Now that the warmer (and drier) weather is starting to peek around here in the East Bay, I thought it was time to give Donna a gift, and do something to protect her seat. Thanks to Rafa and Suzy at Cheeky Seats, I was able to get a perfectly-fitting seat cover!
Not-so-shameless-plug, if you are in the market for a scooter seat cover, you can’t go wrong with the Cheeky Seats covers. Quality covers, a nice selection and styles available, and very communicative about the entire process!
Before we get into the seat cover, let’s look at why Donna needed one.
Donna’s Seat, no cover.Donna’s Seat, no cover, right side.
As you can see, the seat is looking a little rough – cracks all through the seat, and starting to get down to the foam underneath. The worst parts are where the seat hits the handlebars/control covers when the seat is raised. The right side is particularly bad, with the leather having split. The buckles are also pretty rusty. Let’s do what we can to fix all of that!
Once payday hit, I went to Cheeky Seats, and had difficulty choosing between the Premium Matte Black seat cover and the Distressed Whiskey seat cover. After a few painstaking minutes of bouncing back and forth (…and a coin flip), I ended up with the Premium Matte Black (it fits the scooter better anyway I guess.). So, I ordered it.
…Minutes went by before I received an e-mail from Suzy at Cheeky Seats, with all sorts of fun questions related to thread color – something I hadn’t even considered! She sent recommendations (a variety of grey and blue), after verifying which specific Stella I had (though me saying “…she’s Donna colored” probably didn’t help). The stitching would be prominent along the edges and the seat strap. I opted for the “Light Gray” to pop against the black cover, but still remain classy.
(I won’t share the images that were exchanged via email, since I didn’t ask for permission 😉 ).
With the colors decided, the seat order was finalized. I received it roughly a week later.
The seat cover on the way, I went about the exciting tasks of refinishing the seat strap buckles, as I would need to re-use them. A quick search of the internet showed how difficult it was to find new ones to purchase (though I never contacted any shops or online stores…figured if I couldn’t find a part number, or it on the various websites, I wasn’t going to dig further).
So, off to the hardware store I went, to get sandpaper (various grits), some primer, and some metallic paint (not pictured).
The sandpaper took a lot of rust off:
Sanded off rust. Guess which buckle.
The next few days saw the “Paint and Wait” cycle. Spray, let it dry, sand, spray, let it dry, sand, and so on. I was probably not as patient as I should have been (especially taking the cool weather into consideration), but overall, I was happy with the job. The timing was pretty good, too, as the seat and strap arrived shortly after I finished the painting!
So, on to reassembly!
After clamping the buckles back on the seat strap, I was ready to get the cover on Donna, and get back to riding!
Front of the reassembled buckle.Back of a painted buckle.Seat Strap….ASSEMBLE!
Seat strap assembled, it was time to put it all together on Donna.
The seat cover is a tight fit (intentionally), and I was informed that any wrinkles would “smooth out in the sun and as you ride.” So far, so good.
Right side, covered up.Left side, covered up!
Looks really good! Since the pictures were taken, the wrinkles have ironed themselves out, as promised!.
What better way to celebrate the new seat cover (and a tune up, courtesy of the San Francisco Scooter Centre, who are always amazed at a Stella with now over 18,000 miles on the odometer)? Why, a ride through some gorgeous roads!
So a few days later, I took Donna to work, and Pinehurst road over the hills on my way home. The road did not disappoint!
Pinehurst Road, Moraga side.Pinehurst Road
With better weather on the horizon, look for more entries!
It’s been a while since I’ve added some adventures here. I’ll probably add some more about Sarah and Jenny’s visits….soon. But worry not, I’ve been exploring my new home!
I’ve wanted to get out for a few weeks, on my own, and explore some more that the East Bay has to offer, and Joaquin Miller Park definitely did not disappoint. A Redwood, Eucalyptus, and Pine tree Oasis, it offers a respite from the city and suburbs that make up my day-to-day life.
There was plenty of uphill climbing in this park. A very nice cascade leading up to the Woodminster Amphitheater, which seems to offer shows during the summer, was built in 1937 by the PWA (Public Works Administration).
To be fair, I only explored the southwestern third of the park, and not even that in it’s entirety. But I’ll just leave some pictures as the rest of this post, and either add more or a new post when I get to do some of the other trails (like the Cinderella trail, or the Big Trees trail).
After going stir crazy for about a week without Donna, I finally had a chance to get out and do some exploring in between job applications.
On 8/12, I took a quick trip up to the Chabot Science Center, in preparation for going to watch the meteor shower later that night (which, while I saw a handful, was quickly shrouded by fog). Because I did this drive around dusk, I wasn’t able to take any meaningful pictures, but I can assure you there were some nice vistas along the way. Maybe I will take a few pictures if I head that way again.
On 8/16, as a reprieve from several apps and dealing with a few other things, I took advantage of the nice Bay Area weather and headed north, to Inspiration Point, just outside of Berkeley, CA.
Inspiration Point, located within the Tilden parks, has many, many hiking trails running through it, a Merry-Go-Round, a miniature Steam Train, and Botanical Gardens. For this particular trip, I wanted to take a bit of a hike to clear my mind, and found myself on the highly rated Nimitz Way Trail.
