Day
9
There
was ice on the bikes and the temperature was 27° Fahrenheit (about -2.5°
Celsius!). However by the time we were ready to ride, April and Deejay had cleaned
the ice off for everyone. April would often wander around the bikes with her little
can of spray and a cloth, cleaning our windshields for us as well. So it was a
chilly start but the air was crisp and the sky bright blue as we set off on a
60-mile run to the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park. Lala called
a warm-up stop after about 20 miles but most of us felt we could do the rest in
one hit - Lala checked with everyone and off we went. We crossed into Arizona
and after stopping at the Visitors' Centre we headed into the Desert, which, along
with the Petrified Forest, covers 146 square miles (380 km). It takes its name
for the multitude of colours ranging from lavenders to shades of gray with vibrant
reds, oranges and pinks. It is a huge expanse of badland hills and buttes and
although barren and austere, it is a beautiful landscape in a rainbow of colours.
Much of the Painted Desert region is located within the Navajo Nation where Navajo and the Hopi people have lived for at least five hundred and one thousand years, respectively. Route 66 used to run right through the Desert and the Petrified Forest and it was on this road that we set out on our own to see the sights. The Desert looks like an artist's palette - and there are Indian petroglyphs (rock engravings) on Newspaper Rock, dating from hundreds of years ago. The petrified logs are just like rock versions of the originals and the story of how they got to be petrified is interesting. The high, dry plateau surrounding the Petrified Forest National Park was once a vast floodplain. To the south, tall pine-like trees grew along the headwaters of the many rivers and streams and reptiles, amphibians and small dinosaurs lived among a variety of ferns, palms and other plants.
The
trees were later washed down into the floodplain and were covered by silt, mud
and volcanic ash, this blanket of deposits cut off oxygen and slowed the logs'
decay.
Gradually silica-bearing ground waters seeped through the logs and, bit by bit,
encased the original wood with silica deposits. As the process continued, the
silica crystallized into quartz, and the logs were preserved as petrified wood.
The area is also rich in other fossilized plants and animals That was about 225
million years ago in the late Triassic Period. After that time, the area sank,
was flooded and was covered with freshwater sediments. Later the area was lifted
far above sea level, and this uplift created stresses that cracked the giant logs.
Still later, in recent geological time, wind and water wore away the gradually
accumulated layers of hardened sediments. Now the petrified logs and fossilized
animal and plant remains are exposed on the land's surface and the Painted Desert
has its present sculpted form. It was amazing to be able to walk around the logs
just lying in the open - some of them are huge.
We regrouped at a souvenir
shop and in a back room there were some dinosaur fossils still encased in rock.
We lost a lot of time waiting for people to finish their shopping and this would
cause some problems later on. We rode on to Holbrook to visit the Wigwam Motels
- all the rooms are individual Indian teepees and each has an old American car
parked outside. They were part of a motel chain of which only 3 still remain of
the original seven. They were parodied in the movie "Cars" with a traffic-cone
motel called "The Cozy Cone" and are still available to book as accommodation
and are apparently quite comfortable. Chester Lewis built them in 1950 and the
motel is still run by his 3 children who fully renovated the 15 wigwams in 1988
in keeping with the '50s style. Next stop was the corner in Winslow, Arizona made
famous in the Eagles song "Take It Easy" - there was even a flat-bed
Ford parked nearby: Well, I'm a standin' on a corner in Winslow, Arizona Such
a fine sight to see It's a girl my Lord in a flat-bed Ford Slowin' down to take
a look at me
Winslow
suffered badly when Route 66 was replaced by Interstate 40, but the popularity
of the song led to renewed attention for the town. The scene described in the
song is replicated as a trompe-l'oeil mural painted on the side of a building
in Standin' on the Corner Park. In 2004, a fire destroyed the building on which
the mural was painted although the wall and mural survived. In 2006, the city
of Winslow bought the property where the building had stood. The wall with the
mural was preserved and the rest of the building torn down. There is a giant Route
66 sign-painted in the intersection and dodging the traffic, photos were taken
of the braver among us. The corner is off the main road and is a quiet little
enclave without the hype that often happens in the US. There was a gift shop opposite
but it was quite unobtrusive.
