The Anasazi Trip... The Planning Phase.

 

I decided to try a different approach to my photo-journalistic, write-as-you-go motorcycle trip logs by capturing the planning phases of one of my trips. I should mention that all of my previous trips were carefully planned prior to the departure date. Being a somewhat anal engineer, I guess I'm cursed to work the details out before the launch.

Anyway, here we go again... Sorry in advance Marti... Call it unfinished business, call it middle age crisis, call it whatever you may, I'm planning another long motorcycle trip in June 2013.

4,139 miles over a seven day period, riding a huge loop from our home in Washington down through the Southwest US, and back again, (sorry, that sounded very Hobbitish, didn't it?).

If you recall, I rode through the Southwest US seeking employment to Dallas, TX in 2009. Because of the rigid schedule, I didn't have time to break away from the expedited route for sightseeing. I hope to remedy this during this trip.

So, Bonneville Salt Flats, Roswell UFO's, Painted Desert, Trinity Site, Cliff Dweller Cities, I'm coming for you. But first, hash out the logistics... daily mileage, accommodations, distance to a tank of gas, costs incurred... I'll be busy over the next six months.

Tree Hugger Redux... Day 3, mile 963, The Conflicted Ride Home.

I departed Eureka, CA this morning at 7:00 am to a chilly, but sunny 54 degrees. This was the hardest return trip departure I have made since my friend Mike is continuing south and building new trip memories while I make the long trek homeward again.

As I've mentioned in previous ride blogs, Day 3 of a ride has always been the crossover point in my attitude towards the ride. Typically after the second day, riding all day becomes 'natural', and you expect it in the following days. Everything revolves around the mileage conquered that day, and the experiences encountered while constantly moving to your next destination.

Except for loved ones, concerns at home seem much more distant, and you take comfort in your constantly-changing surroundings. I can see why the Gypsies preferred life on the move.

I arrived back in Vancouver, WA on Sunday night to Marti's loving arms, but secretly wished I was continuing on with Mike back in California. Cheers Mike! Share your posts with us!

Tree Hugger Redux... Day 2, mile 583, Riding with the Birthday Boy.

Today is Mike Hollingsworth's birthday. A sage old 45 years. Happy Birthday Mike! We departed Gold Beach this morning to a foggy, misty 54 degrees. We crossed into California, and finally the Redwoods at approximately noon to patchy fog and a chilly ocean breeze.

The Birthday Boy meets big trees.

 

Literally...

 

It seemed like the right thing to do at the time...

 

 

We continued southward to the Trees of Mystery for a kitch photo op with an 80-foot Paul Bunyan and Babe.

 

 

Finally down to Eureka, CA and our hotel stop for the night. This is my farthest point south I plan to travel before my return to Marti in Vancouver, patiently waiting for her whimsy prone husband to return from another windmill-tilting crusade. My riding partner Mike is continuing down to Yosemite National Park and several more days of motorcycle adventures. Yes, I'm jealous. I've offered my blogsite to Mike to continue posting his daily accounts during his ride. I'm anxious to see what he posts.

 







Tree-Hugger Redux, Day One, Mile 340... Cold on the Left Coast!

"I could only get bar shrimp today. Bummer. I watched oceans eleven and had a craving that could only be cured by shrimp on this trip."  - A quote from my riding buddy, Mike Hollingsworth, posting my views during one of our stops. Yes it's true. I've had a craving for shrimp cocktails for the past three weeks since seeing Brad Pitt munching chilled prawns in Oceans Eleven.

We departed Vancouver, WA this morning to a warm 64 degrees, with a forcasted 89 degrees as the day progressed. Very true. We bombed down I-5 as the temperature climbed and cut towards the coast in Corvalis, OR at 80 degrees. We made a stop on the Alsea Hwy. in the Siuslaw National Forest to shed more riding gear to accommodate the hot temps. Big mistake. As we continued westward toward the coast, the temperature dropped 30 degrees. When we actually joined Hwy. 101 southward toward the Redwoods, the forcasted highs for throughout the weekend was 57 degrees. At 65 miles per hour, this is rather chilly.

We hotel'd for the night in Gold Beach with a perpetual fog-mist dropping. Typical beach weather... We have to dress for drastically changing temps tomorrow dropping down into the Redwoods. I forgot about the huge temperature swings in this region. Maybe that's why I keep coming back.

Tree Hugger Redux

Well, after three years of hoping, three jobs, near financial ruin, two moves, open-heart surgery, and a tougher-than-nails East L.A wife who tolerates my flights of whimsy, I'm riding again.

It took a few years to scratch my way back up to the pay grades I was making before the 'recession', but I purchased another BMW motorcycle to complete the rides I wished I had made during my obsession days.

Obviously, my incessant rants about my previous bike trips found a following... A good friend and HP coworker, also an avid dual sport motorcycle rider, Mike Hollingsworth, expressed an interest in riding to the California Redwoods. Since I had made the trip twice before, I expressed an interest in another trip. That's all it took. Mike was planning a motorcycle trip down to Santa Rosa, California in the beginning of September to visit an ailing grandparent, and had a long weekend to get to his destination. Voila', instant ride!

I'll post pictures and details here... I'll also be experimenting with FB to see if it's worthwhile posting trip trip stats there. I'm quickly losing interest in FB.

Tree Hugger Redux

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