Tucson/ Tombstone/Bisbee/ Mexicio 11/09/2010

Having had the Bike serviced in Tucson we were off , not that early as we only had 115kms to travel to Tombstone . But not long out off Tucson we were held up for approx 1 hrs on the motorway (a Motorbike cop pulled out in front of a truck , luckly he was not hurt bad ) , then on to Prima Air Musuem . It covers 80acres and has over 300 planes , we had a tour which lasted approx 1hr, it was very interesting but hot and after it had finished we were glad to be back on the bike .

Next to Tombstone (Cowboy Town ) . Tombstone was a mining town (silver) back in the 1800s , they took over $86million worth out of the mine (Imagine what that would be in todays money , Billions ) . It had a population of over 10,000 , mosty miners and a lot of Lawless Cowboys like the McLaurys and Clantons of the OK Coarl fame . The Earp Bros and Doc Hoilday made it famous on the 26th October 1881 with a 30 second gun fight , which saw 3 guys dead and three were wounded . (Morgan Earp died of his wounds after being shot in the back playing pool ).

Tombstone is a theme town being kept like it was back in the1880s , with people wandering around dressed up in period clothes , even the mailman was on a horse dressed up like a Cowboy . We also spent about an hour wondering around Boot Hill Grave Yard, there are over 250 Graves again very intersting .

Next it was off to Bisbee just inside to Boarder , this little town also is of Cowboy fame and rich in history as well as a hugh coppermine just on the out skirts of town .

Here we stayed at the "The Inn at Castle Rock " (as in the photo) a real characater building , we just rode pass and said thats where we will stay . And to top it off it is owned by a Kiwi (Chris Brown from Auckland ) so that was a real treat to top off a wonderful stay .

Mexico

Early morning start to the boarder at Naco , we were the only people there so it went quickly and we were riding off into Mexico , first stop Nuevo Casa Granda . A great ride and great weather , we were stopped at 3 Army Check points on the way but not held up at just waved on . They were searching trucks and the like for drugs i suspose , we are staying in a nice Motel in Casa Granda and tomorrow are off to Cuauhtemoc and then on to Creel

Photos

1 A road in Mexico with flowers down both sides

2 The Inn At Castle Rock Bisbee , Highly recommended for a great place to stay

3 / 4 Tombstone Arizona

5 / 6 Grave s at Boot Hill Tombstone

7/ 8 Us at Pima Air Museum Tucson

Vegas/ Jerome/ Tucson Arizona

LasVegas

4 days was 4 days to long in Vegas , not my kind of city . Well I suppose it was not to bad but the heat was a killer , 108degF day and night (it is like a giant night store heater , during the day it heats up all that concrete and at night lets it go ) . Everyone just seems to wonder around from one Hotel/Casino to the next , and they are hugh (yeah and some of the people as well ) . A Hotel Casino can take up a whole block which can be (what seems like) a mile by a mile or 1.6 kms x1.6kms and be 4 storeys high . The Venetian as in the photo has a Canal System on the second floor with Gondoles taking people for rides just like in Venice . The worst thing about them is that they allow smoking in them , and not being smokers we just notice the smell ,but in saying that ,the higher end ones seem to have better air cons and the smell is not so noticeable .

Anyway Ruth won $12.00 on the pokes so she was happy and that was the extent of our gambling . We did go to 2 shows , the first was a varity show called "Vegas" which was very good and we enjoyed it very much . The second was a live concert by the Doobie Brothers and again very enjoyable (we old Rockerrrs as well as Bikerrrs) .

We were sucked in with our accommodation , we rang from the Information Center for a Room Rate at the Treasure Island Resort right in the Strip (we were told they had the best deal ). It worked out at $85.00 a nite over 4 nites , so we were happy with that and were in with a grin . BUT BUT all is not as it seems in the city of bull shit as we were to find out . They had a fee over and above the Room Rate called a Resort Fee for $22.75 per nite, which we were not told ( I'm pissed ) and they smiled when they gave me my bill (still with only the room rate as agreed ) . It was not until I checked on my Credit Card a/c that it all came out (but I did have a sniff before I went to settle up and was primed for action , but the bill was at the agreed rate ). But the problem now is it is to late to cancel the payment , we have been sucked by the best . When I complained the lady said that it is normal and that it is on all the web sites , so beware . This is not over yet I will keep you posted (arseholes).

Vegas to Jerome

The road from Vegas to Jerome was at most just on a Interstate so just boring as can be , we cover the 430kms(approx) by 2.30pm (we were on the road by 7.30am ) and it was not that hot probable only around 95 deg F (we getting used to the hot weather now) . As we got closer to Jerome it cooled down as Jerome is up on the side of a hill . The road in is very popular with my Bikerrr Mates (you can see in the Photo Da V Strom hangin out with his Harley Mates ) as there are 125 corners in 12 Miles (I know this as they sell tee shirts in Jerome with this on ) . We were told to go to Jerome by a good friend of ours Jenny White from San Fancisco . Back in 1973 she went there because it had been abandoned by a Copper Mining Company and all the houses were left empty . Well a Hippie community started up and the word got round and Hippies started arriving from all over (including Jenny ). So the town was reborn and today it is quite a place to go for a day trip , I guess from people around the area . We stayed in the old Conner Hotel (Jenny wanted me to take a Photo of the bar as it was quite a meeting place back then ). The little town is full of Art Shops and Restaurants and nick nacks shops and has a great outlook over the valley below .

