What I Learned

I learned that…

…if you can’t tie a knot, tie a lot.

…when you’re hungry, even raw pancake batter can be yummy.

…when looking at a dark campsite with your headlamp, all those reflective bits from bikes and gear look really spooky. Especially if you have a red light option on your headlamp.

…the one night out of 13 that you don’t put the rain fly on, it will rain on you in your sleep.

…mosquitoes will only bite the one person in a group that has bothered to put on bug spray.

…margarine packets from a restaurant don’t need to be refrigerated, but they do need to be packed AWAY from any and all electrical components.

…people will look at you funny when you’re an adult carrying a stuffed monkey around.

…kids love to sit on motorcycles if they’re parents say it’s ok.

…a trip to Wal-Mart with four people will take at least an hour and a half, no matter how little time you can afford to spend there.

…adding flavored non-dairy creamer powder to hot cocoa is yummy, but it’s not as yummy when the container opens and gets on everything else and makes even dinner taste like French vanilla.

…it takes four people to wash and dry two bowls and four cups without them getting dirty again.

…we all look funny with three inches of denim sticking out the bottom of our riding pants.

…a few extra packets of crackers from the table at the restaurant will become breakfast the next morning when you just add some military-issue cheese.

…ramen noodles are good, but beef stroganoff is better.

…you can make an apple/oatmeal upside-down cake out of very few ingredients and resources when your sweet tooth just won’t quit.

…some people just don’t like oatmeal no matter what you do to it.

…ascending 4000 feet in elevation in less than an hour can cause the temperature to drop and the scenery to overload your senses.

…the locals are the best resource for finding places to eat.

…Arizona state parks suck and New Mexico state parks kick butt!

…if you forget to bring your military ID card, an ordained minister card will still get the 10% discount at most hotels and motels.

…you should never forget your military ID card when on a trip.

…even if you come back with only what you left with, it won’t be packed nearly as efficiently on the bike as when you started.

…if your eyes are glued to the GPS screen looking for someplace to eat/stay/refuel, you’ll pass all the restaurants/motels/gas stations that aren’t listed with Garmin.

…if the sun is setting, it’s getting cold, you’re tired and want a place to sleep, you won’t be able to find a campsite or cheap motel room for at least thirty more miles.

…if the washboard gravel road you’re on looks like it gets better in the distance, it doesn’t. That’s a mirage. Whatever you do, don’t wave the rest of your street bike-riding friends down there into the trap with you.

…hand signals only work when everyone knows what the signal means.

…custom-molded earplugs should be made with reflective material. Second best is bright fluorescent orange, so that when one falls off your bike while riding through three miles of park entrance roads, you can go back and find it again in the dark.

…a Wolf will beat a rabbit every time.

…condensation happens even in the driest of deserts.

…when three people with filthy minds come across a perverted scene created by nature, the fourth tries to pretend she doesn’t see it.

…nobody can get the dam park fee out of the dam deposit box other than the dam park ranger who isn’t coming back until the next day.

…nobody will let four tired bikers camp on the lawn behind their RV park office.

…taking a trip with three friends for fourteen days can either make you better friends or bitter enemies. I’ll let you know what the outcome for this trip was after I decide…

Ok, bike and gear performance...

- 3160 miles added to the VStrom. Some bikes had more, some had less. 2-up was usually the Strom and the Yellow VFR.

- The VStrom took a dive (while parked) at Bottomless Lakes outside Roswell, but it fell on soft dirt and there was absolutely no damage. Whew!

- The VStrom was used to charge the laptop at the same park that it tipped over in (that's why it was on soft ground to begin with - next to the picnic table) and it wouldn't start. Luckily, we had homemade MC jumper cables with us. When we rolled the yellow VFR beside it to hook them up, the Strom miraculously started on its own. Go figure.

- The right rear tail light on the SVS stopped working at Bottomless Lakes, but the bulb wasn't blown. They guys scraped the contacts on both the bulb and the receptacle, and it was working again.

- The Yellow VFR blew a fuse when Erik tried to scare some goats. He had installed the new LOUDER air horn only a week prior to the trip, and there wasn't time for a relay (or whatever it's called). He blew the fuse again (sacrificed it, really) during Dallas rush hour traffic when someone tried to run over Deb.

