Building a trailer, sounds like quite a project you must have a shop and be a proficient welder etc.. Would enjoy seeing some photos of that.

It just so happens I made plans for a ride to Yuma yesterday. Best Western is having a promotion; stay two nights and get a third night free later on, so I booked us for one night in Yuma AZ and the next will be Needles CA. For us it could easily just be a day ride (< 500 miles) but we want to take our time on the way down and so my wife will book our first night somewhere along the way. We plan to leave next Wednesday the 20th and the weather forecast looks to be great.

I don't really know why I got it in my head to ride to Yuma, I guess it's just somewhere I haven't been yet. I looked for things to do and there is an old territorial prison it might be fun to see. Also I discovered something called "Center of the World" just west on I-8 in CA that looks rather interesting. On the 22nd we'll stay at the Best Western in Needles and the following day we'll veer off to the northwest through the Mojave National Preserve and land in Primm NV where my wife has tickets to see KC and the Sunshine Band. From there the ride home is direct up I-15 through Las Vegas and back to Mesquite.

I'll start a thread and post some photos when we go, hopefully you'll do the same!

 

Just take your laptop and do a "daily" post on this thread.
That way the details of your ride are fresh in your mind, we're updated on a regular basis!

Then when you get home you can copy your posts and condense them into journal OR IF they're interesting.....a book!

I recently bought Chris Hopper's book "Thunder Across America" about his miraculous 100,000 miles in 100 days ride and even though I'm not (and have never been) an endurance rider it was an impressive story and read,
Nearly impossible to comprehend (or believe) that a H-D only FOUR MONTHS could have an odometer reading exceeding 100,000+miles!

When I did my trip to Alaska one of the guys that went with me kept a a daily journal and I think he may have published it somewhere but I can't seem to find it and unfortunately he passed after a serious accident several years ago.

 

Just take your laptop and do a "daily" post on this thread.
That way the details of your ride are fresh in your mind, we're updated on a regular basis!

Then when you get home you can copy your posts and condense them into journal OR IF they're interesting.....maybe a book?

I recently bought Chris Hopper's (he's and Iron Butt ride that has posted on this site) book "Thunder Across America" about his miraculous 100,000 miles in 100 days ride and even though I'm not (and have never been) an endurance rider it was an impressive story and read,

When I did my trip to Alaska one of the guys that went with me kept a a daily journal and I think he may have published it somewhere but I can't seem to find it and unfortunately he passed after a serious accident several years ago.

 

I think that is a great idea although I'm not sure about a daily post, I don't think this is going to be that exciting of a trip, but periodic posts could be fun.
I am planning to take an older I-Pad that I've wiped clean so if it disappears there will be no security risk and low $$$. and also packs a lot smaller. I'm trying, marginally successfully to keep the bulk down so I don't look too much like the Beverly Hillbilly's going down the road.

 

Greg, Midy
Sounds like a great trip, maybe we'll meet up and say HI. I was going to stay with my cousin in Yuma but he no longer has a place for me to stay, I'll check out the Best Western. To the east of Yuma there is an open pit mine with an overlook so you can see down into it. If you haven't seen something like that it could be worth a look.

 

Yep thanks, these are the kinds of things I like to check out when I can.

 

Arizona Trip 3/21 to 4/22 2024

Week 1

Wednesday 3/20

I have spent several days preparing, prepping and packing but I think I am finally ready.





Thursday 3/2


1

Left at 11:15, no sense in an early start. I headed up over Mt Hood and had showers and sun breaks. There was about two hours that it rained steady, after that it dried up and stayed heavily overcast. Over the pass the temp dropped to 38 and a little slush on the road. The trailer towed great. Found one stretch of highway that had no gas stations, I watched the numbers on the GPS and miles to empty racing to see who was going to get to 0 first and it had me running out about 7 miles before the next station. All-right, saved by a small station that was not on showing on the Google Maps! Pulled into a Best Western and got a room, headed uptown for dinner and found a pizza and pub. Went in and found pizza but no beer. Oh well, water it is. Hot tub and a good night’s sleep.



