Roaming Cage Free

  Day 7 – Socorro (NM) to Big Bend National Park (TX) (600 mi) August 3rd, 2024 Another desert morning. Leaving at the crack of dawn, I relish the solitude of the open road. The morning hours are cool at 80°F (26°C), and I find myself backtracking on a road I had traveled 10 years ago. Today’s journey will take me through the Alamogordo Desert, White Sands National Park, and then into Texas, heading south towards Big Bend National Park. The vast emptiness of the desert surrounds me, a stark reminder of the loneliness that comes with motorcycle riding. Yet, there's a certain peace in this solitude, a chance to connect with the road and the landscape in a way that few experiences can offer. So much history in this area. The first test of an atomic bomb ( Trinity ), rockets and missiles tested here. Some sites are accessible, while others can only be glimpsed from a distance, like the Trinity site itself. Riding through these historic lands, I feel a deep connection to the past, as if...

  Day 6 – Gallup (NM) to Socorro (NM) (475mi) August 2nd, 2024 It’s 5am, and I'm prepping my GPS for today's ride. Super excited, I've heard so much about the Arizona Challenge Coin, especially the road getting there. Last night, the rain spared me (and my clean bike), although the thunderstorms southeast from my hotel were quite intense. Today promises clear skies all day! I take the quick stint on the Interstate West, then head south along the Arizona state line on state route 191 towards Clifton. It's a beautiful, clear morning. The ride starts off on a wider road , making good progress. It's also fun to leave the desert once more and enter the national forest. Good times. One last stop in Alpine (AZ). Let’s do this! The rumors were all true, if anything, they didn't even give this road the reputation it deserves. It's a state route, but the pavement was good to great throughout! Twists and turns are relentless. You can only guess the big grin under my b...

  Day 5 – Casa Grande (AZ) to Gallup (NM) (670mi) After four days off the bike, soaking up the good times with family and friends over BBQ, poolside chats, and tacos, it was time to hit the open road again. We exchanged our goodbyes and went our separate ways, with me heading to TN. Today's ride promised an adventure, taking me north into Utah and then south into New Mexico. Need help turning a 300-mile trip into an epic journey? Follow me! Remember, the ride is the destination! A bucket list item for today – Monument Valley . It also holds the Harley-Davidson coin for Utah. A quick pit stop at Four Corners as well. These are the main attractions for today, as I expect the roads to be pretty straightforward. AZ-87 looked more promising on the map than it did in person, and the 5-minute rain shower and wet roads right outside Phoenix didn't help. Don't get me wrong – it wasn't bad, just a major road for most of the morning, so let's crank it up to get to Winslow....

 Barstow (CA) to Casa Grande (AZ) (540 mi) A Journey Through Contrasts Rehydrated (Blue Moon). Fueled up (Walmart Deli). Gassed up (Valero). As the first rays of the sun pierced the horizon, I headed due south into Lucerne Valley, anticipating another day in triple digits. The excitement of reaching the California Coin in Idyllwild, a stop in one of the hottest cities in the United States and finally reuniting with my fiancée set the pace for the day. The sunrise was breathtaking, and with no traffic, it was perfect for cruising. The CA-18 from Lucerne Valley started off mundane with mining traffic, but soon transformed into a thrilling, twisty climb up towards Big Bear Lake. The altitude brought a welcome coolness, a stark contrast to the previous day's heat. I hoped for a coffee stop in Big Bear, but luck wasn't on my side, so I pressed on along CA-38 towards Riverside. The road was a delight, with its smooth surface and endless twists and turns—a perfect warm-up for the ...

 Ely (NV) to Barstow (CA) (620 mi) The night was filled with heavy thunderstorms and rain - quite impressive. And a free bike wash! This day will be a hot one, so getting out early is imperative. Ely itself is dead at 4:30am, the air is clean and relatively "fresh" after the rain, and I fill up and head South. Pitch black, possible Deers crossing.... taking it easy until the sun comes up. What will the day look like today? Well, there the first 10 for 24 photo stop in Rachel, (NV), near Area 51 and along the Extraterrestrial Highway. Then via Valley View (NV) South into Death Valley NP and finishing up via Route 66 into Barstow (CA).  Temperature is quite enjoyable; just cruising along for the next 140 miles until the next gas stop. Even checking in with my loved one at home. It's amazing how far cell network coverage has come in those areas. Coffee? - Check. Gas? - Check. Water (lots of it)? - Check Ice in the cooler? - Check. Let's do that. NV-375 is empty; thinkin...

 As the snow comes down in Nashville, over a hot cup of coffee I thought it would be the perfect time to "rewind" and recap another day....Happy Friday (indeed!)! Boise (ID) to Ely (NV) (420 mi) It's been a short night; up at 4:30am, as the hotel parking lot got busy. Nothing big, early start is always good in the summer, right? Packing up, rolling off.... crack of dawn. The initial stretch is the main Interstate to Mountain Home. Let's get it over with. Little traffic, a warm breeze, smell of wildfires still in the air. Leaving Boise and the forests behind. It will be a desert (desolate?) day, dropping due South into Nevada.  A final gas stop, with 160mi from here to the State line where (supposedly) the next decent gas station is located. Black Rifle Coffee Tripple Shot - check!  It's bone dry out here past the farmsteads south of Mountain Home. Smoke in the air, and forecast of thunderstorms in the area. A lonely road, and better have some tunes downloaded, bec...