New York to Arizona, 9/30-10/5/11

[billday]

My longest trip to date by far, from my home in Rockland County NY to my folks' place in SE Arizona for a family gathering.

Day 1, Chestnut Ridge NY to Charlottesville, PA to spend the night at my girlfriend Paige's. About 430 miles down the Interstate, plus 50 miles riding Paige around just for fun. In the picture were two guys sitting in a car, talking on a CB radio, looking very sketchy. I got a nice early start to be able to spend maximum time with Paige...

[billday]

Day 2, Charlottesville to Teay's Valley, West Virginia, about 300 miles.

I-64 and I-77 is a beautiful ride through the mountains of West Virginia, but the wind was murder. Then the wind let up -- and the rain began. I tried to gut it out for a while, encouraged by seeing other bikes in the same predicament, but finally quit when my speedo/odo crapped out, something it does when water penetrates the case. I dove into a pricey Holiday Inn Express knowing it would have a good adjustable heater on which to dry out my boots and my disassembled instruments. (Happily, the rain stopped not long after I stopped, making it easier to strip down  the front of my bike in the parking lot.)

[billday]

Day 3, Teay's Valley WV to Winona, MO, 610 miles.

My goal was the Mississippi River Ferry from Hickman KY to Galena, MO. I shot across KY on the Bluegrass Parkway system. Not a scenic road but super fast -- speed limit of 70, little traffic, it was great to fly along in the sunshine after the frustrations of the day before. The ferry was charming, and just $5 for a motorcycle, and the roads on either side of the ferry were beautiful, deeply rural -- soybeans and fallen-down old buildings. Once on the Missouri side I made for US 60, determined to stay off the Interstate for the rest of the trip.

[billday]

Day 4, Winona MO to Fairview OK -- 459 miles.

Oklahoma was a lot more interesting to ride than these pictures suggest. I only stopped and got my camera out on the flat, straight boring parts. There was a lot of variety in the terrain, pretty (if depressed) small towns, some nice windy bits too.

At one point I was stopped at a crossroads to take off some clothes when a guy on a Harley driving the other way stopped to make sure I was OK. He asked where I came from, I replied "Rockland County, NY." Before I could explain where that is, he said all his siblings were born there, before his family moved out west. His parents were from Staten Island. An unlikely coincidence, and one of those little things that make me feel that when I'm far from home, other riders are watching out for me. I wish I'd thought to snap his picture.

[billday]

Day 5: Fairview, OK to Ruidoso NM, 506 miles

"Drive Friendly -- The Texas Way" -- just don't expect smooth, well maintained roads. You notice the difference the instant you pass the Welcome to Texas sign. Then there's the flatness, and the stockyards. Sorry, Texas, I love your music but driving across your panhandle was a chore.

In Clovis, NM I changed from US 60 to US 70 in order to angle to the southwest, and it was a huge relief to start climbing into the hills of New Mexico. The late afternoon sun played behind a shifting array of ever darker rain clouds, lightning bolts ahead on the horizon, etc. For a while I enjoyed splashing along the winding roads but the rain got serious just as I hit Ruidoso, where I found a clean and reasonable room for the night.

[billday]

Day 6: Ruidoso NM to Sierra Vista AZ, 378 miles

The home stretch! The day started wettish and coldish but no longer raining. The fog and such made a dramatic ride down out of the mountains and into Alamogordo, and soon enough it was hot and dry again.

The ride across White Sands was beautiful and dramatic, fast, and elemental. One of those parts that rewarded me for enduring the tedium of stretches like the run from Alamogordo to Las Cruces. At Las Cruces I hopped onto I-10, my first interstate since Kentucky, over to Steins, the last exit in New Mexico. From there SR 80 took me down almost to Mexico and through mountain passes and into Arizona. A beautiful place to ride.

Why the picture of buying gas? Duck extols Chevron Supreme, which can't be found where I live. So I was happy to pump a few gallons in.

2500 miles behind me, and 2500 more to go -- the return trip, which is looking to be a slab marathon. Stay tuned.

[johnny]

greetings billday...

so far so good... a little soggy but thats how it goes... im staying tuned for the rest...

j o
 

[mystic red]

Me too. Nice adventure. Nothing like a credit card, time and a motobrick.

[billday]

I just noticed that my pictures disappeared :(

So let's try this -- a link to my Picasa album about the trip:

https://picasaweb.google.com/williamhday/RideToArizonaOctober2011?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCJfehLXFyYnAZQ&feat=directlink