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 Days 3 and 4: Monday Sept. 20 & Tuesday Sept. 21
Monday was the last day for most of the group. Ron, Mike, Alain, and Tony headed back to the Valley of the Sun. Bob, Mike, Erik, and Dennis returned to Grass Valley. Bob H. rode back to Cambria. Ed and Judy forged onward to Los Angeles by way of Tehachapi and returned home to Tempe the next day.

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Tony is the only guy we know who has a special hat for his motorcycle. We all love our machines, but this is going a bit far! The Arizona contingent leaves for home. By now, the Grass Valley Group is already well on their way. Ed, Judy, and Bob H. stop for a leisurely breakfast at the Kernville Airport. The cook & waitress at first seemed a bit gruff, but she made sure that our food was EXACTLY as we liked it, except for limp bacon. Bob headed back home to Cambria. Ed and Judy rode south toward LA, past Lake Isabella, Bodfish, Havilah, and Caliente.
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Near Caliente, we pulled over for a stretch and a wave at a passing train. While we were stopped there, an "automobilist" told us to be sure to take a short side trip to see the "Tehachapi Loop," which of course we did. This is the famous Tehachapi Loop near Highway 58. Completed in 1876 by The Southern Pacific Railroad, the loop was constructed to allow a train to climb quickly in a confined area. A plaque at a nearby overlook states that "a 4000 foot train will cross 77 feet above its rear cars in tunnel below." We stopped for gas in Tehachapi, where Ed noticed that the K12's front tire was wearing thin. We called ahead to BMW of Hollywood for a new front tire. As luck would have it, they had one in stock. The other bit of good news was that the dealership was open on Monday. As a rule, most aren't! California DPS uses BMW R1100RTP's, and officers swear by their ABS brakes, which are now required on new DPS "motors." After "re-tiring" Ed and Judy spent the night visiting with family in LA. After a good night's sleep we were ready to get back on the road again.
ed_three4.jpg (52587 bytes) On Tuesday, we headed back home on I-10. Among our favorite roadside sights near LA are the dinosaurs of Cabazon. "Dinny," the 150 foot long Apatosaurus, and his 65 foot tall T. Rex companion were built by Claude Bell, who ran the nearby Wheel Inn which, sadly, has been replaced by outlet stores and fast food restaurants. We hope Dinny and Rex don't also become extinct!
We arrived home in Tempe at about 5:30 PM. Although we later heard that it had rained quite a bit in LA and Tempe during the day, we somehow managed to miss the rain in both places and on the road in between. (That's probably because we had our rain suits with us.) In all, we covered 1488 miles on the four day trip. What a great ride!

That's all, folks, until the next time!!!

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