Day 19

Start mileage 94643
End mileage  94889
Daily total mileage  246
Trip to date mileage 3914


Today was to be a fun ride day meet with another old friend from bike riding days.

Up at 6:00 am to coffee and shower, catching up on email etc. In other words playing with the computer for a little while before the excitement starts. Today we are riding to Prescott, AZ.

At first we were going to Prescott to take a lock to Strum, Ruger & Company but that issue was repaired yesterday. But we still wanted to ride to Prescott because if you go the back way you run some very interesting and technically challenging roads going up and then down the mountain.

Made omelets for friend and I plus some bacon, toast and sliced tomatoes. The breakfast was very good even if I do say so myself. I cooked should explain that!

At 9:00 am left Avondale for 101 Loop, out Grand Ave to Wickenburg, out route 89 to Congress, AZ. Following routed 89 up Yarnell Hill. This hill is famous around here. It is twisty and turny and is a technically challenging road to ride. Sport bikes (AKA Crotch Rockets) are wonderful for this kind of terrain. Goldwings are much bigger but they still enjoy the challenges that go with technical rides. In  other words. Whoopie!!!!!!! look out here we come. Hope there are no police out here since it is Monday not the weekend. Darn nice ride but got colder as we went higher.

Traveling from Peeples Valley to Wilhoit was an awe inspiring experience. The terrain was  high desert but they irrigate the pasture lands and raise cattle and horses up there. The sun was shining on the golden brown landscape while the horses and cattle were grazing away. Other pastures had water being sprinkled on them for future growth to be consumed by the pastured animals. I must apologize for not taking a picture or two of this beautiful area but I was so caught up in the grandeur that I just couldn't spoil it by stopping the motorcycle. One could always come back and do this another day.

From Wilhoit to Prescott is another technical ride. This one being down hill all the way. It  is maybe more twisty and turny than the ride up. I enjoyed every second of  the challenge. I might say I thought I didn't do too badly for  being a newish rider and having a big touring bike like my Goldwing.

We got to Prescott and  I was running with the gas light saying, Hey! you idiot you better get some gas soon or else. I just smiled because I am carrying a spare gas can with eight tenths of a gallon of high test gasoline just in case.

This is the courthouse

Shot of downtown to give you a felling for the town.

This is a statue of William Bonnie, AKA, Billy the Kid.

Just another shot of downtown Prescott, AZ

We are now in Prescott, AZ. It is 57 degrees. This is much cooler than down in the valley. We parked on the square near the courthouse in Prescott. We walked around and discovered we needed to have lunch. We found the "Lone Spur Café" across the street and decided to try the cuisine. The waiter was very chipper and a little over the edge, funny but curious. Anyway he offered excellent service and many suggestions for drinks, and lunch. This place is only open 8-2 pm so it is especially good for breakfast and lunch.  We ordered and I wound up with a grilled pastrami sandwich with a cup of Chipotle Chicken soup that was excellent. My riding buddy  had Bacon Cheeseburger on a pretzel roll. He says it was great. I did advise him about the cholesterol issue but he just smiled as he ate his lunch. At check out time we asked for some assistance with a picture.

The inside of the restaurant.

More interior shots

Checking out and standing with the Buffalo.

After lunch a fill up was in order. Good old Circle K came to our assistance. After fill up we headed out of Prescott to I17 and the way back to Phoenix Valley. The ride back was some 105 miles to Avondale. A butt break was definitely in order after that long period. But then it was time to call Peter for a meeting of old friends.


Peter suggested  we meet at Cracker Barrel at Glendale and 95th Ave.. Sounds great! But! I thought I have about an hour and a half until I need meet him. I thought the bike is clean thanks mostly to my friend so I thought I should take this time to clean the trailer. Well,,,,, I was attempting to pull the trailer out of the garage, it felt like it weighed about one ton. So I thought, hey! Flat tire. Sure enough the right tire was flatter than all get out. My friend is a real Houdini when it comes to fixing things. He can make problems disappear in a wink of an eye. He pulls out a jack and jacks up the trailer. I take the lugs off and pull the tire. He is spending time looking for the leak or puncture. I mean while put the spare on the trailer. The flat tire it turns out has a small  hole in it. Found by the old soapy water trick spilled on the tire to show air bubbles. He says I know just what you need, look at this. He pulls out a kit that comes from http://www.stopngo.com/products/Pocket-Tire-Plugger-%252d-For-All-Tubeless-Tires.html . He puts the tool into the tire and plugs it in no time. We then inflate the tire from his portable compressor. The tire is now repaired and usable but we put it on as the spare. In the mean time I want to order one of these kits. Seems I screwed up something when I ordered so I am not sure if I will get a kit like  his before the trip is over. I was going to have it shipped to an address that I will be at in the next few days. Maybe I will try again later.

Man I am dirty and need to meet and old bicycle buddy in and hour. I take shower and get the Shout out to make sure the dirt is washed off when I get around to wash these dirty clothes.

Well I shower and get to Cracker Barrel on around 95th and Glendale Ave. Peter shows up, how do I know? Well his license plate has his email address on it. So I know it is him. I walk over as he gets out of his car and give him a big hug. Man it has been like forever since seeing him. Life is good!!!! We go into Cracker Barrel and order, chat like nobodies business.  We probable bore the shit out of the people at the next table because I have never been known  to be other than loud when conversing with others. Our time together tonight was wonderful. To get together with ones that you thought you might never see again is just astonishing about how it makes you feel. Thank you Lord for this opportunity to revisit old friends. This is something I would have never done if I hadn't retired. WOW!!

Well all good things come to and end and we went our separate ways. I mentioned to Peter that I was so moved by seeing he and my other riding buddy from twenty years ago that maybe I will never see them again in this life but am very much looking forward to seeing them in the hear after.

Thank you Load!