Return

Why is the re entry from holiday always so difficult? I think this time the reason is the new job. Yep, it happened again. The new job was offered and it looks like another good one. I will be moving an hour west, staying north of the San Bernardino mountains and far enough away from LA to be tolerable. Plus, I have to go to Las Vegas to cover several times a year.

First though, a quick trip to Yuma, AZ for a visit with our Canadian friends. Hanging out, a few drinks, golf and happy hours, notice the plural. They just don’t know how to do just one. We had a great time with a visit to Mexico thrown into the mix just because.

Fish tacos, cervesa and music, it’s really a rough combo to beat.

At the end of our stay we are awakened to gusting winds, clear blue skies right above us and a limited visibility because of the desert and blowing sand. I have to be in Las Vegas the following day, so to get home and repack means we must leave this morning, but the 60mph winds being called for in the passes has me worried. Packing up with Gypsy and Melanie on the back adds to the challenge. As we leave town it doesn’t seem too bad but as we get 20 miles out, it gets bad. The blowing sand from the dunes with 50mph gusting cross winds decreases the visibility to maybe 500 feet. Melanie’s smart thinking out weighs my nonthinking, gotta’ make it attitude and we turn around and head back. It looks like we will have to head directly to Las Vegas tomorrow morning with the clothes we have. Up side is another day with our friends.

The next morning the day breaks with a brilliant sunrise over the peaks east of Yuma followed by deep blue skies, cool temps and a slight north breeze perfect for riding. We gear up and ride north headed for Parker, AZ and a detour around the reservoir created by the Parker dam. The road, Riverside drive, follows the course of the Colorado river toward the dam and reservoir. What a fantastic detour with sweeping roads following the river’s course with elevation changes providing viewpoints of the river below.  There are campsites and restaurants/bars along the narrow, blue river with all kinds of water sports also available. Next time we will have a couple extra days and our camping gear to have a little fun.

We hit Vegas in the early evening and get checked into our hotel for the fun work week ahead.

Two highlights of our stay in LV are meeting up with a couple friends of ours, Lori and Mike, a Canadian couple we met at Horizons Unlimited, Yosemite.

They sold everything and took off on their Support Tenere’ a few months ago riding across North America, up to Alaska and were headed south to Central and South America. It was great to spend some time with them during their Vegas break. You can follow them on FB and through their blog, Lifs2short.

The other fun day was our ride up to Mount Charleston north of Vegas. Nice roads climbing and climbing up to the town at about 7600 feet and a little restaurant and bar with great views of the valley and mountains, and a central, circular fireplace inside to sit be warm up doing a cup of coffee while enjoying the views.

Cheers, 2WANDRRs