- The Yellow VFR had thermostat issues. In cold weather, it had very poor fuel consumption because it was stuck open. On warmer days, it was fine. The red VFR had the same issues before the trip, so Gavin had already replaced his.

- Throttle locks are either friend or foe. Mine worked fine, Gavin's was touch-and-go, Deb stopped using her o-ring at one point because it was getting stuck, and Erik lost his somewhere on the road after he rolled it out of position. Gavin and Erik are both looking at actual cruise control before the next big trip.

- Givi cases are not perfect. My key snapped, but I had a spare. Had I not packed it, I would still be able to open and close the cases with the stub and a pair of pliers, but it wouldn't have been fun. One of my cases stopped closing securely around Plano, but I've had that problem before and I have bungees cris-crossed on them for a reason.

- Erik's tank bag (came with the bike when he bought it) has a poorly-designed map pocket and anything placed in it will eventually blow away. This includes his mega-comfortable bacalava.

- Rubber tie straps that you cut to length and add snap clips to are the coolest invention ever! They are completely customized to avoid lots of flapping extra length, and they hold up great.

- Waterproof compression sack with built-in pirge valve was good, but the closure system on the one we had was tough. It basically required two people to close it properly, one to hold the stuff in the bag down away from the seal and the other to roll it and clip it.

- Adjustable bungee nets are priceless. We had three on the trip, one of which has seen better days (it was like that before we left) but they are great for getting 'just one more thing' onto the bike without having to fit it into an already-stuffed bag.

- We packed too much clothing. Granted, we only did laundry once and most of us ran out of clean clothes, but we could have easily done with losing a third to half of what we thought we'd need. Part of the problem was drastic changes in weather (had to prepare for Texas heat and mountain cold) but we didn't really care about wearing the same stuff over like I thought we would.

- Too many shoes. Knowing that hiking or lots of walking was going to be included, we all added a pair of shoes/sneakers in addition to our riding boots. We used them and our feet were happy for it, but we probably would do without them next time. River shoes (only Deb and I brought them) are a good thing to have, and they pack pretty small. If you ziploc them, you can just stuff them in with all your clothes and they take up less space than a pair of jeans.

- Stove: MSR Whisperlite International. Worked like a charm. The first few times we used it, we were just getting used to it. After a few days, we were pros. Worked well on the Coleman camp fuel that we started with, and just as well (but with a funny smell and a little more soot) with unleaded gas when we refilled it.

- Cookware: GSI Hard Anodized Aluminum with Teflon Coating. 5-piece set (small pot with lid/frypan and large pot with lid/frypan and a handle for all. We used just about all the pieces, and even set up a double-boiler of sorts to attempt to 'bake' in the small pot. It kinda worked. We also used a small grill that was supposed to be used to grill some steaks over open flame (dag nabbit, fire ban the whole time) to elevate the pan off the stove flame to make pancakes without burning them. Worked like a charm.

- Bisquick shake & pour (just add water) pancakes are amazingly easy. The WalMart brand stinks. Spend the extra $ .50 and you’ll see why.

- Tents: North Face Merlin 33 (both of them). Very nice tents. Easy to set up and take down once we got used to them, rain flys kept everything cozy (when they were on) and adequate vestibule space for stuff. Riding gear was stowed inside. A small hole was discovered on Erik's, but it's fairly small and easily patchable. The tent stakes STINK! You'd think that a tent that retails for $329 would have half-decent stakes. They bent no matter what the ground was made of. Both Gavin and Erik are going to buy some titanium stakes before the tents are used again. Stake mallet/puller was added at our first WalMart trip, and was cheap. The puller fell out of the handle the first time it was used, but we glued it back in with epoxy and it's fine now. I carried it on the outside of my right saddlebag, and it was joked about that I could pull it out of the bungee and fling it at a driver if necessary, and nobody would feel bad about the $1.97 we spent on it.

- Sleep Pad: REI 2.5 – I loved it. Packed easily, self-inflating, you can add air if you need, and it made sleeping on the ground very comfy. I also took air out and put the pad in the hammock for a nap in AZ.

