Post Trip; What we took with us from the UK/didn't

These lists may help other people who are planning to do this or a similar trip....


Some things we brought with us from the UK that worked out really well;

• The mesh jackets (Frank Thomas) - worn everyday by Mr. T (except for Kingman to Vegas to Victorville), less so for Mrs. K
• Rider sunglasses/goggles with prescription inserts (Mr. T)
• Rider boots - (Bullson, shelltex fabric) (Mr. T) and Doc Marten (Tana Slouch Ank Boot) (Mrs.K)
• Karimor socks
• Waterproof jacket & Trousers - (Regatta)
• Canon Ixus camera, charger and spare battery - I should have brought a mount to allow taking shots on the move, maybe clamp to handlebar/mirror, or suction mount to windscreen.
• Mini DV camera (MD80 fr. ebay) - I wish I'd brought a better mount and a power adaptor to run it off the bikes batterywith me.
• Netbook (Asus)
• Cable lock - to allow us to lock helmets/jackets and leave on the bike.
• Cable ties (velcro and tie-wrap).
• US pattern USB charger, USB to mini usb cable, 2 * US pattern 'figure of 8' mains leads.
• Superglue, Short roll of gaffer tape.
• Kevlar jeans (various) - we tool 3 pair each, but could have got away with 2 pair each.
• Helmets - HJC IS-35 open face , anthracite, with mesh top piece insert and integrated sun visor. No problems whatsoever with hot or sweaty head, even in the hottest desert.
• Factor 50 face sun cream. (Piz Buin)
• Lip balm sun screen
• Biker wallet with heavy duty belt chain (ebay).
• T shirts that keep the moisture off you.
• Long sleeve white shirts (for the 'in desert' days when riding without jacket, to stop your arms getting burnt).
• Cool mist aerosol spray (for the 'hot' days).

Didnt use;

• MP3 player
• Waterproof over mits (but good to have available)
• Waterproof over boots (but good to have available)
• 
  
• Spare gloves (but good to have available)
• Earplugs
• Spare goretex walking boots (Mr. T, only used once)
• Hairdryer (Mrs.K - every hotel except El Rancho had a HD in the room. El Rancho. has one available on request).

Thins we bought for the trip while in the US;

• Passenger mini footboards (fr. HD Dealer)
• Coolvests (fr. Kingman Harley Davidson)
• 110v/250v Hotbrush (Mrs. K) (Wallmart)

Things we wish we had brought with us;

• Camel back water bottle thingys
• Camera mount for Canon and for the mini DV and on bike PSU for the mini DV

Post Trip; Updating the blog - adding the pictures...

OK, so it's 'post trip' now and we're home but I'm still busy on the blog. Because I didn't have enough time to do it all 'on the road', I comporomised and just added the text about each day then, on the basis that I'd add the photos later.

So far I've added the photos for more or less everything, jsut a few missing now.

Next is to add some video clips from the Canon and/or the MD80 mini DV helpmet cam, but first I've got to edit it.

Day 15 June 14 Victorville to Santa Monica (The end of the road)

 
 jump to: Day 14 

I'm up early at about 5.45 this morning, in time to see the sunrise over the mountains from our bedroom window. Today is our last day on the road and this afternoon we have to give the bike back :(

We have a very good breakfast at the hotel (complementary), load the truck at 8.30 and get ready to depart at 09.00 - we're leaving a little later today so that  by the time we get into LA, most of the heavy traffic should have subsided.

Gary gives us what will be our final morning rider briefing in the hotel car park.

(( Youtube video to insert ))

The ride into LA today, to the end point of Route 66 at Santa Monica, near Santa Monica pier, is all freeway, no Old route 66 to ride at all - it is still there but there's just so much traffic, and hundreds of stop lights, that we would take all day to go that way.

(4840 ali L) 
First we go fuel up and then hit the interstate, even though it's past rush hour it's still busy but we take are able to maintain a steady 75 MPH, and try to keep a tight formation. There's a lot of lane changes and intersections to negotiate, pot holes, debris in the road (bits of tyre carcasses that have been shed, cardboard boxes), and traffic overtaking on both sides of what is in places 6 lanes in each direction. It takes a fair amount of concentration, but does get the adrenalin going.

