Memorial weekend wash out

Wow, is all I can say about all the rain we are getting for the month of May.

We are drowning in it!

Don't get me wrong, we need it, but not all in one or two weeks.

We have shattered all the records for the amount of rainfall we have gotten.

The rain forcast for the extended weekend and chance of severe weather made us take a second look at our plans and cancel them.

We normally would be heading out to Red River New Mexico for the Memorial Rally we make every year.

This year is just not going to happen.

Along with all the rain, we have had a lot of violent winds, and tornadoes, so there is just no need to chance it.

With the washout of plans ( along with a lot of other people) we just didn't really do much of anything.

Fast forward to Monday....we actually have some sunshine.

I get a text from Lynn and Keith and it seems they are going to ride from Duncan and stop at the Harley store and then get some lunch.

They want to know if we want to join.

Heck yes....something to do!

Didn't take us long to get ready and get on the bike to meet up with in Moore.

It was so nice to see that Larry & Carla had ridden with them.

The plan is to go to Hideaway Pizza downtown, and that is just where we headed.
We had a really nice lunch and enjoyed catching up with what is going on in Duncan.
Our phones start having all kinds of alerts, due to the weather that was heading towards Duncan.

Lizzy and Star came to visit! 

After we finish eating, it was decided that the ones going back towards Duncan should probably head that way to avoid the approaching storm.
We make our way back to the bikes, and say all our goodbyes.
Keith was in such a hurry, he started pulling away before Lynn had gotten on the bike.
If you don't think we got a big laugh out of that you are totally wrong.

We head straight home as the clouds are starting to build around us as well.

Even though it was just a short ride, it was so nice to have some wind in our faces.
Everything is right in the world....well, almost.
I get a text from Lynn and they pull over at the mid point of the HE Bailey Turnpike due to the weather that was approaching them.
They had a bit of a delay as they let the weather clear the area.
She text me when they got back into Duncan.
Their delay worked, as she said the roads were wet, but no more rain!
All in all a good day for a ride...too bad the rest of the weekend didn't work out the same.
Again, I will say we are very thankful for all the rain...we are way above the normal, and all the lakes are filled to their capacity.
The drought in Oklahoma is over.
I actually heard on the news report today(5-29), we have had rain for 21 days out of the 29....can you believe it!
Bike is back in the shop, and we actually beat the rain by about 15 minutes!!!!!
Great visit and ride.
Thanks for the invite

This Wasn't No "Stay-cation" Vacation Day 10

Day 10
The sun is shining and great temp for riding home.
Storms from yesterday gave a little relief to some of this sadly parched soil.
Not a cloud in the sky as we pull out from Amarillo but looks like we may see some weather the closer we get to Oklahoma border
Drove by Groom Texas and also Britten Texas. 
The water tower that you see off to the North of I-40 on a little stretch of the old Rt. 66 has a story.  
Just a little factoid about the area.  
Lunch was in Shamrock, TX. at the Texas stop sign...DQ

                                                                                                


Our ride home was pretty pleasant.  
The temperate was great, and the rain stayed away.






















Our final stop was at the Cherokee Truck Stop that was only about 50 miles from home.

We said our goodbyes and start our way towards Yukon.
We make it to our home about 3pm.















I always ask everyone what their favorite part of the trip was, and I pretty much got the same answer from everyone.  

I think we all agreed that Utah and especially Mount Zion was our favorite part of this trip.

Anyone that writes a blog for fun or profit knows how time consuming it is to write these things. 
I am a bit slower getting this one all together, but I can truly say I am finished with this trip, and ready for the next entry.    
What a great trip we had.
We logged a little over 3200 miles this trip, and they were really good ones.
More adventures to come, and I can't wait.  

Trailer is empty  :)  

Seems like we were always on the move except for a few days that we stayed in Vegas.  
Therefore I didn't feel like we "stayed" still very long.  
Thanks to our fellow riders Doreen, Allen and Brandon for following us through 6 states and so many beautiful roads and highways a person could ask for.  
These United States are so much fun to explore!!!!  
Especially if you are on a motorcycle  :)   

This Wasn't No "Stay-cation" Vacation Day 9

Day 9
Heading towards Roswell this morning. 
First stretch if road has big warning signs about dust storms. 
Hmmm maybe it is going to be windy!!!
I asked Brandon at breakfast if he has enjoyed his trip. He said he had.  
He really has been a trooper and rode most of the way without any type of complaints.
Only thing he has said is the typical kid thing, "are we there yet", and also "his butt hurt". 
The plant of choice out here in this desert like area is the yucca and they are all about ready to bloom. 
We are just too early to see  this.



All the beautiful mountains we were winding our way through yesterday are in the distance today. 
We are traveling the flat roads to Alamogordo NM.
Las Cruses was hot going through town but as we got closer to the mountains on Hwy 70 it starts to cool down. The yucca plants are blooming here.
Love seeing the signs that say we are enterering the White Sands Missle area.
































