Friday 29 June 2018

West Coast Road Trip 7




A Road Trip

West Coast 7

Flagstaff was our stop off point for the Grand Canyon. The plan was to travel early, get to the Grand Canyon and stay there all day to possibly watch the sunset. We did a few walks and filled in most of the day at the scale of this vista. It was getting colder still and decided we had had enough and that sunset could wait another time. The journey back was a bit more interesting as we were leaving a few small flakes of snow were falling. On the road we could see a weather front moving in with big black clouds over Flagstaff. The closer we came to Flagstaff the heavier the snow was falling and the roads were soon covered in snow with disappearing tyre tracks. Once in Flagstaff the volume of traffic kept the roads clear. The next day it was warming up but the car had a layer of snow on it. Today we were supposed to go to the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest but that there was no point as it would have been covered in snow! A day off and time to explore Flagstaff. Another town with a Route 66 sign.



It’s a boy’s town with small breweries everywhere and not much shopping for the ladies. It is also a ski resort. The snow was not enough to to get anyone interested in doing some skiing though. I had a visit to local emergency department at the hospital there as I had a painful swollen hand that required an xray and some antibiotics to get it on the mend. There difference between private health care and the NHS is unbelievable. No queues!



The next destination was Bryce Canyon with more scenery to be awed by, followed by Zion National Park. A drive through Las Vegas was all I wanted. The spectacle has to be seen even in day light. Shopping was on the list and another suitcase was bought from Macey’s for all the “stuff” purchased on the way. Just beyond Pahrump is Death Valley National Park and some amazing roads. 



Pahrump was a stop over on our way to Yosemite. Nothing much, but we were spreading the travelling to ensure the little one was not in the car seat for too long. In early May I chose to go up the east side of Yosemite which has a mountain range running north-south with only a few passes to get across. The one we wanted to take was on Highway 120 and all the reports said it was still closed. It was a gamble that when planning accommodation that the other passes along the 108, 4 and 88 would be open. We decided on Mammoth Lakes as a stop off which was closest to the shorted route the 120. As we had snow a few days before I thought that everything would be closed.




Leaving Pahrump we headed into Death Valley that on this day was a cool 43 degrees Centigrade. Taking the 127, 190 and then the 395 thorough and onward to Mammoth lakes. Once off the interstates these other major roads have bends in them and, for me, provide a lot more interesting driving. Death Valley is the place where aircon in the car stops you boiling. At one stop in the valley a group of German bikers on Harleys were on an organised tour. They looked hot. I could not think on anything worse than having to travel slowly with a massing engine roasting your nuts as well. Brave lads but no speed keeps you cool at that temperature. Death Valley needs to be seen but not for long and soon we were away from the desert and into greenery as we headed north through Bishop to Mammoth Lakes also a ski resort. The 120 was still closed so we had to do another 200 miles to get around the mountain range. Good news in that the 108 via Sonora to Mariposa was open other wise another 100 miles would be added to the journey. The 108 was a delight. Snow was still piled high on each side of the road as we climbed through pine trees up and over the pass. Not many people talk about these roads but they have all the features of winding country lanes, enough to test anyones abilities. There are some straight bits too!









Yosemite has changed over the years with commerce getting its way and it was worse that the Lake District on a Bank Holiday. Yosemite is a popular place and you have to see the sights. I could not believe that it was so busy. Most of it was viewed from the shuttle bus as it was the easiest way to get around. The final leg was back to San Francisco doing more touristy stuff visiting the “Hippie” area and just before getting on the plane, lunch in the Latin Quarter where the murals add so much colour to the streets. Back home I discover I have carpel tunnel syndrome from the infection and can’t grip anything. Reason for no recent postings, my excuse, can’t type!

Friday 8 June 2018

West Coast Road Trip 6




A Road Trip

West Coast 6


A short trip on a Saturday afternoon to Joshua Tree. We stayed at 29 Palms which is almost at the north entrance to the park then early Sunday morning we were on the next leg of our travels to Phoenix where we had another one night stop in an Air BnB. At the end of the road is Rosie MaCaffreys Irish pub for a nice beer and a meal. Phoenix was my request as there is a motorcycle museum in the Buddy Stubbs Harley shop. 