It's about a 90 mile ride like this, up through the mountains, quite scenic as the road works it's way up though the mountains. I did set my mini DV helmet cam going before we left the gas station and was looking forward to watching the video later - unfortunately I must have not set it recording because when I checked there was no recording. Oh well, never mind, too late now.

The interstate ends and we take the last mile or so down into to Santa Monica, where we can see the Pacfic Ocean , and park up the bikes in the car park there. We have to fit 4 bikes per space, and contribute $2 per bike to the parking cost.

And so, we've made it!!

Congratulation each other, Gary leads us a short walk to the plaque in Pallisides Park on Ocean Avenue at Santa Monaca Boulevade, that promotes the end of the 'Will Rogers Highway, another name for Route 66'. The actual end of Route 66, I believe was in downtown LA, probably now obliterated by the freeway. So, we take this as the end of trip and Gary borrows each of our cameras to take a series of group photos behind the Will Rogers plaque.

There's a Route 66 kiosk nearby who kindly provide Mrs. K and I with a certificate to say we've completed the journey - and there's another one to come later.

Then it's time for lunch. Gary has booked space for us in the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company Restaurant on Santa Monica Pier, and is a Forest Gump themed restaurant. I had a salad and Mrs. K had apple pie and ice cream.

After lunch we had a bit of spare time, to look around, but really we weren't terribly impressed with Santa Monica pier. I though it was a bit tacky - we have much better piers in England. So really, there wasn't much to do and we couldn't even find anywhere to get a nice espresso. I don't recommend Santa Monica Pier folks.

Eventually we get going, out of the car park, for the final ride of the trip, along the coast road south to Venice Beach (it looks much nicer here, but we don't stop), and then left towards marina Del Ray and Bartell's Harley-Davidson dealership. 

The bike has to be returned with a full tank, so we do a final fuel stop (and for the one and only time an attendant pumps the gas for me which is much quicker as it doesn't involved paying , filling , and then going back for the change), and the back across the road to park up in front of Bartell's. (4916 ali L)

All we have to do now is remove our personal stuff off of the bike and I borrow a pair of circlip plyers from Bartell's service department so I can swop our passenger foot-boards back with the standard ones before handing the bike back. I hand the keys over and that's the last we'll see of 'Demo' who has served us well over the past two weeks, never missing a beat and covering 2787 miles since I picked it up in Chicago. Today we've covered 96.

The spare bike, that has been in the truck for the whole trip since we picked up the bikes in Chicago, has to be unloaded, which means that all the luggage has to unloaded first. They get the bike off, reload the luggage, and await the bus that's been arranged for 4 o'clock, to take us to the hotel, the Radison LAX which is by the airport. 
There's a bit of time before the bus is due so I have a good look at the new, and more particularly the used bike section of Bartell's. Still considering what to get.

While we're at Bartell's, the trike goes back - to another dealer, and then we're all off to the hotel in the bus, which takes about half an hour or so.

(418 ali L)   
The bus to take us to the hotel arrives at Bartell's at about 4.30 amd we make our way through what is becoming heavy traffic the relatively short distance to our final hotel of the trip - the hotel the trucks already there, and we unload, for the final time, our luggage.

We get settled in to our room, we have a view of the airport runway and can see all the planes, er doing what planes do - but we can't hear them.

Tonight there is the farewell dinner, which is included in the cost of the tour, and Gary says that dinner is arranged for 8.00, so meet in the bar before that.   
In the event, for me at least, the evening is rather disappointing - not what I was expecting, and not the party atmosphere that I wanted, I think for a combination of reasons, which is a shame.

 jump to: Day 14

Day 14 June 13 Vegas to Victorville, CA

 jump to: Day 15   Day 13

Up at 6.30. Loading today is half an hour later than normal at 8.30 with departure at 9.00

For our breakfast today I just got a carry out from the food court in the hotel (these 'Vegas hotels have a small shopping mall on the ground floor) and took it back up to the room.

