Albuquerque had left it's mark and not one I was happy with. However, a friend who lives there came over to the motel to wish me a fond farewell and gave me a huge hug as a send off. Thanks Mark!
60 miles later, I pulled over...
Rode west again, taking I-40 all the way towards Barstow where I planned to begin heading north along the Pacific Coast Highway. Of course, one cannot go through Arizona without having some fun.
And then as I continued on, I found a
really big hole in the ground.
By early afternoon though I was feeling beat. Tired, sore, low energy. Guess living off snacks and fast food for almost two weeks does a number on your health. I was tapped out and the 110° reported in Winslow was taxing my limited reserves. Ugh. Pulling into a rest area about an hour outside Needles I was going to rest.
A truck driver came over to me, saying she'd been seeing me all day as we played hop scotch. She'd pass me on the straights and I'd pass her on the hills. We sat and talked for a very long time and come to find out she very likely saw me last year at a rest stop outside Junction, TX. she described a rider with a similar bike and similar gear laying stretched out on the bike as I usually do. If true, that's really freaking cool that we finally met! She was heading off to sleep and I wished her a good night as I continued on. Needles called and Barstow was too far for this night, time to bed down.
The next morning I sat in the motel room and really looked at my remaining time. I was tired, my energy low, and the idea of riding through July 4th holiday traffic in the Bay Area sent me heading back into Nevada towards Berlin State Park. But, since I was in Southern Nevada, decided to visit a few other places first.
Lake Mead
I SAW A REAL ONE OF THESE!
Hoover Dam
The Mike O'Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge
Got hot again outside Indian Springs so watched a drone land at Creech Air Force Base as I took another nap in the shade.
Storm was starting to build outside Tonopah.
And really got dark towards Hawthorne
WOW!!
Me Big Tough Motorcycle Rider! Hide from rain storm....
Opted to just head home vs fight the rain anymore, so a cozy night in my own bed gave me a rest morning to head out the final 100 miles to Berlin.
Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Nevada State Parks
Berlin, a turn-of-the-century mining town, is preserved in a state of arrested decay. A trail through the town site tells the story of Berlin and its mine. Ichthyosaurs (pronounced “ick-thee-o-sores”) were ancient marine reptiles that swam in a warm ocean covering central Nevada 225 million years ago. Remains of these giant marine vertebrates are on display at the park’s Fossil House, and these official state fossils are a primary attraction for visitors from throughout the world. The park is east of Gabbs via State route 844.
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*heavy flash floods a few days prior has rendered the roads rough and rocky with patches of gnarly ruts. I managed to stand on the pegs and ride though it but whee was it a wild ride. The Rangers are having heavy equipment come out to fix the damage.
Thanks for joining me on my vacation!!