I LOVE TEXAS - Day 6 - 1.7k words

FORT SUMNER, NM to ABILENE, TX   (Saturday, July 25)

1:30am - Rats.  Couldn't sleep.  Oh well, I had wanted to get an early start anyway and beat the afternoon heat, so… up and at 'em.  6½ hours of good sleep was more than enough anyway.

4:00am - Caught up with a bunch of emails, mostly from Gaeir, the gal who was supposed to give me that wake up call on my first night out.  I'd met her on OKCupid because I wanted to associate with someone about spirituality instead of sex.  Sex was fun and I know I'll never give it up, but I'd decided I wanted to try something other than the movie star gorgeous type of girlfriend.  I wanted to give something else a chance.  You'll hear more about that (and Gaeir) later.

The birds were starting to chirp, so I knew it was time I started packing up Honey.  I wanted to hit the road just before sunrise this morning.  Then I met Angel.  She came across the parking lot from her room and walked right up to my door and started talking like it was the middle of the day… loud and fast.

6:00am - Two hours later, and she was still going at it.  Even after I had asked her to give me some space so I could concentrate on getting packed… she just kept on talking.  For a while she was sitting outside my door on the porch, talking to herself.  Poor, lost angel… she was kinda sweet in a way… but troubled to say the least.  She said that her car had broken down and that she was going to the swimmin' hole, to try and find a ride somewhere else.  She said she didn't care where, as long as it was somewhere else.

One of the funny things she told me was that Angelia Jolie had it out for her because she had stolen Brad Pitt away from her for a while, early in their relationship. 

The last time she wandered into my room before I left, she was wearing a skimpy little tank top and black see-thru underwear.  Too bad she was a bit off… she was cute enough to have a go-around with under different circumstances.

6:05am - On the road.

6:15am - Took a 3-mile detour to watch the sunrise over Billy The Kid's Grave.

7:00am - Melrose.  Wanted a beer and some ice, but was in a dry County.

7:30am - Clovis… still dry... gas, water, and ice.

9:30am - Texas.  Sudan, Texas… and… BEER.  I love Texas.  I packed five of the six cans into the pre-cooled ice chest, but for some reason I didn't crack open the one I was holding in my hand, and about five seconds later a Texas Ranger pulled up and parked right next to me.  Without acting suspicious, I tucked it under my leather jacket, which was draped over Honey's tail bag… lit a smoke… and took my journal out, to make the entry I'm now writing about.

It wasn't long before the Ranger came out of the store and left.  He wasn't out of the parking lot yet, when I was reaching underneath my jacket with my body between my still ice-cold faithful friend, and the Ranger.  I opened and drank the beer while chatting with Steve, who warned me to be careful and to, "Watch out for those Rangers", as he sipped from his metal flask which most likely contained whiskey or bourbon.

10:45am - Lubbock.  Taco Bell and my first junk food of the trip at the 2K-mile mark.

11:45am - Post.  It was long past due time to get off Highway 84, the four lane highway I'd been on for way too long.  At least it hadn't been a 'freeway', but still… Honey and I were both getting tired and bored of the straight-line syndrome.

12:45pm - Clairmont.                Kent County Jail House… Rock.

The door was falling off its hinges, so I cautiously stuck my head in to look around.  It was one big room, full of steel cages.  There were food containers, old tattered clothes, and other types of garbage scattered all over the floor, and the smell of urine was nauseating.  I thought to myself that this place must've been horrible while it was being used, but now abandoned and being abused… it was disgusting and sickening.  Honey and I scrambled outta there, pronto.

1:30pm - Roby… another dry town in another dry County.  At least they had ice for my warmies though.  I sat in the comfort of the air-conditioned mini mart, and made journal entries while they got cold.  After about five minutes, I popped a beverage of choice and hit the road.  Abilene, my chosen destination for the day, was only a couple hours away.  It was getting warm…  95 with an expected high of 105.

2:00pm - The little highway I was following bypassed the town of Sweetwater, but I was sure to find a gas station when it merged onto Interstate-20.  Nope… and this was gonna be close.  I calc'd Honey had about 15 miles left in her tummy, and Abilene was 30 miles away.  The map showed some little squares between here and there, so… I went into my tuck position, to make us as streamlined as possible.

2:20pm - Whew.  Trent… with gas available signs.  Nope... strike two… the signs were wrong.  I merged back onto the freeway and lowered myself into an even more streamlined position.  I laughed to myself, 'cuz the last two times I'd run out of gas were both in Texas, on my previous trip to Killeen last year.

2:35pm - I coasted to the off ramp, and pulled over to the side of the frontage road. 

2:36pm - I didn't even have time to take off my shirt to wave someone down.  The first vehicle that came by stopped and asked if they could help.  I love Texas.  Joey and Billy refused to take any money and said they'd be back in 20 minutes with some gas for Honey.  Begrudgingly, Joey accepted the $25 I forced into his hand.

