Joshua Tree National Park Ride 10/17/2008

The planning for this trip was in conjunction with my long time buddy from Vegas, Brian. After discussing several locations and plotting routes, we finally agreed that the Joshua Tree National Park, located in Twenty Nine Palms, CA, was the destination point. For those of you who know the band "U2", this park is the inspiration of their Album "The Joshua Tree".

For this trip I definitley used the leather jacket, gloves and helmet (both tented and clear face shields). Brian and I decided that we would ruff it for the weekend and set camp inside the park grounds. Therefore, the bike was loaded down with tent, sleeping bag and two duffles. As you can see in the picture above, I have no saddle bags, so plenty of bungie cords were used and worked out perfectly.

As for the ride, it was filled with nothing but LONGGGGG STRETCHES of desert! No hills, no switchbacks, few and far between curves and plenty of bugs (on the way home). But who cares! The fact of being on the Harley and riding for a long weekend adventure made the time fly by.

As I pulled into the north entrance of the park, Brian had already made it there and was jumping out into the middle of the parking lot to wave me down. By now, I'm sure the park officials were thinking, Dear Lord, bikers are camping here - HURRY, LOCK THE GATES!

Brian rides a Honda crotch rocket! He has been riding bikes since we were in elementary school. Needless to say, he has mastered how to pack such a bike. He even managed to pack his tripod for photos which consisted of using the passenger foot pegs. An interesting concept I have to admit. I mentioned his tripod for photos. Brian is also an artist as well as an amature photographer. Take a look at his gear drive studios website to view his work.

After a quick discussion of his recon work prior to my arrival, we made our way up the 3 mile hill to the actual guard entrance. For bikers, you pay a $5.00 park entrance fee which I believe is good for 7 seven days. We chose to set camp at "Jumbo Rocks". If you have visited here, you know why it has this name. The campground like the park is one of the cleanest I have ever seen! The actual campsites have a type of pea gravel ground which was great for the tent. Each site also had it's own privacy of sorts as they were seperated by either trees or shrubbery. So you didn't feel like you were in someone elses business all the time.

After we picked our site and unloaded the bikes and set up the tent, it was off to the actual Jumbo Rocks to try and get the best views of the sun set. Like kids, we were crawling around the rocks and going up and down until we finally picked a spot. Brian was able to set up his tri-pod and get some unbelievable pics. Me, well lets just say that my tri-pod consists of jittery old hands, still vibrating from the 6 hour ride... But hey, I don't pay claim to fame for my photography!

The views of the sun set were amazing because of how these rock formations are set throughout the park! As Brian said, you would have thought they were made in Hollywood for the movies. The campground was packed with families so it was difficult to get a shot without someone in the view. But when you have the type of camera he does, well, zooming and that other stuff made it a little easier for him.

After taking several pics, we realized it was time to eat. Off on our bikes we went which was probably a total of 7 miles from the campsite to head to one of more nortorious restaurants - Denny's. I have to mention this, when you have a bunch of families and also your typical party folks near you campsite, they tend to leave you alone OR befriend you because of the stereo type associated with bikers. So no need to set the security alarm on the tent.

As for restaurants near the north entrance of Twentynine Palms, wellllll, your limited. After some chatting with the waitress to try and find out where to get beverages and firewood, we found out that the town does not have much of a life past 10:00 PM. Funny, considering we counted at least 5 tattoo shops.. (scratch your head on that one?)

After finally getting firewood, beverages, ice and cooler (thank God for bungy cords!) it was back to camp. The sun obviously is gone by now so the temperatures had dropped fast. Especially in the park itself because it is at a higher elevation.

Quickly we got the beverages on ice and the fire going. It was great to catch up with an old friend and reminise about the past! Not realizing it, we found it was 2:00 AM. So we called it a night. NOTE: Not a bad idea to listen to your wife and bring long johns! - which I did not... Remember I said cold and higher elevation earlier.. My guess is the temps got into the 50's.

