Picture 1 and 2 are of a Route 66 edition of a PT Crusier. It was owned by a couple from Colon, MI. They were traveling Route 66 out to the Grand Canyon. Picture 3 is of Lisa Kovalchik, my niece. Here she is leading her class in from outside.
After 9 days of riding, I finally have a day of rest. As I indicated in yesterday’s blog, I am at my niece’s house in San Bernardino. I will be leaving here tomorrow, but having one day of rest from all the riding is a nice break in the routine. This morning I worked on getting familiar with my new GPS. Although it is very similar to the old one, it is different enough that I needed some practice with it before using it on the road. A couple good features that are different from my old one are that it has a bigger screen, louder sound, and a much sturdier mounting bracket; features that will be very helpful to me as I head down the road.
At 11:30 a.m. today I went to Lisa’s school and did a yo-yo show for the morning kindergarten class and then at 12:30 I did another one for the afternoon class. These were a really big hit with the kids. Afterwards Lisa’s asked if I could do another one for the 1st grade class at about 2:30, and I agreed. In the down time between the shows, I ran to the post office to mail home my old GPS unit and a few other things that I no longer needed. After doing the show for the first graders, I headed back to Lisa’s to wait for her to get out of work. It is another hot one today; about 100 degrees.
At 11:30 a.m. today I went to Lisa’s school and did a yo-yo show for the morning kindergarten class and then at 12:30 I did another one for the afternoon class. These were a really big hit with the kids. Afterwards Lisa’s asked if I could do another one for the 1st grade class at about 2:30, and I agreed. In the down time between the shows, I ran to the post office to mail home my old GPS unit and a few other things that I no longer needed. After doing the show for the first graders, I headed back to Lisa’s to wait for her to get out of work. It is another hot one today; about 100 degrees.
Tomorrow I will be heading north to Bakersfield and then across the mountains to the coast. This will help me to avoid the traffic in LA. It will be nice to be on the coast and feel the cool ocean breezes. I hope to get somewhere near San Francisco if I can. While watching the news tonight there was a story that Needle, CA got 7 inches of rain yesterday. There was flash flooding and many streets were closed. I am glad I missed that one.
Now that I have completed my Route 66 journey let me make a few summarizing comments. First of all I will admit that I missed riding some of it, but what I saw was everything I imagined and more. I mentioned before how the smaller towns along the route are like time capsules dating back to the 40s and 50s era. In areas where buildings and features have been restored, these were a sight to behold. In areas where the buildings and sights were abandoned and dilapidated, I was in awe of what these structures once meant to so many people. I can vividly remember my second day on the road as I traveled Route 66 for the first time heading south of Carlinville, IL. Although most of the route was lined with nothing but corn, I imagined all the history of those that had ridden this "mother of roads" before me. I vividly remember physically having goose bumps rise up on my arms. It was one of those unforgettable moments. Although I was no more than a blip on the radar screen of history, the memory of this event will live on in my mind for many years to come. This trip, for me, has made me a part of a historical icon. It may be insignificant to others, but it is monumental to me. Each state has its own highs and lows, good parts and bad parts. For me, the areas that I enjoyed the most were in western Oklahoma, western Arizona, and parts of New Mexico. Some of the more memorable towns were Williams, Seligman, and Oatman, in Arizona. In New Mexico, I enjoyed Tucumcari and Gallup. In Oklahoma, I particularly liked the Route 66 Museum in Clinton. Other memorable moments so far are the two National Parks: the Petrified Forest and the Grand Canyon.