We load up the van outside the lobby and then meet up on parking level 2 where we left the bikes overnight, for this mornings rider briefing.
The Mileage on the bikes odometer as we leave is 2441

First off today, we've got to fuel up, so it's across town to a Chevron gas station.. Something different this time as the petrol pumps have a device fitted to the nozzle so the gas only pumps when the hose is pushed right down tight against the gas tank, this is supposed to stop the fuel vapor escaping into the atmosphere. It doesn't really work well for bikes though as, in order to fill the tank to the brim you have to push the ring up with your hand (or else the fuel don't flow).

On the trip today, we need to get back onto the old route 66, as to come to Las Vegas, we have taken a significant detour off of it.

We leave Vegas on interstate 15 to the Nipton exit and into the Mojave Mountain Reserve, rising up to about 5,000 feet through the mountains.

Gary is alerted to a problem further back in the group - one of the riders is suffering with the heat - so he pulls the rest of us over while he goes to sort things out.

Meanwhile my camera seems to have malfunctioned - it takes pictures but they're all coming out blank - just a white screen. Later in the day I discover that it's because I left it set to 'long exposure' last night when trying to photograph the neon lights of  Las Vegas, and merely setting the exposure back to back to 'program' restores normal operation. Lesson learnt there.

Gary returns and we travel on through the Mojave desert. Mrs. K and I and really glad that we decided to buy the cool vests yesterday as the temperatures are up past 40C (110 F). Gary emphasizes the need for to make sure that we drink lots of water today because of the heat.

We move on through the desert and stop where there's loads of Joshua Trees (a.k.a Yukka Palm) - apparently this reserve has more of these trees than the Joshua Tree National Park - here we take some

photos, drink more water and re-soak our cool vests. #photo #

Our next stop is at Kelsoe, which was a railroad depot and a munitions storage place during WW2. Now there's a cafe and rest room there - and it's air conditioned which gives us a welcome place to cool off.

A bit further on we turn right and we're back on the old route 66.

We stop, (1.15 PM, odo 2570, todays trip 129 miles) just for a rest break, at Amboy, at Roy's where there's an oldgas station, still is use, but we don't need any gas now - I buy another Tee shirt, this time with the Roy's logo embroidered on it.

The temperature is rising, to the peak of the day at 117 F (46 C) . We soak our cool vests in the ice box again again before setting off on the next section, which is to Ludlow where we do re-fuel (odo 2598). 

Gary had warned us about the state of the road on this section, about ruts and potholes, but really it wasn't

as bad as what we experienced a few days ago on route 66.

We get off the old road and onto the interstate for the ride into Barstow for a 'late lunch' - if you call 3.45 late - at 'Coco's Bakery Restaurant'. Some of us didn't need anything though, satisfied just with the iced water.

After 'lunch' we had one more stop before the hotel. This was at Elmer's bottle tree ranch, the home and garden of Elmer E. Long in Oro Grande, California. A place in the desert, with 'bottle trees' and other assorted sculptures made from various pieces of scrap items. Elmer  kindly showed us inside his house, where various fixtures and furniture are improvised from re-cycled scrap.


Our hotel tonight, the last night before the end of the trip, is at Victorville, California (CA), at the Hilton Garden Inn. We arrive at about 5.45, get unloaded and Gary hands out our room keys. It just so happens that today at the hotel, they're re-launching their 'Aryana' restaurant and offer complimentary entrees and beer, that we are thankful to take advantage of.

I take our luggage up to our room on the 4th floor, and decide to go for a swim in the hotel's outdoor pool, which was a most enjoyable way to cool off after today's heat. I also used the Spa pool - most relaxing.

Back in the room we get ready and changed to go for a meal in the hotel restaurant at 8.00, where we've arranged to eat with some the others in our group. I wasn't over hungry at this point, but the chicken Caesar salad was good for me. Mrs. K went for 'fish and chips' - the fish was Wahoo fish which we've never heard of. It was an enjoyable meal, with reflection on the trip amongst the 7 of us eating together.

