Los Angeles to Lake Mead, Nevada
The total distance is 850 miles. Again, it's that time that 4 of us at work, Vu, Nu, Veronica and myself, felt that we need a long road trip with just the open roads and our motorcycles. It will help to put things back in perspective. Time to get away from the daily routines: works, family, commitments and an environment that's becoming too familiar and boring...
Motorcycling is magic. It always brings us inner peace, strength, excitement, independence and the most important, solitude.
Day before departure - May 29, 2008
Last night, I tried to pack as much as possible so that I will be able to sleep early tonight to prepare for the big trip tomorrow. Since the last motorcycle camping trip at Morro Bay last month, I now know what to pack and where everything goes on my bike, instead of having to figure out what goes where.
Originally, there were 5 signed up: Vu, Nu, Eugene, V and me. Then as of yesterday, V couldn't make it due to work schedule and Eugene bailed since he didn't feel well. So only 3 of us are still on.
I really can't wait. The excitement of seeing new roads from the seat of a motorcycle got to all of us as the departure is getting closer. Vu even got a private forum set up on his own web server for trip planning, pictures, reports etc...
Time to leave everything behind again. Ride, eat, sleep, repeat! Life is good.
30-MAY-2008
Odometer on departure day
Departure day! The odometer was 42853 miles. Full of excitement...
Motorcycling is truly magic. As soon as the bike starts rolling, my mind was cleared, cleared of all worries in the real world, be it works, family and everyday chores. I always find inner peace when it'll be just me and the roads. I feel excited, at the same time calmed.
Riding motorcycle is that brief time when nothing else matters but me.
That is the time when my soul heals, and my stresses organize.
It is that time that no one has the right to invade.
30-MAY-2008
Denny's Restaurant at Irwindale, CA
We all met at Denny's to get breakfast at Irwindale at 8:30am. I arrived at 8:20am, waited in the parking lot for Vu and Nu. 8:30am came and nobody shown up. I checked my cell phone to make sure that I didn't get a voice message saying that they bailed. Nope. They all pulled up around 8:40am. A little late but good to go.
30-MAY-2008
Road side break on highway 18...
It was getting really warm as we were heading towards the desert. We took freeway 15 North, then highway 18 East, also called "Happy Trails Highway" on most maps.
30-MAY-2008
Shades...
Everybody found a shade to park and took a short break in the heat.
30-MAY-2008
Mexican restaurant
We had lunch at this Mexican restaurant on highway 62, North of Joshua National Park. The foods were great and authentic.
30-MAY-2008
Salt Lake
On our way to Amboy following Amboy road, saw this big salt lake on the side of the road. The surface was hard as concrete.
30-MAY-2008
Salt lake - close up
The surface may seem soft but it was as hard as concrete. Walking on it didn't leave any foot prints.
30-MAY-2008
My Honda CBR-1100XX
With all my camping gears and supplies.
This is an excellent sport(-touring) motorcycle that Honda ever made, starting with the 1997 model year in US. It was way ahead of its time and was 'the fastest production motorcycle' in the world, with a top speed of 180 mph (288 km/h.)
30-MAY-2008
Amboy road
The road was deserted and gave us a great sense of solitude that we all looked for.
30-MAY-2008
Salt lake
Nu was testing the load-bearing of the salt lake surface...
30-MAY-2008
Roy's Cafe and Motel
When we got to Amboy's famed Roy's Cafe & Motel, we saw a crew was setting up the camera rails for a movie shoot on location.
30-MAY-2008
Movie crew
They were making some kind of action movie with Roy's Cafe Motel as background.
01-JUN-2008
Thermometer
This thermometer was inside the Amboy store, in the shade, by the window, and it showed 100F.
30-MAY-2008
Artificial oasis
It was on highway 95 that we saw this artificial oasis in the middle of the desert. The temperature was over 100F so it was nice to pull over to the shade right next to the water and took a break.
30-MAY-2008
City of Searchlight
When we got to the city of Searchlight on highway 95, I saw this gas station was selling 100 octane racing fuel at the pump. Interesting. As this is the 1st time I saw 100 octane racing fuel being sold at the pump.
30-MAY-2008
General store at Searchlight
30-MAY-2008
Terrible's Casino
We were already in Nevada and this is the 1st casino we saw that day. A casino with the name "Terrible's Casino". I had to check it out.
30-MAY-2008
Finding a sponsor...
My friend Vu was asking: "Hey, let's go inside and see if they want to sponsor our trip?"
We ended up contribute to their electricity bill.
31-MAY-2008
Our camp site at Lake Mead, NV
We got to our camp site at Lake Mead, Nevada about 10pm and it was completely dark. A camping spot was $10 and we were allowed for up to 4 motorcycles and 8 people. However, there was only restrooms but no bathrooms.
31-MAY-2008
Mileage after first day - 43197 miles
The mileage of my motorcycle when arrived at the camp site on first day: 43197 miles.
So the 1st day mileage was:
(43197 - 42853) * 18/17 tooth front sprocket = 365 miles
31-MAY-2008
Freedom
There is really no better thing than seeing new places from the seat of a motorcycle...
We get to take in the good, the bad and the ugly, together with the cold, the heat, the wind and the rain...
31-MAY-2008
Morning coffee
Vu was making coffee for all of us.
31-MAY-2008
Packed up...
Broke camp, packed up and ready for the 2nd day ride. We plan to stay at another camp site the 2nd night, after visiting Hoover Dam and Valley Of Fire.
31-MAY-2008
Lake Mead beach
There are many accessible beaches at Lake Mead and we visited a couple of them.
31-MAY-2008
Valley Of Fire State Park, Nevada
31-MAY-2008
Valley Of Fire State Park
31-MAY-2008
Hoover Dam
My bike and Hoover Dam. It was 102F and hot!
07-JUN-2008
Panorama
This picture was stitched from 4 pictures to show the scale of the dam.
31-MAY-2008
Hoover dam in its full height
Look at the tiny cars on top of the dam to imagine the size of the dam.
31-MAY-2008
Memorial
This is a memorial for those who died to make the desert bloom. There were 208 workers died in the construction of the Hoover dam between 1931-1935.
31-MAY-2008
1935 Memorial
They labored that millions might see a brighter day.
01-JUN-2008
End of trip
The total trip mileage was (43651 - 42853) * 18/17 tooth sprocket = 845 miles
