There and Back

Discussion in 'Texas Bikers' started by Bill Walker, Jun 5, 2007.

  1. Bill Walker

    Bill Walker Guest

    Clouds all over the place and it was threatening to rain, when I left La
    Casa and headed over to Ft.Worth to gather up Louie and the Sheriff.. We
    headed west on IH-20 and made good time, just ahead of the forecast rain
    storms.. Later, we
    heard that streets flooded, etc. and we'd just beat all that rain..

    Not much to report on the ride to Van Horn.. we just hammered that highway
    and that new GoldWing sure gave the Green Vulcan a workout.. Especially on
    the long uphill grades and with a slight headwind.. Those big old Honda
    engines just seem to power right on through those conditions, and that
    little 800 CC engine on the Green One has to really get after it to stay
    with those big boys..

    We located our Houston friend, Jerry in Van Horn.. checked into our motels
    and ate a pretty nice mexican dinner at a small family type restaurant.. not
    bad, at all..

    Then we settled in for a well deserved nights rest, getting hyped for the
    next days run to Casa Grande, Arizona.. Again, those old big boys gave the
    little Green Vulcan one helluva workout..

    Since none of the guys had ever visited the world's largest motorcycle
    dealer (so they claim).. we pulled into Barnett's Harley Davidson, in El
    Paso.. My old friend, Glen Green was off somewhere else, tending to some
    personal business, so we cut our little visit short.. One thing is for
    sure.. Barnett has sure got a bunch of motorcycles on his floors..

    That days run almost ended in Benson, Arizona.. both Jerry and I were pretty
    well used up when we got there.. hmmm.. that's the price you pay for getting
    over the hill, being rode hard and put up wet too many times.. Louie and the
    Sheriff decided to go on to Tucson, which is about fifty miles furthur,
    while I lay stretched out in the shade on a service station driveway.. After
    a while of the break and recuperation, Jerry and I decided that we'd ease on
    over to Tucson .. Something happened and we got our second wind while we
    made our way through the city.. we ran on through and checked into the Buddy
    Helscel hotel.. Clara and Buddy were waiting for us and after the
    introductions were made all around.. we had a nice visit, swapping tales
    that brought us up to speed about what has been going on in our lives since
    we were together, last time..

    One of Buddy's Harley pards dropped by to meet us and dinner was on the
    table.. Clara had really done it good..

    Well.. a good nights rest and Jerry discovered that Valkyrie had developed a
    pretty bad fork leak.. fluid all over the place.. Numerous telephone calls
    to both Phoenix, Casa Grande and Tucson didn't produce anyone with the parts
    to repair those damned forks, without waiting for a week or so.. Not being
    the kind of guy to sit on a problem, Jerry decided he'd head back to
    Houston to work on his motorcycle..

    Louie and the Sheriff checked in and they'd spent the day exploring and
    looking over the Tucson area.. All those fine people hit it off real well
    and we shared a great meal at one of the late John Wayne's hangouts.. We got
    Louie and Gayle checked into a pretty nice hotel ..

    Did I mention that the temps were soaring over a hundred degrees during the
    day, with little cooling at night.. That is one hot place, I guarantee..

    Saturday morning came and it was priming up to be another hot one.. Gathered
    up Louie and Gayle and we headed to the north and east of Phoenix.. The
    first visit was Goldfield, which is just north of Apache Junction.. It is an
    old restored and rebuilt mining town and it's got some pretty neat things to
    look at along with a train ride around the place..

    The next spot was Tortilla Flats.. Nothing much more than a stagecoach stop
    during the old days, but again.. it has all been restored and rebuilt, after
    a fire gutted the place back in '87.. hmmm.. I was working in Phoenix at
    that time and had ridden up there for a coldbeer and a bowl of chili, the
    night before the fire.. First time I'd seen the place since then..

    Back on the road again, we headed north out of Apache Junction.. The higher
    we went, the cooler the temps became .. Those canyons and rock formations
    are spectacular.. Amongst the many tunnels which run through some of the
    mountains, the one we went through is probably the most fascinating to me..
    From one side of that tunnel to the other, there was a great difference in
    temperature.. hot on the south end and almost chilly when you come out on
    the north end.. We rode on up to Superior and had a chance to look at all
    the copper mining they do in that area.. Miles and miles of mountain has
    been stripped away ..