Nimitz Way Trail, with Altitude marker, courtesy of hikingproject.com.
The Nimitz Way Trail, named after US Navy Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, who often hiked the trails in the Tilden Regional Park, is a paved, rolling path a little more than 4 miles one-way (making it an 8-mile round trip), and boasts some wonderful views of the Bay Area.
To be honest, it’s been a rather long time since I’ve done a hike that long – when I was younger (and a Boy Scout), 10 mile day trips weren’t bad. This one wasn’t bad either, but I didn’t come prepared enough – while I did have the camelpak I used during the epic scooter ride, I didn’t bring snacks, or more water – another bottle would have gone a long way. All-in-all, I made it roughly 2 miles in, and 2-miles back (so halfway).
That said, there were some lovely photo opportunities. According to everything I’ve read, there are even more at the end of the trail. Soon. With company, hopefully. Hiking on your own is nice, but having company always helps the miles tick by, right?
That said, on to the pictures!
Eucalyptus Grove on Nimitz WayView from a residential neighborhood in Berkeley, CA. You can see the city of SF very nicely from here.Inspiration Point, Tilden Regional Park. Since this is a “scooter blog” I had to include Donna, right? 😉View towards the Bay Area
I’ll definitely go again, better prepared with more water, and some snacks.
The landscape was very pretty, albeit a bit dry (since it hasn’t rained since I’ve gotten here!). In the spring this is supposed to turn into “Fields of emeralds with Nimitz way acting as the Yellow Brick Road.” That will be a sight to see!
As for Inspiring…..I’ll get back to you when I do the entire trail 😉
Want to Help? That would be super-cool!
The trip, which took 8 days, took a rather large hit to the ol’ wallet, so I am happy to take any donations my generous friends would like to offer. For reference:
$50 pays for the new rear tire (Michelin S1)
$88 pays for the install of the rear tire
$50 pays for the replacement front shock, as I seem to have blown the old one out somewhere along the way (creating a dangerous shudder!)
$88 pays for the install of the new front shock
Remember, no obligation, no demands, no expectations!
If you would like to donate, feel free to leave a comment (they are private until I approve them, or you can email me at bryrhoey at gmail) and I can set that up, or you can send me money via PayPal! 🙂
After arriving in Oakland, which was my final destination, we both took a well-deserved rest – it’s been a long 8 days, right?
The next day, unloaded (thankfully), we began to make the journey from Oakland to SF Scooter Center. As I noted in previous blog posts, I noticed that I had a small oil leak, and that there seemed to be a bit of a shimmy in the front end, especially at slow speeds. With this in mind, we CAREFULLY made our way to cross the SF Bay Bridge.
I’ll break this trip up into three parts: (1) Eastern Half of the bridge (aka “The New Part”), (2) Western Half of the bridge (aka “The Old Part”), and SF Proper.
The Eastern Half
Getting onto the bridge wasn’t a problem – I felt like I had good control, speeds were down because of traffic, which was great…until it wasn’t. We were traveling across the bridge at around 25 mph…which seemed to be the sweet drop for the wobbling and shimmying to get more involved. Firmly in the right lane, we limped across the Eastern Half of the bridge, basically white-knuckling it and adjusting my speed accordingly as the wobbling got more intense/eased up.
I suppose the grooved pavement of the bridge didn’t help matters much at all, either.
This part of the trip was EASILY the most nerve wracking, scary part of the entire drive. Not the ride from Oakland to SF. From Indiana to California. Absolutely terrifying because of the wobble.
The Western Half
Traffic was key in keeping the speed down below that sweet spot…we moved slowly, yet steadily at around 10-15 mph. I was glad for it. No major issues, and a little room to breathe.
SF Proper
Finding the SF Scooter Centre, for someone who has very limited driving experience in SF (I rented a ZipCar once and drove around…admittedly, that was a lot of fun), was difficult at first. Partially due to the fact that I don’t know the area all that well, partially because Google Maps kept wanting to give me new directions as we drove, and partially because I was only listening to Google Maps, and did not have it on the Cell Phone mount.
In any case, stop and go wasn’t too bad, and we found it, a strong variety of Genuine, Classic Vespa, and Lambretta scooters proudly displayed out front.
SF Scooter Centre
Pulled in to the parking area, and introduced myself to the Owner, Barry, and the gentleman working the front counter, Diego. We chatted about the trip I had just taken (they marveled that a Stella could do that! Honestly, don’t blame them, but Donna is one-of-a-kind 😉 ), and about my time as the Manager at Wick’s Wheels – all in all, a very pleasant chat.
They come out to do the check-in inspection on Donna, which is when I tell them about the wobbling issue. One of them takes Donna for a quick spin, parks her, and asks how long the steering has been bent.
*record scratch* Wait what?
BACKSTORY TIME!
In early 2014, a friend was strongly considering buying a Stella 4T, because it is just too cool (obviously, Stella’s are rad). However, she had never shifted on a motorcycle, and was very keen to learn. So learn we did – practicing in the parking lot at the mall by Longhorn Steakhouse in Bloomington.
