2009 April 27th: Today was a very pleasant day. I got very little sleep last night due to the amount of wind that seemed to be constantly blowing. When the other people in the RV Park were getting ready to go to work at 5:30am, they woke me up. I got up and said my thanks to the guys that helped me out with power. I tried to go back to sleep, but that was worthless. I got up and started to get everything loaded onto the bike. I decided that instead of risking trying to go forward some 45 – 50 miles to the next gas station, I would just go back the 25 miles to a station that I past. I knew that I could make that and was nearly certain I wouldn’t be able to make the other.
I got fuel and then went back the way I came. I stopped a couple of times to take some photos of some of the houses that had suffered during the last couple of storms. There was still quite a bit of destruction visible and it gave me a very humble feeling. In many places there were pilings sticking out of the ground with no house on top. With many piles of debris and derelict vehicles that used to be motor homes that had been stripped to the frame. Almost every yard had a pile of debris gathered up near the driveway waiting to be hauled off. It was hard to think of the losses some of these people had suffered.
I rode on and upward more to the north and I got into some beautiful bayou country, with lots of large trees and waterways. I past numerous fields of rice farms and the smell of Lilac blooms filled the air. On parts of the ride, the road was lined with flowers, and all of the colors made it just beautiful.
I had been told by several different people since I started this journey that I should stop in Breaux Bridge, LA and eat some real Cajon food. Since this has always been one of my favorite foods, I decided to make the slight detour. Getting there was most of the fun. I went through so many small towns with tree lined streets and small brick buildings that just looked old. Every person that I talked to was very hospitable and friendly.
I had stopped at one point just to take a break, and a state trooper pulled up a few minutes later just to see if everything was alright. He was very cordial and was more than curious about my trip by asking me all these questions. It was nice to talk to him.
When I got to Breaux Bridge, I stopped in at the visitor’s center and asked them where to go eat. The lady’s there were telling me way too much information, but I finally figured out where I wanted to go eat. I chose to go to this place called ‘Crazy ’Bout Crawfish’. I had a very good lunch with a cup of seafood gumbo and a crabcake burger. It may sound strange, but it was very good. The portions were big but I ate most of it.
I got back on the road and stopped in Baton Rouge, LA. I had almost fallen asleep while riding on the interstate, so I figured it was time to find a place to stay. I stopped at a gas station and made some calls. After several calls, I decided to go to a motel 6. I was hesitant due to some prior experiences with the super cheap accommodations.
I had asked a lot of questions on the phone, so when I got there I just wanted my room. I unloaded the bike and one of the cleaning crew said that I should park the bike under the stairs because it was predicted to rain. I took that advice. I went up to the room and had a good shower. I went to set up the computer and couldn’t get the internet to function. I called down to the front desk and the girl told me that it cost and extra $3.00. This sort of upset me because when I called I asked if they had internet and she said yes, but she didn’t tell me that it cost extra. I ran down and paid for this service even though most of the rest of the hotels offer FREE wireless these days.
I had a pile of clothes that needed to be washed and so I took them down to the laundry facility. I tossed the clothes in a washer and went to buy some soap from the soap dispenser. I put in the quarters and got nothing. I went to the front desk to inform them that the machine took the money but didn’t give me the product. The girl at the counter said that she would refund my money but she couldn’t do anything about getting me some soap. This again had been one of those questions I had asked before I went there. I grabbed up my laundry and went back to my room and wash some of it by had using a bar of soap and hung them up to dry in the shower. So, the moral of the story is, don’t stay at a Motel 6 in Baton Rogue because the bitch behind the counter has forever ruined my experience of visiting Baton Rogue, LA. She was very rude and could care less that she had lied to me about all of the questions I had asked prior to going. I could have paid under $10 more and I would have had a more pleasant experience at a more quality place. Cheaper isn’t always better.
I also wanted to mention that I saw a lot of remains of armadillos on the road. I would not want to hit one with the bike as they look like a very hard speed bump that might ruin my day. There were also a lot of snakes and some skunks on the roads. The one that really got me though was right after I had got gas first thing in the morning. I saw an alligator by the side of the road. The part that got me was that I thought it was debris until I got closer and the tail moved. This immediately freaked me out but I was already past it. It just goes to show that when you are in a strange area, you need to be even more aware of your surroundings.
Tomorrow I plan to leave right away and go up to New Orleans, LA and drive through the French quarter and on to Biloxi, MS, where I was born.