It was a neat place to stop - the music was played
and all who wanted to, danced on the street. Now we had an 80-mile dash to the
town of Grand Canyon. Some of us had booked for a helicopter flight over the Grand
Canyon and we had to be there by 4pm - however the earlier delays had put the
pressure on and we split into two groups. Sirda and I joined the flight group
and we basically rode straight through to the airport. The road climbed to 8000
feet and curved through beautiful forested countryside.
We arrived in time
and went in to be weighed - a helicopter needs to be balanced and we were divided
into weight groups and allocated seats accordingly. We took off 
and
flew low over the trees towards the canyon while a recording told us about what
we were about to see although nothing could have prepared us as we swept over
the rim of the Grand Canyon itself - 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 18 miles (29
km) wide and up to a mile deep (1800 metres). We only flew over a small section
but it is stupendous! Nearly two billion years of the Earth's geological history
have been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut their channels
through layer after layer of rock as the Colorado Plateau was uplifted. We could
pick out the many features of the Canyon - the Great Pyramid, Temple of Isis,
Shiva Temple and the Buddha Cloister - It was a fantastic way to finish the day.
We got to the hotel and were undecided where to eat. I had a chat to the concierge
who gave me a map of the little town of Grand Canyon. We saw there was a general
store and so made our way about half a mile up the road. We bought cheese, crackers
and salami plus a 3 litre cask of wine! We had a party in our room that night!
It was a nice change not to eat out.
Day
10
The next
morning it was only 26°F (-3 °C) but it was only a short ride up to the
South Rim of the Canyon. When you are standing on the edge of this huge chasm,
you really appreciate just how amazing it is. Being there made me value the 
flight
yesterday even more. We posed as close to the edge as we dared - not wanting to
become another of the many fatalities caused by overzealous photographic efforts.
The day was warming up quickly and we were in for a hot one. There is even a hotel
way down in the Canyon - the Phantom Ranch, which is only accessible by floating
down the river, by hiking, or by riding a mule! Native Americans have lived in
the area for over 4000 years - the Paiutes, the Cerbat and the Navajo had been
settled there for over 600 years before they were moved onto reservations in 1882.
Our trike riding duo - Chris and Sue - had been to the South Rim before so had
decided to head off to the Skywalk - a round trip of some 400 miles. The Skywalk
is a horseshoe-shaped glass bridge extending 70 feet out and suspended 4000 feet
over the Grand Canyon itself. The floor is made of glass panes, which can support
100 pounds per square foot. Still it would take a strong stomach to step out onto
a transparent panel so far above the canyon floor. Anyway Chris and Sue rode out
there and endured 20 miles on unpaved heavily rutted roads before being charged
$75(US) each for the privilege of parking and walking out onto the bridge! They
rejoined the group in Laughlin in the evening.
Our
morning stop was in Williams, Arizona, which has gone down in history as being
the last town on Route 66 to be bypassed. This was in 1984, a year before the
road itself was decommissioned as a state highway. Williams has kept its charm
and we enjoyed a cup of tea in the old whorehouse and walked the main street with
its 
restored
shops and diners. Over one shop was a huge mural that proclaimed " Freedom
is not Free" with the stars and stripes, the eagle, the coats of arms from
the services and the famous flag raising by 5 Marines and a Navy corpsman on Iwo
Jima in March 1945.
When Seligman was bypassed in 1978, they didn't take
it lying down - the town is known as the birthplace of historic Route 66 because
it is where the rejuvenation of 66 as an historic highway began. The residents
felt forgotten by the world so, led by Angel Delgadillo (of Seligman) and along
with fellow enthusiasts from Kingman (just up the road) they founded the Historic
Route 66 Association of Arizona and through their efforts Route 66 from Seligman
to Kingman became known as "Historic Route 66" - these are the roads
that we had been riding on the tour as their success inspired the formation of
other Route 66 Associations in seven other states, as well as seven international
associations. Seligman has the honour of being the first stop on the longest uninterrupted
stretch left of Route 66 heading west - about 160 miles through to Topeck. We
rode as far as Oatman (100 miles) before turning off towards Laughlin. They have
also replaced the Burma-Shave adverts along the highway - Burma-Shave was an American
brand of brushless shaving cream that became famous for its advertising gimmick
of posting humorous rhyming poems on small, sequential, highway-billboard signs
- they are placed a few hundred yards apart. Here are a couple of examples: Dinah
doesn't / Treat him right / But if he'd / Shave / Dyna-mite! / Burma-Shave Slow
down, Pa / Sakes alive / Ma missed signs / Four / And five / Burma-Shave Seligman
is a wonder of restored Route 66 splendour and the home of the famous Roadkill
Café. Sirda and I checked out the shops and then opted for lunch alfresco
in a little park with a rotunda.