She miss calculated a turn, and ended up hitting the curb with the footrest, damaging the floorboard and left side cowl. The front mudguard also got scraped up from when she came to rest. My friend was alright, more pride hurt than anything. Donna drove and tracked fine – I ended up driving her home after making sure my friend was alright. Over that spring break, she went to the shop for body repair, which Michael did an amazing job with. Coincidentally, that spring break trip was to San Francisco…
-End Backstory-
Other than the above incident…no, Donna has not been in an accident. There were no major events which would have had the chance to bend the steering – didn’t hit any pot holes, curbs, other vehicles, etc. during this trip. Bent steering? That’s a very costly repair! Sigh…
Keys were tossed to the other, who sat on her and bounced for a moment. He then looked at me, and asked “So when did you blow your shock?”
Normally, this question would not be one to elicit relief…but a shock is a lot easier and cheaper to replace compared to the steering!
So the verdict was in: SF Scooter Centre would be replacing:
Rear tire (with another Michelin S1)
Front Shock (with a stock replacement)
Seek and repair oil leak if within an hour
Now let me tell you, it was a LONG week and a half while the parts were ordered and the work was done. I did my best to be courteous and give them time, though I do admit I was *that* guy, stopping in once when I was in the area for an update, and calling another. But I like to think I wasn’t hounding them about it.
I was just very eager to ride.
Also very eager to not have to walk the mile to the grocery store when I needed something.
Also very eager to explore.
Can you blame me? No? Ok, good.
Finally got the call yesterday (August 11) that she was done, and made plans to pick her up today (August 12).
Everything was done – tire replaced, oil leak repaired (it was coming from the aftermarket breather filter….they added a longer hose so oil couldn’t reach the opening. Whoops, my bad, that was my initial solution)…and the front shock was replaced (not with a stock Stella one, due to some shop miscommunication, I was given a killer deal on a Piaggo VSX/VNX OEM Vespa Front Shock – thanks guys!).
But wait, that’s not all! I found out through trial and error they went above and beyond expectation:
Rear brake cable adjusted
Clutch cable adjusted
Idle adjusted
Small things that I didn’t ask for, but were needed to be done anyway, all done as part of the service!
So, $345.06 later, Donna, is back on the road.
And so am I.
Want to Help? That would be super-cool!
The trip, which took 8 days, took a rather large hit to the ol’ wallet, so I am happy to take any donations my generous friends would like to offer. For reference:
$50 pays for the new rear tire (Michelin S1)
$88 pays for the install of the rear tire
$50 pays for the replacement front shock, as I seem to have blown the old one out somewhere along the way (creating a dangerous shudder!)
$88 pays for the install of the new front shock
Remember, no obligation, no demands, no expectations!
If you would like to donate, feel free to leave a comment (they are private until I approve them, or you can email me at bryrhoey at gmail) and I can set that up, or you can send me money via PayPal! 🙂
Today was the final day of the trip, and I am exhausted! It was also the shortest day (distance-wise). Probably a toss up for hardest day (between yesterday through Nevada and today).
Actually, I think yesterday’s trip was harder. There was a very good spot on today.
Miles traveled today: 288.4 miles
Total miles traveled: 2,480.3 miles
The day started rather late (7:30 pacific time), but I needed the extra sleep (since I had stayed up “late” to watch Game of Thrones at the hotel. Priorities, people). The drive from Fallon, NV to Carson City was….uneventful for the most part. US-50 runs along the Lahanotan Reservoir (not to be confused with Lake Lahanotan, mentioned yesterday), which was very pretty drive along the sunrise with.
One notable thing near Carson City: there was a sign warning motorists that the area was a horse crossing on US-50. About 50 feet behind that sign, about 3 horses were standing in the middle of the road (well, very slowly making their way across it). I wonder how they got the horses to cross between the signs? Maybe they ARE smarter than some people 😉
After a gas-up and left turn onto US-395/NV/CA-88, I came to the Nevada-California border.
Welcome to California!
Across the street was a rather nice picture I couldn’t miss taking.
Creek and Field. Nevada-California border
From there, it was a climb into the Sierra Nevada mountains.
As with the Rockies, using words to describe this part of the trip aren’t sufficient. Like the Rockies and Adirondacks, there was as close to a religious experience as I’ve had. A chance to just stand, look around, and ask “How does this exist?”
Pictures will have to do the talking.
Sierra Nevada’s. LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT PINECONE PEOPLESierra NevadasThere’s snow in them there hills.Yep, snow. In August. In the Mountains. Also, yes, I am looking particularly scruffy in this picture. I didn’t bring shaving implements for the ride 😉Sierra Nevada’s. Overlooking Red LakeCarson Pass, overlooking Red Lake
CA-88 took me through Carson Pass (elevation 8,652′), which afforded a beautiful overlook.
Sierra Nevada’s, just past Carson Pass
The uphill (eastern) climb was significantly steeper compared to the downhill (western) slope. Aside from one stop just after Carson Pass (construction – turned CA-88 into a 1-lane road for a few miles, meaning we got to sit and wait for our turn for about 20 minutes…good thing there was shade and it was relatively cool!), the drive down was pleasant, even if it was getting noticeably warmer.