2:40pm - Off they went.                                                                                                               

2:41pm - Jim, in the next vehicle that drove by, stopped.  Again, without me even acting like I needed any help whatsoever.  What is it about people in Texas being so darned nice?  He offered to give me the ½ gallon of gas he had in the back of his truck, but I told him I was sure that Joey and Billy would be back, and I didn't want to be rude, having them show up and find me gone, after going thru their effort.  I laughed to myself after Jim drove off, 'cuz I remembered they'd taken the $25, and would've been fine with that.

2:45pm - Three cars slowed down to stop, but continued on, only after I waved to them, and gave them the ok sign that I didn't need help.                                                      

2:48pm - Ty and his girlfriend rolled to a stop in front of me.  I hadn't seen or heard them coming, so I got up from the shade and meandered over to their car to chat a spell.  Really nice kids.  Again, they had gas with them, and offered it to me for free.  As before, I passed up their offer.  Funny huh?  Here I was, stuck on the side of the road, and I turned down multiple offers that would've had me moving again.

3:12pm - When Joey and Billy pulled up, I walked up to the truck, and said with as straight a face as I could manage… "You're twelve minutes late".  Before they left, Joey forced the $25 back into my hand and said to me, "Maybe you'll find me on the side of the road someday."  I gave him one of my business cards, and said, "Please call me the next time you're in the Austin area, I'd like to buy you dinner".

                                                   Joey & Billy, outside Abilene

3:20pm - Fueled up at gas station not more than two miles up the freeway.  It was only 45 minutes after I had coasted to a stop.  I love Texas.

3:45pm - Abilene.  Beered and iced up, I started looking for my motel.  I hoped to find one with a pool and jacuzzi, but being able to park outside the door to my room was really the only necessity.

4:30pm - At the fourth motel I stopped at, I finally found one with a pool and the parking.  Abilene seemed dirty to me.  Most of the motels were closed down and falling apart, and there was a scent of financial depression in the air.

4:45pm - After a quick dip in the pool and a cold beer, I showered and walked down the street for some Chinese food.

5:30pm - I'd decided on Mexican instead of Chinese for dinner.  Bad choice.  I don't remember EVER having such bland, almost tasteless Mexican food before.  I literally drank both the green and the red, hot sauces out of their serving bowls.  The dinner was edible, but not really enjoyable.  I do not recommend the Fenix restaurant in Abilene.  The waitresses were cute though.

One more thing about dinner, and then I'll move on.  When I ordered a house margarita, the waitress told me their machine was broken.  I told them I didn't want it blended anyway, and that the perfect margarita was equal parts of Jose Cuervo Gold, Quantro, and fresh squeezed limejuice.  She responded that the only kind of margarita they served was made with wine.  No… I do not recommend the Fenix.

Before retiring for the night, I hung out with John and Tino… two out of work construction workers barbequing their dinner, out in the parking lot of the motel.

6:30pm - Curled up in bed, watching TV.

8:15pm - Woke up and turned off the TV.      365 miles for the day, 2,197 for the trip.

I LOVE TEXAS - Day 5 - 1.6k words

SANTA FE, NM to FORT SUMNER, NM   (Friday, July 24)

4:30am - Up and at 'em.  Normal routine.  Emails, posts, coffee, beer, packing.

7:00am - Just as I was getting ready to mount up, I met Ed, a local retired rider brother.  He gave me an American Flag for Honey.  Someone had given him the flag the day before, and he had no use for it.

7:45am - It took me 45 minutes to find gas and beer.  I couldn't find premium at the first three stations I stopped at, and apparently beer is not a premium commodity in Santa Fe either.

9:15am - Gosh darn it.  New Mexico seems to have an issue with their road signs.  Lots of the highway intersections don't have numbers posted, and it seems that more than half the ones that are posted, have different numbers on them, than what is shown on the road map.

After turning around at a dead end in a residential area, a very nice Native Nambre Tribe resident drove up and stopped.  He told me I was really close to the road I was looking for.  Good thing he came along, I was getting ready to backtrack 15 minutes back to the last intersection with any hope of having a posted sign with numbers or arrows on it.

Traveling the back roads has its benefits… with the slower pace, you get to see a much closer and clearer view of the real America, but the downside is occasionally getting lost.  A very fair trade in my book… getting lost sometimes is just what I'm looking for on these rides.  Some of the most beautiful scenery and interesting circumstances have occurred when I accidentally stumbled into them when I was lost.

10:15am - Taos Pueblo.  Established in 1402.  Actually that's the last date from recorded history.  Legend has it, that the community goes back to the ancient times of The Egyptians and The Mayans.  Next time I'm there, I'll schedule at least one full day to explore and learn about this area and the people who originally lived here.

11:15am - Eagles Nest - Angel Fire.  Finally, some pretty scenery.  I had just come over a pass… elevation 9,820 feet, and thru an area called Red River.  It was more than pretty actually.  It was gorgeous.  Just what I had envisioned when I'd thought about what the Rocky Mountains in northern New Mexico might look like… commanding… statuesque… elegant… and truly magnificent.

Next time I'm in the area I'm gonna make sure I'm feeling less in a rush, and stop and take more pictures.

            This picture, taken looking back towards Red River, does not do the area justice.

