Yesterday, I drove the Pacific Coast Highway and it was great, best ride of my short motorcycle career.
I had sushi last night with John (Gen's beau), he's a nice kid. This morning I pushed out of Palo Alto at sunrise. My bike said it was 37 degrees. I wanted to continue riding north but at eleven it was still only 42 and i was only 100 miles north of San Fran. I was in redwood country near the coast. The woods were big enough for guys like Paul Bunyon and Roy Barnaby, but too big and too cold for this Bronx boy. I decided it was time to turn East.
So here i sit in a little cottage on the shores of Lake Tahoe (another magnificent place), pondering these past two weeks. I believe that i have seen and learned a few things. Here goes:
1) Something that may seem bad at the time, may be really good after all. Example: in August of last year, I was pulled over by a NYC police officer in Manhattan for not wearing eye protection. As a result of that, I purchased a new helmet with a full face shield. On Day 3 in Missississippi (crazy ssss's) my shield - not my face - collided with a big green bug at 70 mph. I think the bug was green because the two inch diameter splat was green. Every day I get a whole spectrum of colored splats on the face shield. Thank you officer...
2) I figured out why the desert is so deserted ... because it is horrible On that subject, things that are horrible, add Phoenix to the list. 97 degrees in April is crazy (disclaimer: I apologize to anyone I know who lives in Phoenix, has friends or relatives there or is ever intending to move or visit there).
3) Tom Cassidy was right. Texas is really big ... and I saw a lot of steers there too...
4) The Grand Canyon is a really big hole. Kathy met me in Arizona for the weekend and we checked it out.
5) Snakes do cross the roads in Mississippi ... and they don't like motorcycles.
6) Motorcycles, unlike sailboats, do not like wind on the beam (crosswinds, for all you landlubbers).
7) It does rain in southern California ... in the desert.
8) These United States are truly a wonderful place ... except for Phoenix.
Next: An acquired taste
