Day 29

Start mileage 96941
End mileage  97379
Daily total 438
Ride total 6404


Got up early to get a good start on the day. Ran through daily duties and packed up what little I brought into the motel room. Ran stuff down to rig and packed my stuff. Not very hard since not much was taken out of the trailer last evening. BTW, I took time to move many tunes into one folder on my phone. That way I could tell it to mix up tunes and not replay any all day.

Went for gas down the road a block or two. Stopped at McDonalds for coffee and egg McMuffin (yuck!). Ran across the street for ice. They have free air so I pulled over to the pump, unhooked the trailer and put the Goldwing up on its center stand. That way one can turn the tires to find the air nozzle. The back tire took a little air and the front was right on the money. As well as both trailer tires. So hooked up trailer again. Got out phone and setup tunes to play today. This is nice since the trip out west was without tunes. Off we went.

It was misty in the desert this morning. About 56 degrees and cloudy. This is what I saw.

 

Seems there is a windmill farm close to the Utah boarder

Very many windmills

Not a one was working. It wasn't windy at all. The down fall of  wind energy. Some say unreliable.

Well taking routes US 6, US 50, US 93 out of Ely was quick. US 93 dropped off and continued on US 6/50. The US 6 turned and US 50 was the route to take. It runs into I15 which goes north for a couple of exits and then off turns US 50. Following US 50 across Nevada you find a sign that says no gas for next 167 miles. You look at your gas gauge and say, Hey! no problem! Off you go then. While cursing down US 50 you notice there is absolutely no one around. No cars, no house, no live stock nothing. The speed limit is 70 so you crank it up. Then you think, will how about 80 mph? Not bad so you try 90 mph, this too works great. Then you think what the hell 100 mph. There is no one out on the desert except you, your bike and it's shadow. Setting the curse control for 100 mph was a little bit thrilling. I rode like this for many a mile. Slowing down only for the Welcome to Utah sign.

Meet four kids going to Yosemite Park. I took their picture by the sign for them. Told them I had just come from Yosemite and they needed to be mindful how big the place is. It is not something to drive across quickly. I told them about my ride around the park taking CA 49 and the high pass I traversed. They were interested in my blog so I gave them a card with the address on it.

Back on the bike to finish the 167 miles between gas stations. Back to 100 mph again. All this fast traveling was great. Just as I was getting to the end of the 167 mile stretch I slowed down cause I was coming into civilization. Lucky for me I did because the white truck up ahead was the Utah Highway Patrol. I followed him for a mile and he turned off. I stopped for gas in that town.

I met a couple who were going home to Ohio and taking the same route as me. I had passed them along time ago.

Here are scenes from Utah I thought were interesting.

Crops being irrigated in Utah

Stopped for gas and shows the long road here.

Lots of mountains in Utah.

More mountains in the other direction.

Just one more mountain

I don't know what you call this but lots of them here.

Still another one of the things I don't know what they are called. But they are impressive.

I think this is just gorgeous. Don't you?

More beauty.

Still more.

Had to ride down this little hill.

Once on I70 I kept passing the same group of trucks probably about five times. I would stop and take a picture and they would pass me while stopped. I pass them again and then stop for more pictures. I thought maybe we could become friends since we saw so much of one another but exchanging niceties at 80 mph just doesn't work.

Finally hit Colorado.

Colorado scene.
 

 Ran into this old car and driver at a gas stop on I70.

1934 Olds

He rides shotgun.

I asked the driver if he was running the Interstate?

Sure he says. He was running at 85 mph.

The car has a 350 cubic inch engine and runs like a top he says. He travels periodically between Iowa and Nevada in this car.

I pulled into the first exit close to Grand Junction Colorado for a room and a good nights rest.
Had Mongolian Stir Fry but it did not live up to Mongolian Stir Fry in Phoenix.

TTFN