I stopped for gas/bathroom break as I descended at a charming little station (the location of which I forget, aside from the fact it was on CA-88 on the western side of the mountains). After chatting with some local motorcyclists (who were having problems getting the gas cap to pop up on a brand new Harley) about the trip, I went inside the little store. There, I was greeted by the 19-ish-year old feral cat resident (according to the attendant).
Kitty!
In the bathroom, I was greeted with a clever hand soap dispenser.
Soaps!
Descending into the California Valley was…alarming. The temperature, which had been acceptable but getting warmer, all of a sudden became very, very hot. Hair Dryer in an Oven, I think my cousin Gina called Nevada. Nevada was nothing compared to this. The heat, combined with little vegetation for much of the drive, and signs indicating that trucks should slow down to to gusty winds ahead made the drive more than a little nerve wracking. I made sure to stop often to soak my shirt with water as I did in Utah/Nevada, to do my best to keep cool.
To further complicate matters, it is about this time I noticed a small wobble in Donna at slow speeds. I thought, at the time, that it was due to improper weight distribution (the back was loaded much more than the front). At high speeds, the issue cleared up, so I didn’t think it was a huge issue at the time, as long as I was very careful.
I made my way through the Valley (via Stockton), stopping often to fill up the camelpak with water, and to give Donna and myself a rest. The GPS decided to take me through the Mount Diablo region, which, while pretty and likely fun to drive unburdened, had quite a bit of traffic (both fast and slow), and was extremely hot. The road felt like it went on forever, and not in a good way. It might have been the heat. It might have been the fact I had been going for 8 days. It might be that the goal was in sight.
Finally, Mount Diablo opened up to the Walnut Creek area – a chance to take a break and cool down. A quick check of the GPS while I sipped a nice, refreshing Iced Tea provided me with two options:
1. I could travel the backroads through the area, which would likely take me 1-1.5 hours of driving.
2. I could hop on CA-24 (a freeway), and be there in approximately a half hour.
To me, the choice was clear. After reading up on the California Freeway requirements, I determined that I was safe enough legally-wise to drive on it (as Donna is a 150cc, the minimum for driving on a California Freeway), I followed the signs for CA-24.
The experience was not as terrifying as I thought it would be (or as scary as driving on IN-37 in Bloomington before construction), and was mostly pleasant. Yes, I rode in the slow lane, cruising around 55/60 downhill. The weather was still overwhelmingly hot though, and I wondered when it would cool down as I entered the Caldecott Tunnels. The tunnel basically went straight down, under the mountain, and emerged in a MUCH cooler Oakland.
I’m talking about 95*+ to 70*ish. It felt wonderful.
From there, it was about a 10 minute drive off the highway and through neighborhoods to reach what will be my new home (will be, because it will take time to feel like home): Oakland.
(though I can see the Emeryville City Line sign from my window, so Oakville? Emeryland?)
And that’s it. 2,480.3 miles. 8 days. Lots of adventure, and sights I was likely to never see.
Bryan and Donna’s trip across America.
There was one casualty I immediately noticed, after unpacking, though:
RIP Stella badge. I’ll re-apply you at some point.
I will be posting a reflection blog in the coming days, as I look back, re-read, and have Donna serviced at the San Francisco Scooter Centre. Look for it soon!
Want to Help? That would be super-cool!
Than trip should take an estimated 10 days maximum, and roughly 3,000 miles. That will take a bit of a toll on the ol’ wallet, so I am happy to take any donations my generous friends would like to offer. For reference:
$3 will get me approximately 70 miles closer to my goal.
$15 will feed me for the day
$35 will get me one night at a Tent Campsite at a KOA Campsite
$40 will buy me one tire when I get to my destination (as the rear tire will likely be spent by then!)
$75 will get me one night at a hotel (and more importantly, a shower!)
If you would like to donate, feel free to leave a comment (they are private until I approve them, or you can email me at bryrhoey at gmail) and I can set that up, or you can send me money via PayPal! 🙂
If you live along the route, and don’t mind me camping/crashing/eating with you, I’d appreciate that too!
Miles Traveled today: 424.6 miles (Most amount of miles traveled in a day!)
Total Miles Traveled: 2,191.9 miles
Today’s journey began around 5:30 am, as I wanted to beat the heat going through what I was told would be a mostly flat, boring, and very hot Nevada. Today was also where US-50 gets it’s famous nickname: The Loneliest Road in America.
There have been times during the trip where I have forgotten to do something simple, and had to pull off on the side of the road to remedy that problem: forgetting earplugs, not closing the snap of my helmet (it was still secured by D-rings), forgetting chapstick (which is a REQUIREMENT on this trip, since I am rocking a 3/4 helmet), etc. This morning was no exception. It’s a good thing a mile down the road from the motel I stayed in (the Deltan Inn), there was a car wash. Surprisingly, it was empty at 5:30am. So I pulled in to insert ear plugs. Came across a lot of these little guys basically huddling together in pockets.
Bugs!
Earplugs inserted, I got back on the road. The drive from Delta towards the Utah-Nevada border was very, very flat, and very, very barren. I came across what appeared to be a dry lakebed (Sevier Lake), where I caught the sunrise.