    Louie and Gayle left us there and continued on their adventure toward Utah..
    Buddy, Clara and I returned to Casa Grande to spend another night of
    visiting and good company.. Sure nice to see them both again..

    My return trip commenced Sunday morning about ten AM.. Took my time and just
    kinda meandered back to El Paso.. Topped off the gas tank, next to Barnett's
    again.. about six thirty or so, I think.. Van Horn was dark as the inside of
    an old boot when I got there at about nine PM or so.. The only gas available
    was at a truck stop with backup generators.. Van Horn had lost all it's
    electricity due to some kind of accident at their power source.. That place
    is sure an exercise in DARK, when there is no lights, other than an
    occasional motorcycle headlight, showing..

    One motel had a candle burning in the lobby and lots of rooms.. After a
    brief negotiation with the manager, she agreed to a liberal discount because
    of the lack of electricity.. Due to the high elevation, the nights in Van
    Horn are very pleasant this time of year and with a window open for
    ventilation, one needs to cover up pretty good, in bed.. That all adds up to
    a good nights sleep, in my book.. who could ask for more.. cool fresh air ..
    dark as pitch and quiet as a church.. Sometime in the night.. the power was
    back on and after a good hot shower, the search was on for breakfast..
    Again.. that family restaurant was ready for me and I chowed down on eggs,
    bacon with a lot of good coffee..

    The remainder of the ride back to Irving was uneventful and very much
    routine.. There was quite a few LEO's out doing their LEO thing, but I
    outsmarted them all by holding that Green Vulcan to just over speed.. The
    limit out there in most of those areas is 80 mph, so I got along pretty
    good.. Outside of playing around with a few of the truckers, who have a
    limit of 70 mph, there wasn't too much going on..

    The truckstop in Sweetwater was a good stop .. Several bikers who were
    travelling like me, were there and we swapped some good stories while
    topping off and getting a fast meal..

    Well.. the ride was over when I got back into Irving about 8:30 PM Sunday
    evening.. From just east of Weatherford, I'd been playing chase with some
    really nasty looking black clouds.. so, the Green One got a pretty good
    workout while I tried to outrun that mess.. Some of those clouds looked like
    they might have a twister or two hiding out in them, and I sure didn't want
    to get caught in that.. Within minutes after I put the Green Vulcan on the
    Mexican's patio.. the bottom fell out and it rained cats and dogs for a few
    minutes.. Just made it..

    Outside of a few random sprinkles, somewhere around El Paso, there wasn't
    much in the way of rain, on the entire trip.. hmmm.. time or two, I'd have
    welcomed a little bit of rain to cool things down.. All told.. it was a good
    run and the company of Jerry, Louie and Gayle was incomparable.. As always..
    it's good to see that old friend of mine in Arizona..

    Better get that Green One unpacked and start getting it ready for another
    run down into Mexico.. That should be coming up in a few weeks, now.. Damn..
    I'm sure getting old to be doing this shit.. LOL.. Just can't seem to shut
    it down, though.. Regards

    Bill Walker
    Irving
     
    Bill Walker, Jun 5, 2007
    #1
    1. Advertisements

  2. Bill Walker

    redshad Guest

    Nice report Bill. Glad you made it home safe and sound.Your home
    earlier that I figured. I thought you might stay out there till
    atleast Friday. Did your kitchen pass expire? (I ask that last
    question so Big Ed didnt have to...lol )

    Redshad
     
    redshad, Jun 5, 2007
    #2
    1. Advertisements

  3. Bill Walker

    Bill Walker Guest

    lol.. Forgot the kitchen pass and all those zip codes, too.. Nah.. we had
    a good ride and it was time to end it.. I thought about swinging down to
    Guadalajara, but that would have been a reach.. The old man just don't
    hang in there like I used to..

    Bill Walker
     
    Bill Walker, Jun 5, 2007
    #3
  4. Bill Walker

    Gary Walker Guest

    That's a great narrative. I think I've already gained a little
    sunburn just reading. <g>
     
    Gary Walker, Jun 5, 2007
    #4
  5. Bill Walker

    redshad Guest

    It would have been the same mileage wise to Guadalajara as it was to
    the home front isnt it (roughly)( Give or take a few)?

