Picture 1 is the Route 66 Museum in Victorville. Picture 2 it the Bagdad Cafe which is near Ludlow in the Mohave Desert.
Today I left Needles, CA at about 8:00 a.m. to start my trek across the Mojave Desert. Just a few miles out of Needles I got off the interstate and onto Route 66. The landscape was stark and dry. You could see for miles in every direction. The route was headed north here and I was cruising along at about 60 MPH. In the distance I could see a train approaching and a train-crossing. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to get to the crossing before the train but I sped up to try to make it. I did not want to sit there in the heat waiting for the train. It was only 8:30 a.m. but the temperature was already in the 90s. It looked like I was going to make it so I headed across the tracks. What I hadn’t counted on was the fact that the tracks had a pretty large bump in them. As I went across, I bounced off the seat but did not lose control. Traveling on for another 10 miles I got the first inkling that I was going the wrong way. What tipped me off is when I saw a signed that told me how many miles it was to Las Vegas. What clinched it was when I crossed into the state of Nevada. After checking my map I turned around to find out where I gotten off track. I don’t remember crossing any intersections. After the 10 mile trek back I came to the railroad tracks again but I crossed them more slowly this time. Sure enough, right across the track was where I was supposed to turn. I was so intent on crossing before the train, I didn’t even notice the signs or the road for that matter.
Back on Route 66 again I settled back into my seat and headed west across the desert. As the hours went by, the temperature went up. I did not have a thermometer but I will tell you that it was hot. When I eventually got to my niece’s house (Lisa Kovalchik) in San Bernardino she told me it was 100 degrees at her house and the desert is usually at least 10 degrees hotter. I took ten 20-ounce bottles of water with me for this trip. By the time I got to San Bernardino I had consumed 5 of them; and I was still thirsty. At San Bernardino I stopped at a Wal-Mart and got a 20 ounce diet coke. Soon after that, when I got to Lisa’s house, I took and quick shower and we went out to dinner. There I had another 20-ounce glass of water and an O’Doul’s. Following that we went to the show and saw "Evan Almighty." At the show I drank a 20-ounce lemonade. I finished that off in the first few minutes and kept wishing I had gotten the 60-ounce. When we got back to her place, I drank another 20 ounce diet coke. Guess what? I am still thirsty.
I stopped at the Route 66 Museum in Victorville, but they are closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays; so much for that.
I think it was yesterday when I was riding just past Kingman, AZ when I felt something hit my leg. I didn’t know what it was at first but shortly after that my GPS gave me a signal that the battery was critically low. When I pulled over to check it out, I found out that then end cover that holds the batter in place had fallen off. Luckily, I had brought along some rubber bands. By stretching a rubber band around the unit and onto the battery, was able to keep it in place so I could continue to use it. Today as I was riding through the desert, I noticed that the GPS was turning on its mount. So I tightened the screw that holds it in place. A little while later it did the same thing so I tightened it again. After a few more episodes of this I decided to stop and check out the problem. As I began to tighten the screw a little more it was apparent that the unit was about to break off. So I stowed the GPS in the saddle bag and continued on my way. I left the mount on the windshield, however, and about 5 miles later the end of the mount fell completely off, and I was not able to find it again. I was really thankful that I had taken the GPS unit off a few minutes earlier or I would have lost that too. With the mount broken, I had to duct tape the GPS to my windshield bag in order to find my way to Lisa’s house. When I got to San Bernardino, I stopped at Wal-Mart and bought a bag of rubber bands so that I could connect it to the bag without the duct tape. After Lisa and I had dinner, we went to Circuit City where I bought a new GPS for the rest of my trip. I would hate to think of trying to make the rest of my journey without one, and the old one would have just been too klutzy to use in the condition that it was in.
I am going to stay one more day with my niece so I will not be traveling on Thursday. She is a kindergarten teacher and they have school year around here. So tomorrow I will be going to her school to do a yo-yo show for her students and another kindergarten class as well; one show in the morning and one in the afternoon.
Back on Route 66 again I settled back into my seat and headed west across the desert. As the hours went by, the temperature went up. I did not have a thermometer but I will tell you that it was hot. When I eventually got to my niece’s house (Lisa Kovalchik) in San Bernardino she told me it was 100 degrees at her house and the desert is usually at least 10 degrees hotter. I took ten 20-ounce bottles of water with me for this trip. By the time I got to San Bernardino I had consumed 5 of them; and I was still thirsty. At San Bernardino I stopped at a Wal-Mart and got a 20 ounce diet coke. Soon after that, when I got to Lisa’s house, I took and quick shower and we went out to dinner. There I had another 20-ounce glass of water and an O’Doul’s. Following that we went to the show and saw "Evan Almighty." At the show I drank a 20-ounce lemonade. I finished that off in the first few minutes and kept wishing I had gotten the 60-ounce. When we got back to her place, I drank another 20 ounce diet coke. Guess what? I am still thirsty.
I stopped at the Route 66 Museum in Victorville, but they are closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays; so much for that.
I think it was yesterday when I was riding just past Kingman, AZ when I felt something hit my leg. I didn’t know what it was at first but shortly after that my GPS gave me a signal that the battery was critically low. When I pulled over to check it out, I found out that then end cover that holds the batter in place had fallen off. Luckily, I had brought along some rubber bands. By stretching a rubber band around the unit and onto the battery, was able to keep it in place so I could continue to use it. Today as I was riding through the desert, I noticed that the GPS was turning on its mount. So I tightened the screw that holds it in place. A little while later it did the same thing so I tightened it again. After a few more episodes of this I decided to stop and check out the problem. As I began to tighten the screw a little more it was apparent that the unit was about to break off. So I stowed the GPS in the saddle bag and continued on my way. I left the mount on the windshield, however, and about 5 miles later the end of the mount fell completely off, and I was not able to find it again. I was really thankful that I had taken the GPS unit off a few minutes earlier or I would have lost that too. With the mount broken, I had to duct tape the GPS to my windshield bag in order to find my way to Lisa’s house. When I got to San Bernardino, I stopped at Wal-Mart and bought a bag of rubber bands so that I could connect it to the bag without the duct tape. After Lisa and I had dinner, we went to Circuit City where I bought a new GPS for the rest of my trip. I would hate to think of trying to make the rest of my journey without one, and the old one would have just been too klutzy to use in the condition that it was in.
I am going to stay one more day with my niece so I will not be traveling on Thursday. She is a kindergarten teacher and they have school year around here. So tomorrow I will be going to her school to do a yo-yo show for her students and another kindergarten class as well; one show in the morning and one in the afternoon.
2 comments:
Hey there, you're doing such a great job documenting your trip! It's great reading. I had a thought about you coming back on highway 2 through N. Montana. We were out there a few years ago and drove it. It was a great drive. However, if you happen to drive a bit north on the east side of Glacier Park to Babb, Montana. Don't go in the Babb Bar. In fact, Babb, unless it's changed is really a rough town. The Babb Bar is listed in the top 25 roughest bars in North America. I once met an older student here that barely survived an innocent stop there. Lotsa rain back here, nearly every day now with cooler temps. RB
It wouldn't be a trip without missing a turn or two.
Have a good rest in SB. Looking forward to the pictures of the ocean.
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