Last Updated: Monday, April 02, 2007
Len & Pauline’s Trip Across The U.S.
September 14 – October 23, 2006
Starting In Short Hills, NJ - Heading:
West to Seattle, WA
South to Newport Beach, CA
North to Jackson, CA for a party - S.N.I.F.F
East to Daytona Beach, FL for a party - Biketoberfest
North to Short Hills, NJ
Click on any picture for the full view.
Leaving S.N.I.F.F. with Banker, we headed out of Jackson on 49 south and turned left on 4 to head east.
This brought us to Ebbitts Pass.
4 connects with 89 which we took east, and passed through Monitor Pass, and on to 395.
WOW! Monitor Pass is wide open and the views are 365 degrees.
Once on 395 south, it’s a nice run to 120 where Pauline & I were 3 days before(heading east through Yosemite).
This time The Banker & I picked up 120 where Pauline & I left off and finished up the eastbound trip of 120.
120 to Benton and then 6 to Tonopah.
We were going to take 264 South to 266 East to cut the corner over to 95.
We only had about 80 miles of gas left, and thought it better to head
to Tonopah where there’d be a better chance for getting gas.
6 to 264, The Banker making the decision to head to Tonopah.
We got stopped for construction, and were waiting for the rain that never came.
Sun getting low and shadows getting long.
95 South into Las Vegas the sun was gone, and after a quick gas
stop, we headed into Vegas after seeing the lights for at least 60 miles.
Coming in to Vegas at night is surreal. What a sight. We didn’t want
to stay in Vegas for the night so we passed through after stopping
to check out the fountains at the Bellagio. (It was too windy so they
weren’t in operation). We saw Vegas at night, so the next thing to
do would be to see the Hoover Dam at night… on we went.
Hoover Dam at night
We thought we'd take 66 for a while leaving Kingman, AZ.
But the rain started and was going to be heading in the same direction as
us....
We went south instead, and out of the rain, into the sunshine.
Took 93 & 60 to Phoenix. 60 SUCKS.
Took some interstates to get out of Phoenix...
and wound up on 79 to Tucson, AZ... not a bad road...
Along 93
Outside of Tucson, we stopped and ogled the airplane boneyard.
Tucson, AZ
From there, it was I-10 to make some time and get to NM.
We headed into Las Cruces after dark... well worth the trip... Riding out
here
where there's nothing for miles and miles, and then coming to a big city all lit up.
Especially when you're coming down from a higher elevation. It almost seems
like you're in an airplane coming in for final
approach. AWESOME.
State Road 70 ROCKS... even at night
The only thing we missed was seeing the white sands around the White Sands Missle Range.
Got stopped at a border/checkpoint had a nice chat with the
guard. He was
from Manchester, NH.... and wanted to go back. I asked him if he wanted
to
go back because it was easier to catch Canadians than Mexicans... Then he
told me his family was Canadian....
We spent the night in Alamogordo, NM.
82 out of Alamogordo, NM... is COLD this time of year,,, but what isn't at over 8K feet up.
This is a must route if you're in the neighborhood... real nice sweepers all the way to the
top at Cloudcroft where there's a little ski resort. This is all in the Lincoln National Forest.
On the way out there's a strong smell of alfalfa in the air, very sweet. Once you're out of the
LNF you’re about 4,000 feet up in cattle range country, the road gets straighter but the views
are excellent 360 degrees.
We took 82 to Lovington, NM, saw the rain north and east and headed down 18 to
180 East into
Snyder, NM where we picked up 84. Some rain, some fog, some of this, some of that... but it's all good.
Gas stop, somewhere in Texas… Notice the Drive Thru Daiquiris…
Interstate 10 East – just to make some time into Florida.
The ride to Daytona Beach, FL and Biketoberfest from Panama City Beach, FL
Somewhere along the Florida Coast near Apalachicola, FL – Finally, Sun and Warm!
I’m not angry in this picture; I’m just trying to concentrate on riding, not running into
The Banker, and take my picture… As you can see, I was successful.
Smiley’s Saturday Meet
Gary & Linda – The Banker
Gator – Friends of Wayne’s
Larry, Mike F. TL, ??, Charlotte - Bear
The quick ride home to NJ from Daytona
Interstate 95 – Left Ormond Beach, FL 7:30am; arrived Short Hills, NJ at 11:30pm.
