April 16, 2024 - Ragged Point Inn and Resort, Ragged Point, California

 I am writing this in the hotel office.  There is no cell phone or wifi connections at the Ragged Point Inn & Resort, but it makes up for it in the coastal views, just amazing.  Two nights ago I stayed at a Howard Johnson/Wyndham Inn in Ridgecrest, California. It was a nice, old style motor inn that you can park in front of your room.

From there, yesterday I rode to the Ragged Point Inn, stopping for lunch at Robbin's Restaurant in Cambria, CA.  It was good, healthy food with a definite California vibe.  Next on the agenda was a stop at the Elephant Seal Vista Point.  The seals are massive and just lounge in the sun and sand on the beach. I was thinking the view point would be up on a high point in the road, but it was almost at ground level with the seals.  I could hear some of the males grunting and flipping sand on their backs.

I arrived at the hotel around 4:30 pm last evening pretty wiped out.  The ride was spectacular through grass covered rolling hills.  Today is a rest day for me.  Brother Ted is scheduled to arrive here late afternoon today.  Today he is flying from Denver to Burbank, picking up his new motorcycle and then riding here from Burbank. He also may have lunch in Burbank with an old high school friend before he heads up this way.

Tomorrow, Ted and I will ride to San Francisco where he is scheduled to have his new motorcycle serviced.  Not sure where will stay tomorrow night, but I think we both want to get out of the Bay Area up the coast a little.

Some California retirees enjoying the coastal scenery.  The live a little north of the SF bridge, but like it down in the Central Coast Area because it is more rural and laid back.

Elephant seals 

They look dead, but these elephant seals are all alive, grunting and flipping sand

Part of the coastal Highway 1 north of Cambria

View from the Ragged Point Inn & Resort, when it isn't foggy

April 14, 2024 - Ridgecrest, California

 Last night at stayed in a cabin at a KOA campground in Kingman, Arizona. Before yesterday, I never knew KOA's had cabins. It worked out well.  The cabin was pretty small but had everything I needed.  The site also has a swimming pool, whirlpool and small market.

During the KOA breakfast this morning I met a couple of guys who were tent camping at the KOA and riding 2 BMWs.  They were good friends and it was fun watching them go back and forth. 

The first leg of today I visited a Lake Mead observation area and was surprised the Lake still looked low. I thought they had gotten more rain out there. 

Next I stopped at Zabriskie Point, inside Death Valley National Park, which provides a view of the Badlands.  The formations looked like sand dunes, but weren't. 

I continued on Highway 190 until I turned south on Panamint Valley Road.  I noticed I had about one-half tank of gas but figured I'd be okay.  I came the closest I have ever come to running out of gas. I had no bars left on the gas gauge, with an estimated 3 miles left before I would run out of gas. Luckily, I found a gas station just in time.

Tomorrow, I head to Ragged Point Inn and Resort along the Pacific Coast Highway, where I will meet Brother Ted Tuesday.

My new best friends at the KOA Campground, Carl on my left and Paul on my right

The dash on the GS showing it had 3 miles left before running out of gas

The GS took 5.183 gallons of gas in its 5.2 gallon gas tank

$25.00 to enter Death Valley Park, they wouldn't take my lifetime National Park pass

Lake Mead

Death Valley wild flowers in bloom

The GS pointing to Death Valley

Zabriskie Point viewing area

Death Valley from the GS saddle

Saturday, April 13, 2024 - Kingman, Arizona

 Tonight I am staying in a cabin at a KOA campground at Kingman, Arizona. I never knew KOA campgrounds had cabins until last night when I was poking around looking for a place to stay and did not want to pay $200 a night for a Hampton Inn. This is a great find for half the price of a HI. It's a nice little cabin fully equipped, nearby is a nice swimming pool, whirlpool, and mini-market where I picked up a few things for dinner.

I rode here today from Gallup, New Mexico. The morning started out at 34 degrees and warmed up pretty quickly. I started on I-40 and switched to the infamous Route 66 in Seligman, AZ where I also had lunch at Westside Lilo's Cafe, which I highly recommend. 

The section of Route 66 was in good shape and remote, had much less traffic and only a few semi-trailer trucks.  But it did get windy again.  Temperatures today were all over the thermometer - starting in the 30's, warming into the mid-70's and then dropping again into the 50's when I reached an elevation of over 6,100 feet around Flagstaff, AZ.

