'Round the US in 21 days -- GA to CA and back - Page 5

dwj - Donnie · 12-03-2007, 07:10 AM

Hi!

Looks like you have both gotton lucky!

Donnie

tipstall · 12-03-2007, 07:36 AM

Congrats

dwj - Donnie · 12-04-2007, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tipstall

Congrats

+1!

Donnie

AdvRydr · 12-05-2007, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dwj - Donnie

Hi!

Looks like you have both gotton lucky!

Donnie

We have

AdvRydr · 12-05-2007, 09:26 PM

A few photos from the rest of our weekend in Santa Monica:

We ran up the coast two-up (heresy!) on Mr. AdvRydr's bike,

and found some of the fire damage in Malibu:

We found surfers!

We found the local motorcycle hangout, and saw many, many bikes out on the road.

Very few Harleys, instead we saw mostly sportbikes, with several BMWs old and new mixed in. Mr. AdvRydr saw a pristine Vincent Black Shadow which he thinks may have been Jay Leno's; alas, no photo.

We saw a bike like Mrs. AdvRydr's, but different:

We also saw a couple of really spiffy cars.

There rolls about half a million:

Maybe a little less:

Then we went to Venice Beach, ate at the Venice Whaler Bar & Grill, climbed a sand dune, and walked the pier.

Then we rode the ferris wheel at the Santa Monica pier, after watching the sunset:

(We also made off with a couple sprouts off one of the jade trees at the hotel, hoping they survive the trip in our little travel cooler.)

AdvRydr · 12-05-2007, 10:33 PM

We have started the long trip back to Georgia; so far, as of Wednesday night, we are in Abilene, Texas. We did about 570 miles today! Here are a few high points...

Another rest-stop late lunch/early dinner, this one just before the California-Arizona border Monday afternoon. For this one, we brought along some cup-of-soups, into which we add some jerky, accompanied with pudding and hot chocolate.

A lot of 'big empty' in SoCal, Arizona, and New Mexico Monday and Tuesday.

We amused ourselves Tuesday by taking silly photos. One of these days we're gonna have to get bike-to-bike radio and/or XM receivers.

Tuesday and Wednesday, we started to see a lot of Border Patrol, and El Paso is of course crawling with them. In Midland, Texas (hometown of the Bushes!), we also saw Homeland Security.

I think we'll miss the colors of the desert sunsets.

Wednesday was mostly uneventful, as west Texas terrain along I-10 isn't terribly exciting.

Well, sometimes the Texas State Patrol sees it differently. (Just a warning, folks, not to worry.)

We went through El Paso, which was far more industrial than I expected, and extremely polluted.

There were checkpoints on I-10 in both directions for traffic leaving El Paso. We saw a lot of border patrol vehicles in this area.

The terrain has flattened out here, with fewer foothills and long areas of flat land, and become more prairie than desert. We've also dropped in elevation from about 5,000 to 6,000 feet yesterday and this morning, to 1,500' this evening.

Another late lunch at a rest area, this time with bee-flavored hot chocolate...

We rolled into Abilene well after dark, and mostly by happenstance found Joe Allen's barbecue restaurant, where we had the best brisket either one of us have had in recent memory. We also encountered an axe-wielding bicycle rider, which was a little unnerving... but we are safely locked into a reasonably good motel room with excellent wireless, so the day has ended well.

MikJogg · 12-06-2007, 02:48 PM

Great Report,and congratulations from Europe to you...

AdvRydr · 12-06-2007, 08:49 PM

Thanks for the well wishes

Today, we've made it to Shreveport, and are well positioned to make it home to Atlanta tomorrow (Friday) late night. We didn't make quite the mileage intended today; we got a later start than we meant to

, and then discovered a need for a new front tire on Mrs AdvRydr's bike, which we attended to in Fort Worth. We had noted some cupping on the tire early in the trip, but after yesterday's 600-odd miles, the wear accelerated and became uneven, way less tread on one side of the tire than the other, and it seemed it would be unwise to run it another 1000 miles... So after finding BMW of Fort Worth (who really treated us well, and got a new tire on promptly), we spent some quality time in Dallas traffic... we'd be happy to drive around the Dallas metroplex from here on out, I think.

