Some dreams do come true...

Through my travels on Route 66 and back, a poem from the novel Hobbits written by J.R.R. Tolkein, kept ringing in my ears, and probably best describes the journey.

Roads go ever ever on,

Over rock and under tree,

By caves where never sun has shone,

By streams that never find the sea;

Over snow by winter sown,

And through the merry flowers of June,

Over grass and over stone,

And under mountains in the moon.

Roads go ever ever on

Under cloud and under star,

Yet feet that wandering have gone

Turn at last to home afar.

Eyes that fire and sword have seen

And horror in the halls of stone

Look at last on meadows green

And trees and hills they long have known.

Why?

Its just that the wanderlust won't go away... Several years ago, I had driven Route 66 in Arizona a couple of times.  A short stretch between Kingman and Seligman...

My wanting to travel the whole length of route 66 was piqued by the two of the previous experiences...

For those of you who may not know what Route66 or its importance, Wikipedia did a better job than I ever could:

More about Route 66

When?

I kept dreaming of travelling the mother road, and on July 25th, 2015 suddenly it came true.

I ended up riding on Route 66 from the beginning to almost the  end.  Well, I cheated as I did not have enough time - I did not start in Santa Monica - I have been there a few times and have seen the parts of Route 66 in the Los Angeles area.  So, my run for the mother road started in Victorville, CA just on the outskirts of LA metropolitan area.  And along the way. I did skip R66 through big towns/cities.  In a way it was convenient to jump on the freeway, which never was too far from the R66.  Also at the tail end, the state of Illinois, I decided to jump in the train to reach the end/beginning of R66.  I came back home on the 12th of August.

MyRoute 66 Travel Route

Some statistics

Start date: July 25, 2015
End date: August 12, 2015
Total Miles Riding: 5249 Miles
Total Miles Travelled: ~6000 Miles
Number of states crossed: 15
Number of gallons of fuel: ~120
Mimimum cost per gallon: $2.30
Maximum cost per gallon: $4.99
Number of Motels stayed: 10
Number of hours per day: 8-10
Number of miles per day: 400
Longest distance in a day: 520 Miles
Shortest distance in a day: 74 Miles
Number of drops/close calls/tickets: 0 (Yippie, this was one of my safest trips ever).

Some not so important facts:

The number of mosquitoes/butterflies/moths/insects who gave up their life because of me:  Too many to count :)

The wildest thing that happened:  A butterfly (thankfully long dead, of course) inside my helmet - have no idea it got in there without even me feeling it.

The most different person that I met on the road:  A real cowboy in Nevada, who does not even own a car.

The wildest thing:  A wild buffalo/bison crossing in front of me in Yellowstone.  Sitting there on a bike in front of it, really makes you feel how big and strong they are, and how small and weak we are.

Scariest thing:  Riding through heavy winds in Wyoming and Nevada.  Scared the hell out of me.  Did not want to loose control, and have an incident - and it continued for hours together.

Hardest thing:  Riding through the hot and humid weather inside my riding suit, full face helmet and my touring boots.  I felt like I was in the oven.

Best Moments:  Many to say.  But first sight of Route 66 and on the way back, 'Welcome to California' sign on the border of Nevada.

Beautiful Moment:  Many to say.  But the best happened in Oklohoma.  On hot humid days, the cicadas sing even during the day in those parts.  One late evening, I pulled over the shoulder on Route 66, and lay on the grass.  The music of the cicadas was so loud, and beautiful.  I just closed my eyes and laid there for several minutes just soaking in.

On Travelling Alone

I did solicit couple of my friends going with me... three weeks at a stretch is too much to ask of any one.  So, its me, my shadow and the mighty ST1100 in our quest to see as much as possible as I can of Route 66.

I was always asked as soon as I said I am going for a 6000 mile Ride - Are you going alone?  Are you crazy?  Are you not scared something will happen? etc.  But then again, I have traveled on my own, and there is a certain joy in being with yourself.

I am not alone - the roads are full of travelers going to wherever.  For me I am among many, but yet alone.  No one in particular to talk to, no one to get distracted with.  Just me, the motorcycle and the road.

I did talk a lot of folks on the road, and them to me - this happens more when I travel alone than with a group of friends or with my family.  I venture more into talking to them and they to me.

