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So It Begins - Five States In Five Days
13 years ago
General
So I departed Portland on the 13th. Flew to Phoenix. I had never flown on an airplane before. I was somewhat concerned initially that the experience would be kind of terrifying. As we were taking off, my gaze was fixed out the window, and I found the experience to be rather exciting. The feeling of speed and seeing the ground gradually becoming more and more distance was absolutely wonderful. I have had an interest in skydiving for a long time, but have yet to actually pursue it. This first encounter with flight has strengthened my resolve to one day, jump out of a perfectly good airplane.
I connected with a flight to Atlanta, during which I had my gaze fixed out the window the entire flight. Most of the people on the airplane looked like they couldnt be more disinterested. Just one hundred years ago, no one in history had ever seen the earth from this height. It's interesting how to think how something so magnificent has become mundane to folks in modern society. Everyone sits there, bored out of their tit, trying to distract themselves with their digital toys and magazines.
After spending the night in the Atlanta airport I took a prop-plane to Mississippi, where I would meet up with the man who would be selling me my new bike; a customized Suzuki DR650. The bike ran great, and had all the features that would meet my needs for this journey. Skid plate (Why the fuck this is not a standard feature on the DR is beyond me), 5 gallon fuel tank, custom seat, which is softer and more wide than the original, and panniers for luggage. This had been the first time I had even sat on a motorcycle since early October, and goddamn it felt good.
I really don't have an objective, or destination, but the first leg of this journey would be to meet up with my friend feyala, currently in Phoenix. She has been wandering about on a motorcycle for the last few months, and we plan to travel together. She said she wanted to head East, and that we could meet up somewhere in the middle of the country. I had a different idea. I hadn't been to Arizona since I was a kid, but I absolutely loved the beauty of the state, and have wanted to return ever since. So the plan would be to head straight over to Phoenix by freeway and see Arizona before Fey left the state. We would take it slow and explore whatever comes our way East.
There isn't too much to write about regarding the first five days of this trip. I didn't do a great deal of exploring off of the beaten path. I kept an eye out for anything that looked like it might be fun to explore, but didn't venture too far from the freeway in order to make good time. I rode south through Mississippi and got on Interstate 10 in New Orleans. I had never seen swamp country before, and the swamps in Southern Louisiana looked like they would be pretty fun to explore.
The first night, I had no idea where I was going to sleep. I explored around the downtown area of Baton Rouge, looking for somewhere I might be able to crash, but nothing stood out immediately. I stopped by a local bar and rested for a while. I was pleasantly surprised that you could still smoke in a bar there. Thank you Louisiana. :3 I asked around if anyone there knew of any good camping spots. I had seen a number of major sporting goods outlets, and it seemed like the kind of town that would have a lot of outdoor enthusiasts. Unfortunately, the only place anyone knew of was a KOA campground on the outskirts of town. I figured, fuck it. Maybe there will be a forested area out that way I can slip into undetected.
No such luck. The area around the KOA was inhabited by countless strip malls, gas stations, and private residences. I was too exhausted from the days ride to try and find the road that led out of town and into the country, rather than the one that led into some neighborhood occupied by people with guns. After wandering around a bit, I stopped at a Waffle House that had an RV parked in the back. "Fuck it." I thought. I figured people would probably assume that the bike was traveling with the RV. So yeah. I camped in the parking lot outside a Waffle House in Baton Rouge.
The next day was rather uneventful as well. Basically a high speed ride from Baton Rouge through to Texas, stopping about every 120 miles. Riding through Houston during rush hour was somewhat terrifying, and I kind of wished I had my old ZX6 Ninja for that stretch. People say I'm insane for enjoying riding a motorcycle on the freeway in heavy traffic. I do find it enjoyable though. It's an incredible adrenaline rush, zipping between cars and dodging people that are literally trying to run you over. It's like a video game, except when you lose, you don't respawn.
After passing through Houston, I stopped for a break at a truck stop outside of Katy. I hung out for a few hours. There was public camping a couple miles down the freeway, and I had planned to sleep there. When I went out to leave it started raining, and unfortunately I did not have a tent. So I went back inside, rested my head on a table, and slept until dawn. :P
It was now day three. I continued onward on I-10 through Texas. There were some pretty strong crosswinds on the interstate, which made for some interesting handling going 85MPH on a bike that weighs just over 300 pounds. On this day, it became more and more noticeable that I was entering a desert climate. I had started to see cacti, something I haven't seen since I was a kid visiting Arizona. Passing through San Antonio was fairly easy, probably because it wasn't rush hour. It was a beautiful city, and I would have liked to hung out there for a day or two. However, Arizona was my primary objective, and I would be heading back through this area in the next month or so anyway. So, San Antonio, I will have to give you a rain check. BBL.