We saw our first real trees in about two weeks, just after leaving Abilene. Trees and grass! Wow!

AdvRydr · 12-09-2007, 11:16 AM

19 days
5972 miles
one wedding
one major blizzard
one major rainstorm
two oil changes
one front tire
one close encounter with the Texas State Patrol
one case of gas exhaustion
one hell of a good time!

We had no final drive failures, no ring antenna failures, no flat tires, no blown engine, no crashes, no drops, no electrical failures. Our tool kit consisted of a few allen wrenches, a few star tips, a cycle pump, and associated flat tire repair tools, all of which fit into a small side pocket in one bag. Both bikes are high mileage daily riders, Mr Advrydr's bike had 41,930 miles and Mrs Advrydr's bike had 117,551 miles.

I am a true believer that these bikes, when maintained properly, will get you there and back.

On the road, home can sometimes become a distant memory spoken about like some lost land. We tend to live in a very time- and distance-compressed world where in four hours we can leave our home in Atlanta and Arrive in Los Angeles. The vastness of this great country can only truly be realized when one travels by car, motorbike or even more so by walking. It is within these modes of travel that one can actually get a true grasp of the scale and the magnitude of this country. I remember talking to Mrs AdvRydr after crossing one of the valleys along our route to Tonopah and our conversation centered on the vast scale of the emptiness that surrounded us, where sometimes hours would go by without seeing a single car, and the silence was thick and all-encompassing. Our travels by motorcycle have given us a very unique look at the world around us. We as motorcyclists become part of our surroundings, savoring every smell, every sound, and every action.

We wish to thank all of you who have taken time from your busy schedules to travel along with us, and hope that you have enjoyed as much as we have. I post the following pictures of our full route and a few after shots in conclusion of this adventure.

wjpjump · 12-09-2007, 01:34 PM

trying to figure out how to tell my wife .we need a UNICAT

Mad*Sparrow · 12-09-2007, 07:36 PM

I really like the route that you took. I think I'll have to go about the same way in the next year or two. Any idea what the total distance traveled was? I lived in AZ for awhile and for some reason I never went to the crater or the petrified forest. Go figure. Glad to hear that you didn't have any problems with the slick stuff. What kind of tires were you running?
Thanks again for the report and I wish for you to have a lifetime together filled with adventure and maybe some little adventurers.

AdvRydr · 12-10-2007, 07:46 AM

Thank you for the well-wishes

The final count was ~20 miles shy of 6000 miles.

Both bikes are running Tourances.

Banshee · 12-10-2007, 08:26 AM

wow. congratulations guys!

nice ride report!

AdvRydr · 12-10-2007, 08:54 AM

Thanks Banshee

OleGrumpy · 12-10-2007, 09:28 AM

"The vastness of this great country can only truly be realized when one travels by car, motorbike or even more so by walking." You never know how big until you go see it for yourself.

Great RR.

Ride On

12-03-2007, 07:10 AM	#61
dwj - Donnie Beastly Adventurer Joined: Apr 2006 Location: Clarksdale, MS Oddometer: 10,840	Hi! Hi! Looks like you have both gotton lucky! Donnie __________________ Donnie - Retired & Riding Return to Mexico 2012: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=802682 Mexico & Central America Solo 2012: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=767492 6,700 Miles to Baja, MX Solo 2011: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=750875

12-03-2007, 07:36 AM	#62
tipstall Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Oct 2005 Location: Crystal Lake, IL Oddometer: 221	Congrats __________________ 2005 R1200GS

12-05-2007, 09:26 PM	#65
AdvRydr ^OP De asini vmbra disceptare Joined: May 2006 Location: Atlanta Oddometer: 3,184	A few photos from the rest of our weekend in Santa Monica: We ran up the coast two-up (heresy!) on Mr. AdvRydr's bike, and found some of the fire damage in Malibu: We found surfers! We found the local motorcycle hangout, and saw many, many bikes out on the road. Very few Harleys, instead we saw mostly sportbikes, with several BMWs old and new mixed in. Mr. AdvRydr saw a pristine Vincent Black Shadow which he thinks may have been Jay Leno's; alas, no photo. We saw a bike like Mrs. AdvRydr's, but different: We also saw a couple of really spiffy cars. There rolls about half a million: Maybe a little less: Then we went to Venice Beach, ate at the Venice Whaler Bar & Grill, climbed a sand dune, and walked the pier. Then we rode the ferris wheel at the Santa Monica pier, after watching the sunset: (We also made off with a couple sprouts off one of the jade trees at the hotel, hoping they survive the trip in our little travel cooler.) __________________ Slab'n through the US (1 for fun ) (2 to wed) To Canada! (1 Niagara Falls) (2 Trans-Labrador) Southeastern loops (1) (2) (3)