- North Face 40 Degree Sleeping Bag. I was cold some nights, but I also didn’t dress properly going to bed on those nights and it got below 40 on a few. The bag will work well for 3-season camping here in Texas, but mountains are not what it’s made for.

- Genmar up & back riders – worked like a charm to put my arms and shoulders in a very comfortable position for high mileage days.

Day 14 April 7, 2006

Day 14
April 7, 2006
Plano, TX to Houston & Katy, TX

Morning came all too quickly, but the smell of freshly-brewed coffee and an egg casserole made it easier to get-up-and-go.



Gary and Lisa had been amazing hosts for the night, and paused for a picture during their morning routines. Thanks again guys!



The bikes had been parked on the back patio overnight, so getting them out into the driveway and loaded became our first chore on this, our last day on the road.



The lack of excitement was evident, but we made the most of the day and tried to avoid highways and boring, straight roads. We headed farther east before heading south to Houston, and were soon surrounded by lush greenery. The closer to home we got, the more we could feel the humidity of the gulf coast kick into action.



We’d complained about dry, chapped skin during the trip because moisture in the air is a constant for us at home. We’d missed the humidity’s ability to keep our skin and hair nourished. Now that we were getting closer, it felt almost unnatural to have it all around us again.

We ended up in Grapeland for lunch, and Erik was excited to announce that one of the most famous Texans was born near here in Crockett. Davey Crokett? Daniel Boone? Some other founder of Texas? Not quite. It was Erik himself whose family had lived around here when he was born and he was two when they moved. His granny had even designed the painting on the water tower.

The City Street Café had great food, as did most (if not all) of the mom and pop shops we’d frequented these last two weeks.



Erik was shocked to find that he was the proud bearer of the golden fork. Nothing special came of it, but it sparked talk of Willy Wonka.



We opted for a run through the Sam Houston National Forrest on our way down into Houston. It was a beautifully sunny and warm day, and none of us wanted it to end. Actually, we didn’t want the trip to end. As good as it would feel to sleep in our own beds, the return to our jobs and lives was not something we were necessarily looking forward to.



Splitting off in Tomball, Erik and Deb waved goodbye and headed for Katy. Gavin and Rebecca continued down 149 to northwest Houston, arriving at Gavin’s house in short order. Tired wrists and aching backs beckoned for a nap, but Gavin was intent on getting out of his gear and into his truck to pick up his Beagle Winston.

Back home with his dog by his side, Gavin parked the bikes in the garage and quickly unloaded them, piling the gear, supplies, and luggage into the living room. A mess to be cleaned up later… now it was time for a long overdue nap in a comfortable bed, air conditioning, and soft sheets.

Day 13 April 6, 2006

Day 13
April 6, 2006
Palo Duro Canyon State Park, TX to Plano, TX

Peering out of his tent, Erik was greeted by a turkey only inches away. The overnight drizzles hadn’t left much moisture behind; they’d only woken us long enough to require adding rainflys overhead to keep us dry for the reminder of our blissful outdoor sleep. We were surprised by a white-tailed deer coming up close and personal looking for breakfast.





No time for breakfast for us humans, so after packing up our tents for the last time we climbed out of the canyon and into the gusting winds of Northern Texas towards the Thursday night Meet –N- Greet in Plano. We figured that since we were this far north and had a few days before we needed to be home, we would head over and put the word out that we’d be making an appearance. We also made it known that we didn’t yet have a place to stay in the area, and would accept any reasonable offer.

The local radio station had said that the winds would be gusting upwards of 50 mph. As we were pushed all over the roadway, we were certain they’d underestimated Mother Nature. At times, we were nearly at peg-scraping angles while riding in a straight line. By the first gas stop, Deb was on edge and declared this as the worst wind she’d ever ridden in. Erik said that according to the map, we had only another six miles of side winds before our course would turn toward the east and it would be at our backs. We hoped for the sake of our weary bodies that Erik was right.

We rode through sections of dry, dusty farmland that had obviously been subjected to recent draught. With the wind gusting as it was, the dust became airborne and blew across the horizon. It created thick clouds that brought visibility down from miles to mere feet, making it difficult to navigate roads and traffic. Breathing without inhaling all of the grit and grime was easier said than done, and even keeping our eyes open through the thick sections became a chore.