    Redshad
     
    redshad, Jun 5, 2007
    #5
  6. Bill Walker

    Bill Walker Guest

    Whoo Hoo.. no doubt.. LOL.. I was fried by the time I got
    back to La Casa.. I guess I'll be peeling like a lizard for a
    few days..
     
    Bill Walker, Jun 5, 2007
    #6
  7. Bill Walker

    Bill Walker Guest

    Swinging down south like that would increase the mileage about 1,800
    miles.. that's rough and estimated.. whew.. Helluva stretch for this old
    senior.. Besides, there will be a run to Guadalajara just a little later..

    Bill Walker
     
    Bill Walker, Jun 5, 2007
    #7
  8. Bill Walker

    BJayKana Guest

    As usual, Bill, your trip narrative was mucho interesting.

    Glad ya got it all back home, in one piece, both you and the Green one.

    B. Jay Kana--
    NETexas
    02 Valkyrie Cruiser--
    ( happy trails to you all)
     
    BJayKana, Jun 5, 2007
    #8
  9. Bill Walker

    Bill Walker Guest

    Fortunately the problems were not anything critical..
    That Valkyrie runs like a scalded cat.. hehe..

    I did notice that Jerry was looking hard at a certain
    Harley.. whew, that thing is loaded out with so much
    bling, it's hard not to notice.. And, I'm sure you rem-
    ember .. the owner of that thing isn't shy about show-
    ing it off..

    It would appear that Jerry made it back to Houston
    and of course, I made it back to Irving.. We've still
    got one rider and his two up, running around some-
    where up north, so all of us haven't made it home
    yet..

    We made a good ride and I believe everyone en-
    joyed the change in scenery along with the hosp-
    itality..

    Regards, Morgan Kane

    Bill Walker
     
    Bill Walker, Jun 6, 2007
    #9
  10. Bill Walker

    louie Guest

    Man, was that a hot West-run. Next time let's go see a friend to the East.

    We're freezing our asses off up here in the Mountains...

    See u in a day or 2

    ...louie
     
    louie, Jun 6, 2007
    #10
  11. Bill Walker

    louie Guest

    We sure did. Thanks for introducing us to your buddy Buddy, Clara, and parts
    of Arizona.

    ...louie
     
    louie, Jun 6, 2007
    #11
  12. Bill Walker

    Bill Walker Guest

    <chuckle> Understatement of the year.. "hot West-run".. huh ?

    The only comparable that comes to mind, is the run back from
    Mena, Ark. last year.. lol.. Now, that was a "hot one", alright..

    Yep.. we'll have to get us a run together, that goes to the East,
    but this time of year .. it's hot in any direction..

    Been kind of tracking your progress and glad to see that you
    are doing good and taking in all the areas that do us proud..

    See you when you get back to God's Country.. <grin> Be
    safe ..

    Your Friend in Irving
    Bill Walker
     
    Bill Walker, Jun 6, 2007
    #12
  13. Bill Walker

    Bill Walker Guest

    You can be sure that nothing could have tickled him more
    than having us drop by .. so, the pleasure was all mine and
    I'm glad you guys enjoyed meeting my old friend.. Be safe..

    Bill Walker
     
    Bill Walker, Jun 6, 2007
    #13
  14. Bill Walker

    Bill Walker Guest

    LMAO.. hmmm.. You took the words out of my mouth/keyboard.. While you
    boys were ooohhing and aaahhhing over that old Gucci Harley, I kept think-
    ing to myself.. "Self.. it sure is a long way back to Texas".. LOL..

    While I was stretched out on that fuel island in Benson.. that same thought
    was going through my mind.. Come on, guys.. that's the real deal, and we
    shared it together.. Can't buy those kinds of experiences with money.. and,
    we couldn't have picked better friends to share them with..

    Hurry up and get that ole Valk put back together, so we can put another ride
    together..