Sunrise in UtahSunrise in Utah
From there, it was about another hour to the Utah-Nevada border. Strangely enough, none of the maps or route information stated that there was a gas station/convenience store/casino (a trend that persisted throughout the drive…casinos everywhere!) straddling the border (The Border Inn). It was a nice surprise, as I thought this was the section I would need to worry about gas (hence the 2.5 gallon fuel can on my floorboard).
At the Border Inn, I chatted with a nice older gentleman about the trip. He explained that he had gone on a similar trip years ago, when he lived in Oakland, except on a motorcycle. Now he spent his days in the desert, doing odd jobs here and there (today’s particular adventure was him scavenging dryer parts from two broken clothes dryers so the motel residents could dry their clothes).
Refreshed from the stop, I crossed the street, snapped a picture of the “Welcome to Nevada” sign (with the “Loneliest Road” sign behind it) and continued on my way.
Utah-Nevada border
As I said in the opening paragraph, I expected Nevada to be very long, very boring, very flat, and very hot. Three of those things rang true. Don’t be fooled, the route I took had it’s share of flat spots, but predominantly, Nevada was very hilly/mountainy! I swear I must have climbed 12-15 summits (climbing up and down between 4,000′ and 8,000′ altitudes) between the Utah-Nevada Border and Fallon, NV. Between these summits, were long, flat areas of “pre-tumbleweeds.” Little wildlife, but plenty of traffic. To be honest, I never really felt all that alone.
Nevada is proud of it’s history as a mining state. Roughly half of the State History markers along US-6/50 were related to the mining of the area (predominantly silver, and as I approached Fallon, some gold). The other half was split between settlers and wildfire information.
There were also signs on the side of the road that were rather peculiar to me. Not necessarily because of the content of the sign, but because of how it had been treated by others. Most amusing was the sign stating that if we heard gunshots along a certain stretch of road, we should contact the police. Like many signs along the drive, it had obviously been used as target practice.
Target Practice
By the time I had reached Austin, NV (pop. 192), I had had enough of the summits. Climbing these mountains at 40 mph is not fun, particularly when there are cars behind you, and no place to safely pull off the road to let them pass (though when it was safe to do so, I did. Often.).
The Austin Summit (just prior to reaching the town) comes in at an elevation of 7,484′, while the town of Austin 6,605′. While this may not seem like a lot (it is, after all, only 879′ difference), that 879′ comes through a series of switchbacks, which would likely be 3/4 of a mile as the crow flies. Rather steep, winding, and nerve-wracking switchbacks while on my scooter.
Exhausted, and desperately in need of a break, I filled up with gas at the local store, and sat down for lunch at the Toiyabe Cafe, named for the range of mountains I had just crossed.
The food was filling, even if my ticket had been lost on the way to the kitchen. More importantly, I was afforded a chance to rest, strengthen my resolve, and cool off. The heat of the day was picking up.
At this point, I glanced at the radar, and then out the window. The switchbacks I had just crossed seemed to be forming a nice rain/thundercloud above them (particularly on the eastern slope of the mountain). Looking forward, there were also pockets of meteorological activity flaring up across the desert – rain clouds and thunderstorms dotting the wilderness I was about to head into.
Austin to Middlegate Station was relatively flat (there were still a few summits, but as I went further west, they became lower and lower in elevation and slope), but increasingly hot (likely because it was around 2:00pm in the afternoon, during some of the hottest times of the day). Remembering the radar, I watched to the left and right of me as Mother Nature threatened to rain down her wrath, but no rain drops fell on my route. It didn’t ease my nerves (as several of the thunderclouds looked ominous!), but I made it to Middlegate Station dry, but heated.
Middlegate Station was originally a station on the Pony Express (which, to my surprise was only in operation for 18 months…April 1860 – October 1861…surprise because it’s always talked about in classrooms and in western lore). After the end of the Pony Express, it maintained operation as a stagecoach and freight stop along the route, and continues to be one for travelers to this day. Like many small towns along US-50, they have a motel, food, drink, and gas. By this time, it was 4:00pm, and a perfect time to stop for a breather, cool down, and hydrate.
The staff at Middlegate Station were quirky, but in a very good way. It wasn’t like most diners, cafes, or bars one would go to, it felt a lot more homey. Also, there were lizards in the parking lot, which was cool.
Lizard at Middlegate StationMiddlegate Station, NV
Special thanks to Luke, who gave me important tips on hydration, which kept me going through Nevada!
Fallon, NV was approximately an hour away from Middlegate Station, and it was a long, flat drive along the dried lakebed of Lake Lahontan, which dried up around 9,000 years ago. The drifting sands from the former lake now form Sand Mountain, a popular off-road excursion site for many off-road vehicle enthusiasts.
Sand Mountain is interesting not only because of it’s origin. It is the only home of the Sand Mountain Blue Butterfly, a critically imperiled species of butterfly, and one of a handful of sand dunes named “Singing Sand” due to the whistling sounds emitted when the wind passes through the dune. Sand Mountain is also home to the ruins of another Pony Express station.
Sand Mountain, NV
Finally, I was approaching Fallon, NV. Fallon is home to the Fallon Naval Air Station, and is the location that scenes from Top Gun were filmed at. Unfortunately, I didn’t see any fighter jets flying low over the lakebed.
