By Claudia & Gary
After the wind calmed down we decided to ride down to Death Valley for the weekend. Our friend Ron was in the vicinity of DV so it would be a good time to visit with him. Gary took a few days off work and we headed out on Thursday the 16th of April. Gary rode the Honda Goldwing and I drove the Honda Accord. Our route was via 156 to I-5 to Bakersfield. We enjoyed a Cheeseburger at the Golden Bull on Rosedale and Hwy 58. Then it was a straight shot through Kern Canyon (178) to the Ridgecrest Budget Inn. That’s where we like to stay because its clean, close to restaurants and is reasonably priced.
That evening daylight was plentiful so we used the time before dinner to clean the bugs off the front of our bike and car. We were pelted by a migrating swarm of bees on Walker Pass way beyond normal suicidal bugs. There was an abundance of desert wildflowers; purple, white and yellow making this trip especially pleasant. SPRING, SPRANG!
Charly’s steak house is where we went for dinner. It was delicious and the service was fast and very friendly. The next morning we grabbed a cup of coffee then took a long walk before breakfast at the Midway Cafe. Again great food and friendly atmosphere.
Of course it was a bit warm in the valley on the way to Beatty. The winds were minimal. The roads were smooth for the most part, not too many cars and motor homes. However Gary’s arm was getting a good workout waving to all the Bikers!
We arrived at the Stage Coach Hotel in Beatty and met Ron. It was too early for check-in. Since it was lunch time, you know, EAT! EAT! EAT!!! We went to the Mexican restaurant in town where we enjoyed more good food and caught up on the latest developments in our lives. After checking into our room we decided to ride over to Rhyolite because we had never been there. I brought my leathers, boots, gloves and helmet with me in the car so I could to ride with Gary on the Wing. The weather was so warm and beautiful that I decided to walk through the ghost town. It was an interesting place, especially the Bottle House. It was a disappointment for me that there were no Jewelry stores in Rhyolite. Maybe a relief for Gary.
That afternoon we took our refreshments to the gazebo in the pool area of the hotel where we met up with the gang from the Breakfast Club. They invited us to join them for dinner at Rita’s. We always enjoy the comfortable, positive nature of the BC group, our fellow motorcycle enthusiasts. The next day we rode the Wing to Panamint Springs then back through the valley to the beautiful oasis of Furnace Creek where we met the BC gang for Lunch.
It was HOT. (97 degrees) Once back at the Stagecoach we would have enjoyed a dip in the pool, however it was dry while repairs were being made. We again enjoyed the camaraderie in the gazebo and another fine dinner at Rita’s
Sunday morning we headed home. Gary had fun riding over Daylight pass with Dave, Gerry, and Helmut. I followed and took some photos of them until they were out of sight. My pace was slower in the car and I had a relaxing drive while taking in the dry beauty of the desert. Gary waited for me at the rest area west of Stovepipe Wells. We continued our journey on Hwy 190. We love the twisty part of the road west of Panamint Springs. The rugged, rocky cliffs are volcanic in appearance with dark char, burgundy and mauve tones and even more lovely due to the yellow flowery bushes that lined the pavement.
At the summit the scenery was even more breathtaking. Like a Mural with the silvery blue, snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountain range dominating the cloudless, deep blue sky wall that was visible for more than 30 miles. I took many photos.
Along the way toward home on Hwy 5 we were caught by the three guys we started off with that morning. We waved to each other and rode within the same proximity for several miles until Gary and I stopped at the rest area. We arrived home around 5pm. Total miles traveled 1181. Rubber side down!