12-05-2007, 10:33 PM	#66
AdvRydr ^OP De asini vmbra disceptare Joined: May 2006 Location: Atlanta Oddometer: 3,184	We have started the long trip back to Georgia; so far, as of Wednesday night, we are in Abilene, Texas. We did about 570 miles today! Here are a few high points... Another rest-stop late lunch/early dinner, this one just before the California-Arizona border Monday afternoon. For this one, we brought along some cup-of-soups, into which we add some jerky, accompanied with pudding and hot chocolate. A lot of 'big empty' in SoCal, Arizona, and New Mexico Monday and Tuesday. We amused ourselves Tuesday by taking silly photos. One of these days we're gonna have to get bike-to-bike radio and/or XM receivers. Tuesday and Wednesday, we started to see a lot of Border Patrol, and El Paso is of course crawling with them. In Midland, Texas (hometown of the Bushes!), we also saw Homeland Security. I think we'll miss the colors of the desert sunsets. Wednesday was mostly uneventful, as west Texas terrain along I-10 isn't terribly exciting. Well, sometimes the Texas State Patrol sees it differently. (Just a warning, folks, not to worry.) We went through El Paso, which was far more industrial than I expected, and extremely polluted. There were checkpoints on I-10 in both directions for traffic leaving El Paso. We saw a lot of border patrol vehicles in this area. The terrain has flattened out here, with fewer foothills and long areas of flat land, and become more prairie than desert. We've also dropped in elevation from about 5,000 to 6,000 feet yesterday and this morning, to 1,500' this evening. Another late lunch at a rest area, this time with bee-flavored hot chocolate... We rolled into Abilene well after dark, and mostly by happenstance found Joe Allen's barbecue restaurant, where we had the best brisket either one of us have had in recent memory. We also encountered an axe-wielding bicycle rider, which was a little unnerving... but we are safely locked into a reasonably good motel room with excellent wireless, so the day has ended well. __________________ Slab'n through the US (1 for fun ) (2 to wed) To Canada! (1 Niagara Falls) (2 Trans-Labrador) Southeastern loops (1) (2) (3)

12-06-2007, 02:48 PM	#67
MikJogg Weekend Adventurer Joined: Sep 2007 Location: Oberkirch/Blackforest/Germany Oddometer: 646	Great Report,and congratulations from Europe to you... __________________ I don´t like mondays... ...and winter

12-06-2007, 08:49 PM	#68
AdvRydr ^OP De asini vmbra disceptare Joined: May 2006 Location: Atlanta Oddometer: 3,184	Thanks for the well wishes Today, we've made it to Shreveport, and are well positioned to make it home to Atlanta tomorrow (Friday) late night. We didn't make quite the mileage intended today; we got a later start than we meant to , and then discovered a need for a new front tire on Mrs AdvRydr's bike, which we attended to in Fort Worth. We had noted some cupping on the tire early in the trip, but after yesterday's 600-odd miles, the wear accelerated and became uneven, way less tread on one side of the tire than the other, and it seemed it would be unwise to run it another 1000 miles... So after finding BMW of Fort Worth (who really treated us well, and got a new tire on promptly), we spent some quality time in Dallas traffic... we'd be happy to drive around the Dallas metroplex from here on out, I think. We saw our first real trees in about two weeks, just after leaving Abilene. Trees and grass! Wow! __________________ Slab'n through the US (1 for fun ) (2 to wed) To Canada! (1 Niagara Falls) (2 Trans-Labrador) Southeastern loops (1) (2) (3)