The stories I hear from them are quite informational, educational, entertaining and sometimes even hilarious.

A road and places alone the trip does not make, the people you meet on the road do.

A little philosophical :)

In a way I feel road trips, particularly those you do on your own, are very close to the journey of life.

In the beginning, there is excitement and plenty of energy.  There is a mystery about what you will see and hear.  How the trip will go, cannot even be imagined.  As much as you would like to plan against the weather/road conditions, there are always surprises.  When will it rain, snow, shine or when a hard wind will blow to make to waver, is quite unknown.

The people that you meet on the way, in a restaurant, near a motel, on the rest stops, in national parks and some even when you pull into a gas station - one knows for a fact that the relationship will not continue.  However, there is a sense of satisfaction of having met some one, and shared those few minutes - which was *real* at that moment.  But with every encounter of another person, your perception changes.

Somewhere in the middle of the journey, one calm down.  Even try to take it slow.  However, sometimes, there is a hurry to reach the next destination.  A palpitation when the the trip has any issues.

Somethings there are thoughts - what the hell am I doing, or there are fears whether to take a turn or not, or talk to someone or not.

The places you stay, once again, you know very well you will leave, so there are no attachments.

Once reaching the half way point, there is an urgency to celebrate, knowing well that the other half of the journey still remains.

On the way back as the miles count down, the heart beat settles as I am getting closer to home, from where it all began.

Once you reach back, you retire with a cup of coffee in your sofa, thinking all about what and how things shaped up.

So, long trips are indeed something one should experience :)

A word about my ride

So it all began - the preparation a couple of years ago.  Bought some books tho I did not read them completely.  Them lying next to my bed always reminded me of travelling one day.  May be I should have read them.  I will probably read it once I see it myself.

Honda ST1100

Just like every one is in love with their ride, so am I.  The machine is made for the open roads.  It never tires, and is happy to go as long as you are willing to go.  The silent purr of the engine, the quiet acceleration, and the ability to munch miles makes it best suited for my type of travels.  Sure, its getting old, but to me she has not shown any signs of aging.  An old companion for the past 15 years, will ride with me again.

Some Gadgets

I probably went overboard collecting some gadgets in the last minute - Garmin Zumo GPS, Sena 20s, GoPro Hero3 action cam, AirHawk seat just to name a few.

How did they perform?

I guess I did good with these, all of them worked very well.  None of them broke, even though there were some quirky moments with my headset.  The GPS already proved to be worth the money I spent, and performed well in sun, rain, wind and never had an issue.

I have always been pictures guy - was never into videos.  I got sucked into the video craze also.  I am not sure if any one is going to see it.  May be when I am in my rocking chair someday, I will see them videos again and relive those moments :)
ere.

Now, on with the journey!

Next : Day 1 - From Bay Area, CA to Mojave, CA

Day 1 Bay Area CA - Mojave, CA

Previous : Prelude

I am a little nervous, then again, I need to just start and then the miles will roll by.

I don't know if its me, or happens with everyone.  I told myself I will leave early in the morning.  But it became 1 PM by the time I left home.

And so it began.  I turned on the song 'Life is a highway' from the movie cars to kickstart the ride.  The ST looked eager.  All the gadgets in place.

Initially wanted to go south on 101.  But looking at the traffic map, I could see them clogged up with tourists thronging to Monterrey and near by attractions.  Being already late, decided to get going as fast as I can.  That can mean only one thing - take I-5.  I have to reach Mojave - I already made a reservation there.  Its going to be a seven hour ride.

Day 1. Woodside, CA to Mojave, CA. 360 Miles.

Getting out of Bay Area is not something anyone would want to write about.  In about hour and a half of dealing with heavy traffic, I was on I5.  Somehow, reaching I5 tells me that I am going away from what I know.

Then again, I5, I have traveled more than I can remember.  But the smells of the grass, the cows, the heat, and the endless cars and trucks on the road excite me.

The land is ever brown - it always is, and was.  May be this year is more brown coz of the drought, I could not say.  I have never traveled when its green :)

The run down the I5 is practically uneventful.  I stopped for a quick lunch at a subway around 4.  I have done 160 miles nonstop not bad.

I can't remember the exits I take, and may be I never will.  You feel hungry, and look for the food signs and jump off the free way and get what you can.