2009 April 26th: I was rudely awakened this morning by the sound of Revelly playing from the ship that was two blocks away. I chose this hotel because it was cheap and it was close to the ship. I didn’t know that they were going to play Revelly loud enough to wake the city at the crack of dawn.
I got up and tried the internet, and it worked. I uploaded the entry for the blog from the night before and was able to finish uploading pictures to home. I also checked my email and fixed some issues on the GPS program. It was nice being up so early.
I got ready and checked with the lady at the desk to see if I could stash the luggage until I got back from my visit on the ship. The lady let me put everything in their laundry room and so I did.
I walked over to the USS Lexington Museum on the Bay, a short two block walk. I only had to wait a couple of minutes for them to open as I was just barely early.
There was a lot of activity going on and there must have been nearly a thousand boy scouts running around. Since the ship offers overnight sleepovers for large groups, I figured that's what was going on.
I started my self guided tour and went up to the flight deck first. The second tour went to the island or bridge. The third and fourth tour went below decks to the galley, quarters and other places. I found all of this very interesting. The last thing was a movie in the theater. I did all of the tours and the movie and was finished up before noon.
I walked back the hotel and got changed for riding and then I packed up the bike and headed out. I stopped for gas first and noticed that the bike needed oil, so I bought a quart and put in enough to bring it to the top of the sight window. I had oiled the chain the night before so I was ready to go.
I headed north east toward Houston, TX and I had to stop for gas before I got there.
I filled up about 40 miles south of Houston, and rode all the way through and beyond. I was looking for an RV park to camp for the night. The GPS had led me astray again. This time I followed it to a RV park and ended up in a residential neighborhood. The next one didn’t even have a driveway and the third time, it was someone’s house. I actually stopped because there was several RV’s park there.
After talking to these people, I found out that the guy next door owned a RV park just up the road, so I went next door to find out more about it. It turned out that they were right and he told me to go down there and pitch my tent any where I wanted. The guy was very nice and wouldn’t accept any money for the site. Thank You, Rodney. The other thing was that I was in Louisiana and I didn’t even know it. I had crossed a bridge a ways back which put me across the border.
I talked to several people that have been staying here and they told me that most of them are working up the road rebuilding some large facility. This area has been hit by several storms and there are large piles of debris in the front yard of most of the properties. The one place I stopped to ask about the RV Park, their RV was sitting on the slab where the house used to sit. They lost their whole house.
One of the things that I noticed today while riding was that there seemed to be a lot of homes up on stilts or pilings to put the house up high enough to avoid flood damage.
Riding today was difficult because it was very windy, but as I was riding, it occurred to me that, riding at an angle like I was, was wearing the sides of my tires and not the center. This is making the tires last longer.
Not only did I luck out with a free campsite, I was also able to get an extension cord from one of the guys here and someone has a wireless router working, so I have internet as well. Life is good, especially when you least expect it.
Now I just need to find some of this great Cajun food people keep telling me about.

