We departed in the cool morning air. Cool enough to throw on the jacket and the full-faced helmet! I could've probably used the chaps, too! Not complaining! Remember kidz, Cold is Good! Cool weather = happy motorcycle & happy rider! There was a bunch of New Mexico nothingness until we got to Albuquerque. Albuquerque was quite bustling with traffic! More so than I expected there to be. They have some really cool looking freeway overpasses! They're terra cotta colored with turquios accents! Very southwestern. Shocking, I know! Before long, we were back into New Mexico nothingness! The last time we came this way, we took secondary routes, which were much more scenic and less-traveled. I find the interstate to be monotonous and boring at times, but when we're on a tight schedule, we have to take the more boring route. I noticed some refineries there. Stinky. Huge stinky operations! I also noticed the wildlife warning signs. First was the deer crossing, then the elk crossing signs. I sure would hate to hit an elk! As we neared the eastern border, the winds started to really pick up. When we crossed into Texas, they were BRUTAL! You'll notice my lack of pictures from the past two days' travels! It was "2-hands on the handlebars at all times" traveling! The winds were bad enough on their own, but I-40 is a huge truck -route, and the semi-trucks made for some challenging travel. Our bikes were at a 45-degree angle for about 150 miles nonstop, and when we'd pass a truck, I could feel the side draft pull me in and then shove me back away when I'd get to the cab. Then I'd have to muscle the beast over in front of the truck I had just passed. This went on forever, it seemed. Tom rides in front of me, so I'd wait until he got just about to the cab before I'd start my pass, then I would hammer it past! One truck really got slammed by a gust just as Tom was next to it. I swear the right side tires came off the ground! Maybe not, but it sure was scary! For the last 50 miles, it felt like I had a blow-torch pointed up my right nostril! I noticed the tops of all the trees were permanently bent toward the north so this brutal wind is obviously the norm. I couldn't wait to get to our hotel, and finally....there it was! The Big Texan!
We pulled into the lot to find about 30-or so motorcycles already there. Great. With my luck it would be a Mongols convention! I surveyed the crowd and determined them to be harmless, however! The majority of the bikes were parked in one pack, and there happened to be an empty spot next to them right in front of our room! On the other side of us was a lone bike, with a couple nearby it, taking pictures. They both were wearing Motorhead t-shirts, and she seemed to be loud. But I couldn't understand was she was saying. I surmised they were foreign.
We got settled into our delightfully cheesy room! Heavy on the western theme, complete with swinging doors that lead into the bathroom area! How fun! And fun they were. Until about the 3rd time we had to walk through them! We quickly found out that they were loud, heavy, pains in the ass! Especially whilst carrying coffee!
...side note and backtrack....the whole area in New Mexico and into Texas struck me as being full of cheesy, chatztke-filled fun stuff! I almost forgot to tell you about our lunch stop at "Cline's Corners", one of those delightful chatzke-filled tourist traps with awesome Mexican food. I felt like we stepped into 1960! When we gassed up there, on the other side of the pump was a car full of monks. Young guys with nice haircuts and sylish glasses. If not for the grey hooded burlap robes, large wooden crosses and sandals I would have never pegged them as monks! When we got off the bikes Tom gave one a nod and said "how ya doin'?" "Pretty good", he replied! He spoke! I hope that Tom didn't send him to eternal damnation by making him speak! I wish we had more time to check out the various tourist traps and goofy museums! Damn that interstate!
OK....back to the Big Texan, where we were getting ready for dinner. (Which required multiple trips through the swinging doors!)
The Big Texan is known for its "Free" 72 OZ Steak. Free, that is, if you can eat the entire thing along with the side dishes within an hour. Here's the details!
Joey Chestnut has the record. He did it in 8 minutes and 52 seconds!!!! Crazy!
Once inside the restaurant, we were immediately serenaded by the strolling trio-bass, fiddle & guitar. They played Orange Blossom Special for us. (Which I heard about 6 other times after that for other patrons as we dined!)
We were seated near the huge group of bikers from our hotel. There were at least 30 of them, and I detected accents and foreign languages. We found out that they were from Switzerland, touring the USA on bikes! How fun! They ranged in age from our age, (late-30's) to 70-ish. I then noticed a separate table with more bikers. This was a smaller group, maybe about 20 of them. They seemed foreign, too but didn't seem to be with the other group. They were younger and looked more bad-ass. Some of them had braided beards and they wore more leather. The first group appeared to be more wholesome, all sporting their brand-new Tripp's Harley Davidson dealer T's from just down the street!
We found out the OTHER group is from Finland! I guess it was just a coincidence that they all ended up at the Big Texan on the same night!
We never did find out their whole story. I was wishing our pal Bill Curran was with us. He would've gathered all the intelligence on them!
After dinner we wandered back to our room, where I noticed the foreign couple that were taking pictures earlier were just now heading to dinner....not with the big group. Hmmmnnn...are they "with" the Switzerland crowd but are just opting for alone-time? I feel like I'm in a foreign country!
Tom and I wandered around the compound, taking pictures & such.
While heading back toward our room I noticed 2 tourists by our bikes, taking pix! Hahahahaa! (I'm trying to load the video I captured of said tourists but the internets here at the Hampton is not cooperating! Check back later if you don't see it now!)
We turned in for the night, in preparation for a 500+ mile day ahead of us on Wednesday. We were sure to watch the season premier of "Sons of Anarchy" before getting some shut-eye! (It was strange to watch a flat-screen TV on the backdrop of cheesy western wallpaper!)
Unfortunately, not much sleep was to be for me due to the loud air conditioner and lack of pillows! Ugh. Oh Well.
Wednesday morning came much too quickly! The big group from Switzerland were at breakfast with us, as were the Finland group. Surprisingly, both groups were packed and ready to go quickly! Traveling in a group is usually comparable to herding cats, so I was impressed by their organization! Both groups had left the compound, separately, but the picture-taking couple was left behind. I heard Tom say to the guy "I figured you guys were with that group". The guy didn't speak much English. The female half stepped in to answer...They weren't with either group. They're from Italy, had just gotten married, and are here for their honeymoon! They rented a Heritage Softail and are spending a month doing a 7000+ mile trip from New York to San Diego, with a visit to Vegas and also Route 66 along the way! HOW COOL IS THAT!!! They were so happy! (And I was AMAZED at how little luggage they had for a 1-month road trip! We're spoiled by our big bikes!) She spoke excellent English, although she kept apologizing because she felt that she didn't speak "American" very well! We compared riding here vs. riding in Italy. She noticed that we weren't wearing helmets and they both seemed surprised that some states don't require them. She also said that riding here is much safer than riding in Europe. People drive even more stupid over there! We bid them farewell and safe travels....and congratulations...and headed on our way!
We headed East on I-40 into another pleasantly cool morning! YAY for cool temps! (Last time we came through these parts it was 106 brutal degrees!)
After we got out of Amarillo, there was a lot of Texas nothingness. Not too different from New Mexico nothingness! Again, no pictures because of the WIND! We reached Oklahoma and the wind was even more fierce! "OOOOoooklahoma, where the wind comes screaming in your lane!" Those aren't the words? They should be!
Between yesterday and today, we rode over 900 miles and spent about 400 of those miles wrestling handlebars and dancing with trucks!
We finally made it to our stop for the night in Russellville, Arkansas. A happening spot it is not! Fine with me. I'm WHOOPED! Tomorrow.....NASHVILLE!!!
I really enjoyed reading this! I hope your travels are easier tomorrow with much less wind!
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