We
had been told to rendezvous at the Roadkill after lunch and so Sirda and I dutifully
rode up to the café, waving to Deejay as we went. At the cafe, only Lee
was there and then bikes started to ride by. Lala had told us that there was a
60 mile stretch of road from Seligman to Hackberry that we could ride ourselves.
Clearly no-one was bothering to meet up at the Roadkill. After the 3rd bike, I
thought 'Bugger this!" so we geared up and set out in pursuit of David and
Amanda on their BMW. I wasn't sure if there were any turnoffs and I didn't know
where we were supposed to meet up so I had to catch the bike ahead to be safe.
I suppose I could have waited for the next bike from behind but I didn't actually
consider that option so the speed started to creep up. I always know when I have
exceeded Sirda's boundaries as I get a severe dig 
in
the ribs - it seems that today was one of those times - I got more than a couple
of "digs"! I was keeping David in sight when we shot over a rise to
see the local Old Bill getting into his patrol car. I buttoned off but he knew
we and the other bikes were pushing it - we were lucky he was otherwise occupied
when we saw him. So we continued down this very, very straight piece of road to
the Hackberry General Store - an apparently derelict oasis in the middle of nowhere
with a very nice 1957 Red Corvette parked outside. There is a stunning '50s vintage
diner inside (unfortunately closed) but there was a motherlode of '66 memorabilia
with some very good bargains. Our purchases only amounted to ice-blocks as the
day had become very hot and dry. As more bikes arrived, the word was that our
erstwhile American cop had pulled over two bikes - Neil and Michelle, and Steve
and Liz. Finally they pulled into the store and it turned out that Steve has been
given a ticket for dangerous driving. Apparently Steve and Liz had pulled alongside
Neil and Michelle so that Liz could take a photo of the other bike against the
landscape. This was on a road where you could see for miles in every direction
and the pillion was the photographer! I think the cop was just pissed that he
couldn't get anyone for speeding so he decided to take out his frustration where
he could. The irony is that Steve has just retired from the Police in the UK!
He also celebrated his 50th birthday on the tour.
Next stop was the Mother
Road Harley dealer in Kingman although there were more farm and quad bikes on
display than Harleys plus a new 1800 Gold Wing - very nice. It was getting well
into the afternoon but we still had some surprises in store for us. Lala had been
promising us some twisty roads to ride and especially after the run to Hackberry,
I was really looking forward to it as we carried on down old Route 66 to a place
called Cold Springs - yet another isolated shop and mini-museum. I don't think
the proprietor did too well out of us that day as we were shopped out. I had made
sure we were the first bike behind Lala as we pulled in as she intended to send
us off at intervals to enjoy the 9 miles ands 122 corners through to Oatman. She
rode on ahead to find a spot to photograph each of us on the road and Preacher
managed the staged take-off. I got away first and settled into the ride - the
Electraglide is not the most agile of bikes and I didn't know the road but it
was a very enjoyable run. The road surface was poor but the corners just kept
coming - up and over the hill, sweeping down past the mines and into Oatman -
a town where time appeared to have stopped in the 1880s, judging by the building
facades and the boardwalks.
We
found a place to park at the far end of town outside the derelict Glory Hole Hotel,
took off our helmets etc and waited for the rest of the bikes to roll in. It wasn't
long before the first bike pulled up - surprisingly it was Preacher who had been
the last bike to leave Cold Springs and had to overtake 18 other bikes to arrive
first after me - very impressive, as was the very satisfied grin on his bearded
face. Most of the town was closed but we wandered along the main street almost
expecting see Wyatt Earp and the Dalton brothers or at least the ghost of John
Wayne saunter from one of the back alleys! One shop was open so we had a look
around - knives are on sale everywhere and Preacher quite openly wore a large
sheath knife on his belt. This shop has the usual range including flick knives
but there was also a big collection of knuckledusters and truncheon-like clubs.
