Still traveling...

Dang it, I have to be the world's worst blogger! I really don't feel like saying much while traveling and it is really difficult to get good connections for wifi...in California almost impossible to find a data enabled Verizon connection!...who knew???? I never found that anywhere I have traveled in the states...No wonder I avoid CA.

So: Cyndi...no pics...just haven't taken any...I get so absorbed by the moment, I forget to record things. I wish I felt like taking them but I just don't. Sorry to my followers...especially you my friend, C....

I will mention a few things though. I have been from Durango where I effectively started the trip, to the coast of California at Fortuna, all the way up to Lincoln City, OR , stayed with friends in Newport and met Susan from the blog MinnyMinerva for coffee in Lincoln City. Both really nice visits. Next stop was at friends in Vancouver, WA and then a run up to friends on the Olympic Peninsula where I spent a couple of nights.  Next a stop with both of my sons and their families...first Isaac in Bremerton and then Jed in Port Townsend. A quick but nice visit with Sarah their mom, as well.

While at Jed's place in Port Townsend, WA I got fed up with rain and cold and I did a  run back down south to the summer Rubbertramp Rondy in an area of the Sierra's near Dinky Creek/Shaver Lake. On the way south I rode on CA route 49 from Auburn to Oakhurst and it was spectacular! Many curves and hairpins and amazing country. My only complaint is that there are next to zero campgrounds the entire way...I think I counted about 4 and that included public and private. I don't get it...but that's the way it works there...a couple of them were exclusive gated RV parks for the folks who are used to gated communities I guess....weird but true...keeps the rabble like me out. lol

My stay at the RTR was perfect.... a bit cool at night but fantastic country, wonderful people and many good meals and campfires to sit around and get to know each other...lots of old friends and new ones I got to meet...one new friend Steve/Nol is a hair stylist and he gave several of us free haircuts, including me and I now have pretty short, easy to care for hair....cool.

Bob Wells once again pulls together a great event! I left after about 4 or 5 nights as I am not really prepared for that cool a night...it got well below freezing..cold enough to freeze Dina's water so I headed back north and am now in Redding taking I-5 north. I think about 10 or 12 rigs showed up throughout the few days I was there.

Usually I do not like superslabs but in this case I am using it to get to Enumclaw and Dauntless Motors by Monday the 2nd of July to have them re-align my rig  and replace a rear tire. I left with a brand new tire on all wheels but I have worn the rear down way too much and in a strange way....I think it is due to the rig alignment changing somehow and I do not have the equipment to make the changes necessary. It is very important to have it done by a good, knowledgeable shop or by myself at home.

Jay has my tire ordered...kind of a rare tire...and it is expected by Monday.

If I can do it, I would like to still pop up to British Columbia for a few days before the USCA rally in Coer D'Alene, ID on the 19th of July.

That is about it....as long as I can stay out of the rain, I am having some very nice camps and good riding, but this old man is liking discomfort less and less as my joints and bones ache. I will go to great lengths to avoid wet camping. I am going to get after my new invention of an actual sidecar camper this winter...it would be a game changer for me...just pull into a Walmart or truck stop or rest area and pop the top and be sleeping by the time it took to find a campground and set up my tent cot...

More will be revealed!

ManyWheelsBri

Excellent travels...

Hi all, I am now at Nelda and Jerries for a night or two....and having a great trip ....In the last week or so I rode over to the coast at Fortuna, CA and up to Newport, OR where I stayed at one of my old Navy buddy's and his family and attended a home school eighth grader's graduation with them. Lots of nice chats and good times. Then today I stopped and had coffee with Susan of Minny Minerva blog fame and it was great to see her.....I had camped with her, another woman Robbi and Steve the wild Texan from our very own ranks at City of Rocks CG in New Mexico much earlier this year...

It is so cool to see my friends Nelda and Jerry! We hit it off at the first RTR and have been good friends ever since....
They are very kind and gracious and it is nice to spend some more time with them.....

Next will be Suanne and John if they are home and accepting guests.

More as we go...

ManyWheelsBri

A little further along...

So after a good night in Cold Spring CG camped with some young bicyclists on their way across country, I headed off at 7:30 AM without coffee to get a jump on what promised to be a hot day....
I had a good ride until just after Reno and the ride up the pass....Here is the post I put up on Yahoo and CRL...:

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Hmmm, well time to make an admission....shamefacedly... Dina and I got absolutely blasted with cold rain coming over the Sierras and since there is a lot of construction on I-90 over the pass, I wasn't able to get ready for rain and batten all hatches....I did finally get the rain gear on, the cover on the sidecar and then rode for literally hours with both boots full of cold water, gloves soaking wet and cold and a stupid tinted dark smoke face shield .....it got us by surprise!

So that is the lead up to the admission of a night in Motel Six in Oroville, CA to dry off and get warm again. It works good for that...LOL

Now! the bonus to a dry night is that when I was walking Dina Dog, I discovered Taquiria Estrella! A little store front taco joint...20 years in the same spot and if there is one thing I like as well or better than my Arrey Cafe Huevos Rancheros Rojo, are "street tacos" carne asada and/or carnitas! I polished off 4 and am a happy, very grateful ol' dry phart!

We'll see what tomorrow brings for route...not Fort Bragg like I originally thought it would be.

OK, now back to the weather channel....

Happy Trails,
ManyWheelsBri

On the road....

Hi all, I am currently at the Burger King in Beaver Utah for brekkie and wifi...mostly coffee and gas....lol

I spent the night before that in a little bowl up against some cliffs underneath a gorgeous Pinon pine tree that looked like a Bonsai plant...stunning! And free....it was just west of Capital Reef National Park where the CG was full....hah, their loss, our gain!

Then yesterday the ride over Utah Hwy 12 which may be in the top five best rides in America in my opinion. Found a sweet little place called the Burr Trail Trading post where the locals were conducting a tiny little Farmer's Market and I got the most amazing loaf of fresh baked whole wheat bread! Got some good coffee there as well.

My destination for last night was the Beaver Canyon CG in Beaver, UT...yep, no lie!) and Maria's Cocina...where the CG owner's wife cooks some very excellent Mexican food for dinner every day....pork Chimi for me....cheap at $12 for one old phart on a bike. And a nice evening and camp on grass with a great shower and dog walking area...

I will have to wait to put up photos as they are on my phone and camera and it is a pain when I have only a few minutes of wifi....

Today hoping to be well into Nevada and on highway 50...a long and lonely stretch of road...one of the originals though...will upload a pic of that...the rest are on my camera so will put them on my blog when I have the opportunity....

I am going to put in a plug for Utah...a state you don't see talked about on here or on vandwellers forum and I don't know why....there are thousands of acres of free camping and dirt roads to explore and the red rock and sandstone cliffs are mindboggling...
Do yourself a favor and come and enjoy them. If you are mobile enough to. If you are living in a vehicle to live really cheaply of course you won't move it much but, if like me, you live in one to travel and see the country, and I know seveeral of you are...don't pass up Utah....they even sell good coffee these days...lol
Bri