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RedNigel
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Okie Doke!
Dallas to Vegas and back in 8 days
- Thread starter RedNigel
- Start date
Okie Doke!
OP
OP
RedNigel
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Day 5: Death Valley
Rick and I got off to an early start...(7:00 is early when you're on vacation) We headed out to Enterprise, NV where the Blue Diamond Rd begins. ZWe fueled up and headed west. Blue Diamond quickly changes into Pahrump Valley Rd and you go over a neat mountain pass right away to get your trip started.
A few minutes in we were quickly closing ona dude riding some kind of VW powered trike. As I was passing him I couldnt stop trying to look at his jacket, which had puffed up big time with air. I was fascinated by it for some stupid reason. And guess where your bike goes? It goes where you look!! All of a sudden, I realize we are ina left turn on the mountain and i am going straight into the trike! At the last possible second I do a Nascar slide job right into his lane and I'm sure I cleared his front wheel by mere inches. I felt like such a schmuck! I was awake after that.
My reports are becoming less detailed because my memory of the trip is fading already...We rode on into Pahrump and had a McDonald's Breakfast.
We then rode thru town and I believe we turned onto Belle Vista Rd , which soon became CA 190. I was already in love with the landscape and it just got better with every mile. We stopped at the entrance and took aome snaps. A van full of Japanese guys admired our bikes.
We stopped again in front of the Furnace Creek Inn for more pics
Then down to Park HQ for a daypass, a little break at the general store then back tracked up the hill to Badwater Rd. What a road! Badwater Rd runs north and south almost at the very foot of a range of mountains that is east of the Badwater Basin. Dont be fooled by maps. It is as twisty as you want; Mountain on your left shoulder, hot nothingness to your right. The heathaze can be seen over the salt and you are reminded how tough the pioneers must have been and you wonder how many people died out there back in the day. You can really practice your left right skills, as it seems the same 55mph right/left combo repeats itself many times over mile after mile. I rode pretty much the whole of Badwater in 4th gear.
I saw my first full blown mirage that day and now I see how a person mad with thirst could be fooled. As we approached Badwater, in one of the long right handers I was 100% sure i was looking at a small lake that stretched from my side of the curve to the other. As i neared it, the water disappeared, but I would have bet the farm there was lake there!
The official temp at Park HQ was 76f but I think it was warmer than that. We stopped for a drink and some holiday snaps at Badwater then pressed on.
THE most magical momet of my trip occurred a few minutes after leaving Badwater. I was following Rick as we climbed out of the Valley and there was one of those stretches; one that has no end. There was a mountain in front of us. You could see the mountain in its entirety and the road disappeared into the mountain. There was no clue as to whether the road went on or turned this way or that.
The sight filled the eyeport of my helmet as Roger Daltrey screamed Love, Reign o'er Me[/I ] It was as if i was watching a film of Rick riding headlong into a mountain he would never reach...Not like it was really happening . I was so taken by the imagery I couldnt reach for my camera. Shame, it would have been a mindboggling image to share.
We climbed Jubilee Pass and the scenery kept coming at me. I have never felt so small as when being afforded a view of what looks like infinityopening before you
Those iconic desert stretches of road that seem to have no end: Rick said something that made sense. The desert teaches you patience. Even when you can see something it may still take you half a day to get to it
I better shut up
Back to twon then showers, and Rick took me and Joy to Fremont Street downtown where we did some people watching and then had the buffet at the Golden Nugget
Rick and I got off to an early start...(7:00 is early when you're on vacation) We headed out to Enterprise, NV where the Blue Diamond Rd begins. ZWe fueled up and headed west. Blue Diamond quickly changes into Pahrump Valley Rd and you go over a neat mountain pass right away to get your trip started.
A few minutes in we were quickly closing ona dude riding some kind of VW powered trike. As I was passing him I couldnt stop trying to look at his jacket, which had puffed up big time with air. I was fascinated by it for some stupid reason. And guess where your bike goes? It goes where you look!! All of a sudden, I realize we are ina left turn on the mountain and i am going straight into the trike! At the last possible second I do a Nascar slide job right into his lane and I'm sure I cleared his front wheel by mere inches. I felt like such a schmuck! I was awake after that.
My reports are becoming less detailed because my memory of the trip is fading already...We rode on into Pahrump and had a McDonald's Breakfast.
We then rode thru town and I believe we turned onto Belle Vista Rd , which soon became CA 190. I was already in love with the landscape and it just got better with every mile. We stopped at the entrance and took aome snaps. A van full of Japanese guys admired our bikes.
We stopped again in front of the Furnace Creek Inn for more pics
Then down to Park HQ for a daypass, a little break at the general store then back tracked up the hill to Badwater Rd. What a road! Badwater Rd runs north and south almost at the very foot of a range of mountains that is east of the Badwater Basin. Dont be fooled by maps. It is as twisty as you want; Mountain on your left shoulder, hot nothingness to your right. The heathaze can be seen over the salt and you are reminded how tough the pioneers must have been and you wonder how many people died out there back in the day. You can really practice your left right skills, as it seems the same 55mph right/left combo repeats itself many times over mile after mile. I rode pretty much the whole of Badwater in 4th gear.