12-09-2007, 11:16 AM	#69
AdvRydr ^OP De asini vmbra disceptare Joined: May 2006 Location: Atlanta Oddometer: 3,184	19 days 5972 miles one wedding one major blizzard one major rainstorm two oil changes one front tire one close encounter with the Texas State Patrol one case of gas exhaustion one hell of a good time! We had no final drive failures, no ring antenna failures, no flat tires, no blown engine, no crashes, no drops, no electrical failures. Our tool kit consisted of a few allen wrenches, a few star tips, a cycle pump, and associated flat tire repair tools, all of which fit into a small side pocket in one bag. Both bikes are high mileage daily riders, Mr Advrydr's bike had 41,930 miles and Mrs Advrydr's bike had 117,551 miles. I am a true believer that these bikes, when maintained properly, will get you there and back. On the road, home can sometimes become a distant memory spoken about like some lost land. We tend to live in a very time- and distance-compressed world where in four hours we can leave our home in Atlanta and Arrive in Los Angeles. The vastness of this great country can only truly be realized when one travels by car, motorbike or even more so by walking. It is within these modes of travel that one can actually get a true grasp of the scale and the magnitude of this country. I remember talking to Mrs AdvRydr after crossing one of the valleys along our route to Tonopah and our conversation centered on the vast scale of the emptiness that surrounded us, where sometimes hours would go by without seeing a single car, and the silence was thick and all-encompassing. Our travels by motorcycle have given us a very unique look at the world around us. We as motorcyclists become part of our surroundings, savoring every smell, every sound, and every action. We wish to thank all of you who have taken time from your busy schedules to travel along with us, and hope that you have enjoyed as much as we have. I post the following pictures of our full route and a few after shots in conclusion of this adventure. __________________ Slab'n through the US (1 for fun ) (2 to wed) To Canada! (1 Niagara Falls) (2 Trans-Labrador) Southeastern loops (1) (2) (3)

12-09-2007, 01:34 PM	#70
wjpjump Gnarly Adventurer Joined: May 2007 Location: kalifornia Oddometer: 370	trying to figure out how to tell my wife .we need a UNICAT

12-09-2007, 07:36 PM	#71
Mad*Sparrow NoMadic Wanderer Joined: Sep 2007 Location: Southern Oklahoma - Rock and Hardplace Oddometer: 174	Thanks for the RR & Congrats! I really like the route that you took. I think I'll have to go about the same way in the next year or two. Any idea what the total distance traveled was? I lived in AZ for awhile and for some reason I never went to the crater or the petrified forest. Go figure. Glad to hear that you didn't have any problems with the slick stuff. What kind of tires were you running? Thanks again for the report and I wish for you to have a lifetime together filled with adventure and maybe some little adventurers. __________________ None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

12-10-2007, 07:46 AM	#72
AdvRydr ^OP De asini vmbra disceptare Joined: May 2006 Location: Atlanta Oddometer: 3,184	Thank you for the well-wishes The final count was ~20 miles shy of 6000 miles. Both bikes are running Tourances. __________________ Slab'n through the US (1 for fun ) (2 to wed) To Canada! (1 Niagara Falls) (2 Trans-Labrador) Southeastern loops (1) (2) (3)

12-10-2007, 08:26 AM	#73
Banshee hi Joined: Aug 2004 Location: Virginia Oddometer: 5,840	wow. congratulations guys! nice ride report! __________________

12-10-2007, 08:54 AM	#74
AdvRydr ^OP De asini vmbra disceptare Joined: May 2006 Location: Atlanta Oddometer: 3,184	Thanks Banshee __________________ Slab'n through the US (1 for fun ) (2 to wed) To Canada! (1 Niagara Falls) (2 Trans-Labrador) Southeastern loops (1) (2) (3)

12-10-2007, 09:28 AM	#75
OleGrumpy Right On Right On! Joined: Feb 2006 Location: Mountains of Virginia Oddometer: 7,646	How right you are. "The vastness of this great country can only truly be realized when one travels by car, motorbike or even more so by walking." You never know how big until you go see it for yourself. Great RR. Ride On __________________ Come Revolution, proletarians (how you say, "Joe Sixpack?") not having anything to worry. Ah, but Ruling Elite, is being different question, altogether.

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