I pulled in to my destination – a budget hotel – in Fallon around 6:30pm local time. Exhausted, overheated, and well traveled, I settled down for the night.
Tomorrow is (hopefully!) the last day of this adventure, and then a new adventure begins.
Tomorrow is the Sierra Nevada mountains, the California Valley, and finally, San Francisco.
I can do this.
Want to Help? That would be super-cool!
Than trip should take an estimated 10 days maximum, and roughly 3,000 miles. That will take a bit of a toll on the ol’ wallet, so I am happy to take any donations my generous friends would like to offer. For reference:
$3 will get me approximately 70 miles closer to my goal.
$15 will feed me for the day
$35 will get me one night at a Tent Campsite at a KOA Campsite
$40 will buy me one tire when I get to my destination (as the rear tire will likely be spent by then!)
$75 will get me one night at a hotel (and more importantly, a shower!)
If you would like to donate, feel free to leave a comment (they are private until I approve them, or you can email me at bryrhoey at gmail) and I can set that up, or you can send me money via PayPal! 🙂
If you live along the route, and don’t mind me camping/crashing/eating with you, I’d appreciate that too!
Special thanks to my parents, Mike and Kathy, for helping me out with the journey! Love you guys! Hope you are enjoying reading, and not worrying too much!
Miles traveled: 385.6
Total miles traveled: 1,767.3
Today began in Craig, CO. It was a beautiful morning as I left at around 7:00am, heading westward on US-40. I met some High Rockies Fire Fighters as I was leaving, where they mentioned it was likely going to be a rough day for them with scattered thunderstorms in the area all day. I thanked them for what they do, noting that I have a friend who just finished a tour of duty in Nevada fighting fires (to which they said something to the effect of “he should keep being awesome”).
Speaking of rain, I noticed some in the distance about 20 minutes into the drive on US-40. If you’ve never seen rain fall about 15 miles away from where you are, its is beautiful. Absolutely fascinating to watch. It’s kind of like a jellyfish, with tendrils hanging down.
So I spoke with mother nature, reminding her I was having a fabulous time exploring her, and doing good deeds such as picking up trash or helping people as I was going on my journey. I asked if it would be too much trouble to allow me to go between the rain bands.
Rain bands in the distance near Craig, Colorado
…and she trolled me. It sprinkled. Nothing major. Thank goodness.
ColoradoColorado
By the time I reached Dinosaur National Monument, it was clear and sunny again. Because I was on a tight schedule, and the drive up the canyon to the fossils was 30 miles, I opted to stop at the Welcome Center on 40, and then headed out.
Dinosaur National Monument, on the border of Colorado and Utah
I continued on to Dinosaur, Colorado. A gentleman there suggested that I definitely check the monument out, as they a) have a real T-Rex fossil there, and built a building around some of the larger remains. One day.
Next up was the Utah State Border.
Utah State Border with Colorado on US-40
The northeastern part of Utah is Dinosaur Crazy, as evidenced by Vernal, UT:
Vernal, UT
US-40 rolled on, through scrubby brushlands, until I reached Strawberry Lake. Magically, it transformed on the western edge, to more of the Alpine setting I had left the previous day. Plenty of hills too…which Donna did not like. 40 mph in 3rd gear while people want to go around you isn’t all that fun.
The road continued to Heber City, UT. A nice little town – the Western End is was absolutely gorgeous! The lake was large, full of people enjoying the sunny day. Just past the town there was a very scenic waterfall (which I couldn’t take a picture of, due to traffic).
The road goes ever on, they say, as did this one…to Provo, UT. I took a nice break at The Scooter Lounge in Provo, and chatted with the gentleman up front (I think his name was Dan?). We talked about Genuine Scooters, about the long trip, and just scooter-nerded out. It was awesome!
The Scooter Lounge, Provo UT
Then the final leg of the trip for the day: Provo to Delta, UT. The first third was alright, scenic, through a lot of farmland. Through the dwindling mining town of Eureka. I asked the clerk at the gas station I filled up at if it was supposed to rain, noting some clouds well in the distance. She said storms were supposed to come tonight, but I should be in the clear.
…she was wrong. About halfway between Eureka and Delta, I noticed more of those “Jellyfish” rain bands. Mother Nature and I had a chat again, similar to the one we had before.
As I got closer to the rain, I saw a flash of cloud-to-cloud lightning. It also looked like the rain was getting a little wider, but the path still seemed ok.
Then the first drops fell. Then more…quickly enough that I didn’t have a chance to get my rain gear on. A bolt of lightning, traveling cloud-to-cloud, but arcing low in my opinion, flashed overhead. I looked to my left, and then to my right – there was absolutely no cover, and none in the distance. I had to press on. Delta was only 15 or so miles….I could make it, right?
Then the wind came. It got stronger and stronger, and worse yet, it was a cross breeze, blowing me from right to left while I pushed on. I tried to pull into some cover at a house, but the owners dogs were out, and rushed to greet me. I didn’t stay to see if they were friendly. A mile further up the road, an abandoned gas station. Perfect, I pulled under the awning, and waited for the wind to die down…about 10 minutes.