When I commented that all these would be illegal in New Zealand, the lady behind
the counter was insistent that the availability and legality of these weapons
was the reason that they had a low crime rate - I didn't have the facts to argue
but I am pretty sure that the US has a 
significantly
higher rate of violent crime than we do. However each to their own I suppose.
It
was dark by the time we reached Laughlin and I think that was just the way that
Preacher and Lala had planned it. The road took us along the river opposite this
casino town and a fantastic display of neon lit up the facades of the many casinos,
reflecting them in the quiet waters. We then crossed a bridge and rode into the
main street to our hotel (and casino) - the Aquarius. Although Laughlin is small
in comparison to Las Vegas, it seemed big and brash and garish as the casinos
competed for business in the bright lights on the skyline. Laughlin is famous
for being the home of the Laughlin River Run - an annual biker rally that draws
tens of thousands every year. It started back in 1983 with about 400 participants
and has since grown into the largest biker gathering in the western United States.
The 2002 rally was marred by a major fight between the Hells Angels and the Mongols
at Harrah's Laughlin Casino that left three dead and 13 injured - all captured
on CCTV.
Day
11
Today was
to be our shortest riding day of the tour - only 100 miles (160 kms). This was
to give us more time to explore Las Vegas. We backtracked towards Kingman so we
could pick up old Route 66. We were riding through primarily desert country now
and the road would climb a hill, then drop down and across the valley before climbing
the next rise. The Golden Valley is literally surrounded by mountains - to the
north and northwest is the Lava Mountains, and to the southeast, the Almond range.
The valley is probably one of the most secluded areas in the Mojave and the town
of Golden Valley was clearly visible among the scrubby vegetation as we descended
but almost disappeared among the mesquite and Joshua trees as we rode through,
only to reappear as we climbed the next ridge. The buildings are single-storey
and well spread out and they tend to blend in with their surroundings. Our first
stop was to be the Hoover Dam - Route 66 used to go over the dam but an 
impressive
new bridge over it was completed in 2010. However true to form, Lala took us over
the bridge and then down to and over the dam. We stopped first at the Lake Mead
lookout - Lake Mead was formed from the dammed waters and is the largest reservoir
in the States, covering 250 square miles (640 sq kms), which is actually bigger
than Lake Taupo (238 sq miles or 616 sq kms).
The Hoover Dam itself was
completed in 1935 at a cost of $US49 million and over 100 lives. It is 1244 feet
(379m) long and 726 feet (221m) high and holds back 32.5 cubic kilometres of water.
The exterior decoration is Art Deco in keeping with the era and the designers
incorporated motifs from the local Navajo and Pueblo tribes. The dedication plaza
has a 30 ft high bronze sculpture of two winged figures flanking a flagpole called
"Winged Figures of the Republic". We went over the dam and up the other
side to a vantage point where we could look back at it and the new bridge, which
was as striking in its modernity as the dam would have been in the '30s. It is
the highest and longest arched concrete bridge in the Western Hemisphere. It was
getting really hot and we were glad to be back on the bikes for the final run
through Boulder City and into Las Vegas. Lala took us right up the Strip past
all the casinos - Caesar's Palace, the Venetian, the Flamingo - all the names
that we already knew from the movies. We were staying in the Excalibur, named
for King Arthur's sword and with turrets and towers straight from Camelot. As
usual the rooms were roomy and comfortable. Our first concern was a late lunch,
which was had at Baja Fresh - serving Tex-
Mex
food, which we both enjoy and which is generally gluten-free. We took a stroll
next door to the Luxor, modeled on the Great Pyramid of Giza. Stunning as it was
from the outside, the inside is stunning, featuring larger-than-life reproductions
of Pharaoh statues and Egyptian symbols, and scriptures carved on the walls.