The problem with finding a place to sleep while traveling at this pace is that by the time it gets dark, you're too tired to go exploring. Fortunately, before it really got dark I reached the Sonora Caverns in damn near the center of Texas. (http://www.cavernsofsonora.com/) They had camping spaces available with fresh water and showers. I hadnt showered since I left Portland, so it was worth the $15 it cost to camp there. It was a great area, and the scenery was quite lovely. Peacocks and deer wandered about the area, unconcerned with the presence of the few humans that were around.
They offered tours of the caves there for $20. I enjoy caves, and have toured a couple before, but I couldn't justify spending the money. Also, paying to explore something doesnt sit quite right with me. I don't really consider that to be adventurous. I think I would rather explore the wonders of this earth without having someone babysit me. Just my personal opinion though.
Day four. Got back on I-10 going West. I really enjoyed this stretch of Texas. Some might call it boring. But I enjoyed the absolute vacancy of the hundreds of miles between towns. After the first 100 miles of the day I stopped at a town called Bakersfield. Bull-fucking-shit. This was not a town. There were two gas stations on either side of the freeway, and nothing else as far as the eye could see. :P
The next leg of the day, I had traveled about 120 miles in one go, and planned to stop for a break at whatever town came next. I set my eyes on the exit for "Kent," being very tired and in the mood for an ice cold soda. There was a small neighborhood and a gas station off the freeway, but unfortunately every structure was boarded up with plywood, and looked like they had not been occupied in quite some time. I did however, find the remains of an old stone building on the other side of the freeway. I grabbed a few photos and got back on the road.
As it got dark I passed through El Paso and into New Mexico, stopping in Las Cruces. I was beyond tired at this point. I went to the local college and hung out in the student union building resting on a couch and listening to music until it closed. I wandered down University Avenue toward an area where there weren't any lights. I took the first dirt road I found, which led to some sort of nature trail. The area seemed sufficiently remote for my purposes. It being about 12:30am, and my entire body aching, again, I was not going to expend the effort to try to find my way out to proper seclusion.
Day Five. I gassed up and booked it out of Las Cruces and further into New Mexico. On the freeway there would be signs warning of dust storm conditions. There would be one advising of these conditions for the next ten miles, then, ten miles later, another advising of the same conditions for the next thirty-five miles. It seemed rather redundant. The route along I-10 was littered with stores that sold fireworks year round.
It is strange that in Portland, where it rains a good many months out of the year, in a rainforest climate, you have to drive great distances to obtain fireworks, which are available only during certain parts of the year. Yet in New Mexico, where the whole goddamn state could burn to the ground due to an errant cigarette butt, they are selling glorious low-grade explosives to any fucker who happens by. I believe I only stopped once in New Mexico, at a truck stop to eat a sandwich and check out the fireworks place next to it. They had canon fuse for sale there. I had not seen canon fuse for sale since I was 14.
As I crossed into Arizona the scenery became more and more beautiful. Several miles East of Benson I passed through a mountainous area with incredibly massive boulders enveloping either side of the freeway, some larger than office buildings. I really regret not stopping to snap a few photos there. There were several places to pull out, but for some reason I passed it up. Look up location "32.049630, -110.086919" in Google maps and check out the street view. After stopping for a quick bite in Benson, I pulled straight through to Tucson.
The mountains surrounding Tucson are absolutely breathtaking. Unfortunately, my camera wasnt able to pick them up in the few pictures I took. Coming in to the larger cities in Arizona, I started to notice a lot more motorcycles than I had seen in the last few days. I was amazed how many of them rode without helmets. Apparently wearing a helmet is not legally required in Arizona. Being somewhat of a fan of natural selection, I am OK with this.
I pulled in to Phoenix in the late afternoon and took the freeway pretty much right up to Feyala's house. I hadn't seen her in about four months, and it was good to be back in her company. I've been chilling at her place for the last few days now. A couple of days ago we took a daytrip to Wickenburg, about an hour outside of the city to see how her bike was handling.
The weather here is absofuckinglutely fabulous. In Portland, you would need to layer up just to go outside for a smoke, and the sun was a rare site. Here in Phoenix I can walk around in a tshirt and shorts quite comfortably. Fey and I are planning on heading out here within the next couple of days, and as I said before, heading East at a much more relaxed pace, seeing what there is to see.