2009 April 25th: When I woke up this morning the sky was all grey and filled with clouds. I thought that maybe it might rain. The birds were loud and many, but when I looked at my watch I realized that I had slept in a little. It was almost 7am, and most every day I’ve been up before 6am. This information got me going.
I started right away to pack things up and get the bike loaded. Once finished I stopped by the office to say thanks to everyone for there hospitality and then down the road I went.
The scenery today was very much ranch after ranch after ranch. The only way I knew that there were different ranches, was that each one had a different entrance gate. The more elaborate the gate it seemed the bigger the ranch. In general the scenery never changed. Rolling hills and sage brush with some cattle here and there.
I ended up having a very long riding day with 11 and a half hours in the saddle with only gas stops and one short break for a sub sandwich. I rode well over 600 miles today. The GPS screwed me up and decided on its own to change the way I went. I ended up taking the same road down to Boca Chica that I was supposed to take back up to Corpus Christi, TX.
Aside from the cloudy skies, it was also very windy. The wind was no where near as bad as the second day trying to get to Phoenix, but it was still a struggle.
I started out in Del Rio, TX and rode to the southern most tip of Texas where the Rio Grade River dumps into the Gulf of Mexico. The waves were very rough and the skies were grey and it was very windy.
On the upside, on the way back I was able to ride at nearly 85 mph and felt like there was no wind at all. I like having a tail wind.
I was able to find a place to stay in Corpus Christi, near the USS Lexington, which I plan to visit tomorrow. Afterwards, I think that I will continue on and see if I can get out of Texas.

2009 April 24th: I slept real good last night and got up slowly. I didn’t want to get going to fast and end up waiting for the visitor’s center to open, so I took my time.
I got everything loaded up and was on the road to Chiso’s Mountain area of the park. This place was way up in the mountain and had a great view of the valley and of the peaks that were way up there. I got my passport stamped and went back down to Panther Jct., where I filled up with gas and I stopped at the visitor’s center there and stamped my passport again. I also bought a Texas state park map.
I headed out of the park and followed the road to Marathon, TX and then on to Sanderson, TX where I got fuel and bought an apple to eat.
I was stopped at some construction at a bridge that crosses the Pecos River. I saw a rest area looking place on the other side of the river, so when the construction let me go I stopped to have a look. I was also followed by several other bikers and we all stood around and chatted for a few minutes.
Just down the road was Amistad National Recreation Area. This was a surprise to me as I was not expecting to see a huge lake. I went across the bridge and stopped at one of the boat launch areas to take some pictures.
I went further down the road and stopped at the visitor’s center, and since it is part of the National Park system I got my passport stamped. I spoke to a very informative and knowledgeable person there named Mellissa. She was very helpful and pointed me towards a place to stay and that is how I ended up a RV Park called The Lonesome Dove.
I was met by a very generous woman named Cathy who helped me find a place to setup my tent and wash some clothes. She also invited me to have a sandwich with some of the regulars in the meeting room. I went to take a shower and then I had a great meal with these people. We sat around and talked for a long while.
I made a few phone calls and then posted the journal entries on the blog.
Tomorrow I should be at the Gulf, where the real trip begins.

2009 April 23rd: When I got up to walk to the bathroom this morning, my legs felt like rubber and were very sore. I guess the walking I did at Carlsbad Caverns was a lot more than I thought.
I got everything packed and loaded on the bike in good time this morning. I headed out and I needed to get gas, so I had to detour off of my route by some 20 miles to get to the nearest gas station. Of all things, when I got to the gas station I was greeted by 2 very large turkeys. I filled up the bike and the guy at the station was just laughing at me because I said something about the turkeys. I found it very funny, as they were following me around like a dog.
Once gas up, I headed back to my turn off and back on route. I stopped for lunch in Marfa, TX and had the first real meal in a couple of days. I gassed up and moved on.
When I got to Presidio, TX, I stopped to take off my t-shirt as it was getting very hot. While I was doing this, a police officer stopped and asked if everything was ok. I told that it was and thanked him for stopping. I got back on the bike and was on my way again. The road between Presidio and Terlingua, TX was fantastic. It had lots of twist and turns and ups and downs. It was like a roller coaster with beautiful scenery. I had to stop a couple of times to take some pictures.
Just as I pulled into the gas station in Terlingua, it started to rain rather heavy, then hail. I stood there under the overhang and just watched for a couple of minutes and then it quit just as fast as it started. As soon as it quit, I got back on the bike and headed into the Big Bend National Park.
When I got to the entrance, I talked to the ranger and found out that the only place that had showers at the campground was the Rio Grande area. I still had some time so I took one of the other roads and went clear to the end. I took lot of pictures on the way and back. It was starting to get late so I headed for the Rio Grande campground.
I found a place to setup camp, did the registration thing and then went to take a shower. First, I could not find the shower. I asked the campsite host where they were and he said that they were over at the store. I got on the bike and went to take a shower. When I got there the store was closed and the showers were going to close in 45 minutes. I thought great, plenty of time. I go into the shower area and the showers cost $1.50 for 5 minutes. I have no change, so I’m pissed. I look around and there is no change machine. I start to pack it up and some guy comes in to take a shower and he has change for me, awesome! I took a shower and hand washed my Heat Gear. Just as I was leaving I realized that I didn’t bring a shirt. Every time that I have had to take a shower now, I have forgotten something. Today it was a shirt. It really wasn’t a problem as it is very hot. I loaded everything back on the bike and go back to the campsite and hang up my clothes to dry.
I grabbed the laptop and went over to the restroom to borrow some power and type up today’s entry for my blog. I will send these entries in as soon as I can get some internet access again. The National Parks have nice campgrounds, but no power and no internet.