Jerome to Sedona to Tucson

We were told to visit Sedona as it is reputed to be the most beautiful town in America and it would be hard to refute that (there are heaps more places with better views , but as an all over package it is very very pretty ) . It was approx 60kms out of our way but worth the trip .

Again the road to Tucson was pretty similar to the road to Jerome (just desert and hot ) . We are here in Tucson for 2 days to get a new tyre and a service for da Strom , then on to Tombstone for a shoot out at the OK Corral and then on to probably Douglas and Mexico .

Apart from the odd drama which only adds to the adventure we are havin a great time and lovin ever minute .

Just a couple of observations about the USA

The people are very very friendly , polite (even on the roads) and helpful people , the county is very clean and for where i have been largely Graffiti free (even the trains have no Graffiti on them , unlike home )

And the Real Biggie , this is the only country in the world that I have been to (and we have been to a lot of them ) that I enjoy going to a public toilet (in fact I look forward to going to them ) . No matter whether it is a Porto Loo , a long drop, or a road side Toilet they are exceptionally clean and they don't smell , not one of them . I'm going to ring up the NZ government and get them to send over a envoy to investage this phenomenon . Not one had crap written all over the walls (I mean real crap), no writings about who ever was the biggest hore in town etc . In fact I wanted to take a book in and read for awhile ( not a blood chance anywhere else in the world , you are lucky if you can even sit because some dirty bugger has crapped all over the seat . And in NZ you got to be out real quick not only because of the smell but the bloody Mozzies are bitting your arse before you get your pants down (mosty long drops or porto loos).

So bloody good on you America . We loved being here and will come back, not only for the Public Toilets but to enjoy your company .

Because what makes a great country , the people within .

Photos

1. Vegas

2. In side the Venetian Vegas , that is on the second floor not outside

3. The Bar at Jerome ( for Jenny , I could just see her there with her red velvet dress and a flower in her hair )

4. Da V Strom hangin out with his Harley Mates outside the Conner in Jerome

5. The Conner Jerome

6. Not far from Tucson having lunch at a road side stop . Notice Ruth having a great time in the heat, it was so hot that we hardy had to boil the water for a cuppa .

Moab/Mexician Hat/Grand Canyon/ Vegas

Mexican Hat

We left Moab at about 8.00am for Mexican Hat another beautie day , approx 50kms south of Moab, we called into see the Needles Nat Park (another Canyon View ) . It was 30mls off the road and was looking back to Deadhorse Point , still what a great view and a very dramatic land scape .

Next was the Moki Dugway .

From the top looking down it was quite an amazing picture of all the Valley below but the road was not quite as had been portrayed, but still amazing as the Photo will show . It was approx 3miles to the bottom on a very steep switchback road (it was all metal but easy riding ) . Mexican Hat (as the photo shows , this is how it got its name )was just a little service town originally formed to service a mine at the top of the Gugway ( this is why the road was formed , so the trucks could bring the ore down to Mexican Hat) . We saw a snake scurry by our bike while we were having a cupa Tea late in the arvo out side our Motel .

Just before sun set we went out to investigate the Goose Neck and the Valley of the Gods , the Goose Neck was a a series of switchbacks in the San Juan river (the most in the Northern hemisphere ) again well worth a look . I think there were 4 twists in the river in a very short distance . The Valley of the Gods was more very dramatic rock formations , not unlike those back in the Arches Nat park in Moab , so some of the wow factor was starting to wane a little , but still very beautiful .

Monument Valley

Monument Valley was only a Short ride from Mexican Hat , I was a little disappointed as my expectations were very high . Again they were great but probably not as dramatic as some of the other rock formations we had seen . We had to pay $25-00 to go see the ones that are in all the movies as they are over a hill and can't be seen from the road , there was a 17km drive around these rock formations . We attempted to ride around them but after about 1 km I though that it was far to rough for the Strom , with just to many huge rocks sticking up from the road . We bottomed out about 4 times and could see that it was not worth damaging the bike for something that we had all ready seem for the last 4 days .

The Grand Canyon

We arrived a bit late in the day and were luck to get accommodation , but we did and quite reasonable . We were up at 4.00am the next day for a 4 hr Hike down and back (not all the way down, that takes 2 days) to see the sun rise through the Canyon , it was very pretty with heaps of colour and well worth the effort . For the rest of the day we walked all of the rim that was excessable on the path provided . They have done a great job of the whole set up in the park including accommodation services etc . The Canyon is 10 to 14 miles wide and 1 mile deep down to the Colorado River.

As for the Canyon itself, well I think that the photos will say it all, Mind blowing is all I can say , and what a great chance to have run into Eminem cutting a new track for this new album called" Cruzin on a V V Strom" . he told me not to tell anyone so, don't tell any one you have seen it , i think it's going to be a Number 1 . Sorry guys im not able to down load the song ,the computer won't do it for some reason (bugger you are so unlucky).