We opted to stop for lunch in Childress to escape the brutal conditions. We found Dawson’s Family Restaurant with an adequate buffet at a reasonable price.



The locals were surprised to see us on the road on a day like today, and were enthusiastic about our trip. One of them pointed outside and said, “that blue bike there looks like it’s about to blow over”. Sure enough, Deb’s bike was not as stable as we’d like so Erik moved it around to the side of the parking lot where the building could offer some resistance from the wind. Once settled and fed, we made a feeble attempt at an internet connection to see if we’d gotten any offer for overnight accommodations. We were only able to check phone messages, and Gary “tracker” Leavelle had made us an offer we couldn’t refuse to stay with him only five minutes from the coffee shop.

We cut off towards Plano farther north than originally planned in an attempt to thwart rush hour traffic, but instead found ourselves inching our way through smaller towns. Once we were clear and within twenty minutes of Plano, we stopped to call Gary for his address and to let him know we were almost there.

Arriving in front of his house, we were all glad that we’d finally made it. This turned out to be the second highest mileage day on the trip, topped only by the first day we headed out of Texas. We had a few minutes to hop off the bike to meet Lisa, Gary’s wife and co-sponsor of Four Bikers and a Monkey and to stretch before heading over to Shoemaker & Hardt, the coffee shop where the north Dallas crowd meets.



Only a few people were there when we arrived, but overall there were more than twenty or twenty five bikes in attendance by night’s end. We could barely keep up with names, but it was good to finally put faces with handles we’d jested with on the web. Stories were told, pictures were taken, and an attempt at a kidnapped monkey was blocked.



Spank was able to meet Scott “tourmeister” Friday’s old GS, too. The new owner, David, has been quite happy with the bike since he picked it up. When introducing himself, he adds in “more commonly known as the new owner of Scott’s bike”, but that should begin to fade over time as he makes a name for himself on Two Wheeled Texans.



After realizing the coffee shop had closed and people were starting to leave, we decided to head down the street to grab a bite to eat at McDonalds. We’d stayed away from fast food as often as possible, but it was the only thing open and we hadn’t eaten since lunch.



We got cozy in Gary’s daughter’s room (she’s away at A&M – Go Aggies!) and were asleep in short order. Tomorrow would be our last day on the road, and only 270 miles separated us from home.

Day 12 April 5, 2006

Day 12
April 5, 2006
Santa Rosa, NM to Palo Duro Canyon State Park, TX

Once again we got a late start, and while packing the bikes Rebecca’s luggage key snapped. The plastic that holds the metal key (like a handle) simply couldn’t bear the load any longer.



After getting the Leatherman (a very cool multi-tool) out to get the key out of the lock, Rebecca found the spare that she’d brought along. It was intended as a backup in the event the original was misplaced, but this was just as good a reason to remember things like spare keys when you pack for a big trip. To compound the fact that we were running behind getting the bikes loaded, the clip holding the tail bag onto Erik’s bike snapped in two. The situation was easily remedied with a custom-cut (to length) rubber strap with a new clip.

We rode a few miles into town for some breakfast before re-entering Texas, and settled on this place, the Sun Restaurant.



The eggs were quite delicious, and other than the cigarette smoke wafting towards us from a nearby booth it was a decent place to eat.



There was no need to stop and take a picture at the Texas state line. We’ve all seen it. It’s strange how the landscape begins to change as you enter this section of the country; the grass and rolling plains replace the jagged mountain cliffs that graced us with scenic views just a few days prior. It was a stark reminder that this trip – this adventure – would soon be coming to a close. We still had a few days left, but the finish line was in sight.

Hitting Amarillo for a fuel stop, we decided that a stop at the Cadillac Ranch was in order. Although somewhat local for us Texans, it was still far enough away from home that we wanted to get some pictures while we were up here.







Nearing Palo Duro Canyon State Park outside of Amarillo, it was clear why this was called the “Grand Canyon” of Texas. We’d missed out on the real thing in northern Arizona due to poor weather (low of 20 overnight, high of 35 with snow showers likely), but this was a good consolation prize.