Day 2 consisted of a 1 mile hike through Barker Dam. This was an amazing hike that took you from desert to actual natural grass. The grass was reminant of the dried up dam. The hike also consisted of some incredible mountain views as well as putting you in the thick of Joshua Trees everywhere. I could go on and on about the hike, but you really need to experience it for yourself to understand.

We then went outside the west entrance of the park to grap a quick bite at Subway. After heading back in we picked a location to kick back on the acutal Jumbo Rocks and grab a power nap! After that it was quickly picking another location nearby to take more sun set photos. Darkness comes quick in the desert and by no means should you head out to where we did without a flashlight.

After about an hour or so, we decided to head back to camp and drop off our cameras. On the way to camp we came across a baby coyote. The first sign of wildlife during our trip. So make sure you keep your speeds down, especially at night. More on this later.

We headed out the north entrance for dinner and decided on Rocky's New York Style Pizzeria. Some of the best pizza I have had! The prices were CHEAP as well! Once we stuffed ourselves with an extra large pizza it was off to camp. On our way back up the hill to the park, Brian suddenly put the breaks on. As I came around, he asked me if I saw the snake in the road to which I did not! We turned around and went about 30 yards back and sure enough a Sidewinder was coiled up in the middle of the road! How in the world I did not run it over is beyond me. Quite honestly, I don't even like thinking about it! The second sign of wildlife!

After getting back to camp and checking the tent for any further signs of wildlife, it was time to crash!

Day 3 - Departure Day - We decided to get up early and pack up in order to beat the other campers traffic. On our way out we came across our last sign of wildlife, a tarantula! Ahh, what better way than to finalize this trip with one of my biggest phobias! But what better way to try and cure it than to get off your bike and get an up close picture! We did and I can tell you I am still not cured!

Brian and I were able to ride about 90 minutes together before we went our seperate ways home. It was an incredible adventure and we will be planning future trips to come!

Trip Details

REV SCALE for Joshua Tree National Park = 5

Total Miles = 702

Number of days = 3

Total ride time to destination = approximatley 6 hours (with gas and stretching)

Route Taken from Peoria AZ:

Route 303 to US 60 W towards Wickenburg, AZ.
60 W to AZ 72 (turns into AZ 95)
After crossing into California this becomes CA-62 Aqueduct Rd.
The last 100 miles + is through CA-62 Aqueduct turning right onto CA-62/Twentynine Palms HWY.
The north park entrance is on the left hand side.

Additional notes: The distance between gas stations is something to keep in mind depending on your size tank. Restaurants are few and far between. And there are no "Rest Areas" on this route. The trip there I would scale as 2 REVS.

Rubber Side Down!

B

Grand Canyon & Sedona AZ Ride 9/27/08

Part 1 - Flagstaff to Grand Canyon.

It was our 12th Wedding Anniversary and the Mrs. and I took off for Flagstaff, AZ. We used Flagstaff as our "base camp" for our trip. We decided to celebrate by going to the Grand Canyon and Sedona over the weekend.

We left Friday late in the morning with temperatures near 90. But what else is new for the Phoenix area! We chose to head north on route I-17. The day started out great, but as we made it past Camp Verde, it began to rain lightly. The problem was that the road was freshly oiled for new pavement work.

As conditions deteriorated, we quickly came up on an accident. I do not want this post to become depressing, but it is worth mentioning that the accident involved a fellow motorcyclist whose life was lost. I won't go into the details. It was a very quick reminder and sobering feeling of how dangerous it is out there for us all!

Anyway, we made it to Flagstaff near evening time and stayed at the Holiday Inn Express Flagstaff. A great location for proximity to the highway and Denny's which is in walking distance. The reason I say this is that rain showers / thunderstorms can quickly come about in the Flagstaff area.

