Our ride sponsor Sherm's blog! Lots of great pics... if you check it out, you will see me almost naked, be very scared!!! A Yuma prisoner and 15% off as a dried fruit! GBG
His blog is so long, when you get to the bottom, there will be a "more" link....
http://yumavroc.blogspot.com/
My friend Don VSP's blog:
http://2010norcal.blogspot.com/2010/03/march-26-2010-yuma.html
The FUN Begins!!! I get to go watch Lettuce grow!!! Who'da thought!!! GBG VROC folks have done much sillier things... Vulcan Riders and Owners Club.
I don't know why but I feel like I haven't ridden in a long time, not true, but it feels that way! Spring? Trip coming up? I guess it HAS been couple years since I did a multi day trip... Well, by ($&%#( I'm making up for it this year! Starting with Yuma.... On the Road again.... GBG
OK the sun was bright... Ol' squint, bags packed and I'm ready to go!!!
View Larger Map
If you click on "View Larger Map" it will take you to Google maps and you can scroll in and out, move around, view satellite and follow my trail to Yuma!
I didn't take any pics on I-5 it is not exciting. nor is 58.. I-5 had some interesting signs by empty fields that are normally planted.... "Congress Created DUST BOWL". Don't know what happened but those fields used to be planted.
So off we go to Yuma! I decided to do a geezer ride and picked a spot about 375 miles between home and Yuma.... Barstow! Got a Motel 6 for about $45 both going and coming. Glad I did, don't know how you long riders do it!
I left at 0930 and pulled into Barstow Motel 6 about 1645... High speed all the way! And boy was I bugged!!! I-5 thru the valley in March.... well it took me 10 minutes to clear the upper part of windshield and headlight... Just massive amount of bugs!
Did have one hitch... My restaurant stop in Lost Hills / 46 turn off was closed... so I had to hit the subway shop, sigh, will try to do better tomorrow!
This is my shield at Lost Hills, as I stand in front of a closed restaurant... sigh... I really got bugged! And as the week went on, I just cleaned the top part, the bottom really got bad!
So i get to Ludlow, about 50 miles east of Barstow on I-40 and off road I go! Old 66! And boy was it "old"! Bumpty.....bumpty... down the road I go! But I was in the middle of no-where and loved it!!
The road sign that I was looking for to keep me from getting lost... directions to i-40, turn left, a ways into the Joshua Trees National Park!
As Joshua Trees go, this is the grand dad! Wet year and looking fine!
I don't know if you can read the sign, but it is the tree of life, sooooo many animals make there home there.
An interesting rock formation.
There was an area where these were just blooming great! I believe they are Cholla Cactus.
A map at the visitors center on the southern end of the park.
Just getting into Yuma Kaw pasture Thurs evening and Ed and Carl watching the folks arrive, they came in from Kingman Az.
Our ride coordinator Sherm, and his ever busy phone calls!
Friday AM free breakfast and we have MAC Guy, Don VSP and Ray. I came in a little later and joined them.
Don VSP and MAC Guy cleaning his scoot... dunno why, more bugs want to die on it... sigh.
Friday AM and we're about to take off to Yuma Prison!
The cemetery for those that didn't make it....
This row of flowers was nice.
One smart and hardy person!
Tony D and Jacquie reading the sidewalk.
The guard tower.
If you look, you can see some of the time line etched on the walkway.
One of their historical points.
Our scoots from the guard tower. I think we had 18.
The entrance to the prison cells.
The Colorado River, and the area beyond is where they're trying to make a beach!
Does not look inviting to me.
Rogue checking out the cells.
Nice comfy 6-pack! and a potty... no thanks!
You don't want to spend a month in the dark room... trust me!
This is where they made a short door for actors that shot movies here, Audie Murphy and others, so they would look big. Here is sweet heart Corvette!
The "play" ground.... and that is the only wall with doors other than the one I walked in from... solid walls....
So we are off to visit Sherm's winter, get away from wet Coos Bay, Or home! He wanted to let the others see a "biker gang" GBG They loved it!!!!
One lady wanted to park her Harley in our line for a pic for her son!!! Looking fine, tho' it was a trike! GBG
Sherm's abode.
So we wander around, hit 95 south to the border, 25 yards from it, we hang a right and back to a gas station... If you check Don VSP's blog, you will see some pics and a story about one of them, SLEDGE, Jim, another of the dried fruits, got hauled into interrogation!!
So back to the motel and DD pulls in on his new Gold Wing! Looked great!
Must be dinner time, and I can't afford that... so some of the ones that can afford all them calories are about to take off.
Sherm and wife Pat in the lead!
Jim Hunt (SLEDGE).....
Mal and Corvette.
Jim, Cat, Jacquie, and Don VSP, back at the Kaw pasture. We call it that as we always have a place to kick back and play...
Steven (Rogue) and Kelly.
Don VSP trying out Corvette's 1500 Kawasaki Drifter.
Saturday AM and on to our date treat! This is gravel, and I don't like that stuff, so limited my movement.
Rest of the scoots.
Wanna date?
John and Don VSP chatting.....
Rogue and Kelly enjoying the lawn.
SLEDGE playing with the little dogs on the far side of the table.
The teeth that the water from the Colorado River flows thru are called dragons teeth. They defuse the water flow to slow it down.
The other side of the river is an Indian reservation, notice the fisher person on the other side.
On to the proving grounds! Lot of great big stuff here! Einstein was telling wife Teresa that if one of them shells hit anything, it would be really noticed!
Here is Lanny playing Slim Pickin's in the movie Dr Strange Love! Whaaa Hoooo! All he needed was a stetson!
The proving grounds show and tell.
Of course Sherm liked this one, the Sherman Tank! Look at the bullet pock marks, this was in battle!
Back at the Kaw pasture!
Tony D, Vette and Jacquie plotting supper!
Sherm in front with Jacquie second seat, she wanted a ride on a 1500.
Jim and Cat.
OK, all good things must end, turn out the lights, the part is over... sigh. On my way out, I got on 95 headed up to 40 and super slab home. Think that's castle rock...
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My return trip and I chose 99 NOT 5 to come back.
The night is a fallin' at Barstow, what better fitting than a full moon!
I don't know why I never considered 99 a a route instead of I-5, but from now on it is my choosen route! Lots of greenery, towns, stuff! I'll never do 5 again! It was MUCH better!
One of the rest stops... I ride PGR Missions and know a lot of Blue Star Moms, and unfortunately a few God Star Moms, God Bless 'um! They've lost young'uns. sigh.
Great run!!!!! And I have many more to look forward to, God Willing! Cranky
