As I was readying the bike, an older gentleman in the parking lot began telling me about his trip into Albuquerque the day before. He described multiple accidents on I-40 and all kinds of vehicles, including motorcycles, sliding off the road between Holbrook, Arizona and Gallup, New Mexico. Here’s a tip. When you first meet someone who rides a motorcycle don’t start your conversation with a story about a friend or relative who died riding a motorcycle. Equally bad form, implying they are going to die if they leave the hotel parking lot and ride west on I-40. I know the guy didn’t mean any harm, but you really don’t want visions of your death dancing through your head 2000 miles from home.
I fished my bandana out of the saddlebag and tied it around my face like a Wild West bank robber and headed for Arizona. I filled the tank with gas and rode less than a mile before stopping for a picture of the Route 66 bridge over Rio Puerco. I missed all of the interesting Route 66 stops in Albuquerque and, thanks to the weather, wasn't going to get to see much of Route 66 in New Mexico, so I figured I'd grab at least one picture for the archives.
Route 66 bridge over Rio Puerco near Route 66 Hotel and Casino on a clear, but cold morning
As it turned out, the weather was much ado about nothing. I didn’t have any problems with road conditions even though I was prepared to stop in Grants, if the situation got bad. It was definitely cold, but never treacherous. I saw some snow in the median and on the sides of the highway, but not much more than a dusting remained by the time I rode the 120 miles to Gallup and stopped for breakfast and gas. I was bummed that with the exception of Tucumcari and Santa Rosa, I missed most of Route 66 in New Mexico.
I pulled into McDonalds in Gallup for my usual sausage burrito and coffee. Remember the homeless guy at the exit back in Oklahoma on Day 3? The one thing that stuck out for me was that he didn’t feel the need to get up in your face. He quietly asked for assistance and if you gave it, he was grateful, if you didn’t, he was inconspicuous. This really hit home for me in Gallup.
Before I could get my leg over the seat of the bike, I was approached by two Native American Indians asking me for money. I politely said no, but that wasn’t good enough. As I dismounted, they pushed closer to the bike and subsequently me, further explaining their plight and pressing for a handout. I responded a little more firmly this time, but still tried to be polite. By the third press for money, I decided politeness wasn’t going to win the day. I turned quickly on my heels and reached inside my jacket pocket as if I had something in it and told them to back the hell up. They took a step back and I used the opportunity to explain, in very specific terms, that I wasn’t going to give them any money and they needed to move on (for those that know me, you can fill in the adjectives and add to the vocabulary as you see fit).
This approach worked and I was finally able to go inside and get my breakfast. I did sit close to the door and at a window where I could see my bike to make sure it stayed safe. They wandered around asking other people for money, but didn’t go near the bike. By the time I came out of McDonalds, they were gone.
I rode across the street to fill up with gas. As I was pumping my gas, I was approached by another Indian and asked for money. I felt kind of bad for this poor bastard because he caught the full brunt of my aggravation with the first two guys. I told the guy he wasn’t going to get any money and to leave me alone (again, you fill in the missing expressions…use your imagination). Even after that, he still offered to clean my wheels for 50 cents. That sucked. I felt bad about jumping down his throat, so I gave the guy a buck and told him to just go.
I couldn’t get out of Gallup soon enough. I don’t know what to do about the plight of the majority of Native Americans and I realize the situation is at times self-inflicted or part of a self-fulfilling prophesy, but it sucks to see so many of them have to beg for money. I’m pretty sure casinos aren’t the answer. I suspect there is a very small minority of tribe members getting very rich while the majority of the tribe continues to have to scrape and scrap for a meal. But, this is a ride story, not an Ed-Op piece for the Washington Post, so I’ll leave it at that.
The weather was good by the time I got to Arizona. It was warmer and I hadn’t experienced any poor road conditions. I decided it was time to get back on the Route 66 bandwagon. My first departure from I-40 took me on Route 66 into Holbrook. I finally got to see the Wigwam Motel. This was one of the more famous motor inns along Route 66 and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The history of the Wigwam Motel is interesting. The original owner, Chester Bell, first saw the Wigwam Village in Cave City, Kentucky in 1938. He liked the idea and decided to build his motel in a similar fashion. He contacted Frank Redford, the owner of the Wigwam Village in Kentucky and they came to an agreement. Mr. Bell would use the wigwam design for his motel and would place a radio in each room. You put a dime in the radio and it would play for half an hour. Mr. Bell would send the dimes from the radios to Mr. Redford as compensation for using his design. Ultimately there were seven Wigwam Villages built across the US, but because of its location on Route 66, the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook became one of the more famous.
Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, AZ
My next Route 66 stop was Winslow. Of course, I couldn’t go to Winslow and not stop at the corner of 2nd and Kinsley. This is the corner made famous by the Eagles in the song Take It Easy. I didn’t know this, but Jackson Browne teamed up with Glenn Frey to write the song. The town commissioned a mural on the wall of the corner building depicting, “…a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford slowin' down to take a look at me.” It was a fun spot to get off the bike for a few minutes and take a break.
You gotta love the mural with the girl in the flatbed Ford on the corner in Winslow, AZ
Welcome to Winslow!
I rolled out of Winslow and back onto I-40 and continued my trek west. I pulled off I-40 at exit 204, east of Flagstaff. Humphreys Peak, the highest point in Arizona, loomed over tree line and made for a great photo op. I stayed on Route 66 through Flagstaff and jumped back on I-40 on the west side of town.
Humphreys Peak towering over the Flagstaff area
I made a short stop at Grand Canyon Harley-Davidson in Bellemont, AZ to grab a t-shirt and a mask for the cold weather. From there, it was I-40 again for 45 miles to my next section of Route 66. I was looking forward to this section all day. Route 66 makes a loop northwest through small towns like Seligman, Peach Springs, Truxton and Valentine before coming back to I-40 in Kingman.
There was a tour group in Seligman, so it was bustling with people taking pictures and checking out the various Route 66 oriented shops. I had 75 miles on my current tank of gas and wasn't sure about gas options on this stretch. I popped into one of the stores to see if I should top off the tank in Seligman or if I could get gas down the road. The owner, Angel Delgadillo, was sitting in the store. He appeared to be a permanent fixture in the store and held court from a bench just inside. Angel had just turned 83 a couple of weeks before.
Angel's Route 66 Gift Shop in Seligman, AZ
I asked Angel if there was gas on Route 66 between Seligman and Kingman. I didn't know it at the time, but Angel is called the Guardian Angel of Route 66. He was able to tell me about each town along the Route (including where there was gas) with specific mileages between towns and stops. But, his final advice was, “Get your gas here.” I took his advice, topped off the tank up the street, and rode out into the best part of Route 66 I've ridden.
Most of the Route 66 tourists stop in Seligman, but few seem to take the road out into the Arizona desert to make the loop to Kingman. That's probably why I liked this stretch of road so much. I only passed 5 or 6 cars on the 80 mile ride. This is my kind of road and my favorite type of riding. I cruised along at a leisurely pace enjoying the sights along the way.
Now that is a lonely stretch of highway. Route 66 west of Seligman.
Another view of Route 66 on the Seligman to Kingman loop.I rode into Kingman and made a stop at Mother Road Harley-Davidson to add to the t-shirt collection. They had several nice, new Harleys sitting on the showroom floor. The temptation rose in my gut, but I was able to suppress it and get out of there before I bought a new bike.
I gassed up and it was time to leave Route 66 behind. I needed to head north on US-93 to Las Vegas. The ride on US-93 wasn't too bad. More traffic, not much to see, but the payoff comes as you enter the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The terrain changes from desert valley to hills and mountain passes ultimately opening up on a panoramic view of the Hoover Dam.
Hoover Dam - This picture was taken on my way out of town versus on Day 4, but it was the better shot with the sun behind me.
US-93 took me from the dam to the outskirts of Las Vegas where it becomes I-515. I didn't review my directions before heading into Las Vegas, so I had to improvise a bit in figuring out how to get to my home for the night, the Hooters Hotel and Casino. Unfortunately, I guessed wrong and exited I-515 earlier than I should have. It wasn't the end of the world. I knew the hotel was on Tropicana and I knew it was beside the airport. So, I kept an eye on the airplanes landing and worked my way across town. I'm sure it took longer, but it was kind of fun just turning right or left depending on the size of the street and/or the direction of the planes.
I happened to be the first of the wedding party to arrive in town. Everyone else was flying in that evening or the next day. So, I was forced to hang out in the casino (did I mention it was the Hooters Hotel and Casino) and wait for the others to hit town.
This day ended with another 575 miles on the bike and hanging out with my son, daughter-in-law and their friends. All in all, a great day on the road and a great time with family and friends.
No comments:
Post a Comment