My first stop was a country shop also with some miscellaneous gift articles, and memorabilia from days long gone.

Back on the road...

The road can really make you sleepy - really it does, particularly after a meal.   A coffee would really be nice.  I was woken up by the jarring announcement from the GPS to take the exit to Buttonwillow.  I comply!

The sun was scorching, and it became severe as soon as my speed slowed down.   Upon taking the exit, I see some almond groves to my right. The deep shadows look inviting.  May be I will have coffee, now, how about that??

I pulled over the side.  Quickly got out of my Aerostich, took out my coffee paraphernalia, and made some coffee.

 It came out really good.  You wonder how one can enjoy a hot cup of coffee on a hot day, but I do anyways.

I sit on the mud, and stretch.  The shade is very nice.  The breeze is warm.  The birds are singing around.  I cannot see them, but they are around for sure.  Hard to spot them on trees and grass.

Even though carrying your own coffee is an extra baggage, one does not have to figure the next coffee shop, standing in line - nothing of that sort.  You want coffee?  Just pull over and make some.  Thanks to my friend Dmitriy who gave me the stove and Richard who gave me the idea of the coffee dripper.  Simple, but it works.

I admire the drip system setup by the farmers.  Better irrigation - water drips where the water is needed right at the roots.

Yonder sits my ST in the sun, not complaining... I sit and stare...

The ride now through farms takes me to I99.  And then over to Hwy 54 East.  There is steady elevation gain, and drop in the temperature.  Its more pleasant now.

The Tehachapi pass is not technical.  But its long windy wide roads racing towards the mountains of gold is a far relief from the long and boring I5.

The decent from the peak was greeted by the Joshua trees announcing the beginning of desert land.  These are magical trees - they literally look like wizards.

The desert evening was amazing, even though it must have been much hotter during the day.  There is cool breeze in the air as the day turns into night.

First days ride gets over, with about 360 miles.  Looking forward to the rest and wishing it never ends.

I check into Mariah Country Inn & Suites.  Not bad at all.   Apparently there is breakfast included.

Tomorrow I meet with Route 66 near Victorville, just about an hours ride.

Next: Day 2 Mojave, CA - Kingman, AZ

Day 2 - Mojave, CA - Kingman, AZ

Previous:  Day 1 Bay Area, CA - Mojave, CA

From Mojave, CA to Kingman, AZ



The first day was tiring.  I wondered I how will I ever complete the journey.  Woke up late enough to miss the breakfast :(

Quickly I loaded up my bike, and in the bright sunlight looked at the surroundings.

Right next door to the motel, is Mojave Air and Space Port.  The lady at the counter told me its sort of a grave yard for some older planes, and its not open to public other than a couple of display planes in front.

These planes will never fly ever again, and those already know how to fly are the residents :)

A quick run out of Mojave got me to Victorville where I got the first sight of Route 66.  Yippiiieeee...  This probably is the best moment I had - gave me the feeling that I was really doing what I wanted to do :)

Some scenes from there...

Happily, I rode all the way to Barstow, CA where I stopped to get some ice tea and fill up gas, and hit it again on the mother road racing towards Kingman, AZ.  As is seen on most of the stretches of R66 in the southern part of the road parallel to I-40, there are many a ruins when the freeway next to it sucked the life out of R66.

Somehow there is still beauty and serenity along the way, the silent memories the road holds and longs to share are there for those who want to listen.  As I continued to ride, I somehow did not see the ruins, but imagined how the place would have been in the hay days, and the people who traveled this road, their excitements, anxieties, the life then and so on.

More of the loneliness along Route 66 for several more miles.  The sun was setting in a hurry, and Kingman, AZ was still some miles away.  So, at the tail end, I left the Route 66, jumped on the HWY 40 which is always so close to the mother road and hit it all the way to Kingman.

Around 8:30 PM I rolled into Kingman, and stopped at the first diner I saw, Mr. D'z, as I feared I may go hungry in this sleepy town if I delayed too much.  To celebrate my first day, I ordered ribs and mashed potatoes, and treat myself to a banana milk shake.

The food was rather good.  After the meal I walk around..  Looks like that era was obsessed with Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Pressley.  There were so many of such vintage pictures and art works in restaurants such as these which is amusing.