I'd just come thru a spectacular area, and was getting ready to go thru some even more meaningful terrain…

Noon - I stopped at the side of the little one lane road I was on, at an old wooden bridge.  I drank the crystalline, sweet cold water from Coyote Creek, which wound it's way down this pristine little valley I had found.  I took a picture of the bridge, and filled my spare water bottle with it's nectar, and vowed to save it for a special occasion, with my niece and her family in Killeen Texas, which is where I thought at the time, was going to be my new home.

I drank the water like it was expensive champagne or fine cognac.  I took little sips and savored the flavor, keeping the taste in my mouth and in my memory for a long time.  I must've stood beside that bridge for 30 minutes… an eternity for me.  I had found the reason the reason I'd chosen this route.  I was in heaven.  I need to go back to this bridge someday.  With a truckload of 5-gallon water bottles and an equally larger amount of time to spend there, rather than the measly 30 minutes I allotted myself on this day.

12:30pm - I had only gone around two or three bends in the road before I came up to another little wooden bridge… this one, with a car parked just past it, and three young 70 year old ladies standing at the middle of it.

I stopped next to them, right in the middle of the bridge, turned off Honey's engine, and took off my sunglasses.  They told me they'd stopped because when they'd passed me just minutes before and noticed me writing in my journal, they realized they wanted to stop and enjoy the moment too.  They had been traveling for several days from the east coast and were almost to their turning back point in Santa Fe.  They asked me what I had written in my journal, and I told them the truth (I am looking at my journal while I type this)…  I had written the words, "This is why I am here".

There was not a mention of names between us, but the moment was very intimate.  One of them asked me where I was born and when I told her… "Just south of San Francisco", she responded with a loud and proud, "I was conceived in San Francisco".  I came back with an equally loud and even more melodramatically proud, "I was conceived in the Grand Canyon" (which is true).

It was priceless, these few moments with these strangers from a different generation and from a different part of the Country.  Sometimes I think back and wish that I'd traded names and contact information, and then I remember… these are the moments that are supposed to be anonymous.  It's not the names or the numbers that make moments like this special.  It's something very difficult to express.  It's like they say sometimes… 'I guess you had to be there.'

We stayed right there, talking in the middle of the bridge for at least 10 minutes, without me even getting off Honey.  I took a picture of them with their camera, but thinking back on it now, I purposefully chose not to take a picture of them, knowing but not realizing it at the time, that I wanted to keep this part of my adventure as private and as special as possible.

Eventually a car came around the corner.  I took in a deep breath… let out a long, slow sigh… put on my sunglasses… fired up Honey… nodded my appreciation and respect to the old chicks on the bridge… and took off with a big smile of complete contentment and love in my heart.

I must go back to this area… an approximate 75-mile stretch from the north side of the Taos Loop… highway 434/ 38… from just north of Red River, south to Las Vegas.

2:22pm - Las Vegas is nothing more than a pit stop.  After what I'd just experienced up the road, I was amazed at how much the ambience could change in just a few short miles… from cool, sweet, and refreshing… to hot, arid, and unfriendly.  Out of about 15 motorcycles I passed going the other way, only two sport bike riders waved back.  Most of the Harley riders didn't even turn their heads.  Even the guy I caught up to and rode into town with didn't bother to acknowledge my existence.

3:30pm - Santa Rosa.  Gas and beer.  Shook hands with Gus.  We recognized each other from another pit stop we'd seen each other at in Angel Fire. Although it was only about 100 miles away, it might just as well have been on another planet.  I'll be interested to find out if I get the same feeling of the change in the mood of the two areas when I go back.  Or… do any of you readers out there know what I'm talking about?  Have any of you been to this area before?  Have you experienced the same sort of extreme change in the feeling of these two areas?

4:15pm - Fort Sumner.  This is the town where 'Billy The Kid' is (allegedly) buried.  The first motel I stopped at didn't have outdoor entrances, and the second one didn't want my kind.  The proprietor said it was nothing personal, but that he'd just finally had to say 'no' to anyone who said they smoked.  He said he'd had too many people tell him they'd smoke outside, and instead had found cigarette burns in the sheet and carpets.

There was only one other motel in town, and fortunately they took me in.  Tito Gonzales owned the Coronado Motel, and he was a real gentleman.  Not that the guy who turned me away wasn't, it's just that I definitely felt a kindred connection with Tito.  He had that typical Mexican sense of humor.  It's hard to explain, if you're not one of us.  In a nutshell, I can describe it as:  simple, silly, and sincere.

5:30pm - After checking in and unpacking Honey, I took a short ride to the middle of town, and met Isha, a darling young blonde with child bearing hips.  She served me my Navaho green chili taco dinner with a innocent sweetness that touched me deeply.

When I finished eating and pushed the plate away from me, she came up and asked if there was anything else she could get for me.  I couldn't resist and said, "How about your mother."  She didn't bat an eye.  She said, "My mom isn't working today". Naivety is a blessed thing.   Then she continued… "She named me after an Indian princess."  I think her mother was a woman of good judgment.

7:00pm - I took the short ride back to my motel, and was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

                         Day 5 complete:  355 for the day and 1,832 for the trip.