The wind died down, and I hurried on to Delta, arriving around 7:30pm. Rest.
It’s supposed to storm some time tonight. I’m going to rest, because tomorrow is another long day.
US-50. The loneliest road in America. I’ve got my water, my gatorade, my extra gasoline. I’m ready.
Also took a few panoramas. Don’t recall when in the trip I did (likely early on), but let’s put them here just because.
Colorado/UtahColorado/Utah
Want to Help? That would be super-cool!
Than trip should take an estimated 10 days maximum, and roughly 3,000 miles. That will take a bit of a toll on the ol’ wallet, so I am happy to take any donations my generous friends would like to offer. For reference:
$3 will get me approximately 70 miles closer to my goal.
$15 will feed me for the day
$35 will get me one night at a Tent Campsite at a KOA Campsite
$40 will buy me one tire when I get to my destination (as the rear tire will likely be spent by then!)
$75 will get me one night at a hotel (and more importantly, a shower!)
If you would like to donate, feel free to leave a comment (they are private until I approve them, or you can email me at bryrhoey at gmail) and I can set that up, or you can send me money via PayPal! 🙂
If you live along the route, and don’t mind me camping/crashing/eating with you, I’d appreciate that too!
First off, thank you very much for a recent, very generous donation! Don’t worry, I don’t plan on getting heat stroke (and continue to do my best to not run myself, and Donna, into the ground with heat exhaustion!)
Anticipated Mileage:
Actual Mileage: 392.4
Total Miles Traveled: 1,381.7
The night in Big Springs was…difficult, lets say. I spent the night at McGreer Campground (thanks to the people that run the place, upgrading me from a campsite to a cabin! on the cheap!).
I was lucky enough to be in a cabin throughout the night, and not in my tent. Lucky because it stormed all night. Not just little storms, but rather significant lightning and rain. Forecasts for the storms was 1-2 inches, and based on the amount of rain I heard, I’d believe it. Combine that with the wind made me very nervous for Donna, who was outside, parked on grass (because there aren’t any concrete parking pads here), with her cover (think: Sail) on. I kept getting up from the bed to check on her! And Yes, she was ok. Didn’t fall over!
I left at 5:30 am from Big Springs, driving through the morning mist, clouds, and cool. High Plateau scenery throughout as the sun rose. Drove through some nice, small towns, and some bigger ones (such as Sterling).
Crook Creek, CO
The drive along the Pawnee Grasslands was very pleasant (aside from all of the trucks).
Pawnee Grasslands
Stopped at the Genuine Dealership in Fort Collins, but they were busy with uHaul rentals.
Then….the Mountains.
Words cannot describe what I saw, or how I felt as I drove along Colorado State Road 14. It was as close to a religious experience that I have – similar to that of being in the Adirondacks. In lieu of more words, I’ll let the pictures do the talking (when they will upload, of course).
Also, side note: The River Water was nice and cold! Tossing my shirt in there, wringing it out, and then riding with it under my vented jacket was just like air conditioning. Thanks for those who gave that tip!
After passing the Continental Divide (at just about 9,000′ altitude! I started the day just shy of 4,000′!), I made my way into Steamboat Springs. All of the campgrounds were full, and the hotels were either full or a little out of my price range (at $300 a night?!), so I continued on to Craig, Colorado. That means I am an hour ahead of where I planned to be tomorrow!
Performed a post-ride inspection (as I try to do every night), and noticed Donna was running a little loud. So I pulled off the engine cowl, and saw that the air filter was off! Wonder when that happened…good thing it can’t escape the engine compartment! I noticed a little bit of oil on the engine case near the top…shouldn’t be related to the air filter missing. Something to monitor. Good thing I check the oil daily (guess I better up that), and haven’t had a problem yet.
Time for sleep, so I can wake up early. Traveling through Dinosaur, CO, possibly Provo. Have to decide if I am going to go I-80 through Nevada, or US-50. Leaning towards 50 due to speed limitations (cruising at 55mph), but services can be a lifesaver. I think I”m pretty well prepared though…
Leaving towards US-50. Safer, I’ll bring a ton of liquid to drink (water, gatorade, etc.) and leave early to avoid the heat of the day.
Want to Help? That would be super-cool!
Than trip should take an estimated 10 days maximum, and roughly 3,000 miles. That will take a bit of a toll on the ol’ wallet, so I am happy to take any donations my generous friends would like to offer. For reference:
$3 will get me approximately 70 miles closer to my goal.
$15 will feed me for the day
$35 will get me one night at a Tent Campsite at a KOA Campsite
$40 will buy me one tire when I get to my destination (as the rear tire will likely be spent by then!)
$75 will get me one night at a hotel (and more importantly, a shower!)
If you would like to donate, feel free to leave a comment (they are private until I approve them, or you can email me at bryrhoey at gmail) and I can set that up, or you can send me money via PayPal! 🙂
If you live along the route, and don’t mind me camping/crashing/eating with you, I’d appreciate that too!
I want to start off saying “This country is beautiful in all kinds of different ways.”
Anticipated Mileage: 360 miles
Actual Mileage: 361.3 miles
Total Miles traveled: 989.3 miles (Just under halfway there!)
