I can't believe it's 12:30am on day 3 and I'm just getting to blog. It's been an eventful three days. One thing I have learned over these last few days that riding with women three full days in a row, that you normally only see once or twice a month - well, suffice it to say that we are learning new things about each other and new ways of interacting. Everyone has a different way of processing information, different ideas of which way to go, and understanding how to work it out. Yet, we are having the times of our lives!
Okay - Day 1- San Diego to Globe, AZ - 450 miles
Extreme heat. Longest day of the year (summer solstice?) and the hottest heat wave. By the time we got to
Dateland - one of our riders was experiencing heat exhaustion and some of us were feeling the onset of heat exhaustion. We poured water over our shirts, heads and pants every chance we got. I poured water over my shirt, put on my leather jacket with vents and it kept me cool for about 40-45 minutes. I drank so much water I never did get dehydrated.
While in
Dateland, we met the most amazing couple. As we were eating lunch a woman came up to us and commented that she was so excited to see us on our bikes and wanted to let us know how much she missed riding her motorcycle. Now she's probably in her 50's to 60's. Betsy, that's her name. She told us how she was in a motorcycle accident in November of last year and she lost a third of her brain - the doctors said she would never walk again, and would loose some of her
cognitive skills. Well, I'm telling you - she's as sharp as a nail and walking and talking! Amazing story. Her eyes shined as she told us how she wishes she could be with us.
Her husband, Carrol, came up next her to her and explained that she now rides with him on the back of his bike. A real, kind, meek and friendly couple. We told them what we were up to and Carrol began to tell of his own adventure hanging out with Elvis as a young
musician! Wow, the stories were ultra cool. As we began to leave the restaurant - he pulls out his check book and offers to write a check for $100 on the spot for the
Presley Place. We asked if he was sure and he asked us to look outside and check out the Corvette he was driving and then asked who to make the check out to. Very humble, kind people. They are still out there! The owner of the restaurant went out her way to soak our "cool vests", and brought us additional cool
bandanna things to wear around our necks. Very humble, kind people.
About 15 miles shy of Gila Bend (we didn't make it far...) we pulled over again to cool off. I picked a spot under the McDonald's trees and everyone followed (they always follow me...
hehe). In the shade it was a mere 120 degrees. After a few moments the chase car came up and informed us that the gal (I'm not using names to protect our moms and daughters) was not feeling well and pulled over under a bridge. The gals
layed her down on the ground, cooled her off and after awhile, put her in the car and brought her to us, picked up someone else to retrieve her bike. We sat in McDonald's for over 1.5 hours - cooling off and laughing, making stuff up and getting better.
We eventually made our way to
Casa Grande and met up with the Women in the Wind (
WITW) Desert Diamonds Chapter in Arizona. The first thing one of them says to us is, "We don't wear helmets, so don't give us a hard time!" - I love them women. I took off my helmet and never put it on again. They cooled us down and then escorted us up to Globe - where at 8:30pm it cooled down to 70 degrees. Yeah! They were so good to us and even carried our bags upstairs to our rooms. After which they joined us for dinner (at 9:30pm) and we were in bed by 11:30pm. LONG HOT day to say the least.
Day 2 - Globe, AZ to Roswell, NM. 450 miles
Started the day at 85 degrees - 7am. Great. Joined the fabulous AZ chapter for breakfast, pictures too (which I hope to post tomorrow) and got started on our journey. We headed out toward the Apache mountains via the 77 to the 60 highway to stop in
Sholow.
Should have been a quick stop but with 12 women we were there 45 minutes. Every stop is a major undertaking as we look for items, use the restroom, chit chat, wonder what everyone else is doing and put fuel. Oh well, I better get used to it.
Okay, back to Globe for a moment. Out of Globe (late start by 45 minutes) I had the most incredible feeling as I was leading this group. When stopped, sure it was hot, but as we were moving toward the pine trees the cool wind lapping against my face and I just thought how awesome is this day? The best to be sure. I thought of silly songs, like "Mr. Bluebird on my shoulder..." I began to think of all the times I planned a trip to Graceland and never made it happen. The last was a
motor home trip with a friend of mine and decided not to go because the fuel cost would be too much! Ha. Anyway, at this moment, about to pass us in the opposite direction are several
motorhomes - I waved at all three as they passed by - because they were going somewhere - no worries about fuel cost - just
doin it. They waved back...cool.
Once we left
Sholow it was on to
Springerville - the only gas before Magdalena which is 135
ish miles in between. The smaller bikes can only go 100-120 miles on a tank. The girls however carry spare fuel bottles and they just pull over and pop some in and then head out again. While in
Springerville, we stopped at
McDonald's and had a chat with a few biker dudes. Learned what the cops were up to and what areas they didn't pay attention to. On the way to Magdalena, one of our ladies needed a break because she was tires - only trouble was I was leading the "fast group" and we didn't know right away. Well, the good thing is that we have a system - when someone in the second group or in the back has a problem and pulls over - someone rides up to the front to let us know. So they were in the shade taking a break and we were on the side of the road getting hot. We decided to take off and meet them at the next stop and sent word back to them (no cell phone reception). Our little crew took off and fueled up in Magdalena. We were booking - so much so that I saw the sign for the Great Divide and didn't get a picture. Oh well, I know I was there.