I saw my first full blown mirage that day and now I see how a person mad with thirst could be fooled. As we approached Badwater, in one of the long right handers I was 100% sure i was looking at a small lake that stretched from my side of the curve to the other. As i neared it, the water disappeared, but I would have bet the farm there was lake there!
The official temp at Park HQ was 76f but I think it was warmer than that. We stopped for a drink and some holiday snaps at Badwater then pressed on.
THE most magical momet of my trip occurred a few minutes after leaving Badwater. I was following Rick as we climbed out of the Valley and there was one of those stretches; one that has no end. There was a mountain in front of us. You could see the mountain in its entirety and the road disappeared into the mountain. There was no clue as to whether the road went on or turned this way or that.
The sight filled the eyeport of my helmet as Roger Daltrey screamed Love, Reign o'er Me[/I ] It was as if i was watching a film of Rick riding headlong into a mountain he would never reach...Not like it was really happening . I was so taken by the imagery I couldnt reach for my camera. Shame, it would have been a mindboggling image to share.
We climbed Jubilee Pass and the scenery kept coming at me. I have never felt so small as when being afforded a view of what looks like infinityopening before you
Those iconic desert stretches of road that seem to have no end: Rick said something that made sense. The desert teaches you patience. Even when you can see something it may still take you half a day to get to it
I better shut up
Back to twon then showers, and Rick took me and Joy to Fremont Street downtown where we did some people watching and then had the buffet at the Golden Nugget
Last edited:
bicyclist
Guest
Death Valley is a bizarre place, indeed. The road takes you on a loop through an area of myriad mineral colors and, if you're lucky, spring blooms. And there are weird rock formations to be seen along the way. I want to go back and spend more time.
OP
OP
RedNigel
0
Day 6: Rest
Apart from all the great riding I did on my Spearfish trip last year, my big takeaway was that for me, if I am going to be on the bike for a long time, I should work in a day off.
I took 3 days to ride from Home to Vegas, but planned on getting home in two. By the time Rick And I were heading back from Death Valley the day before, I was beginning to suffer a little.
As much as I hated to give up a day of riding, I decided to take Thursday off and husband my strength for the push home the next day. Rick later told me he was ready for a break too. He said after he got home from taking us out the night after the Death Valley ride, he slept 9 straight hours, which is a rare event for him, so he must have been 'rode down' too!
I took things easy that day. Rode about 10 miles to get a haircut and some lunch, but that was it. I walked across the street to The Hard Rock Casino and had a $158 hit on a penny slot. Took my money and ran.
Later at dinnertime, Rick swung by and picked up me and Joy and took us to The Venetian. He showed us around the hotel. It is a marvel. The he treated us to a lovely Italian dinner that couldn't be beat.
Joy had her heart set on rolling some bones, so we found a $10 craps game and all three of us ponied up. Rick had a decent run and quit while he was ahead. I am not sure about the total, but I know I quit while I was in the black. Joy, as is her wont, played til she was out of chips. She doesn't care if she wins or loses, as long as she has a place at the table. She loves the game and the camaraderie one can build with other players and friendly dealers..
We went back to the hotel and I pre packed and set my alarm for 0400, planning an 0500 KSU in the morning
Apart from all the great riding I did on my Spearfish trip last year, my big takeaway was that for me, if I am going to be on the bike for a long time, I should work in a day off.
I took 3 days to ride from Home to Vegas, but planned on getting home in two. By the time Rick And I were heading back from Death Valley the day before, I was beginning to suffer a little.
As much as I hated to give up a day of riding, I decided to take Thursday off and husband my strength for the push home the next day. Rick later told me he was ready for a break too. He said after he got home from taking us out the night after the Death Valley ride, he slept 9 straight hours, which is a rare event for him, so he must have been 'rode down' too!
I took things easy that day. Rode about 10 miles to get a haircut and some lunch, but that was it. I walked across the street to The Hard Rock Casino and had a $158 hit on a penny slot. Took my money and ran.
Later at dinnertime, Rick swung by and picked up me and Joy and took us to The Venetian. He showed us around the hotel. It is a marvel. The he treated us to a lovely Italian dinner that couldn't be beat.
Joy had her heart set on rolling some bones, so we found a $10 craps game and all three of us ponied up. Rick had a decent run and quit while he was ahead. I am not sure about the total, but I know I quit while I was in the black. Joy, as is her wont, played til she was out of chips. She doesn't care if she wins or loses, as long as she has a place at the table. She loves the game and the camaraderie one can build with other players and friendly dealers..
We went back to the hotel and I pre packed and set my alarm for 0400, planning an 0500 KSU in the morning