The Texas State Parks and Wildlife system is very accommodating, and the park ranger had first hand knowledge of which campsites down in the canyon were most suitable for us. We were able to camp underneath a 60 foot wall of rock, and we were told the nearby trees would help shield some of the wind that was expected overnight and into the next day.







The wildlife in the park is outstanding. There were turkeys and deer wandering around the campsites, and it was obvious that they’d become accustomed to the humans being around. They barely flinched when we rode by.



Once settled, we headed back out of the park (doubled up again) for dinner. This afforded a few more moving pictures.





Just a few short miles outside the park gates (this time we made a mental note that the gates close at 10), we found Bambino’s Pizza. It didn’t look like much, but we were hungry and willing to give it a try. As we opened the door, the two tables and young boy doing his homework had us second-guessing our decision.



Yet again, we were pleasantly surprised at the quality of food offered up at a seemingly unknown hole in the wall. The selection was limited to only pizza, calzones, and gyros but all three were absolutely delicious.

The roads back into the park were quite a bit different without any daylight, and the deer standing on the edge of the pavement within arms’ reach made for a few pucker moments. We managed to get back to the campsite without any near-misses (with the deer or each other) and settled in for more headlamp dominoes. Before too long, it was nearing midnight and we called the game on account of sleepiness. Rebecca believes that it was because she was so far out in the lead that nobody thought they could catch her, but a three to one vote had the dominoes being packed away.

The warm night (another sign we were back in Texas) and light breeze had fooled us into thinking we’d be better off without the rainflys on the tents. As a light drizzle came down, we all awoke and had to scurry to get them securely fastened. I guess that’s one more thing we’ve learned – expect the unexpected.

Day 11 April 4, 2006

Day 11
April 4, 2006
Santa Rosa, NM

Once again we awoke to a morning that was discernibly colder than it had been when we had submerged ourselves in sleeping bags the night before. Today was set to be another break from riding, so we had time for breakfast and a day trip. Pancakes again, but we were running low on syrup and supplemented it with jelly packets scrounged from Jerry’s a few days ago.



While we got dressed for the local day trip, Spank ran off to the playground to monkey around. He told us that this was his favorite park yet because of the great climbing web and rock wall that he had found.





We decided to join him and have a little fun in the sun ourselves.







We hit the road in search of a few local geocaches, and found three without too much trouble. They weren’t inside the park as we had originally thought, but were not far into town.















Unfortunately, we didn’t leave much room for Spank so he stowed away under the bungee net…



There was talk of heading for Las Vegas for lunch (Las Vegas, New Mexico, that is), but we decided that our stomachs could not endure the hour-long ride and instead opted for Joseph’s, a local eatery on historic Route 66.





Once inside, we were greeted and showed to our table, then we were each given a newspaper. Well, it only looked like a newspaper – it was actually the menu. Clever idea.

Scattered inside the paper along with the edible offerings were pictures, commentary, and a story or two about the original owners of the restaurant. The choices were borderline overwhelming, and the meals themselves were plentiful. Gavin ordered a Mexican burger, which is a hamburger with Mexican-style fixins wrapped in a tortilla instead of nestled on a bun.



Chips and salsa were served prior to the meal, but as an added bonus we each got a soppapilla with out meal. Bountiful honey poured over them, they were devoured quickly.

We stopped by the Visitor’s Center to see what else there was to do in town, but to our demise it was closed (despite the OPEN sign displayed in the window). We peered through the window at the rack of brochures to get an idea of what our options were.



We could see that there was a Route 66 Auto Museum just down the street, so we decided that might be a nice way to spend the afternoon. There was a $5 entry fee to see an assortment of cars and memorabilia, but there was adequate seating in the lobby/gift shop for those who didn’t really have a strong desire to walk through the displays.



Spank had fun checking out all the mini cars.





And even found a sticker with his name on it!



A few of Gavin’s photos from inside the ‘museum’:









After the auto museum, we returned to our campsite and decided that a friendly game of dominoes was in order. Well, it started out as a friendly game.



It somehow morphed into a three hour domino bonanza, with singles, doubles, and one-on-one challenges before calling it quits for the night.