The Beginning #1

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Geo: 40.1203, -123.822

Good Morning One & All,

I'm sitting here trying to put together an email to describe the laughter, the tears and the fears over the last week since we left and it's almost as overwhelming as the adventure itself. How do I describe the beauty and the awe of the country. The pictures don't even come close to doing it justice. With each mile we passed, it seemed to grow more breathtaking. That was a good thing since lack of planning while packing made the first 4 days trying at times.

We wanted so badly to get the hell away from the situation, we decided to throw it all in the trailer and sort it out later…..BAD MOVE. It would have worked perfectly if we had planned on camping out on our way to the Redwoods instead of staying in motels. It dawned on me when we stopped for the evening that even getting to a toothbrush, not to mention clean clothing, meant unloading the top of the trailer, removing the top and digging through the mess underneath. Now I could cook a meal or air condition the tent with what was on top. Not really necessary at Motel 6. Not an option as ragged as we were. The winds seem to kick our ass every afternoon. Some days we got double lucky and wind brought his buddy, the rain, along to make it even more fun. I told Dave, I should get a frikken run pin for this one. Across Death Valley one day and across Yosemite the next day. Both with rain, winds and my ears popping more in two days than in my entire life. Not easy rides, even on a Cadillac.

The first night I thought, Ok, not a big deal to live in these clothes for a few days. Showering every night and morning would help and after I spent $51 at the mini-mart for new toothbrushes, deodorant, etc, I figured life was good again.

Then we hit Yosemite 's back side. SNOW. Spaghetti straps and snow. Not a recommended mix. Just as it's not recommended to overload the trailer so you chug up 8% grades for 10,000 feet. A true learning experience. MY DOL (the harley) did exceptional. Never faltered once. We might have hit the top of Yosemite doing 15 mph but she made it.

TO TRYKE TOYS – Rick & all the guys – What a fantastic job you did. She turns heads every where. Dave never gets tired of talking with everyone about her but after a couple of hours in the wind and there's snow on the ground, I'm not the most sociable female. Give me a damn beer and let me warm up first.

Well, it's been more laughter than tears so far. More than that, it's a learning experience. I learned even when the seat looks dry, you can ride all day with a wet ass which is worth a lot of laughter when going into eat. It looked like I wet my pants all the way to dinner. Even when things say they are waterproof, they are probably lying…go figure. Don't wear spaghetti straps if you are planning a trip through the mountains. If you park the bike and trailer just right on the side of the road, no one can see you pee. Baseball caps work great if your not riding into the wind (witness the two we lost with-in 30 minutes of each other on the first day. Everything you go to do is more of an ordeal than before – Internet Access. Northern Cal sucks for wi-fi access so had to purchase our own. Dave's biggest learning curve: We're not in a hurry. Going 70 isn't in the cards unless he likes getting smacked in the back of the head.

Well I hope this give you all an idea of the adventure we are on. Will keep you posted with more after the Redwoods Run this weekend. Atached are a few pics (I hope – they never want to attach for me) of the view from our deck and where we are staying. Please pass this around to everyone who knew us. Some friends don't have email and by the time I mail this, we'll probably be back there for a visit.

Love to all

Debbie

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