UPDATE!

Please check out my new book, Second Cousins on Amazon.com.  Yes, motorcycles are involved.

You can read about it here.

From the "dust jacket" of the book:


24,000 years ago during the last ice age, what is now White Sands National Monument in southern New Mexico was then a 1,600 square mile lake which geologists have named Lake Otero. Gradually the weather became drier and warmer as the ice age retreated, and the gypsum that had been dissolved in the lake deposited out as the lake dried up, leaving the modern-day pure white dunes of gypsum sand.

At the southern end of this range of dunes on what is now part of the White Sands Missile Range, the sands have drifted, exposing something that should not have been there.

_____________

Don't have a Kindle?  No problem, Amazon has free Kindle apps for most devices.  You can download them at this site:


http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_ipad_mkt_lnd?docId=1000493771


Cheers,


--Doug

Start

The usual, a nice early start.

Click a picture to enlarge.

This year's route should be a little over 4,000 miles, and I plan to spend about 2 1/2 weeks on the road. Turn-around point is Campbell River, Vancouver Island.

Day 1, Winter Park, CO 7/16

After reaching escape velocity early this morning, I ended up in Winter Park, Colorado. It was hot! It had even been hot in Leadville, NM which is at 10,000 feet elevaton.

Day 2, Dubois, WY 7/17

Shortly after leaving Winter Park at about 7:30 in the morning, I encountered what was obviously a small mutual admiration society of about 6 Corvette owners. Members of the "I own a new Corvette, so there!" club. They were obviously trolling the Colorado countryside anxious for other drivers to gaze with admiration on their shiny new cars.

They drove badly. 10 - 15 miles under the limit, stayed in the passing lane going up hills in spite of traffic being lined up behind them. You know the type. I passed them on the right, made a mental note to make sure they were remembered.

I ended up for the night at the Trail's End Motel in Dubois, WY.

A beautiful sight: the bike in the rain, as viewed from the doorway of the motel room.

Day 3, Chico Hot Springs, MT 7/18

Lots of scenery today as I drove through Teton and Yellowstone parks. Also a million or two of some of the stupidest drivers on the planet! Some of the scenery:

Approaching the Tetons from the east.



Just inside Teton park.



Charming people at Old Faithful, Yellowstone. She had "F*ck you! I have enough friends!" sewn into her leather vest.



A small boiling spring, located just off the road but away from the crowds.



Chico Hot Springs Resort, Montana. Room with a sink, bathroom down the hall: $54.

Day 4 - Coeur D'Alene, ID 7/19

Not much to report today. I hopped on the bike at 7:15am and cruised 414 miles to Coeur D'Alene ID, so there wasn't much time to take pictures.

But there was one from later last night. This girl fell down on the way back to her room. So she decided to smoke a cigarette and check her messages.


Just as cute, I was mugged by a couple of ground squirrels this afternoon at one of the rest areas in Montana.

Day 5 - Ellensburg, WA 7/20

I left Coeur D'Alene this morning -- pretty place.


Heading north the country turned to rolling sage & crops. Then after a couple of hundred miles the highway crossed the Colombia Gorge.


Good general advice:



When I got to Ellensburg it was 92 degrees. This little bat was hanging around the hotel entry way. Get it? Hangin...

Never mind.

Day 6, Delta, BC 7/21

Ok, it may not look like a dump from the outside,



but it is.



Instructions for using the shower.

1) Take Gerber multipurpose tool:


2) Extend the pliers accessory.


3) Firmly grasp the shower thingie & pull.




Tomorrow, a ferry ride to Vancouver Island.

Day 7, Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, BC 7/22

It's always fun loading the bikes onto a BC ferry. Bikes are first on, first off.


Chock the bike in case of rough water.


This poor guy must have gotten some bad sushi.



These two tug boats were backing a barge full of rock into the slip next to us as easily as if parking the Honda in the garage.


This shot cost me a brand new pair of sunglasses -- 40 knot wind blew them right off my face.



Reward for a rough day's sailing.



Not a dump -- a nice little place



Room for a small party.

Days 8 & 9, Campbell River, Vancouver Island, 7/23 - 7/24

Leaving the motel in Nanaimo this morning, the 17 year old motel cat wanted to go with me.

A stretch of beach just south of Campbell River.

Oysters, anybody?

My hotel was definitely not a dump.  My room is right next to the Campbell River.  I can look out the window and see a half dozen salmon jumping.

I asked around for where the best seafood was and was told "Patti Finn's Seafood down at the dock".  I had to ask for directions three times, but found it, a little place floating on the marina.

Platter with candied salmon, smoked tuna, oysters, and mango prawn salsa.

Itinerants camped out behind Patti Finn's.

Stealth dog, lurking in a marshy island on the Campbell River just across from the hotel, waiting for someone to invite him over for a snack.  Or some nice juicy pink salmon fish guts.

Day 10, Quilcene, WA, 7/25

I left Campbell River this morning.  Stopped to get gas on the way:  is your calf muscle supposed to give a loud "pop" and suddenly start hurting like hell while putting the bike up on the center stand?  I didn't think so.  I'm walking around like Chester hobbling after Marshal Dillon on on old Gunsmoke episode.

"Marshal Dillon!  Marshal Dillon!"

Victoria harbor is pretty.

Leaving Victoria in the BlackBall Coho ferry.

A couple of biker friends I made waiting for the ferry.

Mount Walker Inn, Quilcene, WA.