I met a nice guy called Phil and was really one of the mechanics doing a stint looking after customers visiting the museum. I didn’t know much about Buddy Stubbs but his father owned a Harley shop and as such Buddy was brought up in a motorcycling environment. He was a successful flat track rider and road racer and his experience was put to good use as a stunt rider for the movies.


I did see Buddy but did not get a chance to talk with him. I felt it was a missed opportunity. His Harley dealership is the only one that you can hire a Harley from. Everyone else uses Eagle Riders that is a country wide set up.



The museum has a very interesting mix of Harleys and European motorcycles many of which have been acquired in New Zealand. What was a surprise was a Velocette Valiant in the collection. That makes a least two I know of in the USA. Always looking for bits of information there is a 1913 Indian at the back of the display and that has leaf spring front and rear suspension. 







I thought it was only after the first world war that they had used this, but not so. They have an 1930’s Ariel Square four and a 1950’s one too. I still prefer the earlier ones. 



Being a Harley Dealer there are some special Harleys, like the 1929 board track racer, the military flat twin and one of the first singles.








Oldest motorcycle there is a Frera Leonardo from 1906.
Of the British bikes is an Excelsior Manxman, a whole load of Triumphs including a TRW, Ricardo and GP racer. I took so many photos but I can only use so many. This is a tribute to Martin who has seen Evil Knevil and the Triumph and Harley he rode.



Following on here are a selection of photos to wet your appetite for a visit to this very special museum. I spent quite a few hours there and there are a few scooters and mini-bikes too even the very boxy Harley Topper. 





I had run out of energy and needed some lunch before making the next stage of the trip to Flagstaff. It had turned colder and started rain when we arrived. It would turn out to be an interesting next few days.


Friday 1 June 2018

West Coast Road Trip 5




A Road Trip

(West Coast 5)

After leaving the museum in Solvang it was only a couple of hours to get to the hotel in Los Angeles. Highway 101 gets close to the coast and near Santa Barbara we looked down on the old road and there were miles of RVs parked up enjoying the afternoon sun. LA was where we met up with daughter and granddaughter who would be with us for the rest of the trip and why we needed a bigger car. Great to have them around but not so sure how the days would go with the little one. We stayed in a hotel on Sunset Boulevard and spent a lot of time going up and down Hollywood Boulevard enjoying the theatre of it all. There are a number of “Military” shops along Hollywood Boulevard and outside one was a particularly looking aggressive manikin. 




Looking closely it did look as though he had a very pained expression on his face. We were having a family breakfast in one of the commercial squares in the LA International market and off to one side was a sauce shop that had some very descriptive brands.    Among them were “Ass in a tub”, “Whoop Ass”, “Sphincter shrinker”, “Butt pucker”, Asbirin”, “Colon cleaner” and a more up market one that I thought was appropriate for this soldier “Anal Angst”. While there we found a Trader Joes and bought an insulated bag to keep baby food in and perhaps a cold beer or two and then off to Santa Monica Boulevard to see a special motorcycle shop.  Its on Route 66 now but used to be on Sunset. 







It is the Thunder Road Motorcycle shop where stars and Henry Cole have visited. I have around somewhere an original Indian Chief motif baseball cap that is now apparently quite rare that was bought for me as a present about 30 years ago. I had to visit the place. Having been to an organic cafe and had steak and salad we walked for, what seemed like miles, and went past Thunder Road. A very pleasant visit but had no LMM fliers with me.



One guy was on an Enfield, the Himalaya and talked about the attributes of this type of motorcycle. It is interesting how things have moved on from those leggy easy rider chops back to more conventional machines. In the evening we drove up to the Observatory to see Hollywood at dusk and the city slowly illuminated as the light went and the dark came in there were students out with “big” telescopes to look at the stars and more than willing to let you see what they were looking at. 




Next day we were passing the Thunder Road Shop and dropped in to leave some fliers and take a few more photos I was given a Thunder Road pin badge. Not many are bought now but as I wear a waist coat when volunteering it will be put on that along with a San Francisco Fire Department patch. I had an idea to keep going along Santa Monica Boulevard to the coast along Route 66 and see the memorial to Will Rogers but we were now on a schedule and needed to get to Joshua Tree for our next stop.