Friday 3/22

Headed out around 10:00 Boy am I glad I’m not riding today. The roads are two lanes but long and straight fast and boring. I can’t understand how anyone can enjoy riding roads like this, although, a couple of years ago I road this very route! Another 120 mile stretch without gas, at least I’m not low this time. I made several stops to stretch and see the sights. I searched Google for motels and came up with a couple in Beowawe Nevada so I turned off the highway and followed a tour bus about 6 miles south to Beowawe and surprise, no motels at all. Too bad that Google allows that kind of advertising. Got a motel in Elko, boy, Shilo motels have really gone downhill. Great dinner though at Mattie’s grill and Taphouse.



Saturday 3/23

Another great day to be traveling in the truck. Long straight roads and boring, until it wasn’t! I passed through Ely, Nevada and the weather was heavy dark gray clouds. Got gas and food and headed south toward Las Vegas. As I started over another pass, the temperature started dropping and it started snowing. It dropped to 28 and 2 or 3 inches on the road. The truck did great and I stayed dry and warm. After crossing the pass, the snow turned to slush and a few miles later I was back to dry roads. I had seen a sign, 86 miles to the next gas station, my DTE showed 110 so I should make it easily, However the wind that I had been experiencing came around on the nose and got stronger. The trailer was causing a lot of wind resistance causing the truck to shift out of overdrive and even down a gear on the hills and my mileage dropped like a rock. When my DTE got to 0, I was still 8 miles from a gas stop. Somehow, I made it and put in 18.2 gallons in an 18-gallon tank!




Monday 3/25

Enjoyed two days with my sister in Henderson, NV and then headed out for Lake Havasu and set up camp on BLM land. I didn’t like the 1st site, too crowded and exposed, so I moved to another. This is a much better camp site but I’m not sure I can get the bike through the soft parts of the road to the highway. I’ll check it out tomorrow and see if I can find some hard ground all the way to the highway. Right now, I’m sitting back with the old Coleman lantern hissing and making great light, watching the moon climb up through the scattered clouds, eating a few Doritos and drinking a little whisky. Oh man, I’m liking this, life is good.






Tuesday 3/26

I spent the day relaxing around camp and hiking around the surrounding desert. Checked out the road and there is not too much loose sand so tomorrow I’ll give it a shot.



Wednesday 3/27

Good night’s sleep and a beautiful morning and a great day so far. Time to unload the bike and go for a ride. I unstrapped it and tried to pull it out of the wheel chock. Nothing happened so I got more forceful and could back it up about an inch but then it would roll back in. I tried rockin and rollin and no mater what I tried, I couldn’t get more than an inch. I raised the trailer tongue jack to slope it a little toward the back and tried again with the same results. I looked around outside and found a rock the right size, placed it between the front of the tire and the wheel chock so when I moved it back that inch the rock would drop down and prevent the bike from rolling forward. It worked like a charm but I couldn’t get it more than that inch. Trying something different, I put the jiffy stand down, went to the back of the bike where I had more leverage and tried again, planning to let it settle on the stand when it came out of the chock. I managed to get it back a few inches and then the jiffy stand skewered a hole through the side of a tote that I had screwed to the deck to hold and contain stuff. At the same time the front wheel cleared the chock and fell to the left and jammed diagonally in the wheel chock. At this point I couldn’t stand the bike up, move it forward or backward!!!! DARN!!! I emptied the tote and had to remove it in pieces to free the stand. Now I can stand the bike up and try again to get it out of the chock. It was about this time when it finally occurred to me to check and sure enough, duh, it was in gear! I popped it into neutral and surprise, it easily backed out. I’m really hoping that is the last of my stupidity for the day.

I rode out through the soft sand road and only had a couple of scarry spots. Had a really great ride up to Oatman. They were having a car show and the town was packed.





Got lunch and then headed east over the top and down the back side on route 66. I saw a sign that said there was 200 and something turns, decent road, great weather and fun. I finished the loop and back to Lake Havasu City and back to camp. Little different route in the dirt and only one soft spot. I built a fire, drank a little whisky, smoked a cigar, and watched the stars pass over, what a great day.

 

Fantastic! You were a little concerned about doing a write-up, but you did a great job. I'm hoping you'll give us some more.

..............."I built a fire, drank a little whisky, smoked a cigar, and watched the stars pass over, what a great day"........... That's great, you'd fit in well with the crowd that I ride with.

 

I broke it into 4 weeks, more coming soon.

 

Thanks.