Yesterday, I rode from Amarillo, Texas to Gallup, NM, around 500 miles, including a detour to ride to the top of Sandia Crest just outside Albuquerque, NM.  The ride to the top at over 10,000 feet was twisty and in mostly good shape except the last 2 miles or so which had a lot of loose gravel. The views of Albuquerque were spectacular.

Tomorrow, I plan on riding through Death Valley on my way to Ridgecrest, California where I will spend the night. I looked at spending the night in Death Valley but rooms were either not desirable, unavailable or way too expensive.

View of Albuquerque from the top of Sandia Crest

Leftover snow at the top of Sandia Crest

Some hungry cowboys and a massive elk on the wall at Westside Lilo's Cafe 

The GS watching guard outside my KOA cabin

My gourmet dinner tonight from the market at KOA

Route 66 in-between Seligman and Kingman

The GS checking us in at the KOA campground

Temperature this morning at Gallup

April 11, 2024 - Amarillo, Texas

 Yesterday a major storm blasted through West Monroe, Louisiana where I was spending the night. The hotel I was in lost power around 6:00 pm Tuesday night and it was still out when I left 11:30 am the next day.  I had a late start because I waited until the storm passed.  I had lunch yesterday at a really nice local restaurant called Sharon's Cafe in Arcadia, LA. It reminded me of homemade comfort food and hit the spot. I had Mexican chicken casserole, black eyed peas, broccoli, corn bread and a coffee for a grand total of $10.00.

Last night I stayed just across the Texas border in Marshall for a grand total of around 150 miles riden yesterday. Today, I rode over 500 miles to Amarillo, TX and am staying at the Big Texan Motel.  I had dinner tonight next door at the Big Texan Steak Ranch and Brewery where if you eat a 72-ounce steak and 2 sides in less than one hour you don't have to pay.  Even though I have not had any meat in nearly 4 months, I had to have a steak for dinner - when in Rome ...

Not sure where I will end up tomorrow.  I'm a little over halfway to where I am going to meet Brother Ted north of Los Angeles, and I am 4 days in, so I need to keep up the pace.

Some observations from the last couple of days:

• I was not sure how I would be holding up on the first long distance ride in 6 months and I am doing great.  My back is a little tight, to be expected, but I am not overly fatigued and feel good.
• The roads in Mississippi are terrible.  Going through downtown Jackson reminded me of a motocross course; huge sections of pavement missing, rolling waves in the pavement, almost as bad as some roads in Alaska and the Yukon.
• Texas has 2-laned roads with 75 mph speed limits.
• The recent rains and warm weather have brought out the wild flowers and bright green new growth on the mesquite in Texas.  No pictures because Sooz is not riding on the back taking action photos.
• The Texas panhandle is VERY windy.
• Almost everyone in Texas drives big pickup trucks, some are massive.
• Gas is about 50 cents per gallon cheaper in Texas compared to Florida.

In our Gainesville driveway ready to leave.

My lunch of comfort food at Sharon's Cafe in Arcadia, LA

A very nice playground at a rest area in Texas off Highway 287 with a "Watch for Rattlesnakes" sign

The Big Texan and The GS

More of The Big Texan

My room

The dining room. If you want to compete eating a 72 ounce steak in one hour, you have to sit at that table on the stage in front of everyone

My travels so far

Tuesday, April 9, 2024 - Monroe, Louisiana

I'm going to keep this short. As you can see below, there is a major storm rolling through Monroe. The hotel where I'm staying lost power about an hour ago.  I'm writing this on my phone. The GS is safely parked under the hotel's portico. 

Since leaving Gainesville yesterday morning I have riden around 700 miles. That is by far, the longest I have riden since we returned from the trip to Europe in October 2023. I needed a break. I wasn't sure how I would be feeling on this trip, and everything is going great. I feel fine. Although I do miss having Sooz on the backseat. But we are already planning a trip after I return. 