2009 April 22nd: Today was great! I got everything packed and loaded easily this morning and then rode away headed for Carlsbad Caverns. I got up to the Park early and got my park pass and also a guided tour. As soon as the gates opened I started my hike down the Natural Entrance to the cave. The hike was about 45 minutes to get down to the main cavern. After I got down to the main cavern, I was early for the guided tour, so I strolled the along the self guided tour for a ways. I was getting tired and I was feeling weird until I remembered that I had not eaten anything. I quickly went to the elevators and then went out to the bike for some jerky and peanuts. I got back on the elevator to go back down and made it in time for the tour.
The tour was very full and with so many people taking pictures, I had a hard time taking timed exposures due to so many flashes going off. I thought that if I waited until most everyone was gone then it would be easier. It was good at first but then the guide said that we had to go and she wouldn’t let me take anymore pictures until we caught up with the rest of the group. I was upset at first and then I remembered that she had a job to do and I was trying to bend the rules too much.
When the tour was over I went back and strolled through the rest of the self guided area at my leisure. I spent time talking to a lot of the guides and other visitors. I took well over 100 pictures; I will post a couple of the good ones. I spent over 5 hours down in the cave and I had seen all that I came to see.
I got geared up and took off on the bike towards Guadalupe National Park. This was only about 45 miles away from Carlsbad Caverns NP, so it was a short ride.
When I got to the Park, I went to the visitor’s center and stamped my passport. It was at this moment that I realized that I didn’t get the passport stamped for Carlsbad, darn it. My passport does have a stamp for Carlsbad from the last time I was there, so oh well.
I ended up talking to the rangers there for quite a while, and had asked them if I could charge my laptop. Somehow it was unplugged during the early morning without me knowing it.
I went up to the campground and picked out a site. I unloaded most of my gear and placed it on the picnic table and then grabbed the laptop and went back to the visitor’s center. The center closed at 4:30 so that gave me a little over an hour to charge the battery and get started on today’s blog. When they closed down, I went back to the campsite and setup.
The weather was very hot when I left Carlsbad, but by the time I left the visitor’s center, the temperature had dropped dramatically. It was very comfortable. Without cell phone service or internet, I ended up talking to several of the other campers for quite some time.
When it started to get dark, I went up to the restrooms and brushed my teeth. I went back and got in the tent and read some of the material that I have gathered.
Tomorrow my plan is to head on down to Big Bend National Park and camp somewhere there. I have less than 300 miles to the entrance of the park, but who knows how far to a campground.