Here's a link to a few photos I've taken along the way so far: http://s229.photobucket.com/albums/.....reniccow/trip/
-Oz
I connected with a flight to Atlanta, during which I had my gaze fixed out the window the entire flight. Most of the people on the airplane looked like they couldnt be more disinterested. Just one hundred years ago, no one in history had ever seen the earth from this height. It's interesting how to think how something so magnificent has become mundane to folks in modern society. Everyone sits there, bored out of their tit, trying to distract themselves with their digital toys and magazines.
After spending the night in the Atlanta airport I took a prop-plane to Mississippi, where I would meet up with the man who would be selling me my new bike; a customized Suzuki DR650. The bike ran great, and had all the features that would meet my needs for this journey. Skid plate (Why the fuck this is not a standard feature on the DR is beyond me), 5 gallon fuel tank, custom seat, which is softer and more wide than the original, and panniers for luggage. This had been the first time I had even sat on a motorcycle since early October, and goddamn it felt good.
I really don't have an objective, or destination, but the first leg of this journey would be to meet up with my friend feyala, currently in Phoenix. She has been wandering about on a motorcycle for the last few months, and we plan to travel together. She said she wanted to head East, and that we could meet up somewhere in the middle of the country. I had a different idea. I hadn't been to Arizona since I was a kid, but I absolutely loved the beauty of the state, and have wanted to return ever since. So the plan would be to head straight over to Phoenix by freeway and see Arizona before Fey left the state. We would take it slow and explore whatever comes our way East.
There isn't too much to write about regarding the first five days of this trip. I didn't do a great deal of exploring off of the beaten path. I kept an eye out for anything that looked like it might be fun to explore, but didn't venture too far from the freeway in order to make good time. I rode south through Mississippi and got on Interstate 10 in New Orleans. I had never seen swamp country before, and the swamps in Southern Louisiana looked like they would be pretty fun to explore.
The first night, I had no idea where I was going to sleep. I explored around the downtown area of Baton Rouge, looking for somewhere I might be able to crash, but nothing stood out immediately. I stopped by a local bar and rested for a while. I was pleasantly surprised that you could still smoke in a bar there. Thank you Louisiana. :3 I asked around if anyone there knew of any good camping spots. I had seen a number of major sporting goods outlets, and it seemed like the kind of town that would have a lot of outdoor enthusiasts. Unfortunately, the only place anyone knew of was a KOA campground on the outskirts of town. I figured, fuck it. Maybe there will be a forested area out that way I can slip into undetected.
No such luck. The area around the KOA was inhabited by countless strip malls, gas stations, and private residences. I was too exhausted from the days ride to try and find the road that led out of town and into the country, rather than the one that led into some neighborhood occupied by people with guns. After wandering around a bit, I stopped at a Waffle House that had an RV parked in the back. "Fuck it." I thought. I figured people would probably assume that the bike was traveling with the RV. So yeah. I camped in the parking lot outside a Waffle House in Baton Rouge.
The next day was rather uneventful as well. Basically a high speed ride from Baton Rouge through to Texas, stopping about every 120 miles. Riding through Houston during rush hour was somewhat terrifying, and I kind of wished I had my old ZX6 Ninja for that stretch. People say I'm insane for enjoying riding a motorcycle on the freeway in heavy traffic. I do find it enjoyable though. It's an incredible adrenaline rush, zipping between cars and dodging people that are literally trying to run you over. It's like a video game, except when you lose, you don't respawn.
After passing through Houston, I stopped for a break at a truck stop outside of Katy. I hung out for a few hours. There was public camping a couple miles down the freeway, and I had planned to sleep there. When I went out to leave it started raining, and unfortunately I did not have a tent. So I went back inside, rested my head on a table, and slept until dawn. :P
It was now day three. I continued onward on I-10 through Texas. There were some pretty strong crosswinds on the interstate, which made for some interesting handling going 85MPH on a bike that weighs just over 300 pounds. On this day, it became more and more noticeable that I was entering a desert climate. I had started to see cacti, something I haven't seen since I was a kid visiting Arizona. Passing through San Antonio was fairly easy, probably because it wasn't rush hour. It was a beautiful city, and I would have liked to hung out there for a day or two. However, Arizona was my primary objective, and I would be heading back through this area in the next month or so anyway. So, San Antonio, I will have to give you a rain check. BBL.
