Ride across the USA

[Rocky_imp]

Sensational trip! Thanks for taking us along

[Frulk_imp]

This entry is out of Sequence: I finished with day 3 of Djangos ride through Utah and this picks up the AM of day four:

Day 4:

We roll back into Hanksville in the truck, pic up the bikes we left in an RV campground, load the bikes and move them about 100 yards to a restaurant.


This Honda Rebel 500 had Illinois plates. He has more instant street cred with me then the guys riding the two wheeled road barge RV's:








Our bikes next to the Rebel:



Django and I finished a solid greasy spoon breakfast and rolled down the road southeast towards Natural Bridges Monument to get a campsite. Plan was after solidifying the sleeping quarters we would head to Mexican Hat via the Moki Dugway Switchbacks to have dinner at the Swinging Steak restaurant. A place I've been trying to eat at for the past 4-5 years since a close friend and fellow rider told me about it. They have an off-season and every time I'm down there I seem to hit it when they're closed.

We were chased by large, isolated high desert thunder cells most of the day but got lucky and were never caught:







We made it to Natural Bridges, reserved our site, and then remounted the bikes and made a concerted effort to out run the last thunder cell which from all appearances was attempting to intercept us at the Moki Switchbacks. To add to it all, somewhere out there was Flyn Rider looking to intercept us. We passed him as he was heading towards Natural Bridges and we were heading to the Switchbacks. I was looking for a RED CB like in his Avatar but something told me the loaded down, blue Nighthawk with a heavily bug splattered plexi glass fairing was our fellow forum member.

We made the switchbacks ahead of the storm: That's Django ahead of the car heading down.







We took a few pics and pressed on to Mexican Hat. I was convinced I could smell the steak from the top of the Switchbacks.

Day 5 shortly:
A few additional Pics from Day 4:

FINALLY I have my steak cooking. It was worth the 4-5 year wait. Cooked over an open cedar fire:



The steak:



Navajo cooks:



As we were heading back up the switchbacks to our campsite at NBNM. since we had missed the storm we took some pics back on the Switchbacks:

Django with the sandstone formation in the background which gave the town its name:



Back on the Switchbacks:





My sparse sleeping quarters back at Natural Bridges:


At the end of day four we find Flyn Rider waiting for us back at the NBNM Campground. We make acquaintances and head to bed shortly thereafter. Was a long hot day of riding.

Day 5: We break camp, load the bikes and take the approx. 10 mile one way loop through the park. I'd camped here several times during the winter coming here specifically to watch meteor showers due to the dark night sky and had never actually driven into the monument proper. Lots of nice view points and short hikes down into the canyon to see some well preserved Anasazi ruins.

Breaking camp:



My posse and their iron horses:



Pop Quiz: guess which one is the German?



Lots of archeological sites down in this canyon complex:



After completing the loop we head out of the park and east towards Blanding for lunch. The ride is devoid of traffic, as it's been for the last 4 days.

After lunch and gassing up we head north towards Moab and once again just barely miss a thunder cell which drenched the road moment before we get to the section.




Almost to Moab we stop at a road side attraction. hot as all get out in our gear we get some ice cream and Django has his picture taken with 'Mater'





We get to Moab and check into our Hotels and decide we have enough time to ride out to Dead Horse Point state park and take in some stellar views of canyonland National Park. Check the weather app and it looks good.

Off we go.....only to get pounded by ANOTHER fast moving afternoon storm cell on top of an open plateau that is throwing down lightning bolts and moderate heavy rain. To add a dose of drama to it we're stopped in the park because road crews repairing the surface are moving equipment and barricades off a section that's down to one lane. After about a 15 minute soaking we're allowed to move on.



Dead Horse Point:






Afterwards we head back to town, put on some dry clothes and head to dinner at a Mexican restaurant on the corner across from the Gonzo Inn where Django and I are staying. We end the day with a couple of beers on our balcony while Django calls his wife and updates some of his blog posts.

Here ends day 5 of Django's tour though southern Utah.

[Frulk_imp]

Day 6 of Django's southern Utah ride:

We get up not too early and Django loads his bike, we say our good bye's and as far as I know this is the last authenticated picture of him in southern Utah while leaving the parking lot of the Gonzo Inn:



I SLOWLY get myself together, put on my cleanest, dirty shirt and load the CB up and head out the north end of Moab for a rendezvous with my truck/trailer parked out west about 130 miles away.

What follows are pictures along that section of the route. Wide...open...unpopulated...endless horizon.







After loading up the bike and squaring away some gear I have my last greasy spoon breakfast on this trip.



I point the truck north, get up to 73 mph, lock in cruise and sip my coffee slowly. Looking out east across that wide expanse of desert I'm guessing Django is out there somewhere heading east into the Rockies.

[GoldOxide_imp]

You know? If Django wore his helmet and gloves in this snap, he could just as well been on Mars and claim, "Found water!"

