May 3,2010

CHAPTER #3-- TRAVEL ON JUST THE MOTORCYCLE.

Left Michelle's at 8:30am, 50 degrees starting the motorcycle part of the adventure. Rode up through Flagstaff, elevation 7235 with great views of the snow covered San Francisco Peak mountains, saw lots of dead elk along the road. Then it was across Arizona on route 40 to California. We rode across the Mojave Desert and the temp went up to 89 degrees. Going across the desert it was dry and windy, we stopped at a rest area...economy has really hit California...there was no water at this rest area, not even vending machines, water fountains were turned off. We stopped for the night in Barstow, California, and at reception desk they gave us bottles of water, we must have looked awfully dry. The cost of gas really changed entering California. We had been paying about 2.79 gallon for the Explorer. Our first stop with the motorcycle was $ 3.40 a gal. then $ 3.79 a gallon. At least on the motorcycle we are getting 45-50 miles per gallon and in the Explorer we were getting 13-14 miles per gal. average and the last day in the Explorer in the heavy winds pulling the trailer to Sedona we got 9 miles per gallon. (Information for those of you who like numbers).