3/9/2009 Cycling in the Desert

Today is the day we go for our motorcycle ride in the desert. If you remember, a few weeks ago we attended the Mystery Dinner and Bob bid on this during the silent auction and won.

Well, today is the today. For you new readers, I've done this before. Gone for a motorcycle ride I mean. In case you didn't start at the beginning you can read about it here.

I'm not exactly looking forward to this today. I've been given the option of riding with Steve and I jump on that! He has a tricycle! Oh wait, when its this big I think they call it a trike. Anyway, its BIG and white. And seat looks very comfy!

This is my mode of transportation for the duration. I'm ok with this.

So its time to get seated. There was a small crowd in the parking lot and I slid onto the seat and when I sat down my legs went into immediate cramps. Steve tells me to put my legs forward and I did so just as fast I could until the cramps worked themselves out. When I was finally pain free I attempted to lower my feet to the place where should be very slowly, ever mindful that with one little twinge of a cramp that my legs were going spring back into place and spend the rest of the day on Steve's thighs!

Next came the helmet. Helmet hair! I was having a fairly good hair day and dreaded this. Thankfully I didn't have to put on a full helmet but as I recall it was one more like a German soldier's helmet if you can picture that.

So I'm all settled, I've got Bob's leather jacket on, jeans, sneakers, this stupid helmet and snuggled into the most comfortable motorcycle seat imaginable. I mean really, really, comfortable. I leaned back into a well padded back rest, the seat itself was just as padded and soft as could be....hey I could get used to this!

So off we go. Here we are going down the street just outside the park. There are four cycles and me and Bob. Bob is riding on the back of Dan Murtha's bike.

Following behind us in the car is Lin Stover and Steve's wife Nancy. Nancy has her own trike and Lin usually rides with her boyfriend Dan who is also along for a ride today, but her back is bothering her and Nancy opted to ride in the car also.

Here we are heading out for the main road, at this point I'm either going to love it or hate it.

This is me taking a picture of ....well, ME, in the rear view mirror of the bike. You know, sometimes I am just such a dork photographer! I even amaze me once in awhile.

So we're out on the open road, I'm not even hangin' on. I'm lovin' it! I'm taking pictures...

There's I-10!

We're following behind the other three cycles and that's fine with me!

Bob really enjoyed this stretch of road because it was the first time he really got to see it even though he has driven it dozens and dozens of times. Always having to pay attention to the road doesn't afford one the opportunity to take in the scenery.

Some scenery as we drove down the road.

About a half hour into the ride we pulled off to the side of the road in case anyone wanted to stretch their legs.

I didn't dare get off. I was quite comfortable and wasn't going to take any chances.

Bob didn't get off either.

So it was back on the road again to enjoy more scenery.

What amazed me the most was that Steve and I could carry a conversation with no problem. He asked if I wanted the radio on and I thought I he was kidding until he showed it to me. This bike even has cruise control.

We couldn't have asked for a prettier day for this ride.

At one point I just held the camera up, pointed behind me, to see if I could get a picture of Lin and Nancy behind us.

Damn, I'm good!

So we're even further down the road now and my hair is beating my eyes to death! We got a crosswind now and the hair flying free from under the helmet is just whipping around and hitting me continuously in the eyes. So I'm holding onto the helmet now because it feels like the wind could get up under it and just take off, and my camera, and trying to block the wind my arm. Suddenly this isn't so fun anymore.

I was so thankful when everyone pulled off to the side of the road. I got off the back of the bike and couldn't stand up straight. My legs wouldn't go together! And look at that hair!

Yes, that's a lollipop I'm holding in my hand. You see, I had decided that I had had enough. I was going the rest of the way with the girls in the car! No way was I going to be beat to death by my own hair! Because I was such a good rider I was awarded the "Good Rider's Lollipop" by Steve.

I happily stumbled to the car and crawled hopped into the back seat. Ahh, no hair whipping around here!

We went for lunch at the.....

If you are ever in the area, stop here for lunch! Great burgers!

Reading the menus....

Our "drivers" Dan and Steve.

Lunch over, outside and ready to go again.

It was a great ride! Bob and I both enjoyed this. Will we run out now and get bikes? No. Simple, easy answer, no. Would we ride with these guys again? In a heartbeat!