HEADING SOUTH

Forecast thunderstorms and rain showers to the north and east of my present position, so I'm headed south where it's sunny and warmer. I don't know what the fuss is all about over global warming, because the temperatures have been unusually cool for this time of year at most places I've been through. I don't want to go south, but not wanting to ride in the rain keeps forcing me to head that way. However, triple digit temperatures will change my mind, and I'll head north, rain or no rain.
So far, it looks great going south.
Would you believe someone took the time to do this?
Someone must be blowing smoke about the economy. Las Vegas is a mad house. Lots of traffic, people, and the casinos I went into were crowded.
I might not be posting for a while, because I plan to spend some time here and may end up having to pawn my computer. Excuse me, mind if I squeeze in here?
HEY! Don't give me any crap. If you think these guys are looking at their cards, you're "nuts."

TONOPAH

Back up over Sonora Pass to get to Tonopah, NV. Why Tonopah you ask? Wanted to dodge the scattered thunder showers through this part of the country. Good day for a ride and no rain. Tonopah isn't much of a town, but the people I talked to here love the place. Of course, I didn't talk to any young people, so I don't know what they think.
Not a lot of people heading to or coming from Tonopah.
Free range wild horses.
Who could resist this as a place to stay for the night.

ROUND TRIP

Up over Sonora Pass and back through Yosemite NP. Weather was great going through Sonora Pass but it turned to crap while going over Tioga Pass in Yosemite. It was cold and got hit with a little sleet in a couple of places. Met a guy on a rented bike from Bavaria in Germany, had lunch with him, and rode through Yosemite together. He was on his way back to SF. He wasn't dressed for the ride over the pass and almost froze to death.
A little hairy in places on the narrow road and no guard rails. Run off the road here and they'll never find you.
At about 9,000 ft.
Heading down the east side of the pass.
Gas stop. I don't know what the price of gas is where you live, but this is "nuts."
This is the only picture I took while heading through Yosemite. The weather quickly turned to crap, and I wanted to get past it as quickly as possible. Actually, the ride over Sonora Pass was more scenic than the ride over Tioga Pass. As soon as we got over the pass, the weather cleared up.

COLUMBIA STATE HISTORIC PARK

Just a few miles from Sonora. Most of the preserved town is closed to vehicular traffic. Few shops and old buildings. Considering the age of earth, this all took place not too long ago. Even though we live in the age of text messaging and Facebook, who's to say life wasn't better back then.
Well, maybe the ride could have been a little more comfortable.

ANOTHER STUPID BOB TRICK

Decided to go through Yosemite and head south on US-395 to Bishop. Winding road heading up and over the pass.
Got through it without dropping the bike and found a view turnout a few miles down the road.
Decided to break out the lunch. Having lunch with views like these ain't, or should I say isn't too shabby.

As I'm walking back to the bike, I notice what looks to me like a white stripe on my rear tire. Can't think of what I went through to cause this. Upon closer inspection, I find the tire tread is worn away and the white is actually tire cords showing. HOLY CRAP!!!
I'm in the mountains miles from any town on a tire like this. Oh mama, what the hell am I going to do now? This means going back through the pass on a really crooked road. Bummer!
As luck would have it, I flagged down a couple of bikers who know the area, and they gave me directions to Sonora. Told me there was a Yamaha bike shop in town and if they had the correct tire, they would change it for me right away. Now the dilemma. Do I travel fast knowing I could have a blowout at any time in order to get to the shop before it closes, or do I go slow which would be better for me control the bike in the event of a blowout and get there after it closes. Always one for doing the right thing in the safest way possible, I went fast. Got to Sonora, larger place than I thought it would be, found the shop and as luck would have it, they had a tire. They got right on it and had it changed within an hour. The mechanic said he had never seen a tire so worn and said I should look at the tires once in a while. I told him that I did look at the rear tire about 20k miles ago and it seemed fine then. Well, duh!
Got to put in a plug for Gold Rush Motorsports in Sonora and Lawrence Rangel who went out of his way to provide me with great service. Everyone I talked to who worked there was cordial, friendly and courteous. I was impressed. For those in need of help, this is the place for it. Just make sure you're not on a "Harley."

VISITING A FRIEND

Normally, I would not find myself dead in a place like Stockton, but a life long friend lives there, and I decided to visit her.
I've known her for sixty years.....no, that would make me old. Try ten years. Took her out to dinner and she had some nerve putting up a fuss when I drove into the McDonald's parking lot. So, I drove across the street to Burger King. Women! Just can't satisfy them.
I left her place about 10:30pm to head back to the motel. First thing I noticed after starting the bike was there were no instrument lights illuminated. Strange. Wasn't about to try to figure out what the problem was then, so off I went. A few blocks away, I noticed the brake and tail lights were not working. Jeez! All I need now is for some CA idiot driver not to see me. Now I've got to get on the freeway and go a mile to the next exit. Definitely not good to be flying down the freeway at night without rear lights. Oh Lordy, please make sure I don't pull onto the freeway in front of a cop. I don't know what I was worried about, for as I pulled off the freeway, I found the street leading to the motel cordoned off and there must have been a zillion cops on scene. Now what?!! Cop told me I'd have to get back on the freeway, go a mile up the road, and double back on a surface street. Just my luck! Oh please don't let him see that I don't have any rear lights when I turn around. Back on the freeway and hoping I won't encounter a cop for what seemed to be a really long mile. By a stroke of luck I found my way back to the motel, but the yellow tape was stretched across the road one driveway before the motel. Now I'm pissed! I fly right up to the tape and some cop is frantically waving his arms in order to get me to stop. I'm clutching my heart and yellin' "I've got really bad heart pains and need to get to my motel room to get my meds. I'm going to die if I don't." It worked! He lifted the tape, and as I drove through, all I could think of is that he will notice the rear bike light are out. If he did, he didn't do anything about it. Oh yeah, a couple of guys tried to rob the convenience store next to the motel and there was a shootout between them and the cops. Two against a zillion....bad odds. Both bad guys got shot.

Mmm, Mmm.....Good

Walked by the convenience store cooler and couldn't resist.
However, after I started in on it, I realized there was no frig in the motel room. Yeah, right! So I did what any rational being would have done in my place.
Wonder what the Ihop waitress would say about this.

VIRGINIA CITY

Went to Virginia City for the Sesquicentennial Celebration. Small tourist town that comes alive during the summer months and is dead as a doornail during the winters. Lots of small shops selling all sorts of nostalgic items, food places, etc. Lots of people walking around in 19th century attire. A couple of them looked like they were born back then.
Every kind of hard candy imaginable.
I can't believe the barrels are actually filled, for if they are, it must be a a pain in the ass to rotate the stuff from the bottom as it ages.
Old guy doing the "quick draw." Not very fast, but he was pretty accurate.
Jeez! These people are everywhere!
I'd sure like to see the biker riding on this. Wonder if he pissed the Harley bikers off by parking next to them.
Couple of mountain men. Don't think I'd want to meet them in the woods.
I had a car like this when I was in Texas. As I recall, cost for full coverage insurance for a year was less than fifty bucks.
Hey Aaron, should I get this for you to give to Gen for her birthday?
A little gun handling performance.
Heading into the sunset.
On my return to Reno, I decided to stop in and get some of this. Unfortunately, I was on a Japanese bike and the Harley guys ran me out of the parking lot.