2009 April 21st: When I left the campground this morning it was fairly chilly. I was dressed for some hot weather. I had put on my Heat Gear, because where I was heading to was going to be in the high 90’s. I realized later that most of my day would be spent at a fairly high altitude. I was above the 7000ft mark most of the day. Having Heat Gear on under my jacket in cool environment makes things rather cold. I zipped up my jacket and put on the liners for my gloves and toughed it out. For the most part I was fine, but there were a few times when I was getting a little cold.
I left Silver City, NM and headed back west on 180 going North. I turned on the 12 and turned toward the VLA (Very Large Array) Radio Telescope on the 160. It is many giant dishes set in this high valley in a delta pattern; a peace sign without the circle. I wish that I would have had more time to spend there but I didn’t so I kept going.
My goal was to get to Carlsbad, NM and camp out so that I could spend the day at the caverns tomorrow. The last time I was there, my pictures didn’t turn out so I wanted to take some fresh ones and I know that these will turn out better. I stopped at the KOA just north of Carlsbad, NM but I thought that $35 was a little steep to pay for a tent site. I found another place just south of town that was a lot more reasonable at $18. Plus it is at least twenty minutes closer to the park.
Tomorrow is a rest day even though I will have to ride close to a hundred miles or so. My plan is to see the cavern and then ride south to the Guadalupe Mountains National Park and find a camp site there.
I did have a really good day today. The roads were fantastic and empty. The little Ninja was feeling happy, and we had a great time with all of the twisted mountain roads.
I met some nice people at the RV Park; Duane and Marilyn that helped me with an extension cord so I had some power to do my blog and upload the pictures to my computer back home. Thank you.

2009 April 20th: I left Les’ place this morning and headed for Tucson, AZ and Saguaro National Park. The bike rode great getting to the park and cruising around 75-80mph mark with no problem. After I got my passport stamped at the West Park I left and headed for the East Park. The East Saguaro NP was crowded with cyclists. I spoke with a couple of them and from what I gather; they ride the 8 mile loop for exercise. I got my passport stamped and hit the road.
The GPS did me a little stupid today and I ended up riding on a gravel road for about 6 miles. I dealt with it but not again. I got back on a main road and before I knew it I was in New Mexico. It is somewhat strange how when you cross a border the landscape changes. I was riding in a desert with cactus and saguaros and when I crossed into New Mexico, it was suddenly trees and shrubs.
I made good time today, and made it to the campground around 5:00pm. This is the first time that I have slept in a tent or camped out for that matter, since I was in my twenties. This ought to be interesting.
My friends Les and French, wanted me to plug their businesses, so if you are ever in the Phoenix area and need these services please check them out.

Les Mathews Consuting, LLC
Computer Support Specialist
480-422-7249
Cell 602-750-8076

CycleWerks
480-921-3038
French is a great motorcycle mechanic, so, if you need that type of service check with French he is good. He works on all types of bikes and yes French I’m keeping a close eye on the chain and lubing, Thanks.

2009 April 19th: Today was an important day for me and this trip. I took the bike over to a friend’s who is also a great motorcycle mechanic. He helped me get the oil changed and clean the air filter and lube the chain and other general maintenance that this bike was in need of. It only took a little while as he works very fast and knows what he is doing. I was on my way with a better running machine in no time.
I went back to my friend Les’ house and we ran a few errands in preparation for me leaving in the morning and making my way down to Tucson, AZ and then over to Silver City, NM.
The last couple of days have been spent goofing off and doing some things around here helping out Les. I haven’t really had anything to talk about so I just didn’t post anything.

2009 April 16th: I had a rest day and hung out at my good friend Les’ place. We worked a little bit doing some clean up in his yard. A very energetic guy named Alex showed up and helped with some of the yard work. A little later another friend of Les’ named Bob showed up with a chainsaw and cut out part of a stump that was in the yard. We weren’t really working to hard just taking it easy and getting some things done at the same time. We fired up Les’ grill and cooked up some burgers and brats. That really hit the spot.
A little later an old friend of Les’, Linda came by to join in the fun. It was interesting how a little impromptu party got started. Two more friends of Les’ that I met last time I was here also came by; that was April and Mark.
Finally, our friend French showed up and joined in. French is an awesome motorcycle mechanic, so I was picking his brain on some of the finer things about traveling with a small displacement motorcycle. He had several very good suggestions for me. French was the first one to leave as he had some prior business to take care of. We will get together again on Sunday and do a little work on the bike.
People started to leave and the place got a little quieter. It was getting late and so we called it a day.

