Thursday, April 17, 2008

This little burro lives just down the street from the Kingman place. I didn't take many pictures on the way home. I was sort of "traveled out", made the 1150 miles home in a day and a half, then started right in on 'home work'. I have my 97 year old mother in law visiting, and my daughter and her family are coming in tonight, so it will be a busy weekend. Not counting all the "catch up" stuff to do Guess this will be the last post for this blog.
Downtown Sacramento.
Castle Craigs, near Dunsmuir in Northern California
Mount Shasta! I'm about 200 miles from home!

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

"Suzy's" new home for the next 2 or 3 days. I'll be rolling out of Kingman tomorrow morning sometime. Not going to bust my self getting home, I'm about a week ahead of schedule anyway.
Suzy is a real pleasure to ride! We had a nice tail wind riding out here from Kingman this morning, but going home, it was a steady 25-30 mph! On a long slow grade the last 10 miles or so, we were riding along at an indicated 70 to 75 mph. A very long Railroad train over took us, and over about 10 miles finally passed with all the flat bed cars..carrying containers with wheels ready to hook up to trucks at their destinations. We also blew by a GS BMW, he had huge aluminum boxes, full traveling gear, and probably a zillion bucks in electronic doo-dads. He was having a hard time in the wind. 2 Vulcans and a little Burgman left him in the dust! Another GREAT day of desert riding! Now it's time to load up and think about rolling toward Oregon in the morning.
Winter or Summer, Max likes his couch by the pot-bellied Stove in the Hackberry store.
A windblown Sherm with "Hackberry Honey"
Probably one of the most photographed Corvettes in the world! I think that every tourist that goes by here takes a shot of it. The owner owns the store and little musuem. He drives it on the property daily, but hasn't licensed it for the street for several years.
Ed and Carl. VROC brothers. They rode 585 miles yesterday, to Casa Grande and back to check on Carl's "new" 52 Chev pickup. Carl says he doesn't have a double chin, just a large lower lip
The "Thundering Herd" arrives at Hackberry.
Gas and Oil anyone?
A lot of tour busses stop here, but you don't see any Greyhounds on this route anymore...
I bet some of you younger guys have never seen this sign on a gas pump. That used to be the standard question when you pulled in...."Regular, or Ethyl?"
There were 4 ladies from France visiting Hackberry this morning. This one liked Ed and Carl's "Harley Davidsons" They didn't speak English well, but could say Harley...It wouldn't have been worth trying to expain that they are Kawasakis, didn't want to ruin their day
The tourists are starting to roll along Route 66. These French ladies didn't speak English well, but they got the point across that they'd like me to take a picture of them on "Suzy". After using their camera, I snapped one with mine.

Monday, April 14, 2008

My new favorite place. They have a WiFi signal here. It's not the Ice Cream Shops, but it works fine right here on the tables in front, where I am posting this from now. And, they have sugar free fruit bars! It's after 6 PM, the digital temp gage on the bank at the corner is reading 85 degrees!
I think a bunch of VROC folks should get together and buy this place! Only a few short blocks from where we stay down here. It seemed to do a huge lunch business, cars were there all afternoon, and although we never went by there real late at night, the parking lot was usually packed up until the wee hours. Don't know why they closed up.
This place was booming from noon until late every day when we got down here last Fall. We left about mid December to spend time in Yuma, Sierra Vista and Tucson, and when we came back to Kingman in January, it was all closed up!
I asked my neighbor to take this shot of Suzy and I at the Kingman house.
There are 4 nice fruit trees on the Kingman property. I think these are plums. There is an apricot, peach, and apple also. And, several healthy mature grape plants, Roses and shade trees. And, my favorite a few cactus plants. The cactus had some small buds that will turn into beautiful flowers in about a month. I've been out riding on the Burgman all morning. It was 78 degrees at 10 AM, going up to 87 today. Sunny, DRY, and just perfect!
I think these are baby peaches. The limbs are so heavy, they are all bending. Too bad we'll miss these when they get ripe.
My 'other' home town. Maybe there will be a different one next winter .
Back in Kingman's "Hey Days" this was a popular place for actors and famous people that wanted a place to play for the weekend. Right on Route 66, this was a booming place!
The Hotel Brunswick is still open for Fine Dining Dinners in the evening. It's only a few doors down from the Beale. A busy block in the "old days". This is on Route 66.
This used to be the local Power House. It's near the Railroad tracks and the old Kingman Station. Now it house some city offices, a nice art gallery, museum, and gift shop.
Both the museums in town have small theaters in them. You can choose from several short films about the local history.
Memory Lane.........this is inside the old Power House, which is now a visitor center.
There are 2 very interesting museums in Kingman. We've been through them both a couple of times now, and will probably do it again.
Lots of cool shirts in the gift shop. Pat has told me that for every new shirt I bring home, I have to get rid of one at home. This just isn't fair! We need larger closets!
The Mohave County Court House. I don't know when it was built, probably lake 1800's like a lot of the older buildings in downtown Kingman.
An old Mission church next to the Court House in downtown Kingman.
A famous old home in Kingman. It's open for public tours, I haven't done it yet, but plan to this fall.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Clines corners! A landmark in New Mexico. Motel, good restaurant and huge give shop.
I counted 13 of these colorful balloons this morning in the sky over Albuquerque, New Mexico. Just beautiful!
I'm only posting ONE rock picture today, although I sure took a lot of them
Mission of San Jose de Laguna (I think that's right) It looks more like Old Mexico than New Mexico!
Some of the vending booths along Interstate 40 in New Mexico.
I think this is American Indian Flag. At least it's an American Flag with an Indian on it.
Couple of young ladies plying their trade. There are several vending booths set up at this little view point. They had some very nice home made jewelry.
The accident. I think it was just this car and an 18 wheeler. This is near mile post 70 in New Mexico, I had been in traffic for over 10 miles by the time I got up here to the wreck....Heard it was backed up for 20 miles Westbound.
The trailer had been straight across the Interstate, the wrecker just finished pulling it off the road. Traffic has been stopped for almost an hour.
The cab of the truck looked pretty bad.
Crossing the Continental Divide.
Just West of Gallup, NM, on the Arizona border.
Starting to get into the busy tourist things near the AZ border.
Made it again! Back to Arizona
The turn off to Window Rock. Anyone that has read any Tony Hillerman books will be familiar with this pace.
I'm sure this is Jim Chee's place, the Navajo tribal policeman.
Fort Courage...