Day 1 (10-08-07)
I was excited to get going, but sad at the same time. The puppies knew that something was up. Their beds are in the living room and they see me doing stuff that doesn’t jive with my normal routine for work in the morning. I don’t like the idea of someone else caring for them other than me. I like to think that I take better care of them than anyone else.
A breakfast of some scrambled eggs, and the last of a bottle of orange juice. Then take the trash out, and leave the lights on so the doggies won’t be in the dark. Now just time to shut the door and get rolling.
I made good time to Amarillo, despite a cold front blowing through and having 20-30 mph winds blowing me around. I decided to swing by and see Forrest (flb_78) for a bit while I was close by. Forrest is one of my best friends when it comes to motorcycling and I will always swing by to say hi when I’m within a couple hundred miles. If you’ve never met him that I will honestly say that you are missing out. He is a one of a kind individual that everyone should know at one point or another. Sorry no pictures of that encounter. But it was chilly out and I was busy sipping a hot cocoa from the front store. I stayed for a bit, but he was quite busy trying to work so I pressed on.
West on 40 for just a bit until I reached Vega.
For those that don’t know what Vega looks like, just picture the town featured in the movie Cars but in real life. It is ironic how similar they look. Right down to the single blinking red light on the main drag (old Route 66 BTW). Vega just happens to be one of my favorite towns in the state for that very reason. Time hasn’t changed it much.
Still reading, or already skipping to the pic’s??? Just wondering.
Leaving out of Vega on 385 I spotted a bike on the left side of the road so I pulled over to see if I could render assistance if it was needed. Well it turns out he was just stopped to take a picture of the wind generators, so I decided to stop and take a few as well. But then he spotted my screen name stickers on the side of the bike and asked if I was with TWT?!?!?!? Holy crap, I can’t go anywhere alone!!!! It was cruisin (aka Kievan) from the forum out on a day ride! Busted!!
We chatted a bit, he gave me some tips on places to camp maybe and some killer routes to get up into Colorado. So off I went…
385, to 87, to 64… yes, boring roads. Still, even as desolate as they were there was a certain peacefulness to them. I was on a trip after all and I really do believe that every part of it had it’s purpose. On those roads, it was to make me more familiar with my MP3’s…. LOL. But still fun.
Into New Mexico and time to find my first “good” road of the trip.
Yes, I know this pic doesn’t look like much, but trust me the road is worth riding. Just watch out for wildlife, it’s everywhere out here. Turkeys, deer, cattle, goats, and a host of other critters were out and about to keep me on my toes. This road is 72 out of Des Moines, NM in case you were wondering.
I couldn’t find the park that Kievan told me about so I pressed on and tried to make it into Colorado, and Trinidad State Park.
Ahhhhh, Raton pass, and mountains. Finally!!!!
Trinidad is a neat little town perched in a quiet little valley with a HUGE state park that is almost the size of the town itself. I paid the quite high camp site fee of $21 and went about finding a decent spot.
Yep, table to cook on, and a view of the lake, what more could I ask for?
After a dinner of Beef Stroganoff and some water, it was time to turn in and read a little and fill out that dreaded little journal…. Good night. Tomorrow…. Mountains…