2009 April 15th: This was one of the worst motorcycle riding experiences of my life. I’ve been riding motorcycles since 1978. The weather was predicting high winds, but I had no idea it would be this bad. At one point I stopped to take a picture because I could not see the highway from dust being blown across it.

When I got to Gallup, NM I took a break and got prepared mentally for the 100 or so miles on I-40 with a speed limit of 75 mph. The little Ninja was having trouble going 55 mph.
The freeway traffic was slower that I expected but it was still faster than me. Every time a truck passed me it would blast me towards the shoulder. There were three different times where I ended up way into the shoulder and one time all the way into the gravel. Luckily for me when I hit gravel I was actually going slowly enough that I was able to stop and catch my breath.
I had to stop for gas at the Petrified Forest National Park. I took a few minutes to walk inside the visitor’s center and stamp my Parks Passport. With only about 20 miles left of the freeway section, I got back to it and made it to my turn off.
This made things a lot easier, as the winds were directly head on instead of to the side. I was also on a highway with a lower speed limit. It wasn’t long after my turn that the elevation started to climb and the road moved into some trees. The trees helped a whole lot by blocking some of the wind. The further I went though, the higher I got and it was starting to get very cold. I had on all of my gear so I was staying warm, except for my hands. Within about 5 miles of the summit, it started to snow. The snow was really coming down at one point and I was starting to get very worried. The wind was keeping the snow off of the highway, but I knew that could change at any minute.
I kept plugging along, past the summit and down the other side where the snow stopped and the temperature started to climb the lower I got. I stopped in Payson, AZ to take a break and to warm up my hands on the exhaust pipe. I decided to get gas because I was close enough now that I could ride straight to my friends without any more stops.
The rest of the ride was a lot better. I was able to keep up with the traffic, being downhill and all. The further down I went the more power the little bike had too. When I got into the Phoenix area it was rush hour traffic and I made a wrong turn according to my GPS. The GPS re-routed me a better way, as it turned out, and I pulled up at my friend’s house just after he had pulled in himself.
We parked the bike in the garage and then he gave me a beer. It was nice to have that experience over with.The rest of the evening was spent catching up and unpacking.

2009 April 13th: I’ll start off with the things that happened after I posted yesterday’s blog. After I posted my blog entry, I assisted my son in building a new computer for him. During this process I stopped to run the bike up and get gas, so it would be ready for the trip and so I wouldn’t have to stop first thing. I had a little trouble getting the bike to run. I figured that it just hadn’t been run in a couple of weeks, No big deal right. I drove up to the gas station that is about a mile away. I filled up the tank and when I went to start the bike “Click”. Well I knew this was trouble. The bike is small so I just bump started it and drove home. I put the trickle charger on it and went back to check after about 2 hours. “Click”. The trickle charger said that it was fully charged. This means a new battery time. I got on the internet and found a place in town that carried the battery, but they didn't open until 8:30am.
2009 April 14th: I set my alarm to get up in time to go get the battery from this company and I arrived just after they opened and sure enough they had what we needed. I drove home, installed the battery and loaded up the bike and by 10am I was on my way.
Since I live on the opposite side of the Denver area from the mountains, it took about 45 minutes until I was clear of the city traffic. Once I got to the foothills it was clear sailing. The only trouble was that the further I went the colder it got. I pulled over in Bailey, CO and put on my suit liners and warmed up a bit before heading out.
While I was there, I met another individual that was riding and had stopped for a short break. We ended up talking for awhile and I found out that his name was also Mark. He said that he would ride with me as far as Poncha Springs, CO. I knew that would be a good spot for me to fill up so I agreed and off we went. Mark was riding a much more capable Yamaha FZ1. His bike was fully setup with luggage and he was using heated clothing. I wish I was. My hand got a little cold by the time we reached Fairplay, CO, but I kept on going. I knew that by the time we got to Buena Vista, CO, the elevation would have dropped enough the temperature would have warmed up. I stopped real quickly and took a picture in Buena Vista, CO and then we stopped again in Poncha Springs, CO. We exchanged information and said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. Mark seemed like a real nice guy and a well seasoned rider and I hope that we will get to do more riding together.
I stopped again when I was in Del Norte, CO and grabbed something to munch on at the store. The local Sheriff was inside and I asked him if he knew how the Wolf Creek Pass was. He said that he didn’t know, but he would find out for me. He made a quick call and then told me that the pass was clear and dry. Then he told me that I should hurry as they were expecting 12 inches of snow tonight. I didn’t need any more encouragement than that.
I packed myself back on the bike and took off for the pass, which was only about 30 miles away. When I got there, the sky was clear and sunny, the only sun I had seen today. It was really cold but thankfully didn’t last very long and I was on the other side. The bike ran out of gas at 120 miles on odometer, so I switched over to reserve and stopped on the other side of Pagosa Springs, CO. I filled up the bike and headed out still thinking that I could make it to Phoenix by 11:30pm if I kept going.
I made my turn just before I got to Durango, CO onto highway 550 to the south and I stopped in Aztec, NM at a McDonalds for something to eat. Just do yourself a favor, if you are ever in Aztec, NM, Don’t stop at McDonalds. It was the most expensive fish sandwich I’ve ever bought and the guy behind the counter was flippant about it and called it “Highway Robbery”. I ate and then left.
I drove about 20 more miles and started to look for a place to stay in the town of Farmington, NM. I found a cheap motel and checked in. The very nice woman put me on the third floor. I thought that would be great until I had to hump up the stairs about 6 times to get everything off of the bike. I’m very tired and it has been a good day. I’m now beyond the weather issue and can take my time tomorrow instead of being rushed.

