Day 4

Final location: Mexican Hat, UT; Final odometer: 18608; Total miles: 2283.1


What a night. I enjoyed an evening of puttering around the tent/trailer setup when it started raining a bit. I went and covered the bike and trailer, just in case. Puttered around some more, went to bed. Sounded like critters outside but I think it was just the tree shedding it's needles. Then the heavens opened up. It rained all night. I had intentionally just setup the minimum required of the tent and I don't know if that was the cause but water got in. Not a lot, just a bit at each corner. The thing was, a drop hit me on the forehead at 4:44 AM, so that was about that. Everything was wet and stepping outside was muddy (the ground is like peat moss and when it gets wet, it is a sticky mess). The first picture shows a tranquil scene - it was yucky. Taking a shower was yucky. Packing up was yucky. Started at 6:00 AM, didn't leave until 9:30.


This was one of the things I was working on - I put little plastic cup hooks along the spine of the trailer lid to hold the cables coming from the solar panel to the battery - duct tape couldn't do the job this time and the cable kept getting tugged at and in the way. A little bonus I realized today - an electrical port in the tent! How fortuitous!


I stopped for gas at a Shell station just up the road on Route 14. Coincidentally, we had sought refuge from a hail store under the canopy they were just starting to build back in 1999.


On the road up to Madrid, NM. along Route 14


After gassing up, I took a leisurely motor up to Madrid (MAD-rid, not Muh-drid). Wanted to see the Java Junction and the lady there we had met, lo those many years ago. Unfortunately, she had sold the store to her son and daughter-in-law and skidaddled. Had a nice mug of joe though. Madrid is an artsy/hippy little town nesstled in the hills between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. The south part of town is a mess. But the north end is a little strip of stores that is quite quaint. Here, an steel sculpture, about 10 ft high, became the home of some birdies. Of course the damn hippies couldn't bring themselves to cleaning it out (JK). I don't mind hippies - other than they are smelly and lazy (JK again).

Toodled on up to Sante Fe, NM and was going to do the loop up around Taos but the weather that way looked foul, so I just started heading west and north along 84/285. Saw a black Nomad in a gang of riders - license "I DUCK". Further on up, I got stuck in a huge parade in Espanola. Luckily, some National Guard guys were heading the way I was and they let me follow them through a LONG detour (this parade was really big) out of town. I'm glad they did - I had wandered into one barrio that was really scary. An older gentleman even pointed for me to go the opposite way - I swiftly retraced my route.


The ride up into Colorado was quite spectacular and the weather improved tremendously. Near Durango, it looked like it may turn again. I stopped at the gift shop and put on some rain gear and did get rained on a bit.

This is a little gift show just west of Durango. Unfortunately, just west of of this spot, it looked like a biker went over the side. I had seen the ambulance racing up the mountain. The EMT shooed us through and wouldn't let us stop. He said for us to go, that they were going to close the road (160) for an hour. I hope the rider is OK.


One of the many vistas you'll get to see when you go out and travel this vast and beautiful continent.


Next stop was the Four Corners, made it there about 6PM MTN time. I fell down and landed in Utah and Arizona - I think my foot was in New Mexico. Chatted with a nice Aussie couple who are traveling around. There are many Europeans touring around, probably gas at half the price they are used to is attractive.


Just after the Four Corners, which was hot, dusty and VERY windy, I ran into a terrific rainstorm - I'm glad I kept on the full face (for the dust at the time). I and a group of travelers stopped to see the result of that storm. Quite spectacular out there in the desert. That pesky rainbow kept after me for a long time after the storm.



Running out of daylight.


Sunset in The Valley of the Gods.


Mexican Hat Rock, just outside Mexican Hat, UT. It was sunset and I knew there were no campgrounds around. I was flying through the town of Mexican Hat and saw people outside a motel and decided that the Hat Rock Inn (120 E Highway 163, Mexican Hat, UT) was a good place to stop. The rooms were very nice - deliciously cold.


A food picture for Sherm. At the Old Bridge Grille at the San Juan Inn (Highway 163 at San Juan Drive where Highway 163 crosses the San Juan River, not a 1/4 mile from the hotel) in Mexican Hat, I decided on the Navajo taco, made with Navajo fry bread (yum), chili, lettuce and tomatoes. Plus a nice caliente picante sauce on the side. With a Squatters Pale Ale to wash it all down. Oh yes and cherry pie (even though I couldn't eat all of the massive taco - about 12" across). Sorry about the quality - camera phone.