Now that I have completed my Route 66 journey let me make a few summarizing comments. First of all I will admit that I missed riding some of it, but what I saw was everything I imagined and more. I mentioned before how the smaller towns along the route are like time capsules dating back to the 40s and 50s era. In areas where buildings and features have been restored, these were a sight to behold. In areas where the buildings and sights were abandoned and dilapidated, I was in awe of what these structures once meant to so many people. I can vividly remember my second day on the road as I traveled Route 66 for the first time heading south of Carlinville, IL. Although most of the route was lined with nothing but corn, I imagined all the history of those that had ridden this "mother of roads" before me. I vividly remember physically having goose bumps rise up on my arms. It was one of those unforgettable moments. Although I was no more than a blip on the radar screen of history, the memory of this event will live on in my mind for many years to come. This trip, for me, has made me a part of a historical icon. It may be insignificant to others, but it is monumental to me. Each state has its own highs and lows, good parts and bad parts. For me, the areas that I enjoyed the most were in western Oklahoma, western Arizona, and parts of New Mexico. Some of the more memorable towns were Williams, Seligman, and Oatman, in Arizona. In New Mexico, I enjoyed Tucumcari and Gallup. In Oklahoma, I particularly liked the Route 66 Museum in Clinton. Other memorable moments so far are the two National Parks: the Petrified Forest and the Grand Canyon.
The parts I liked the least were the trips through the bigger cities. In Tulsa, OK I tried to follow the route through the downtown, but I just kept getting off the route and had now idea how to get back on. From that point I resolved to just skip the downtown parts in any of the big cities. The experience in California is mixed. The first part is the Mojave Desert and although, as a "ride," it is somewhat uninspiring; as an experience, I would not have missed it for the world. During my entire preparation for this trip, I kept hearing stories about crossing the desert and I had conjured up all kinds of scary things in my mind. Even during my ride I wondered if I should even attempt it; especially riding by myself. But riding through western Arizona helped to build my confidence, and I felt ready to take on the challenge. I am so glad that I did. For those of you, out there, that are contemplating a Route 66 journey; DO IT! It will be an experience you will never forget.
As a side note regarding my motorcycle; it is a 2002 Heritage Softail Classic. Ever since I bought it my gas mileage has always been between 40 and 44 MPG. In New Mexico, after leaving Santa Fe, my mileage jumped to over 50 MPG. At first I thought it was a fluke, or that I did something wrong, but it has continuously stayed there ever since. My highest mileage was 55 and nothing has been lower than 50 ever since. I wondered if it was because if the higher altitudes, but even after coming down to lower elevations, I am still hitting 50. Can anyone explain this or has anyone else experienced it?
7 comments:
I was reading that people do tend to get higher gas milage while driving in the mountains. It was pretty evenly split in people believing that it was the high altitudes and those who believed it was the coasting downhill. Then again, I read that other people got lower gas milage in high altitudes. Perhaps you did more downhill than uphill when your gas milage went so high. And you are doing more flat land long distance riding than normal when it was around 50mpg?
I really didn't say much of anything there, did I?
Did you notice any rise in gas milage when you were in the Blue Ridge mountains?
In the thinner air your fuel mixture can be leaner (less fuel needed for the same ratio of fuel to air). That's how it works in airplanes, anyway. But in an airplane you have to adjust it manually. Maybe your bike does it automatically? Perhaps someone who flew bigger planes could explain.
I'm not sure, but I think I found the very place where you crossed the railroad tracks outside Needles. In the Google Earth picture there is an enormous train there, passing under I-40. 34 53 24.04 N, 114 42 9.98 W.
Watch out for drunk movie stars along the coast!
What an exciting trip. I have enjoyed reading your blog. Maybe you can get your helmet cam to work when you ride near the ocean. I am sure many of us back here at work wish we had the ability to take a similar trip. I know I do - - - Linda F.
Hey Jerry,
Great job with the blog! Hope all is well with you....Man, with all of the fluids you consumed, I am surprised you didn't explode! Take care and any beach photos would be appreciated :)
See ya ....Craig
The coast should be a beautiful part of your trip. Stay safe! Dan was here to check the lawn. He offered to empty any filled mouse traps while you're gone! (YEEAAHHHH!!!)
Jerry,
My personal experience with California, is DO NOT miss going up the coast from LA thru Santa Barbara, & northward. Great view of the Pacific.
Be safe my friend...& ENJOY!!!
Your friend in 'Bama,
Jim McClure
Very interesting Jerry. Wonderful trips and interesting sites to always remember. Your blog will be a fantastic reminder for you to go down memory lane after returning home. Don't forget us people still working though. Our day will come...but just not quite yet! LOL I'm ready to retire from DLEG actually. Keep up the great stories and keep that motorcycle and GPS running. Carol Grove
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