On Saturday morning we took off for a 81 mile ride to the south rim (going up AZ-180/US-180) of the Grand Canyon. We passed through the Coconino National Forest (elevation - 7,600 feet). CAUTION - beware of deer, elk and other running wildlife as you pass through. The breath of fresh air (literally) was amazing! The ride encompassed hills and mild turns but the scenery was the icing on the cake for the ride there. We encountered a very brief shower but nothing major compared to some of the other bikers we talked to at lunch. Can we say "HAIL"...

Once we got to the town of Grand Canyon, we stopped for a few slices of Pizza at "We Cook Pizza & Pasta". The pizza was incredible and from all the reviews, they have been rated a 5 Star. I concur!

Now that we were filled up, off we went to see the GRAND CANYON! Once we came to the park ranger for entrance, we were met with no charge for the day. How Lucky we were. As we started to get closer to the view point I began to see glimpses of the Canyon through the trees. Keep in mind, this was the first time I was going to see this great wonder of the world. My blood started to rush because even the glimpses unveiled how spectacular this event was going to be!

Once we parked the bike, it was a brief walk and for second time in my life (other than meeting my wife for the first time), I was awestruck! If you have been to the Grand Canyon then you know what I mean. If you have not been there, GO! It is truly amazing and you have a whole new respect for God's creation!

Tourists are from all over the world taking in this amazing attraction. Periodically in the past, I had heard or read on the news about people falling into the Canyon. I always wondered how in the world this could happen. Now I know! Basically, it wide open with very few areas guarded with fence, etc. All I can say is, watch your step!!!!!! There were a few idiots that thought it would be funny to jump close to the rim and even those that held their significant others by the arm overhanging the canyon. Yep, those are the idiots that I heard about on the news.

After a few hours and several photos, we knew by the looks of the clouds it was time to go. So we headed back to Flagstaff via the same route that brought us there. On the way back, Melissa spotted a herd of elk off to our left. She suspects that there were between 6 to 8 elk approximately a qtr mile out. As I mentioned earlier, watch out for the ELK. The signs are everywhere.

We finally made it back to Flagstaff and had to stop for a Starbucks to recap our adventure. As we sat and talked, wouldn't you know, a brief thunderstorm came out of nowhere.

A fantastic ride with all the fixings!! 5 out of 5 Revs.

Part 2 of this adventure (Sedona) is on the next post.

Rubber Side Down.

B

Sedona, AZ Ride 9/28/2008 Part 2

We woke up early on Sunday morning to get an early start for the next phase of our adventure - Sedona, AZ!

The route of choice was the scenic alternate route 89. Heading south, you immediately run into the tall pines that lead you to the incredible land of Red Rock country. The ride is filled with nice elevations and at one point some great switch backs!

You soon arrive in the back country of Sedona which is filled with several parks and campgrounds. There are plenty of locations to pull off and take pictures and even hike a trail or two.

We arrived in Sedona which was a first time visit for us. The town is pleasantly small but filled with tourists from all over the world. The main street is filled with your usual gift stores and restaurants. The beauty of the town though is that it is surrounded by the Red Rocks. Every view offers a different and unique formation. Some of the formations even have their own names such as "Snoopy".

The restaurant of choice for the day was "The Bistro Bella Terra". Now when you look at their site you might think, "fancy". Well, trust me, we were in our biker apparel and still fit in. They offer outdoor seating which provides fantastic views! The menu offered a wide selection and the prices were actually very affordable. Since it was lunch time I unselfishly allowed myself to go for a tremendous burger and fries. Melissa dived into a heaping salad with grilled chicken.

After a fantastic lunch and visit of the town, it was time to get back on the bike and head home. A wonderful location to end our anniversary weekend.

There are several routes to take back from Sedona to Phoenix. However, do to the time of day, we opted for the least attractive - I-17.

I cannot say enough about Sedona. There was so much that we did not see and you can bet there will be more posts about this location.

Overall - 5 Revs for Sedona and Alt 89 that took us there.

Total round trip mileage from Phoenix to Flag to Grand Canyon to Sedona and home = 405 miles.

Check out the picks of the trip and enjoy!

Rubber Side Down!

B