That
afternoon 3 couples on the tour decided to renew their vows in the Chopper Chapel
at the Harley Davidson Café - David and Amanda from Australia, and Mikhail
and Marina, Ivan and Elena from Russia. Sirda suggested that we should do the
same but I reminded her that I hadn't forgotten the original ones just yet (it's
only been 30 years!). It was really fun and we enjoyed supporting our tour companions
for what was an important occasion for them. The café has a long conveyor
belt that revolves around the whole café and has various H-D models suspended
from it.
It wasn't operating that day we were there but Preacher said that
it is quite freaky as the bikes sway and shake as they pass over your head. Las
Vegas really comes to life when darkness falls although in Vegas, it is never
really dark - the neon takes care of that. Canadian Paul joined Sirda and I on
our exploration down the Strip, which is about 4 miles long and we walked there
and back! He had been here before and was a really good guide.
On
our excursion we:
·
Admired New York, New York and walked along the Brooklyn Bridge (but were not
so keen on the roller coaster)
· Wondered at the erupting volcano at
the Mirage
· Were enthralled with the musical fountain display at the
Bellagio
·
Loved the Pirate Ship at Treasure Island
· Were impressed with the Venetia
with its canals and gondoliers and St Mark's Square
· Loved Paris and
the Eiffel Tower
· Were overwhelmed with the sheer size of Caesar's
Palace
· And more.
It
was a great evening and made all the more memorable by sharing it with Paul. Dave
and Martin looked the little worse for wear in the morning. They had managed to
find an all night tattooist and now sported matching Route 66 shield tattoos on
their calves!
Day
12
Early start
- clear and hot (and getting hotter) as we headed for Victorville - our first
night in California. We were still riding across the Mojave Desert - wide-open
arid scenery and two-lane blacktop as far as the eye could see. The air was so
clear that the mesas and cliffs in the distance looked like they were painted
onto the landscape. On the way out of Vegas, we cruised along the Veterans' Highway
- each section is dedicated to a particular conflict - WWI, WWII, Korean, Vietnam,
Persian, Global War on Terror. We happened to be riding behind Mark, an American
from Florida and a Vietnam vet himself. As we passed the dedication sign for Vietnam,
he saluted the sign as he rode by - those of us that were lucky enough not to
have been involved in these wars, can never know what experiences Mark and his
fellow soldiers have suffered. Mark was on the tour with his best mate Ray and
they constantly chatted over their intercom. They have clearly been riding companions
for years.
First stop was an old school house in Goffs, a nearly deserted one-time
railroad town at Route 66's high point in the East Mojave Desert. It is unique
in design (mission style) and construction (wood frame and stucco over steel mesh)
and was built in 1914 - the classroom was also used for dances, church services,
and community affairs of all kinds and there are two large covered porches, which
was where the custodian gave us the history of Goffs and the schoolhouse. He and
his wife had been volunteers traveling miles every weekend to support the restoration
of Goffs before being offered the chance to live onsite. They are clearly passionate
about it as they also take oral histories from the local farmers and retired railway
workers.
It was a long hot ride to Amboy where we stopped at Roy's Motel
and Café. Amboy has been a railhead/staging post since 1858 and purportedly
still has its water delivered by railcars or trucked in from outside. Although
Amboy now has a population of fewer than 10; during the heyday of Route 66, after
WWII and before the opening of Interstate 40 in 1974, Roy's alone employed up
to 90 full time employees to service its garage, gas station, motel and café.
The town died overnight when Interstate 40 opened in 1973 taking away all the
traffic that used to travel through Amboy on Route 66.
Today was perfect;
the sun was shining on Roy's with its 1950s charm and the Route 66 logos in the
road and there was not a car in sight. The road disappears in a straight line
for miles in both directions at Amboy so we put Martin's bike by the Route 66
sign in the middle of it and posed for the obligatory photos. There is also a
huge 6000-year-old volcanic crater nearby rising 250 feet from the desert floor
right beside old Route 66 as 
you
ride by.
The Bottle Tree Ranch created by Elmer Long in Oro Grande was
our next stop and is one of the most impressive attractions along Route 66, featuring
hundreds with bottle-filled trees. Elmer has welded "arms" onto tall
metal poles and then stuck bottles onto the arms to create the bottle trees. The
trees are topped off with weird bits and pieces - guns, toy cars, trombones etc.