[the Ferret]

You know? If Django wore his helmet and gloves in this snap, he could just as well been on Mars and claim, "Found water!"

Frulk those are great shots. So different then sw Ohio. Just beautiful in it's grandeur.

[GoldOxide_imp]

Thursday morning I got ready to follow my way east to meet Inhouse Bob,


here I'm following a pilot car.


Had some nice curves across some mountains of the Appalachian, but the more east, the more civilized the world became again.


Finally I met Inhouse Bob at the Luray Cavernes


and followed him farther east, direction Washington DC.


After a short while riding with Bob, we were in hefty rain. When we were already completely wet, Bob stopped to get his rain gear out and the rain stopped, too.

As riding makes hungry Bob lead us to a nice cafe where I had this delicious salat.


In the evening I joined Bob and his trivia team, the Amigos. At least I could help out with one answer.

Friday I went to Washington downtown to do some sightseeing. Bob and Tracey helped me really a lot to get me running, taxied me and gave me many information to find my way along the monuments and the museums, I'd be interested in.

Here are few impressions of a really long sightseeing day:
















In the evening we tried to eat Afghan but than went to American, as Bob already mentioned.
Back at Bob's home Bob helped me a lot to organize my trip for the next day, booking an Airbnb room in Elizabeth, booking a ferry ticket and planning the route. The idea was, to go up the coast line to Elizabeth/NJ.

Yesterday (Saturday) Rob lead me around Washington to get to the coast.


We had some traffic jam, as many seemed to have the idea going to the coast for the weekend. Finally we were at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge


were we had some lunch at Hemingway's with that view:


While riding over the bridge, an eagle joined us carrying a big stick. I tried to make a picture:

I guess, it builds a nest somewhere under the bridge.


At Hemingway's we departed and I hurried up to catch the ferry. Made my way thru Maryland and Delaware. Looks very Victorian here.


Finally I was on the ferry


and had a nice trip over the Delaware Bay from Lewes


to Cape May.


I followed the Garden State Parkway north and had a pleasant late afternoon right with coast life impressions. However coming more to the New York City area, traffic became a little crowded.


A few minutes after sunset I arrived at my room in Elizabeth and had a beer in the evening, tried Coors light this time, is quite ok.

Today I use the time to catch up my report and will now scout my way for tomorrow. In the morning I drop off my bike at the carrier and then I want take the train to get to JFK airport. It feels so unreal to me that the adventure is already nearly over. But man, what a trip!

Thank you a lot for supporting me in this forum and especially in real life! That was a really great experience of hospitality, unbelievable! And without the very valuable information and hints I got in this forum, that trip wouldn't have been half that good. Riding is not enough, you should also now, where to stop and look. And there the forum helped me a big deal.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Hope I see some of you guys sometime in Europe. So far I see you all in this forum.

Cheers,
Rudiger aka Django

RE Coors: Interesting - given Coors is German rooted (Adolph Coors).

Members who could not directly share in your tour enjoy it well and vicariously through the Forum and we thank you for that.

Cheers Django!

[LongRanger_imp]

Congratulations Django on a trip well planned and executed!

I'll wager that you visited more states and sampled more highlights than 75% of Americans. Most folks I know have never visited Washington DC, been to Yosemite, admired the grandeur that is the American Southwest, and toured Appalachia. For most, anything beyond 100 miles from home is "too far."

[GoldOxide_imp]

Congratulations Django on a trip well planned and executed!

I'll wager that you visited more states and sampled more highlights than 75% of Americans. Most folks I know have never visited Washington DC, been to Yosemite, admired the grandeur that is the American Southwest, and toured Appalachia. For most, anything beyond 100 miles from home is "too far."

You may have a point LR.

When visiting TN I met a mini-bus group travelling from KY and they were so excited to be in TN. It was the longest trip they ever made outside KY. (No, they weren't seniors, but 30 and 40 something year-olds). Their destination: FL. They were so exciting I easily remember.

Not an empirical representation of continental U.S. folks by no means, but funny to share in their excitement.

I also asked them would they ever consider visiting Canada. Um, unfortunately they did not know Canada. I think one person said, "Is that Buffalo?".

[LongRanger_imp]

I read last week that only 20% of the world's population has taken a flight on an airplane.

[Cormanus]

Wow!

Django, thanks again for the reports and pictures along the way. Congratulations on a well-executed trip.

Frulk, thanks for your pictures and report. What an amazing place is Utah? One day ...

Inhouse Bob, with your facility for attracting rain, could I persuade you to return down under? Soon?

It has amazed and delighted me for some years that people who meet in a virtual world actually take the chance of getting together, have great experiences, and then share them with their virtual mates. These stories and pictures are, for me, an oasis of sanity in the desert of a world getting increasingly mad.

Thanks again.