Tomorrow we load at 8.30 to leaving later at 9.00, to avoid the heaviest traffic going into LA.

 jump to: Day 15   Day 13

Day 13 June 12 Williams to Las Vegas NV

 jump to: Day 14... Day 12

No breakfast at the hotel today - we're having it an hour down the road.We pull oput of the hotel, gas up at the Mobil station across the road (CC friendly) and hit the road.

above: Video clip; ride off interstate 40, and thru Ash Fork. 3min
 

Above:  Westside Lilo's Café Below: Trike and HD complete with dog basket leaving just after we arrive

 We make our breakfast stop in Seligman, at Westside Lilo's where I have the Chilli Cheese Omelet and Mrs. K has the French toast. Very good. Some of the other riders go for the 'Route 66 special' which turns out to be enormous....

above L-R: Table of four breakfasts,  My spicy omlette,  Route 66 Special - enoughto fill two plates.

We settle our restaurant checks and have until 11.00 to browse around the town. Mrs. K and I viist a few local stores and generally have a look around this quaint little town. We buy some T-shirts, a nice route 66 cap and a R66 fridge magnet which I attach to the inside of Demo's windscreen.


 
The 11.00 rendezvous is at the Snow Cap drive in. Needless to say,11.00 comes and goes and we're still hanging around.


There is no lunch stop today, as such, but we do make a rest stop at Hackberry, at the Hackberry Stores.
 
At the town of Kingman, we stop to gas up again, and ride just a few miles down the road, still in Kingman, to make a stop at Mother Road Harley-Davidson dealership. Mrs. K and I, and a few others take the opportunity to buy ourselves some 'coolvests' here, which we immediately plunge into cold water tank on the van, leaving to soak for 10 or 15 minutes before putting them on over out long sleeve white T-Shirts. I worked it out that the pair of vests cost us about £50. Mines a normal one, Mrs K's is a deluxe one (i.e. it has two zip pockets).  Info on what a coolvest is.


We cross from Arizona to Nevada, already feeling the benefit of our new vests, and ride through towards the Hoover Dam. On the way we pull off the interstate and stop under it in an underpass (the only shade around) to rest a while and drink water, then we continue up to the Hoover Dam. There's a security checkpoint that we have to pass through, and shortly after that we're riding over the dam from the Nevada side to the Arizona side, where we park up and take a few photos, but it's so hot and there's no shade, most people don't really want to hang around too long - my new thermometer has nearly gone off the scale! The truck's not with us because it's not allowed to drive across the dam - only because it's got a motorcycle on board and that's not allowed - before riding back across to the Nevada side.

We meet back up with the truck at a viewpoint over the lake formed by the dam - the truck has got here via the new Hoover Dam by-pass. We rest a while here in the shade of the truck, partly because Gary doesn't want us to arrive in Vegas when the roads are at their busiest.

From here we ride for about 45 mins, keeping a tight group, using the interstate into 'Vegas, and to our hotel, the Monte Carlo Casino, which, being Vegas, is absolutely huge.
The Hotel has it's own multi-story 'self-parking' car park and we park the bikes up on level 2 and walk down to the hotel entrance. Todays milage 244, trip total 2420

Our truck is waiting there and we unload our luggage, and we're all glad to get into the cool hotel lobby, to wait for our room keys keys. We wait about 15 mins before Gary gets the room keys and hands them
out. Mrs K and I are on floor 14 315 (the hotel has about 30 floors!)

Mrs. K and I get freshened up, and prepare to brave 'the strip'.
As times getting on, we decide just to have a slice of  Pizza each at the food court (still within this massive hotel, then, to get to the strip we have to walk out via the casino area of the hotel. It stinks of stale cigarettes (because smoking is allowed in there) and eventually we find our way outside. It's well past 9 in the evening but its still really warm - like somebody's blowing a hot hairdryer over you - and there's thousands of people milling about and 5 or 6 lanes of traffic running on each side of the strip.

We have a brief wander, cross to the other side of the strip and back but Mrs. K and I decide that it's all too much and retreat to the sanctuary of our hotel room. On the way back we meet a few others from our group who have similar thoughts. And did I mention how expensive everything is here compared to everywhere we've been before. We didn't come on this trip to do Vegas (particularly as Mrs. K and I spend 3 days here 10 years ago and said then that we had no desire to return). Anyway, It's only for one night,but I do think it's good for everyone to visit Vegas at least once, just to appreciate what it's like.

 jump to: Day 14    Day 12