    Bill Walker
     
    Bill Walker, Jun 6, 2007
    #14
  15. Bill Walker

    Bill Walker Guest

    <chuckle> I "ride the hell" out of that little Vulcan because I have to..
    In
    order to keep up with all you guys on those muscle bikes,, Seems like every
    time I team up with folks in my motorcycles class and get used to them, they
    jump up.. upgrade and come out riding something like a GoldWing or Valk-
    yrie.. hmmm.. Do you suppose these guys are purposelly trying to see how
    long that Green Vulcan will stand up to that kind of pressure.. LMAO..
    I have finally gotten around to unpacking the Green One.. Who knows.. I may
    get around to cleaning the thing up.. later this week..

    Bill Walker
     
    Bill Walker, Jun 6, 2007
    #15
  16. Bill Walker

    Ed Hart Guest

    I laughed anyway!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
     
    Ed Hart, Jun 6, 2007
    #16
  17. Bill Walker

    BJayKana Guest

    Big Ed way up here says:
    '' (Ed Hart)
    I laughed anyway!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Ed Hart

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    BJay up here too:



    Ed, I had to go about 6 foot down this long ass bunch of responses, to
    see what
    you ''Laughed anyway, about''.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~______~~~~~~~~






    The supreme irony of life is that hardly anyone gets out of it alive.
    Clouds all over the place and it was threatening to rain, when I left La
    Casa and headed over to Ft.Worth to gather up Louie and the Sheriff.. We
    headed west on IH-20 and made good time, just ahead of the forecast rain
    storms.. Later, we
    heard that streets flooded, etc. and we'd just beat all that rain..
    Not much to report on the ride to Van Horn.. we just hammered that
    highway and that new GoldWing sure gave the Green Vulcan a workout..
    Especially on the long uphill grades and with a slight headwind.. Those
    big old Honda engines just seem to power right on through those
    conditions, and that little 800 CC engine on the Green One has to really
    get after it to stay with those big boys..
    We located our Houston friend, Jerry in Van Horn.. checked into our
    motels
    and ate a pretty nice mexican dinner at a small family type restaurant..
    not
    bad, at all..
    Then we settled in for a well deserved nights rest, getting hyped for
    the next days run to Casa Grande, Arizona.. Again, those old big boys
    gave the little Green Vulcan one helluva workout..
    Since none of the guys had ever visited the world's largest motorcycle
    dealer (so they claim).. we pulled into Barnett's Harley Davidson, in El
    Paso.. My old friend, Glen Green was off somewhere else, tending to some
    personal business, so we cut our little visit short.. One thing is for
    sure.. Barnett has sure got a bunch of motorcycles on his floors..
    That days run almost ended in Benson, Arizona.. both Jerry and I were
    pretty well used up when we got there.. hmmm.. that's the price you pay
    for getting over the hill, being rode hard and put up wet too many
    times.. Louie and the Sheriff decided to go on to Tucson, which is about
    fifty miles furthur, while I lay stretched out in the shade on a service
    station driveway.. After a while of the break and recuperation, Jerry
    and I decided that we'd ease on over to Tucson .. Something happened and
    we got our second wind while we made our way through the city.. we ran
    on through and checked into the Buddy Helscel hotel.. Clara and Buddy
    were waiting for us and after the introductions were made all around..
    we had a nice visit, swapping tales that brought us up to speed about
    what has been going on in our lives since we were together, last time..
    One of Buddy's Harley pards dropped by to meet us and dinner was on the
    table.. Clara had really done it good..
    Well.. a good nights rest and Jerry discovered that Valkyrie had
    developed a pretty bad fork leak.. fluid all over the place.. Numerous
    telephone calls to both Phoenix, Casa Grande and Tucson didn't produce
    anyone with the parts to repair those damned forks, without waiting for
    a week or so.. Not being the kind of guy to sit on a problem, Jerry
    decided he'd head back to Houston to work on his motorcycle..
    Louie and the Sheriff checked in and they'd spent the day exploring and
    looking over the Tucson area.. All those fine people hit it off real
    well and we shared a great meal at one of the late John Wayne's
    hangouts.. We got Louie and Gayle checked into a pretty nice hotel ..
    Did I mention that the temps were soaring over a hundred degrees during
    the day, with little cooling at night.. That is one hot place, I
    guarantee..
    Saturday morning came and it was priming up to be another hot one..
    Gathered up Louie and Gayle and we headed to the north and east of