We rode on into Victorville where we stopped at the first and only motel on the
tour. It was a little tired and old fashioned but clean and comfortable. Sirda
and I caught up on our washing. Michelle from the UK turned 40 and had a party
in the local diner!
Day
13
Another
early start- our last day on the bikes as we were to ride into LA to the end of
Route 66 on Santa Monica Pier. We took the freeway out of Victorville and onto
the last section of old Route 66 that we would ride. It follows the freeway then
turns right and more or less stops. Our last view of the original Mother Road
was from an embankment looking back a mile or so down the asphalt ribbon of road
that has meant so much to millions of travellers and now had become part of our
collective memories. We had shared so much, so many miles and we were so nearly
at the end.
It
was getting very hot and the air-cooled Harley V-twin wasn't helping much, especially
as we got held up in traffic - the rear cylinder exhaust was roasting my leg and
I'd rather not say how the engine heat was affecting my nether regions. We hauled
up onto the freeway and headed for Hollywood! Somehow Preacher, Lala, April and
Deejay managed to keep us together in a white knuckle ride down a sun-drenched
and very busy 4-6 lane highway. We stuck mainly to the centre lanes and took our
chances on the interchanges. We were still together when we pulled off onto the
parking building right by Hollywood Boulevard.
We walked down the boulevard
and checked out Grauman's Chinese Theatre and the hand- and footprints of the
stars. We were all dying for a drink (non-alcoholic of course) and as it was Lloyd's
60th birthday, we all thought Hooters was the most appropriate place to go. We
bowled on in and ordered 6 Cokes. There were two young very attractive waitresses
on duty who were happy to pose with Lloyd under the Hooters sign, and by the grin
on his face, I think he will remember where he was that particular birthday! Surprisingly
the drinks weren't expensive!
Back onto the bikes - for the first and only
time it was Sirda and I who held everyone up as we were last back to the rendezvous.
Onto Beverly Hills where Lala led us through some very expensive properties -
some probably more valuable that the GDP of certain small countries. We photostopped
at the Beverly Hills sign and we were never more grateful to April and her water.
The heat was tremendous and some were feeling the effects very badly.
The final
part of our ride was through Santa Monica to the famous pier - now officially
the westernmost point and end of Route 66. The original pre-1939 alignment of
Route 66 ended in downtown Los Angeles. Later it was changed and eventually ended
up in Santa Monica. Technically the Santa Monica Pier is not the real end of Route
66 as it ends a block away from the pier at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard
and Ocean Avenue. The Will Rogers Highway Dedication Plaque is across the street
in Palisades Park, but the pier is close enough to count!
We rode right
onto the pier, clattering across the wooden planks that form the decking. We parked
up and suddenly the realization that it was all over dawned on us. We hugged and
shook hands and high-fived each other. Exhilaration tinged with sadness. It had
been a fabulous two weeks and we would soon part ways with our newfound friends
- and as we had traveled from all across the world there was a note of finality
in our celebrations as we stood in the sun on that wooden pier.
We had some
time to wander around and there is a tall sign proclaiming the "end of the
trail" where we took our last group photo. We all grabbed a bite to eat and
watched the world go by - families and couples promenading and watching the street
entertainers.
The beach below the pier was busy with swimmers and sunbathers.
And then it
was time to go - to ride to EagleRiders, return the bikes and catch the bus to
our hotel - right on the Pacific Ocean at Redondo Beach. The bikes were checked
and signed out - I don't know of anyone having to pay for any untoward wear and
tear but then I didn't ask Mikhail and Ivan. I had the opportunity to meet Shawn
Fetcher, the manager of EagleRiders in LA - a really nice guy who is keen to
make the riding experience for us the best it can be. I think we may be back for
more!
That night Shawn hosted our farewell dinner at a local seafood restaurant
- absolutely beautiful food with an almost open bar. It was a great end to a great
trip. We had been really lucky with the weather only one day with some wind and
rain, otherwise perfect riding weather, if a little hot at times and we had seen
and shared so much. Everyone was a little subdued but the evening went really
well. I had a chat with Ivan and Mikhail, our Russian boys - it turns out that
they have a Harley V-Rod and Valkyrie Rune back home in the Ukraine.
