Day 9. I booked into an Albuquerque midtown hotel for the Thursday night based on the fact that I was informed that was where we were staying Friday night. I figured I could sleep in, swim and generally relax. Turns out they switched hotels to near the airport so I had to pack up, meet the boys at Harley and then go to the new hotel.

Tonight we originally were going to hire a van to go bar hopping but the poor boys were too tired. Originally Mark T, who does not drink, volunteered to drive. On a previous trip his motorcycle motor blew up and he had to UHaul it home. I suggested he would be the best driver considering his UHaul experience. You can imagine his censored reaction. I stopped at a UHaul dealer today to get appropriate literature to compound the humorous slur. Tonight we went to a rough, tough biker bar. It was called Applebees to hide it's true nature. Also a first. Mark T said "let's ride early tomorrow" but I tried to record it but I was too slow.

The boys picking up their bikes

Packing the bikes

Do you see any lawns?

The first meal

Day 8. Only 117 miles today. Santa Fe to Albuquerque via Madrid (wild Hog's movie town). Also had lunch with the Jim and Cathy Green whom we first met in Malaysia some 30 years ago. Susan (the luckiest girl in the world) had seen them a couple of years ago but I had not seen them for 17 years. They had not changed much (much the same as I). The thought I had over the last few days is how the explorers found their way through pretty tough country. Tomorrow the six other riders arrive. The fun will begin.

 

Great lunch at a local eating place with friends

Interesting art

Amazing

Friends from years ago

Wide open land

Great views everywhere

Day 7.  A little lazy day. A little sightseeing, bike wash, visit to Harley and the rest of the day relaxing in the courtyard. The bubbling fountain, the hummingbird humming. 88 degrees with a nice breeze. It is a tough life but somebody has to do it.

Greg and David's house in Santa Fe. The courtyard in the center of the house is great. Lots of birds especially the humming birds.

The front door. What is hidden behind it is amazing.

 The office. I should have taken more photos.

The front yard. Plenty of space


Park in the center of town
Very pretty

Harley dealer. Not very friendly
Even had time to find a knitting store

Day 6. An easy day with only 182 miles. (So far 2,296 miles total). Rode Tucumcari NM to Santa Fe Nm via Las Vegas NM. 100 miles of ranches and Mesas. Rain for the first hour then mist. The whole trip has been cool mornings and up in the mid 70s during the day. Tonight and tomorrow night I stay in Santa Fe anmazing adobe style house with a central courtyard.

 Storm clouds so I found cover in an old gas station. Still got wet.

 Two hour delay and then on my way

 Day 5. 423 miles today. 2,114 so far. 173 miles to Santa Fe tomorrow via Las Vegas NM. Pretty country. Big storm stopped me for a couple of hours. I normally start riding at 7am and get a couple of hundred miles under my belt before lunch.  Finding good food is hard. Most is trucker food is cheap and plenty of it. Tonight I'm heading to a steak place across the road. Will try and sleep in tomorrow but there is always the "call of the road". Today the speed limit was 75 and not a lot of traffic but a lot of trucks. Some road work but no delays. Also noticed there were no dead animals along the road as there is up north.

 Big Texan where the gang will spend the first night of our trip

A waiter. Food was OK but wondering singers were a little strange.

 Off to main road to Las Vegas NM

 Straight but bumpy road

 Dam in the middle of no where.

 Not a lot of water but plenty of boats stored near the dam

The wide open plains. I stopped by an Antelope but by the time I got out my phone it ran off.

Day 4. 330 miles today in mostly pouring rain. Now I have covered 1,688 miles with over just 600 to go. I'm just short of Oklahoma City.  "I can hear Shirley Jones and Gordon MacRae singing now. "You're doing fine Oklahoma". No pictures today because I felt like a drowned rat. Met a Harley rider from Manhattan at a rest stop. We chatted for a while then headed off in different directions into the rain.

Day 3. 404 miles today. Staying in Little Rock, Arkansas. Thinking of visiting Bill Clinton's museum but think I will pass. Roads are pretty bad compared to Tennessee. Drivers are worse too.  Stopped at the Loretta Lynn restaurant with an "ll you can eat" breakfast that was uneatable. Well I can write that off my bucket list. Staff had great accents but that is all. The sign was bigger than the dining area. The wifi didn't work and the waitress did not care. (Loretta was famous country and western singer as in the movie - Coal miner's daughter.)

With such a large sign I expected a better restaurant.

 The restaurant was small. Mainly a gift shop.

 My son compared my Harley to an old tractor. I proved him wrong.

Every place has a big something