    Phoenix.. The first visit was Goldfield, which is just north of Apache
    Junction.. It is an old restored and rebuilt mining town and it's got
    some pretty neat things to look at along with a train ride around the
    place..
    The next spot was Tortilla Flats.. Nothing much more than a stagecoach
    stop during the old days, but again.. it has all been restored and
    rebuilt, after a fire gutted the place back in '87.. hmmm.. I was
    working in Phoenix at that time and had ridden up there for a coldbeer
    and a bowl of chili, the night before the fire.. First time I'd seen the
    place since then..
    Back on the road again, we headed north out of Apache Junction.. The
    higher we went, the cooler the temps became .. Those canyons and rock
    formations are spectacular.. Amongst the many tunnels which run through
    some of the mountains, the one we went through is probably the most
    fascinating to me.. From one side of that tunnel to the other, there was
    a great difference in temperature.. hot on the south end and almost
    chilly when you come out on the north end.. We rode on up to Superior
    and had a chance to look at all the copper mining they do in that area..
    Miles and miles of mountain has been stripped away ..
    Louie and Gayle left us there and continued on their adventure toward
    Utah.. Buddy, Clara and I returned to Casa Grande to spend another night
    of visiting and good company.. Sure nice to see them both again..
    My return trip commenced Sunday morning about ten AM.. Took my time and
    just kinda meandered back to El Paso.. Topped off the gas tank, next to
    Barnett's again.. about six thirty or so, I think.. Van Horn was dark as
    the inside of an old boot when I got there at about nine PM or so.. The
    only gas available was at a truck stop with backup generators.. Van Horn
    had lost all it's electricity due to some kind of accident at their
    power source.. That place is sure an exercise in DARK, when there is no
    lights, other than an occasional motorcycle headlight, showing..
    One motel had a candle burning in the lobby and lots of rooms.. After a
    brief negotiation with the manager, she agreed to a liberal discount
    because of the lack of electricity.. Due to the high elevation, the
    nights in Van Horn are very pleasant this time of year and with a window
    open for ventilation, one needs to cover up pretty good, in bed.. That
    all adds up to a good nights sleep, in my book.. who could ask for
    more.. cool fresh air .. dark as pitch and quiet as a church.. Sometime
    in the night.. the power was back on and after a good hot shower, the
    search was on for breakfast.. Again.. that family restaurant was ready
    for me and I chowed down on eggs, bacon with a lot of good coffee..
    The remainder of the ride back to Irving was uneventful and very much
    routine.. There was quite a few LEO's out doing their LEO thing, but I
    outsmarted them all by holding that Green Vulcan to just over speed..
    The limit out there in most of those areas is 80 mph, so I got along
    pretty good.. Outside of playing around with a few of the truckers, who
    have a limit of 70 mph, there wasn't too much going on..
    The truckstop in Sweetwater was a good stop .. Several bikers who were
    travelling like me, were there and we swapped some good stories while
    topping off and getting a fast meal..
    Well.. the ride was over when I got back into Irving about 8:30 PM
    Sunday evening.. From just east of Weatherford, I'd been playing chase
    with some really nasty looking black clouds.. so, the Green One got a
    pretty good workout while I tried to outrun that mess.. Some of those
    clouds looked like they might have a twister or two hiding out in them,
    and I sure didn't want to get caught in that.. Within minutes after I
    put the Green Vulcan on the Mexican's patio.. the bottom fell out and it
    rained cats and dogs for a few minutes.. Just made it..
    Outside of a few random sprinkles, somewhere around El Paso, there
    wasn't much in the way of rain, on the entire trip.. hmmm.. time or two,
    I'd have welcomed a little bit of rain to cool things down.. All told..
    it was a good run and the company of Jerry, Louie and Gayle was
    incomparable.. As always.. it's good to see that old friend of mine in
    Arizona..
    Better get that Green One unpacked and start getting it ready for
    another run down into Mexico.. That should be coming up in a few weeks,
    now.. Damn.. I'm sure getting old to be doing this shit.. LOL.. Just
    can't seem to shut it down, though.. Regards
    Bill Walker
    Irving
    Nice report Bill. Glad you made it home safe and sound.Your home earlier
    that I figured. I thought you might stay out there till atleast Friday.
    Did your kitchen pass expire? (I ask that last question so Big Ed didnt
    have to...lol )
    Redshad
     