Vegas (approx 500kms)

The ride to Vegas was all through very dry and hard land and bloody hot approx 103 deg F , we stopped at petrol stations and wet our Tee shirts to keep us cool . We both wear Ice breaker Tee shirts which are Marino wool and excellent for biking , they can keep you warm in the cold and keep you cool in the heat , they are get to travel with . WE also rode a bit of the old highway 66 through Williams Arizona an old town now being made famous for the road that runs through it

Drama

Well on the way to Vegas I pulled of the main Hiway to get some gas at some little back wash (approx 4 mls from the main road ) and was following another car at approx 55mils hr. When next thing a Sheriff comes screaming up behind me (Ruth was under a tree having a cold coke aways back ) and yells on this mega phone "PULL OVER , PULL OVER" . Well I shit myself and pulled over thinking what the bloody hell does he want . He pulls up beside me and says "HEY YOU JUST WAIT THERE" out his window . And bugger me if he isn't screaming off down the road with his lights going and chasing the car I was following . He pulls the the other car over about a mile down the road , and I can see him get out of the car . So I'm standing in 103degs ( with all my gear on ) thinkin what the hell am I goin to do now, Ruth is 3 miles down the road under a tree and I'm goin to gaol , or I'm going to die of heat exhaustion before this prick comes back . After a couple of minutes I say to myself bugger this and ride on up to him, givin the other guy a ticket and say "whats the problem" . With that he rushes over and says "you were speeding" . I said "no way I was only doin 45mls hr" and he says" yeah and the speed limit through here is 25kms hr" ( I don't see any bloody sign ) .Anyway he had to tell me to go because he saw already givin the other guy a ticket . If I had of waited the little prick would have givin me a ticket too I bet (hell I was only 20mpr over ) . He was only a young guy and over excited with his job i think and the big sheriff badge on his little chest. And I was lucky to get away with that one I think.

WE are in Vegas for 4 nights and then down to Tuscon (and a new back tyre , its not buggered yet but better to get one now I think )and then Mexico . And the real fun will start

Photos

1. Ruth and the Strom on Highway 66 Williams Arizona

2/3 The Grand Canyon

4 Monument Valley

5 Mexician Hat - this is just out of town and you can see how it got its name

6 The Goose Neck this is just 1 of the switches .

7 The Moki Gugway

8 A veiw from the Needles , not far from Moab

Jackson / Vernal / Moab 29/08/2010

WE got away early when we left Jackson (we were up at 5.30am and on the road by 7.00am ) for Vernal (Aprox 480kms)

And what a good start the temp was just right and bugger all traffic . About 150kms from Jackson we struck Road Works (or as I say now Construction) , there was a guy with a lollipop and about 15 cars banked up . So i just rode on up to the front (as we do us bikerrrs, well this one anyway)and the guy with the lollipop says park up by the white line . Well the first car was a Highway Patrol Guy with Attitude , so he winds down this window and says "Hey you cant do that , you can't just push in , go back to the back of the line" . Ruth says" Well every where else they said it was ok"". Well he throws his arm out the window and points to the Badge on this arm and says I'VE GOT THE BADGE , SO GET TO THE BACK OF THE LINE" . So we had to do a Uturn and go back to the back of the line . I had to laugh it was like being naughty little kids pushing in . Ruth and I laughed about it for the rest of the day .

The rest of the ride to Vernal was just prairie and wide open plains and just before Vernal we through and over the Flaming Gorge , it was very nice and a change from open plains all day .

Vernal was just a service town not that interesting .

Next on to Moab (a tourist town for adventure sports ) another early start (480kms) , it was just open plains for approx 400kms, then we entered Canyon Country . First up was Fisher Towers , just amazing is all I can say and then on to Moab and Arches Nat Park .

The road into town was thought a vertical canyon with just enough room for the road and the Colorado River . After checking into a very nice cheap Motel , we went out to Arches Nat Park and a gain just undescribable , it just was so fantastic. The rock formations unbelievable and the colours , I hope the photos bring this out , but I doubt it , the reds , greens the browns .

Today we went out to Dead Horse Point (approx 35kms from town ) , it is where the Indians and Cowboys would herd the wild horses and carol them . It is 1000 feet down to the Colorado River and what a view (as per the Photo )

This afternoon we went back out to Arches Nat Park and walked up to the Delicate Arch (approx 6kms return ) the walk itself was enough with out getting to the Arche , WOW just to much . This is just visual overload ( There are over 200 Natural Arches in the Park ) .

Tomorrow we are off to Mexican Hat via the Moki Dugway (Google it, it is one crazy road ) and The Valley of the Gods and then on down to the Grand Canyon .

Photos

1. Delicate Arch

2. Flaming Gorge

3. Cisco a town on the way to Moab , I hoped to get gas here , there was not one house still standing . But I have been told that 3 people live there , well they think it may only be 2 now as there was a fire the other week and 1 died .

4.Fisher Towers

5 /6/7 All Archers Nat Park

8. Dead Horse Point looking down on the Colorado River