  
Had to pull over and go through security area...the guy was very nice and just asked if we were all US citizens.
there are just way to many interesting ways a person could answer that but I think the humor just wouldn't be appreciated by our guard that is asking.  
We stop in Alamogordo for quick lunch and then on to Hwy 64. 

Cloudcroft to Ruidosa was a much nicer temperature around the mountains.  
We made a pit stop in Ruidosa, and as we came back out, it was starting to rain a bit.  
It didn't take us long to get back on the bikes and try to get ahead of it.  


























































Our ride into Roswell.ended up being dry.  
We had to stop at Harley shop in Roswell.  
It is always a cool shop to stop at.  
Chuck says we have logged 2570 miles so far.
Quick souvenir stop in downtown Roswell. 





























We are back on bikes and making our way to Clovis for the night.
Hit a little patch of light rain outside of Elida. 
Sure felt nice because it is HOT!  
Made it to Clovis and missed the rain that had been looming over it. 
We got rooms and there was a K-Bobs about a mile away so that is what we did for dinner.
Meeting at 7 in the morning to head home!

This Wasn't No "Stay-cation" Vacation Day 8

Day 8
Opened the door to the room this morning to the smell of fire. We were told by a local that the smoke would be in Sedona in the AM. 
It was. 
Cough cough.
We leave with cloud cover.
I am not sure if it's from fires or actual clouds.
As we make our way through more mountain areas we get a little mist. 
Nothing bad but nice and refreshing ride.
Tonto National Forest  plus a few others. 
I am always amazed at all the National Forest areas.
























We stop in Pine for a potty break. 
Love all these quaint towns. 
The clouds are sticking with us so I add an extra layer to my light weight hoody. 
Don't think a person  could ask for better riding weather. 
Drops into the low 60's in high elevations and a nice 75 elsewhere.
Rain is following us. 















Lunch in show low at the Sweethhart Cafe.
The food was vey good and the little cafe was a nice treat.  






















We hit rain around Alpine. 
It was heavy enough for is to put on those dreaded rain suits.



















Our next stop we felt sure it was safe to get out of them. 
Alma is just a one business town and that is where we got rid of the suits.

Cactus were blooming at the motel we stopped at.  

 Final stop for the night is Silver City. 
The motel is on the outskirts of town and there was only a Wendy's to eat at.   
It was fine with all of us.
Back in the room in time to see The Thunder lose their game. ;(

This Wasn't No "Stay-cation" Vacation Day 7

Day 7

Seems like I tossed and turned a lot last night.  
Chuck says he didn't sleep well either.
We never did hear from maintenance, imagine that!
The room was a bit cooler as we left at 6am but nothing to brag about.
The sun is up and we make miles early....in this heat, the earlier the better.



















We will meet up with Doreen, Allen and Brandon today at the Harley/Honda dealership in Kingman Arizona.













The ride this morning was beautiful....nice and cool
Our plan to meet around 10:30 worked out great, and we got to get on the road again to make it to our lunch stop.
We road a stretch of Rt. 66 into Seligmon, Arizona.
There were quite a few bikers coming in for lunch...most of them didn't speak English very well.
They were German....
We make our way towards Sedona.  


We weren't sure if there were going to be any rooms for us to stay or not, but luck is on our side.

I found a place called The White House, and there were a couple of rooms available.
It was almost 3 when we pulled up to the motel. 
Unpacked and ready to do a little sight seeing and shopping we head down to the center of town. 
We did our souvenir shopping & stopped for drinks where we visited last year.
They have one of the best  jalapeno margaritas I have ever tasted.  
It was a tasty as I remembered it!!!
Back to the  room and time to catch up on the sleep we didn't get last night. .

This Wasn't No "Stay-cation" Vacation Day 6

Day 6


It was time to move from our Holiday Inn and try to get a room on the Las Vegas Strip.


We got a room at the Luxor for the night. 
One of the reasons we chose the Luxor, we are familiar with where the parking for bikes is located.
We got there around 11am, and went ahead and checked in.  
They will text us when the room is ready for us to move in.
We made our way to the shopping mall. 
Today is very hot as well, so we didn't waste much time working our way through the nicely air conditioned Casino's. 














Chuck bought me some really cool jewelry from the Alex & Ani showroom.  
I love re purposed things, and since this is recycled metal and made in America as well, it was a have to have!!!
Tired of shopping and we get our text that the room is ready around 3pm, so we make our way back to the Luxor.  Our room seemed hot so we turned the air down and decided to go down and eat some dinner. 

The buffet at the Luxor is always a pretty good place to eat, and it was close, so that is where we headed.
After dinner, it was time to feed the machines a little money.  
I say "feed" because that is just what we did.
We are just not gamblers, so losing $50 is just too hard to take, so we go back up to the room and watch our Thunder win their basketball game.
Much to our dismay, our room was still warm.
I called to report the air problem and they said they would have maintenance come up. 
That call was made at 8:30 their time.
Tired and knew we were getting on the roads early we attempted to sleep.
It's warm, but not unbearable...at least we aren't outside like all those homeless people we saw today on the Strip.