    BJayKana, Jun 7, 2007
    #17
  18. Bill Walker

    Bill Walker Guest

    Big Ed way up here says:
    '' (Ed Hart)
    I laughed anyway!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Ed Hart

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    BJay up here too:



    Ed, I had to go about 6 foot down this long ass bunch of responses, to
    see what
    you ''Laughed anyway, about''.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~______~~~~~~~~

    <chuckle> Ed got a lol about the comment RedShad made concerning
    a kitchen pass, or some such..






    The supreme irony of life is that hardly anyone gets out of it alive.
    Clouds all over the place and it was threatening to rain, when I left La
    Casa and headed over to Ft.Worth to gather up Louie and the Sheriff.. We
    headed west on IH-20 and made good time, just ahead of the forecast rain
    storms.. Later, we
    heard that streets flooded, etc. and we'd just beat all that rain..
    Not much to report on the ride to Van Horn.. we just hammered that
    highway and that new GoldWing sure gave the Green Vulcan a workout..
    Especially on the long uphill grades and with a slight headwind.. Those
    big old Honda engines just seem to power right on through those
    conditions, and that little 800 CC engine on the Green One has to really
    get after it to stay with those big boys..
    We located our Houston friend, Jerry in Van Horn.. checked into our
    motels
    and ate a pretty nice mexican dinner at a small family type restaurant..
    not
    bad, at all..
    Then we settled in for a well deserved nights rest, getting hyped for
    the next days run to Casa Grande, Arizona.. Again, those old big boys
    gave the little Green Vulcan one helluva workout..
    Since none of the guys had ever visited the world's largest motorcycle
    dealer (so they claim).. we pulled into Barnett's Harley Davidson, in El
    Paso.. My old friend, Glen Green was off somewhere else, tending to some
    personal business, so we cut our little visit short.. One thing is for
    sure.. Barnett has sure got a bunch of motorcycles on his floors..
    That days run almost ended in Benson, Arizona.. both Jerry and I were
    pretty well used up when we got there.. hmmm.. that's the price you pay
    for getting over the hill, being rode hard and put up wet too many
    times.. Louie and the Sheriff decided to go on to Tucson, which is about
    fifty miles furthur, while I lay stretched out in the shade on a service
    station driveway.. After a while of the break and recuperation, Jerry
    and I decided that we'd ease on over to Tucson .. Something happened and
    we got our second wind while we made our way through the city.. we ran
    on through and checked into the Buddy Helscel hotel.. Clara and Buddy
    were waiting for us and after the introductions were made all around..
    we had a nice visit, swapping tales that brought us up to speed about
    what has been going on in our lives since we were together, last time..
    One of Buddy's Harley pards dropped by to meet us and dinner was on the
    table.. Clara had really done it good..
    Well.. a good nights rest and Jerry discovered that Valkyrie had
    developed a pretty bad fork leak.. fluid all over the place.. Numerous
    telephone calls to both Phoenix, Casa Grande and Tucson didn't produce
    anyone with the parts to repair those damned forks, without waiting for
    a week or so.. Not being the kind of guy to sit on a problem, Jerry
    decided he'd head back to Houston to work on his motorcycle..
    Louie and the Sheriff checked in and they'd spent the day exploring and
    looking over the Tucson area.. All those fine people hit it off real
    well and we shared a great meal at one of the late John Wayne's
    hangouts.. We got Louie and Gayle checked into a pretty nice hotel ..
    Did I mention that the temps were soaring over a hundred degrees during
    the day, with little cooling at night.. That is one hot place, I
    guarantee..
    Saturday morning came and it was priming up to be another hot one..
    Gathered up Louie and Gayle and we headed to the north and east of
    Phoenix.. The first visit was Goldfield, which is just north of Apache
    Junction.. It is an old restored and rebuilt mining town and it's got
    some pretty neat things to look at along with a train ride around the
    place..
    The next spot was Tortilla Flats.. Nothing much more than a stagecoach
    stop during the old days, but again.. it has all been restored and
    rebuilt, after a fire gutted the place back in '87.. hmmm.. I was