The problem with finding a place to sleep while traveling at this pace is that by the time it gets dark, you're too tired to go exploring. Fortunately, before it really got dark I reached the Sonora Caverns in damn near the center of Texas. (http://www.cavernsofsonora.com/) They had camping spaces available with fresh water and showers. I hadnt showered since I left Portland, so it was worth the $15 it cost to camp there. It was a great area, and the scenery was quite lovely. Peacocks and deer wandered about the area, unconcerned with the presence of the few humans that were around.
They offered tours of the caves there for $20. I enjoy caves, and have toured a couple before, but I couldn't justify spending the money. Also, paying to explore something doesnt sit quite right with me. I don't really consider that to be adventurous. I think I would rather explore the wonders of this earth without having someone babysit me. Just my personal opinion though.
Day four. Got back on I-10 going West. I really enjoyed this stretch of Texas. Some might call it boring. But I enjoyed the absolute vacancy of the hundreds of miles between towns. After the first 100 miles of the day I stopped at a town called Bakersfield. Bull-fucking-shit. This was not a town. There were two gas stations on either side of the freeway, and nothing else as far as the eye could see. :P
The next leg of the day, I had traveled about 120 miles in one go, and planned to stop for a break at whatever town came next. I set my eyes on the exit for "Kent," being very tired and in the mood for an ice cold soda. There was a small neighborhood and a gas station off the freeway, but unfortunately every structure was boarded up with plywood, and looked like they had not been occupied in quite some time. I did however, find the remains of an old stone building on the other side of the freeway. I grabbed a few photos and got back on the road.
As it got dark I passed through El Paso and into New Mexico, stopping in Las Cruces. I was beyond tired at this point. I went to the local college and hung out in the student union building resting on a couch and listening to music until it closed. I wandered down University Avenue toward an area where there weren't any lights. I took the first dirt road I found, which led to some sort of nature trail. The area seemed sufficiently remote for my purposes. It being about 12:30am, and my entire body aching, again, I was not going to expend the effort to try to find my way out to proper seclusion.
Day Five. I gassed up and booked it out of Las Cruces and further into New Mexico. On the freeway there would be signs warning of dust storm conditions. There would be one advising of these conditions for the next ten miles, then, ten miles later, another advising of the same conditions for the next thirty-five miles. It seemed rather redundant. The route along I-10 was littered with stores that sold fireworks year round.
It is strange that in Portland, where it rains a good many months out of the year, in a rainforest climate, you have to drive great distances to obtain fireworks, which are available only during certain parts of the year. Yet in New Mexico, where the whole goddamn state could burn to the ground due to an errant cigarette butt, they are selling glorious low-grade explosives to any fucker who happens by. I believe I only stopped once in New Mexico, at a truck stop to eat a sandwich and check out the fireworks place next to it. They had canon fuse for sale there. I had not seen canon fuse for sale since I was 14.
As I crossed into Arizona the scenery became more and more beautiful. Several miles East of Benson I passed through a mountainous area with incredibly massive boulders enveloping either side of the freeway, some larger than office buildings. I really regret not stopping to snap a few photos there. There were several places to pull out, but for some reason I passed it up. Look up location "32.049630, -110.086919" in Google maps and check out the street view. After stopping for a quick bite in Benson, I pulled straight through to Tucson.
The mountains surrounding Tucson are absolutely breathtaking. Unfortunately, my camera wasnt able to pick them up in the few pictures I took. Coming in to the larger cities in Arizona, I started to notice a lot more motorcycles than I had seen in the last few days. I was amazed how many of them rode without helmets. Apparently wearing a helmet is not legally required in Arizona. Being somewhat of a fan of natural selection, I am OK with this.
I pulled in to Phoenix in the late afternoon and took the freeway pretty much right up to Feyala's house. I hadn't seen her in about four months, and it was good to be back in her company. I've been chilling at her place for the last few days now. A couple of days ago we took a daytrip to Wickenburg, about an hour outside of the city to see how her bike was handling.
The weather here is absofuckinglutely fabulous. In Portland, you would need to layer up just to go outside for a smoke, and the sun was a rare site. Here in Phoenix I can walk around in a tshirt and shorts quite comfortably. Fey and I are planning on heading out here within the next couple of days, and as I said before, heading East at a much more relaxed pace, seeing what there is to see.
Here's a link to a few photos I've taken along the way so far: http://s229.photobucket.com/albums/.....reniccow/trip/
-Oz