(Pictures coming later – having some trouble uploading them via wifi)
I left Omaha, Nebraska bright and early at 7:00am, refreshed and ready to go.
Some highlights of the Trip:
I filled my scooter up with Dinosaur Juice (it was a Sinclair gas station, which has “Dinocare” in the gas)
DinoJuice!
Side note about gas in Iowa and Nebraska – there is the option to go ethanol-free (which costs about the same as regular gas does in Indiana). Illinois –> Indiana I averaged about 84 mpg. Iowa –> Nebraska…over 100 mpg!
Anyway, part of my trip was to stop in Grand Island, NE for a visit to Tri-city Cycleworks, a Genuine Scooter Dealer. As I pulled up, I was greeted by the Owner (Daryl) and the Administrative Assistant (Doreen). They immediately came over to Donna, saying how impressed they were to see another Stella, especially one so loaded up, and we started swapping some Stella pictures! I had originally gone there to get some vented gloves, but had a fantastic time chatting! If you are ever in the area, stop by – everyone there was very nice, and they have quite the selection!
Tri-City Cycle in Grand Island, Nebraska
I left Grand Island, heading west, and was enjoying the scenery when I drove by something out of place. To make sure I wasn’t crazy, I turned around and sure enough, I was sane.
Zebras in Nebraska?!
I continued on my way, and reached North Platte not long after. I was going to just pass through, until I saw a sign for “Buffalo Bill’s Scout’s Rest Ranch.” Took a nice little detour and checked out the home of Buffalo Bill (when he wasn’t touring with his show).
Buffalo Bill’s home (when he wasn’t touring with the show)
Scouts Rest Ranch – Buffalo Bill’s homeA little bit of Scout’s Ranch taken home with me. Shhhh….Donna wanted an accessory.
Back on the road, stopping at a few historical markers on the way (there was a rather nice view at California Hill, one of the routes used by settlers traveling to Oregon, and later California). It’s a shame that my camera messed up the panorama. You could see forEVER.
I finally arrived at McGreer campground around 5:45pm. I was originally going to just set up a tent (as there are no trees to hang a hammock…seems to be a thing with campgrounds in Nebraska??), when the gentleman helping me offered a deal on the cabin. A/C, private bathroom, and a bed? Sign me up! Funny enough, he mentioned he had looked at doing a Master’s in Russian Lit at Indiana University (but turned it down).
So, what did I learn about Nebraska?
Corn. Corn everywhere. I’ve never seen so much corn. Or such large cornfields. Yuuge. Tremendous fields.
Despite seeing a grain elevator in the distance, you still have about 15-20 minutes before you get to it.
The roads are very straight, until you get near the end of the state.
There are a lot of trains. Union Pacific has a lot of cars, engines, and tracks there. They use them frequently.
Tomorrow, off to Colorado, with a goal of Steamboat Springs!
Want to Help? That would be super-cool!
Than trip should take an estimated 10 days maximum, and roughly 3,000 miles. That will take a bit of a toll on the ol’ wallet, so I am happy to take any donations my generous friends would like to offer. For reference:
$3 will get me approximately 70 miles closer to my goal.
$15 will feed me for the day
$35 will get me one night at a Tent Campsite at a KOA Campsite
$40 will buy me one tire when I get to my destination (as the rear tire will likely be spent by then!)
$75 will get me one night at a hotel (and more importantly, a shower!)
If you would like to donate, feel free to leave a comment (they are private until I approve them, or you can email me at bryrhoey at gmail) and I can set that up, or you can send me money via PayPal! 🙂
If you live along the route, and don’t mind me camping/crashing/eating with you, I’d appreciate that too!
Overnight, a storm front rolled through Omaha, Nebraska. It’s been on and off raining ever since, with it starting to let up right around now (~6:00pm Central).
I woke up feeling much better, but I knew I was in no condition to drive in the rain – I felt about 80% myself thanks to the previous day’s experiences. Normally I would have been ok, but dealing with the rain, wind, and thunderstorms did not seem like the safest option on a likely very open, exposed route.
So, here I am, still at the motel, catching up on blog posts and other things. Which is good, I can do some grading for my part-time job. Should be able to finish tonight.
Back on the road tomorrow, with myself feeling 100% and the weather cooperating!
also plan to stop in at Tri City Cycle Works in Grand Island, NE – at the very least to grab some vented gloves. Bonus points: They are a Genuine Dealership!
Want to Help? That would be super-cool!
Than trip should take an estimated 10 days maximum, and roughly 3,000 miles. That will take a bit of a toll on the ol’ wallet, so I am happy to take any donations my generous friends would like to offer. For reference:
$3 will get me approximately 70 miles closer to my goal.
$15 will feed me for the day
$35 will get me one night at a Tent Campsite at a KOA Campsite
$40 will buy me one tire when I get to my destination (as the rear tire will likely be spent by then!)
$75 will get me one night at a hotel (and more importantly, a shower!)
If you would like to donate, feel free to leave a comment (they are private until I approve them, or you can email me at bryrhoey at gmail) and I can set that up, or you can send me money via PayPal! 🙂
If you live along the route, and don’t mind me camping/crashing/eating with you, I’d appreciate that too!