When we arrived in Magdalena we called back to the chase car and found out that they were on their way - and they wanted us to keep going if we like. So we did - were were booking again! Just before Lincoln I saw three deer - two crossed in front of me and the third turned away. Wow- they are huge!
Somewhere (over the rainbow...) we passed railroad tracks - they still sound the horn when you make put your arm up and "pull down" as if your pulling the horn yourself!
Ahh...
We kept looking ahead at the thunderstorm a brewing. I thought we could beat it - and so we
continued on through Lincoln and the
Hondo. Through every turn we came closer and closer. The winds picked up so much it was very difficult to keep the bike upright. As we passed
Hondo the roadway turned into a divided highway - the sky in front was black and there was no turning back. It began to rain - no it began to HAIL. It really hurts when you don't have a helmet on! No place to pull over - beside if we did, the wind was so strong it would have knocked the bikes over. I pressed on - the crew was behind me. Lightning on three sides of us - rain coming down so hard I could hardly see - but I could see enough. About 15 miles South of Roswell I see an exit for "outside tables". Usually there are trees
covering them, but this time it was a "shelter". Sort of.
I pulled into the first one and tried to park under it. I did park under it - after I ran into the bench. How I kept the bike up, in the rain, the wind and the huge puddle I really don't know. NO damage to the bike, just the engine guard. Since the engine guard was
tweeked - the floor board (that's where my feet go) was turned up and the rubber insert came out. We couldn't get it to budge.
We slapped on what leathers we had (and my helmet) and was preparing to leave when we saw one of the ladies behind us pass us by. K. Lee - she was not stopping. She is an amazing woman with a life story, world traveler, master of yoga and all around centered creature. She is
battling stage 4 cancer, on a break from Chemo and on the road with us to Roswell. Roswell is as far as she is going and then headed back to San Diego on her own. I have full faith in this woman to get there. This is her ride, her adventure with us...I still carry the blue ribbon she gave us when she was not well enough to ride, so that she would go with us everywhere we went (at that time it was an Iron Butt 1000 mile ride in 24 hours). Go back to
http://www.girlzofgraceland.org/ and look for her blog. So on she pressed into the night and rain and out of our sight. She made it.
Yet, we couldn't figure out where Carol was. As we looked back, we say a light flashing on and off and could barely make out a shadow. Carol's bike stalled and she was 200 yards behind us in the rain on the side of the road. The gals ran back and pushed her bike under our shelter. I called the second group and warned them of the storm - lost the connection. We got her bike started and on we pressed.
The most
unbelievable 15 miles I have ever gone. The wind and rain were so hard, the
lightening so bright I could not see (and I'm still leading) anything at all. A few miles outside of town I had to take my glasses off and the rain was stinging my eyes - but I could see. Well, sort of, I had to hold my left hand over my eyes to shield the rain while I battled the wind and kept the throttle going with my right. When we pulled into Roswell, Renee and I were the only ones together. Nancy was behind us a little but we became
separated by the lights.
Eventually we made it to the hotel - a few wrongs turns and I asked for directions. When we got there, the film maker was
tracking everyone as we all became
seperated. Got the hotel keys and threw my stuff in the room and closed the door. My
roomate was in the second group. When they arrived an hour later - they did not get one drop of rain on them! Unbelievable. But that's the way it goes out here - blow through, and blow out.
That was a late, scary night for us. But we made it safe and sound.
Day 3 - Roswell, NM to Shamrock Texas.
I'll
actually blog this tomorrow as it is now 1:25am and I'm beat. Today was fun. The way it should be! Saw the Alien museum - this stuff really happened. We finished off with a big night - (more on that later).
(9:18am Shamrock - dang due to our late night
shenanigins(?) - these ladies are not packed, awake,
fueld up - food or gas - and I'm outta here in 30 minutes. Oh, also due to our shenanigans - Carol took off at 4am this morning on her own to get to the next hotel in Van
Buren. She figured if she couldn't sleep she would use her time to her advantage. She a very smart cookie and I have full confidence we'll see her there - relaxed! Gotta go. I have 20 minutes till take off).
Hey - here's the pics I promised...for now. Yay, I'm in Clayton NM with Carol and Kaye. Split from the girlz to another adventure. Anyhoo I was talking about Graceland.
After Graceland, we went to Presley Place - MIFA - an organization that helps homeless families get back on their feet by providing townhomes (rent), classes and a huge incentive to get their lives in order within a year timeframe. It's a tremendous success - and planted right in the heart of the poorest community in Memphis.