    working in Phoenix at that time and had ridden up there for a coldbeer
    and a bowl of chili, the night before the fire.. First time I'd seen the
    place since then..
    Back on the road again, we headed north out of Apache Junction.. The
    higher we went, the cooler the temps became .. Those canyons and rock
    formations are spectacular.. Amongst the many tunnels which run through
    some of the mountains, the one we went through is probably the most
    fascinating to me.. From one side of that tunnel to the other, there was
    a great difference in temperature.. hot on the south end and almost
    chilly when you come out on the north end.. We rode on up to Superior
    and had a chance to look at all the copper mining they do in that area..
    Miles and miles of mountain has been stripped away ..
    Louie and Gayle left us there and continued on their adventure toward
    Utah.. Buddy, Clara and I returned to Casa Grande to spend another night
    of visiting and good company.. Sure nice to see them both again..
    My return trip commenced Sunday morning about ten AM.. Took my time and
    just kinda meandered back to El Paso.. Topped off the gas tank, next to
    Barnett's again.. about six thirty or so, I think.. Van Horn was dark as
    the inside of an old boot when I got there at about nine PM or so.. The
    only gas available was at a truck stop with backup generators.. Van Horn
    had lost all it's electricity due to some kind of accident at their
    power source.. That place is sure an exercise in DARK, when there is no
    lights, other than an occasional motorcycle headlight, showing..
    One motel had a candle burning in the lobby and lots of rooms.. After a
    brief negotiation with the manager, she agreed to a liberal discount
    because of the lack of electricity.. Due to the high elevation, the
    nights in Van Horn are very pleasant this time of year and with a window
    open for ventilation, one needs to cover up pretty good, in bed.. That
    all adds up to a good nights sleep, in my book.. who could ask for
    more.. cool fresh air .. dark as pitch and quiet as a church.. Sometime
    in the night.. the power was back on and after a good hot shower, the
    search was on for breakfast.. Again.. that family restaurant was ready
    for me and I chowed down on eggs, bacon with a lot of good coffee..
    The remainder of the ride back to Irving was uneventful and very much
    routine.. There was quite a few LEO's out doing their LEO thing, but I
    outsmarted them all by holding that Green Vulcan to just over speed..
    The limit out there in most of those areas is 80 mph, so I got along
    pretty good.. Outside of playing around with a few of the truckers, who
    have a limit of 70 mph, there wasn't too much going on..
    The truckstop in Sweetwater was a good stop .. Several bikers who were
    travelling like me, were there and we swapped some good stories while
    topping off and getting a fast meal..
    Well.. the ride was over when I got back into Irving about 8:30 PM
    Sunday evening.. From just east of Weatherford, I'd been playing chase
    with some really nasty looking black clouds.. so, the Green One got a
    pretty good workout while I tried to outrun that mess.. Some of those
    clouds looked like they might have a twister or two hiding out in them,
    and I sure didn't want to get caught in that.. Within minutes after I
    put the Green Vulcan on the Mexican's patio.. the bottom fell out and it
    rained cats and dogs for a few minutes.. Just made it..
    Outside of a few random sprinkles, somewhere around El Paso, there
    wasn't much in the way of rain, on the entire trip.. hmmm.. time or two,
    I'd have welcomed a little bit of rain to cool things down.. All told..
    it was a good run and the company of Jerry, Louie and Gayle was
    incomparable.. As always.. it's good to see that old friend of mine in
    Arizona..
    Better get that Green One unpacked and start getting it ready for
    another run down into Mexico.. That should be coming up in a few weeks,
    now.. Damn.. I'm sure getting old to be doing this shit.. LOL.. Just
    can't seem to shut it down, though.. Regards
    Bill Walker
    Irving
    Nice report Bill. Glad you made it home safe and sound.Your home earlier
    that I figured. I thought you might stay out there till atleast Friday.
    Did your kitchen pass expire? (I ask that last question so Big Ed didnt
    have to...lol )
    Redshad
     
    Bill Walker, Jun 7, 2007
    #18
    1. Advertisements

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments (here). After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.