blistering heat (112 Degrees) to stay with our cousins Monika and Bob. My aunt Rosie made some delicious lasagna for dinner that we all thoroughly enjoyed after a nice dip in the pool. (I wore a bathing suit this time)
Much love, GK
We were supposed to start at Lucerne Valley today; however, we went a little bit further than planned yesterday. For that reason, we only actually rode 180 miles. Compared to our last few days, today was a cake walk!
The ride through Joshua Tree National Park was beautiful! The roads were winding through the park with Joshua trees all around, Cactus Gardens, and Skull Rock. My father and I have both been to Joshua Tree before on Boyscout outings, and I have fond memories of climbing on Skull rock with all my scouting friends. On this trip, we climbed up into the eyes for a couple photos and kept moving. (when it's over 100 degrees you dont want to stay in one place very long) Then we went to the cactus gardens where we were swarmed by bees while taking photos. I think it was because we were wearing cooling vests, (they hold water so we can stay cool while riding in extreme heat) and they liked the moisture. My father and I decided to get out of there pretty quickly to evade the bees....one bee had another plan.
As we rode away, my dad noticed that he had a new passenger for the ride on the mouthpiece of his camelback! The bee stayed there for a while before flying around between my father and his windshield. Eventually, the bee flew too high and was taken out of the safety zone by the wind coming off the windshield and was left behind.
We rode out to Interstate 10 and found a place to stop for gas. I swear we didn't know there was a FosterFreeze inside the gas station until after we filled up! Dad took a call for work while I went to check out some tanks that were at the General Patton Museum. I had to take a couple photos because my god-brother is a fan of wars and wants to buy a tank.
Once we crossed over into Arizona, we found a nice place to have lunch next to the Colorado River. We made our sandwiches at a picnic table, ate lunch and then I changed into my swimming gear. I use the term swimming gear loosely because I only changed my shoes before walking into the river; that's right, fully clothed! The rest of the day was spent riding through blistering heat (112 Degrees) to stay with our cousins Monika and Bob. My aunt Rosie made some delicious lasagna for dinner that we all thoroughly enjoyed after a nice dip in the pool. (I wore a bathing suit this time)
Much love, GK
Day 2
Day 2; Clovis to Victorville; 329 miles; 7 hours 22 minutes
Our second day had a bit of an early start. We woke up at 6, got cleaned up, ate breakfast, and began working on the motorcycles. I changed out the spark plugs on mine because it didn't seem to be running right. Now it's running like a champ!
We rode through sequoia national forest and down the Kern river. It was pretty warm all day, but the ride was worth it! Winding roads through the mountains made for a fantastic day on the bikes. We stopped along the Kern River before reaching Lake Isabella for lunch. One of the turn outs had a trail that lead to the waters edge where we had sandwiches for lunch and put our cooling vests to the test... They passed! It was 102 degrees, yet didn't seem too hot because the vests kept us cool.
We continued riding until we hit victorville. I had to invest in a pair of chaps for nasty weather when we hit some, so we did some shopping... (that included stopping by target to get a highlighter and some slurpees) not wanting to make dinner, we tried Popeyes (recommended by a friend....it's actually good chicken) and watched part of the warriors game.
After dinner, we headed out again to find our campsite. Following directions from our phones did not lead us where we had anticipated going for the night. The two of us, not knowing how to find our campground, decided to continue on our adventure to add on a few miles. Our final destination was Joshua Tree National Park.
Much love, GK
Our second day had a bit of an early start. We woke up at 6, got cleaned up, ate breakfast, and began working on the motorcycles. I changed out the spark plugs on mine because it didn't seem to be running right. Now it's running like a champ!
We rode through sequoia national forest and down the Kern river. It was pretty warm all day, but the ride was worth it! Winding roads through the mountains made for a fantastic day on the bikes. We stopped along the Kern River before reaching Lake Isabella for lunch. One of the turn outs had a trail that lead to the waters edge where we had sandwiches for lunch and put our cooling vests to the test... They passed! It was 102 degrees, yet didn't seem too hot because the vests kept us cool.
We continued riding until we hit victorville. I had to invest in a pair of chaps for nasty weather when we hit some, so we did some shopping... (that included stopping by target to get a highlighter and some slurpees) not wanting to make dinner, we tried Popeyes (recommended by a friend....it's actually good chicken) and watched part of the warriors game.
After dinner, we headed out again to find our campsite. Following directions from our phones did not lead us where we had anticipated going for the night. The two of us, not knowing how to find our campground, decided to continue on our adventure to add on a few miles. Our final destination was Joshua Tree National Park.
Much love, GK
Monday, June 15, 2015
Day 1
Day one, novato to clovis; 305 miles; 6 hours.
We got a later start than we had originally anticipated. Mom had some technical difficulties trying to use her phone to take photos of us when we were leaving the house, but accomplished the goal in a shorter fashion than usual... Due to work, but I'm still proud of her swiftness with a camera. We headed through San Francisco and down to Hollister where we stopped at a Honda dealer to buy some parts for maintenance on our trip. I happened to find a beautiful motorcycle with more power than I will ever need (unless the cops are after me) for a great deal! I might have to go back after this trip.
We found a high class restaurant for lunch. It was very unique! A&W drive-in! No indoor seating, but when does one need to be inside in a place such as Hollister where a cold day is 75 degrees. We ordered some burgers and moved on down highway 25 to 198 toward Coalinga where we met up with my cousin Dennis for some cold drinks at Perko's. Dennis lead us from there to Clovis where we picked up some more parts and pieces, along with pizza for dinner from "me and ed's pizza and pastaria". Funny because me and Ed are the ones on this trip.
We now have all the parts needed to do some work on the motorcycles, but they are too hot to work on tonight. Unfortunately that means we must wake up earlier than I'd like in order to do some work before leaving for victorville tomorrow morning.
Goodnight, and I'll talk to you tomorrow
GK
We got a later start than we had originally anticipated. Mom had some technical difficulties trying to use her phone to take photos of us when we were leaving the house, but accomplished the goal in a shorter fashion than usual... Due to work, but I'm still proud of her swiftness with a camera. We headed through San Francisco and down to Hollister where we stopped at a Honda dealer to buy some parts for maintenance on our trip. I happened to find a beautiful motorcycle with more power than I will ever need (unless the cops are after me) for a great deal! I might have to go back after this trip.
We found a high class restaurant for lunch. It was very unique! A&W drive-in! No indoor seating, but when does one need to be inside in a place such as Hollister where a cold day is 75 degrees. We ordered some burgers and moved on down highway 25 to 198 toward Coalinga where we met up with my cousin Dennis for some cold drinks at Perko's. Dennis lead us from there to Clovis where we picked up some more parts and pieces, along with pizza for dinner from "me and ed's pizza and pastaria". Funny because me and Ed are the ones on this trip.
We now have all the parts needed to do some work on the motorcycles, but they are too hot to work on tonight. Unfortunately that means we must wake up earlier than I'd like in order to do some work before leaving for victorville tomorrow morning.
Goodnight, and I'll talk to you tomorrow
GK
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