Nov 30th Springville UT to Boulder CO

We knew the last day would be long so we got up at the crack of dawn, but by the time we were packed and through the Burger King (US version this time) for breakfast, and out of the gas station, it was after 8:30.  It was still very cold and we stopped to warm ourselves a few times on the way up to Price.  I figured out a trick along the way to turn my gloves into mittens by rolling an ankle sock over them which helped (see picture of ghetto mitten).

We went for luch at a Buffalo Wild Wings along I-70 which was probably a mistake, not really better than fast food and not that much faster than Outback which was our other option.

It got cold as it started to get dark heading over Vail pass.  But we rumbled slowly through the dark up 93 into Boulder.  Jeff and I shook hands at the stop light entering Boulder to congratulate one another on an excellent trip and went our separate ways home.

As I was about to pull into our steep driveway from the steep hill we live on, I realized that where I had parked my car for the month was not going to let me get my bike into the driveway, but I had already committed to the turn.  I tried to smoothly switch from my rear brake to the front so I could put my right foot down (it was a right turn into the driveway).  As I did, the front for jacknifed over and I slowly laid my bike down in front of our driveway at 2 mph.  Quite a way to triumphantly arrive home!  I picked up the bike and heaved it backwards up the hill a couple of feet so I could park on the street.

When I opened the door, Murray said she didn't hear me ride up.  It is a quiet bike, and I didn't say anything about my parking experience to break the mood just then.  It is always fun coming home to Murray who is always glad to see me.  The hot bath was good too.

We covered just over 5000 miles and the MT60 rear tire that was new when I started was completely dead when I got back.  It is a nice feeling that you are going somewhere, and also that you have been somewhere.  Time to start planning the next adventure.

Nov 29th Springville UT

We decided to go the northern route over the mountains so we could visit my folks in UT.  It was a nice visit.   We managed to get in before dark.  I took everyone out for Chinese.  Can you guess which articles of women's clothing I am wearing in the picture?  Hint: it is a trick question.

Nov 28th to Las Vegas

Somehow we wound up riding at night again.  It was bad for Jeff since we were near Vegas and had lots of truck traffic with their bright lights.  However, it was a pretty ride during the day after we got out of the greater San Diego area.  Jeff made a good call in the morning to get online and book a room in Vegas.  We stayed at the Excalibur for really cheap.  I went to the show Absinthe at Caesar's Palace.  It was entertaining, but as the wise Frank Zappa once cautioned, "not for children or republicans".  The picture is a taxidermified deer head in bondage on the circus tent wall.  The show was very entertaining with acrobats and comedy and the like.

Nov 27th San Quintin to Lake Morena State Park CA

For one of our last Mexican meals we stopped at Burger King on the way to Tecate.  I don't know if it was a "we are ready for American food" move, a "we need to get in and out and not ride at night move", or a "I wonder if the burgers are the same in MX" move.  But we didn't get sick, we got in and got out, and the burgers are not as good some how texture and flavor wise in the patties.  However, I did stop for a moment to contemplate there are jobs you can get where you spend your whole day on a motorcycle.  Burger King delivers in Mexico.

We rode just across the border in Tecate with no wait.  We rolled through what seemed a mile of empty cordoned off ques.  The waiting area had signs for free wifi for those waiting to cross courtesy the city of Tecate.  I guess they know American tourists.

From there it was only 20 or 30 miles to Lake Morena park in CA.  http://lakemorena.com/  .  The place was empty, but it did have hot showers.  It did get cold overnight though to the point that I pulled out my emergency blanket.  It helped, but then you are lying under a foil wrapper who's underside is covered in your condensed sweat when you wake up.  Jeff said he saw frozen dew on top of the bikes, but I didn't see it.  The weather looked like it shouldn't have gone below 40 overnight.  It did, I don't know how far.  But it was the end of November.

Occasionally you think you are doing something rather badass such as a month long trip through Baja on motorcycle and then you get humbled.  In the park we met Miguel, an Argentinian, who had flown his bicycle to Anchorage and was on his way back home to Argentina.  It was a friendly meeting since I saw the Argentine flag on his bike and pulled out my Argentina soccer (fu'tbol) jersey.

I had a similar experience mountain biking the white rim trail in Moab.  A bunch of us guys thought we were pretty tough.  We had our big trucks to carry the coolers and tents and gear and we were doing 25 miles a day for four days in the heat and sand of Moab.  Then we met a skinny vegan girl riding the other direction.  Not only was she doing the trek in two days instead of four, she had all her gear on her bicycle including water and was going solo.  

Somehow I never miss an opportunity to learn I am not as hardcore as I would like to be.  Perhaps I should deliver burgers in Mexico... 

Pics

Pics for last few days

Me with some Dr. Suess cactus

Nov 26, 2012 San Quintin

I am not in san quintin prison.  But it kind of feels like it since the whole town seems to shut down at 6 PM.  I walked another half mile down the strip and found an internet cafe that is open.  Even tiny latin american towns seem to have places to take the money of teenagers who want to be on facebook or gaming at 8 PM. Jeff read that people who camp on the beach sometimes get robbed here so we are in a motel again, which is fine with me.

The last few days have been hiccup days again.  Over the same stretch of road I got them coming out.  I wonder if there is some environmental trigger.  They seem to have cleared up this morning.  There has been lots of bodily function talk on the trip.  Not just over pee stops, but the whole getting older thing.  That and comparing notes about which mexican plates did what to which of our guts and the two of us know more about each other´¨s systems than un-related men should.  If you have noticed that i have been avoiding using contractions it is because I do not know the ascii escape codes for the symbols we typically use in english- see the last sentence.  The lack of an english spell checker is also leaving me feeling naked out here in cyberspace.

Hope everyone had a great thanksgiving-