Getting Ready

2009 April 13th: Last night I had a difficult time falling asleep. I had far too much on my mind. All of the little details of things that needed to be accomplished before I leave were nagging at me. So many things were running through my mind I just couldn't relax enough to fall asleep. My phone went off and woke me up this morning reminding me of a good friends birthday. That got me going to a point that there was no going back to sleep. I got up and got my day started. I ran through all those things that were keeping me awake last night and I believe that I have conquered all of the items.
It looks as though I will be leaving in the morning early for the first leg of my journey. The first leg is to head to Phoenix and visit a friend in the area for a couple of days. This is also close enough that if I have any trouble I can be picked up and rescued. Not that I will be in need of any of that. This trip will go smoothly and without incident. My GPS mapping software says that this section will take 13 hours and 40 minutes. With having to stop every 200 miles or so for fuel and a good stretch, it may turn out to be a good 15 hours of travel. Most all of the rest of my days will be less hurried.
Yesterday I had setup my tent as a practice run just to see if I remembered how. It took me forever, but I did get it setup. So this morning one of the things I set out to do was to put all of that gear away and stowed ready for travel. I feel that I did better but there is definitely room for improvement. I'm sure that with all of the practice I will master the setup and tear down procedures.
I have checked the weather and it looks as though tomorrow will be my best bet for warm enough temperatures going over the three passes that I will have to cross before I get to the border of Colorado and New Mexico. After that, the weather should be dry and warm enough not to matter. I plan to over dress so that as I get to the warmer climate, I will be able to remove the warmer clothing.
My plan is to leave first thing in the morning, so the next time I post, I should be in Phoenix.

2009 April 12th: I have setup and started this blog at the request of a friend. I have been preparing for a trip on a small motorcycle, a 2003 Kawasaki Ninja EX250. This was not by choice as I would have preferred a larger more powerful bike to take across the country. This bike was pulled out of storage recently and needed new tires and some other minor stuff. I ordered up some new tires and installed the GPS (Zumo 550) system off an older bike that is no longer with me. I also installed the StarCom system from my other bike and got everything working, lets hope that the alternator can take the power draw. The StarCom makes it so I can listen to the GPS and allows me to take phone calls if I need to, I also have my iPod connected so I have the music or books to listen to. I have been preparing for this trip for a long time and it finally looks like I will be able to go. More on this whole thing later.