It Begins

 My brother Ted bought a new 2023 BMW 1600 GT at a dealer in Burbank, California and invited me to meet him there and ride home together, which I agreed to.  I will leave Gainesville around April 6 or 7, 2024 and start riding west. Sooz will not be joining me on this trip. When Ted and I ride together we don't do excessive stopping and staying multiple days in one spot. He owns and runs an auto repair shop and can't take more than 3 weeks off, including spending 4-5 days visiting his daughter in Denver.  So we will be moving right along.

Ted wants to ride up the California coast and visit Vancouver Island in Canada. It looks beautiful.  Round trip for me will in the 7,000 mile range if we go there.  Should be fun.

Saturday, October 28, 2023 - Gainesville, Florida

 It's been 10 days since we returned home.  Sooz's back went out the next day with a severe back spasm.  She has been taking care of herself and is doing a lot better.  I have been feeling good, sleeping well and beginning to slowly re-start exercising. While I wasn't formally exercising on the trip, we did walk a lot, climbed up and down 1,000's of stairs and were very active. Both of us lost several pounds. This is despite having some sort of dessert (or two) daily. As an avid baker and a big fan of The Great British Bake Off, Sooz tried as many new cakes, tarts etc to replicate at home. Of course I supported her. Our all time favorite is Sticky Toffee Pudding with vanilla ice cream.

A couple of observations since returning:

• My immediate reaction when walking into our house was, "This house is huge!"  Our house is average size, but it seemed really big when we got home.  Some of the hotel/pub rooms we stayed in during the trip were miniscule.
• Much of the food here in the US doesn't taste as good as in Europe and the UK.  Most food there contains less chemicals, preservatives and hormones, and it makes a big difference in the overall taste. 
• Food seems much more expensive here, even Switzerland food prices in the markets were cheaper.  It was a shocker going to Publix.
• We are going to try more local farmers markets here in Gainesville.
• It's nice to be home in familiar surroundings.  I notice it takes less energy to do the simple things like shopping, driving, and making simple decisions.  
• When we are traveling, everything is new and different, which is part of the fun of traveling. It consumes more mental and physical energy.  Being back home, I find I can do similar activities like we did during our trip, but I get less tired.
• I am now fully convinced and accept that I am no longer 25 years old - my stamina and energy reserves are less than even 5 years ago.
• Sooz and I are amazed and grateful that after being together 24/7 for nearly 6 months we are still married 😀 and still enjoy each other's company.  Not to say that we didn't get a little testy with each other during the trip.  However, the episodes were brief and not serious.  We mostly knew when to stop, take a breather and make amends, if needed. 
• I'm also very grateful to our son Max for staying in our house, keeping an eye on things and taking care of our dog Bandit. Bandit will miss Max when Max moves into his new apartment next week. 
• I estimate we rode around 7,500 miles on the bike and drove 1,500 miles in the rental car the last month.  
• We visited 16 countries - Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, Italy, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Netherlands, Belgium, France, England, Wales, and Scotland.
• I'm really glad we went on the trip.  It was an incredible adventure and one we'll always remember.
• Both of our sons came to visit for a bit. Sam and his girlfriend, Miranda joined us in Andermatt, Switzerland.  Max and Ash joined us in Cardiff, Wales, and our friend Sheila met us in Arles, France. Each time we had company we saw more sights, tried great restaurants, and just packed more in to each day. We had to rest a bit after they left.
• The most common question we are asked is "What was your favorite part of the trip? There is no one answer. It can depend on weather, accommodations, people we met, food, language barriers and just our overall mood. Sooz really liked Berlin. I did too, however I was sick and didn't explore as much as she did. 
• No matter how much we saw or experienced, there was usually something more we could have seen or explored. 
• Traveling on the motorcycle, especially with Florida tags, is a great way to meet people.  Lots of folks, seeing we were on a bike, came up to us and asked if we were really from Florida, or tell us about some of their motorcycle adventures, or just wanted introduce themselves and chat.  Something about being on a motorcycle breaks down some barriers and makes us more approachable, which is fun.

Our complete route with the motorcycle and rental car.  

Entrance to the Frankfurt train station

Inside the Frankfurt train station

View from our room in Frankfurt

Night view of Frankfurt from our room

Barge on the Main River in Frankfurt

Holbeinsteg pedestrian bridge over the Main River

It took 3 tries, starting in August, but our package of extra clothing and gear we shipped made it home from England.  Our dog Bandit is checking out foreign smells.