'Round the US in 21 days -- GA to CA and back

[Daytona_Rider]

Great report. My wife and I just got a Dakar for her to ride on our adventures. I tried like heck to get her a GS but she just wasn't as comfortable on it (lbs and height) yet. With some more experience I bet she'll be up to it. Since I'm layed up with a knee surgery (yesterday) for about 6 months off the bike it's great to see these reports.

Keep it coming!

Cheers
DR

[Chanderjeet]

Originally Posted by AdvRydr

If we met him, we didn't know it... is he the service manager?

Im not sure but he is like the senior most motorcycle salesman. I believe that what he said when i was there. That R80 (black one on the wall).............isnt that a sweet bike ?

[a1fa]

Whats that?

[G B]

This is a German truck from MAN http://www.man-mn.com/en/en.jsp This is truck is 1 to 5 year old and has a full-time six-wheel drive, it is a special version with single tires that is all axels have same width. The roof of the box can by lifted so there is more room in it when people are in the box but when the truck is on the road the roof is lowered and then the height of the truck is less.

[Grad]

Great report, but I am cold just reading it.

[AdvRydr]

Day 10 -- Las Vegas to Tonopah

The temperature is around 41°. Today we are in search of aliens and UFOs. We guessed that our greatest probability in finding either is out in the great expanses to our north so here is our route.



We begin our search by heading out of Las Vegas on HWY 15 the turn left on HWY 93 the great Basin Highway:







It is really hard to describe just how great this basin really is with a photo. This was just a very small prelude to the great expanses to come. If there are aliens and UFOs anywhere they must be out here somewhere:



We follow the Basin Highway for many miles:







We continue along the Great Basin Highway through the waste and past some interesting agricultural projects; we drive for thirty or forty mile and see nothing but shades of brown then out of nowhere palm trees and lush green trees. The following google earth photo shows the contrast. But still no UFOs or aliens. We decide to head out further into the great nothing to continue our search, taking HWY 375 (The ET Highway):







Turning left on HWY 375 we spot our first sign of alien life:



We did not get a chance to photograph it but there was a sign that stated that the next gas stop was 150 miles away. This gave Kristy great concern.





We continued along HWY 375 for several hours admiring the great expanses and the sheer emptiness. We then decide to take a path less taken and head out into the high desert the see if we could locate any extraterrestrial life or craft.



Area 51 was our next destination. We turned left into the desert onto Groom Lake Road. This was a one way 15 mile dusty dirt road excursion into the great nothing:





Groom Lake Road to the left off in the distance:



We saw and were shadowed by several dust plumes.

We noticed this vehicle on a hill; Upon closer inspection of our photos we saw that the vehicle was camouflaged with strange geometric shapes.



We continue slowly until this... Look closely to the right of the sign:



and these signs and listening devices and markers every 50 feet sum it up, time to turn around and look else where:



The long road out:



Then, wow, we came across the infamous black mailbox. A mailbox out in the quite literal middle of nowhere. But folks it is no longer black it has been painted white! How many time have you seen or read about this in UFO lore? wow!







After all that excitement it was time to head to the wellspring of all UFO alien legend and lore, the little town of Rachel situated in the middle of a high plain, in the middle of nothing:



After another great stretch of long straight highway we see the litle town of Rachel ahead:



There we found great stories and atmosphere.









The only alien life we have seen so far; Kristy it seems attracts cats no matter where she is even in the middle of a desert.



Interesting sign:



There was also an interesting MGM time capsule placed here:







Unfortunately we left with more questions than answers about aliens and UFOs. We had a great time but it was getting late and in the open ranges of the high desert it is not wise to be out at dark cruising down the road with cows and critters roaming about. So it is time we head off to Tonopah which boasts to have the darkest skies in the country:









The road to Tonopah was very long, Very straight and very flat with a few moutain crossings. The temprature ranged from 50 to 27 degrees. I wish I had a camera that could take accuratly show the beautiful sunset and how the colors relected across the great basins and mountain ranges.

[CodyY]

Great stuff!!! I'll have to make that leg some time soon.

[motorat]

fantastic report, the desert looks like fun...provided you have enough gas.

[PirateT7]

ditto all the 'great story & pix' replies, thanks for sharing your trip with us.

[SFKLR]

Originally Posted by AdvRydr

Front page!!

[rdwalker]

Originally Posted by Northstar Beemer

Those of us who actually live in the Frozen North occasionally forget that it can get cold down there too!

+1! Scary stuff! Brrrrr...

[infoatnmmoto]

Great ride. You definitely hit ABQ on a bad day.
That hill you came down, more often then not,
closes with snow. You were lucky.

[a1fa]

Model Name? Number? $$$?

Originally Posted by G B

This is a German truck from MAN http://www.man-mn.com/en/en.jsp This is truck is 1 to 5 year old and has a full-time six-wheel drive, it is a special version with single tires that is all axels have same width. The roof of the box can by lifted so there is more room in it when people are in the box but when the truck is on the road the roof is lowered and then the height of the truck is less.

[AdvRydr]

Thursday: We left Tonapah while it was still cold outside... see the big 'T' on the mountainside?



In Nevada, we saw several brothels, some operational and some clearly no longer in operation:



We went through a LOT of empty spaces:





We found our way to Death Valley:







Not much lives here: that which does, ekes a living from the 1-2" of rain a year it receives, plus whatever it can glean from the silt and crevices among the rocks, like this wild cactus:



At Bad Water in Death Valley: can you find the Sea Level sign in this photo?



More from Bad Water and the salt flats that surround it:









A lot of lonely roads and forbidding terrain as we leave Death Valley:







As the sun was getting low, and we were still in the mountains, we rushed to get down to lower latitudes, eventually stopping in Palmdale where one of us had some local contacts:







The farther west we went, the less life we saw in the hills and dunes; eventually, north of Palmdale, all there was to see were mud/dirt domes of earth; very forbidding, almost like being on another planet.

[captainzerocool]

Originally Posted by a1fa

Whats that?

http://www.unicatamericas.com/