This Wasn't No "Stay-cation" Vacation (Day 5)

Day 5.

It is going to be a very hot day in Las Vegas.  
We got around and rode over to the Outlet Mall the girl told us about last night.  
We found a great spot to park the bike and trailer, and it was even under a small shade tree.
The mall was very nice, and very large.
Made for a nice morning and it was cool inside, that was one of the best parts about it.
As we get ready to leave, the hot blast of air hits us as we open the door back outside.
The parking lot that was pretty empty when we got there, was now FULL!!!!  
Glad we got a jump on the "rush" to shop.
We grab a bite to eat, and decide to try to find a car wash so we can clean our dirty bike and trailer.
As we make our way to the first set of stop lights, I can't believe it, there is a car wash right across from where we are turning.
Chuck has already made a friend, and we haven't even been there 2 minutes.  
Met a couple of guys that were very interested in the Honda. 
Going to buy them one. 
Seemed that we were the hit of the car wash.
Back at hotel we went out to pool. 
You would think at 100 plus outside the water wouldn't be so cold!
Watching the news they say that it got to 104 today.  
Broke all kinds of records...and yes we were here to experience it....  Reminds me of home  :)  

This Wasn't No "Stay-cation" Vacation (Day 4)

Day 4

Our plans are to make Bryce Canyon and Mount Zion National Parks and on into Las Vegas today. 
Since it is Memorial Weekend, the line to get into Bryce Canyon is unbelievable.  
I guess some people just don't like to wait their turn.
A man drove into line that had closed and the nice Park Ranger got in front of his car and had him back up. 
It was the funniest thing I have seen in a long time.
The ranger asked the man if he had any idea what those orange cones were for!!!! 
The man was also instructed to go to the back of the line. 
Made my heart feel good.
It's now our turn to pay, and the park ranger ask if anyone was 62 or older...
Well, yes...I am sir.
I got my official National Park card for the discounted price of $10, and now belong (according to the park ranger) to the Geezerette Club.
He was very jolly, and made the whole experience of being old, not so bad!
Allen was next and since he is the same age, he also got a discounted card.

When we finally stopped, he gave me a fist pump and welcomed me to the Geezer, Geezerette club.
The area was swarming with people and cars, and we finally found a place to park by the RV parking.
The usual photo ops were taken. 
A very nice gentleman asked if we wanted a group picture.
Sure we did, and thanked him for asking.
We really didn't stay too long but was about to get the pictures to say we had been there.
As we make our way back to the bikes, there is a couple with their small children looking at the bikes.
They are in the rental RV that we are parked next to.
Seems they are here for three weeks from Sweden.
Their broken English was a treat to listen to, and their questions about our motor bikes were even more interesting.
The man was wondering what we carried in our trailer.
He asked if that was where the children sat!!!   LOL
Enjoyed visiting with them, but we have some miles to make, so we had to get on the road.
On to Mount Zion, and my Geezerette card got us into the park for free..

The canyons and mountains of Mount Zion are totally breathtaking.
I can't say enough about this area.

Happy Rider Doreen!!!  

The tunnels were great as well, but the one that amazed us the most, was the one that seems like it last
forever as you make your way through the mountain. 

I for one was very impressed with Zion.

The weather is beginning to get warmer as we make our way to Hurricane Utah, we make a stop and shed some coats.
I think at this point in the trip, we are finished with our warm clothes...from here on out, we are going to be warm and even HOT!!!
We cross into Arizona and make our final gas stop.  

Doreen, Allen and Brandon will be going to spend some family time with Allen's uncle that lives in Las Vegas.
Chuck and I on the other hand will be going to the Strip.
I keep remembering how cold we had been the last couple of days, as the heat just continues to build.

Chuck & I get in the worst traffic as we make our way down the strip.
The rooms are ridiculous in prices due to the holiday weekend and long story short, we just aren't going to pay it.
A room that is $60 normally is now over $300.
That's just crazy, so we go to plan "B".
We find a very nice Holiday Inn Express about 6 miles away from the Strip and finally by 9pm, we are in our room.
You have to understand we hit Vegas around 6pm....
And I almost forgot....as we sat in this traffic on the Strip, our bike lunges forward, and Chuck says "that guy just hit the back of our trailer"....I said "are you sure? It felt like we had gone over a manhole"....Chuck say, "I could see the passenger telling him to STOP, STOP, STOP"....so the next time we stopped, I got off the bike and hurriedly checked the trailer.  It looked fine to me, but just to safe guard, as the guys went around us, I took a pic of their tag number.  They didn't even wave, or even attempt to get out of their car to see if it was OK.  
Enough excitement for this day, and I am tired and sweaty.  
Time to take a shower and get some rest.