Stop Time: 1800 MST
Start Location: Fort Stockton, TX
Stop Location: Gila Bend, AZ
Lodging: Best Western
Dinner: Space Age Restaurant
Miles Traveled Today: 724
Weather: 75-112, SUNNY
We knew today would be a hot one for sure. Just didn't know that the temps would be well above 110 degrees for a lot of our ride!! We also "picked up" two extra hours, even though we only went through one time zone. It is interesting that the state of Arizona does not recognize daylight savings time, so when we crossed from the Central time zone to the Mountain time zone we actually moved back two hours to the same time as in the Pacific time zone. Kinda confusing!!! Don't know if it was the extra two hours, the straight roads, the HEAT or just our "not thinking", but we rode for 724 miles today over about 14 hours!!! We were both pretty tired (understatement), when we arrived in Gila Bend that evening. But hey, we are on a long distance motorcycle ride and we are getting "tougher" by the day/mile in the saddle!!!!!
Had to stop at Barnett Harley Davidson in El Paso since it is the largest Harley shop in the world. Only problem was they were NOT OPEN!! It was Sunday and they didn't open until 10:30 and we were there around 9 am. Oh well, did take a pic of the bike in front of the shop so I can have evidence I was there. Maybe the next time!
Pretty cool coming through El Paso and seeing the Mexican town of Juarez right across the river. As we traveled along I-10 through town, the US/Mexico border fence & the Rio Grande was right next to the interstate. I have always heard of the crazy stuff that goes on in Juarez and I am sure there is a lot more that I don't even want to know about. Can't imagine what it is like to live so close to that border town. Just west of El Paso the entire I-10 traffic had to move off the interstate into a border check station. Took us only about 10 minutes as they did separate the cars from the trucks. The border agent just waved Bill and I right through. I am sure they were looking for illegal aliens!! (I guess they figure it is hard to conceal one on a motorcycle so they didn't waste any time on us!!)
They also have right nice "hospitable" rest stops in that area. Here is the big sign at the front of the rest stop!! I didn't see any but I did watch my step and looked close when I was in the restroom (didn't want another "encounter" like I had in the national park in Maryland!!)
We did decide to stop at Saguaro National Park near Tucson. I always wanted to see some of these giant cacti up close and it didn't look too far off the interstate. Only problem was the two lane road was under construction, several stop lights and a lot of new development was going on along the road. That made for an even hotter ride for about 5 miles into the park!! Got to the park visitor center and got my passport stamp. Outside the visitor center was a family of javelinas laying in the shade on a very hot day! They had the right idea with the afternoon temps well above 110 degrees!!! Cute little things!
Got our pics with the Saguaro cacti. Those things are really BIG!!
There was a loop road for about 8 miles though the park. The nice ranger in the visitor center told me it was a great ride on a motorcycle and there was hardly anyone in the park today (makes sense due to the temps in the 110's!!!!!). So off we went to do the loop road. Only little problem is that you then have to go through a National Park entrance station. I had though of that as I kept my National Park pass in a pouch attached to my motorcycle keys. I handed my park pass to the ranger at the entrance station as she slid the window open from her nice air conditioned hut and I could feel some of the cold air rush out. She looked at my park pass and said something to me. My motorcycle is running and my earplugs are in and it is around 112 degrees!! She was pointing to the back of my pass and I could hear her saying loudly, "I need to see a photo ID to let you in". Granted the back of the pass under my signature did say "Photo ID required", in all my travels to National Parks, I have never been asked to show a photo ID along with my park pass. As a matter of fact, I have been to a couple of parks where I told the ranger I have a national park annual pass while on my motorcycle and in the process of getting it out of my pocket he told me that is OK and waved me on through!! With the heat, being tired and remembering what the ranger in Maryland told me the Washington administration had told them to be doing TO the American citizens, that set me off!! Anyway, I probably should not have said anything, but I did and I let that park ranger have it verbally!! In the end, she let me in without me having to dig out my photo ID (which was stored in my saddlebag!), but she told me this was for this time only and the next time I had better have my photo ID available. I gave her a few more choice words and off we went on the loop road. I am sure our administration has also put out an "order" for all the park rangers to do all they can to inconvenience the American citizens with this kind of stuff. This park ranger, on a hotter than hell day, talking to clearly evident American citizen on an American made motorcycle was doing everything she could to inconvenience me. I guess she was just doing her job and just what she was told to do and NOTHING else like a little common sense!! (edit - also went to Crater Lake National Park later. At that entrance station I had my photo ID in my hand with my park pass. As I handed my park pass to the ranger I asked, do you also need to see my photo ID? He promptly answered no, that is not necessary and waved me on through!!). OK enough said on this subject!!
The park was beautiful, but it was an "urban" park right up against Tuscon with a very poor access road and at least one park ranger that definitely graduated in the bottom half of her class (sorry, I did say I wasn't going to say anymore on that subject!! hehe)
Here is a pic of my bike thermometer. It was near 116 degrees with a little sun on it. It was also so hot you could see mirages in the road up ahead!!! We used 112 degrees as our "official" high for the day!
Got a little bored traveling the long straight hot interstate so I had Bill pull up beside me and I too a riding picture of him.
Also realized I had not got a "cockpit" pic of my bike so here it is. Kinda neat, if you click on the pic and make it full size, you can see Bill in my rear view mirror on the right side!!
Here was a gas/restroom stop we make somewhere in New Mexico. We had to use the women's restroom for some reason (the clerk told us too!!), I started to get a picture of Bill coming out, but just too this pic instead!! Was an interesting place with decorations and metal sculpture work outside for sale.
We had originally planned to only get to Casa Grande, AZ today. We wanted to make sure we got to San Ysidro the next day and on to Laguna Beach, CA for the next night. We checked hotels and found this neat hotel in Gila Bend. It was the "Space Age" motel. I called from Tuscon and made a reservation as you definitely don't want to miss a hotel out here when you get done riding for the day or you could continue riding for a looooong way!! It was originally built in the early 60's during the real Space Age race. This "only" added about 65 miles to our run today and resulted in our over 700 mile day and two very tired, hot old motorcycle riders!!!
Funny, even the room door had a flying saucer for the room number (note no smoking in the flying saucer!!)
The lobby building looked somewhat like the star ship, Enterprise!!
Wouldn't you know it, the "Space Age" restaurant was right next door. Note the flying saucers on the dinner plates!! Good meal. The next morning the hotel gave us a free coupon for a sit down ordered breakfast at the same restaurant. That was nice!
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