After the meal I caught up with the waitress, who was very kindly, on the outside having a smoke.  I joined her, and heard her story.  She came to Kingman several years ago after getting married.  Lo, the relationship did not last, and she divorced, but was left with a son who was born in Kingman.  She stayed back and lives there with her son.  When I asked her how she likes living in such a small town, her voice was fairly enthusiastic - she said she loves going to the mountains in the nights and see the stars that shine so bright on the dark sky.  Some romantic...

Then I check into El Travatore Motel, and I get Paul Newmans room, who knew??!!  I wittingly asked the lady behind the counter "May I have John Wayne's room instead please?".  She says, "Oh, we are so busy today, and that room is already taken..".  Did not realize there was one on his name too :)

Pictures have to wait for the next morning.  I quickly unload my luggage from the bike, and call it a day!

Next: Day 3 - Kingman, AZ - Holbrook, AZ

Day 3 Kingman, AZ to Holbrook, AZ

Previous: Day 2 Mojave, CA - Kingman, AZ


Kingman, AZ to Holbrook, AZ



The El Travatore motel was simple, clean, and small.  There were a bunch of Europeans who were staying at that motel.  I guess, like myself everybody wanted to find that historic motel to make it part of the travel experience.

The place was quite colorful with the murals.  Looks like they may have done the paint work quite recently.  Some sights around the motel.

Then the previous day, because I was late, I skipped an interesting bit of Route 66.  So, I have to make up for it today.

Oatman, AZ is an interesting town that evolved based out of mining.  There are interesting tales about how Route 66 passes through the town.  When the mining was going good, the miners brought a lot of donkeys.  But when later the mining was not so good, they left the donkeys to be on their own, and left town.  Today the town is practically a ghost town other than for some gift shops.  The whole town is, may be like two-three blocks long.

The first thing that I noticed was donkeys on the road near the town.  I had to come to a halt in a hurry on a gravelly road.  It was quite a sight - nothing new for me here, certainly something different in America.  We, in India, are used to having cows, donkeys,  camels, elephants around the street near the temple towns.  So, kind of used to the concept.

Still it was nice to see these donkeys thriving on the alfalfa bought by the tourists.

I walked into one of the many gift shops.  Nice thing about this shop is that they print what you want on a size of T-Shirt that you need.  I decide to get a couple of them for my kids.

Some more sights in the shop.

The sight of the lady imprinting what I wanted on the T-Shirts.

Right outside the shop, a lazy local hanging around :)

Yet another gift shop having some old-old-old stuff for sale.  I wonder if anyone would buy these.  Me, I cannot buy even if I wanted to :)  I was on my bike, where space is extremely limited, and I have to watch what I can buy and not! The place looked like a museum.

Any gun slingers out there??!!

I was worried about leaving my bike on the street.  But some one seems to be keeping an eye :)  Now, I feel safe :)

And every one gets a special guard :)

I can hear'em say, when I am hungry, I need my milk :)  Let others wait :)

This scene smack in the middle of the road :)

Coca-Cola was the drink of the those days I guess!  Everywhere old advertisements of Coke...

How true, the following :)  Wise old folks :)

What the hell is going on there ? Like, I care :)

My breakfast place - a typical omlette and a cup of coffee for the morning should do ...

A little serenading with old cowboy songs on the street.

I asked the local guys around about the condition of the road leading to Topeca.  No one knows.  Then I wait at the end of the town and look for folks who are reaching the town from the south.  One German family does confirm the existence of a paved road.

And then I left Oatman, taking a southerly route.  my pace very slow as the road is twisty but not in a great condition.  I can feel the temperature climbing up, but I cannot do anything about it, can not even hurry.  The road feels very lonely, and not too many passers-by.  I ride careful through the gravel infested roads.  Cannot complain!  I take an hour to travel 20 miles and reach Topeca, which is nothing but an exit on the freeway, with a gas station or two to boast about :)

From Topeca, I come back to the freeway and get to Kingman again, where I cross over to the northerly side of the freeway on R66.  As I travel north, and gain elevation, the temperature seems to drop to more comfortable levels.  My first stop at Hackberry General store, where I grab a ice tea, and mingle with the visitors.  Almost all of them on that day seem to be somewhere from Europe.  During my brief conversations, I figure they are from countries such as Germany, Hungary, France, and Australia.  They come here, rent cars or bikes and go around the country tasting R66.  One guy tells me that R66 is very popular.

As the bikers leave, one guy stops by my side and tells me "You are riding one of the best bikes.  Back home in UK, I own two of them, one ST1100 and the other ST1300.".  That makes me happy, someone atleast recognized my bike :)

I do solicit someone to take my picture.

There are some show pieces in and around that store.

Then I meet a family from Hungary.  Two beautiful daughters, and an equally good looking mother.  The mother is a photographer, and is busy making her daughters pose and taking pictures, with not a concern for the people around them.  Initially I sneak a picture from far.  Later, more amused with the action, I ask the father if I could take some pictures of the daughters as they are posing for their mom.  He says, "Go on ahead!  No problem!  This happens everywhere we stop. ".  I say to myself, "When the subjects are beautiful and willing, you can take a lot of pictures.  It even enhances the photographing experience."  After a couple of shots, I respectfully stop.

I asked the mom if she could take a picture of me :), and she obliges.

There are gas pumps from the good old days.  Seeing that the place is left empty, I quickly move my bike closer and take a few pics.  There is some beauty and simplicity about the things from the past.

Then I stroll into the shop to take a gander.  Place is filled with memorabilia from the past, and spend a few minutes inside the air-conditioned shop :)

In spite of me travelling on the bike, I fancy the following aluminum plaque, which I buy eventually.


I ask the store keeper if I could buy and then they ship it to my home.  He says, "No, cannot do that.  The nearest post office is 50+ miles away in Seligman, AZ. I you hurry, may be you can mail it to yourself.".  Hmm... I think, this I have to do somehow.  I borrow it from him take it to my bike, and I figured it would not fit in any of my bags. I buy it anyway, and then I end up putting it under my tank bag, thinking its only 50 miles to the post shop where I can mail it to myself.

Then I scoot on the good old R66 racing towards Seligman.  In a hurry, I ride past the Grand Canyon Caverns, where I learnt later is a display of cars from the good old days, and those who were personified in the cars movie... Damn it, I have to go back there again :)

Somewhere on the way I do stop for a couple of quick pictures of the road, as one side of the road was recently paved and the other older.

I reached Seligman Post Office just in time to mail it to myself.  Unfortunately the plaque would not fit in any box they have either.  Then I stick it into something where a part of the plaque is still outside the box, and I plead the post master to take it.  Initially she says "No.  I cannot do that.  It needs to fit it to the box, or you take it back."..  Some guy standing next to me, the only other guy, tells her, "He said please... You should help him.".  That did the trick :) She thought about it and said, "I cannot guarantee it not getting damaged.", to which I responded saying, "I do not mind.  Even if it gets bent, I can fix it later.".  Finally she takes it.

Victoriously I walk out of the Post Office, fillup gas, and look around the town.  This road brings back memories - about 12 years ago, me and Mo rode to Grand Canyon on the bike, and had stopped here.  About a few years ago, I came with Biswajit (Mo's brother) when we visited Grand Canyon.

After a quick sip of the ice tea, and a smoke, I hit the road again to get to Holbrook, AZ.  I try my best to stay on R66, but near the Meteor Crater, the road gets really bumpy, and I had to slow down.  The sun is setting fast and the way long.  Luckily for me the R66 merges with I-40 freeway a little down the road.  I make good time, but reach Holbrook late in the evening.  Because its summer, there is still some light.  I quickly take a shower and head to the Denny's next door for dinner.  On the way, I make a quick call to Mo to let her know all is well.

There I meet an old man, proly in his sixties, having dinner alone. I ask him if I could join him, he agrees.  During the conversation, I learnt that he is from Canada, and has been riding most of his life.  This trip for him is special because he is taking his nephew on his first long trip on the bike.  Very interesting fellow.  I tell him, "I leave my belongings on the bike, even my coat and helmet and the gadgets.  So far so good.  No one has even bothered to look at them.".  To which he quips saying, "You should be careful, particularly when you are on long trips alone.  Its like a guy falling from a hundred floor building, when he reached the third floor he told himself, 'So far, so good.'.  And you know what happened soon after?".  To this I heartily laugh, and tell him, I got the point.

Day 4 - Holbrook AZ - Acoma, NM