The Trip - Day One

The first day would most easily be divided into three parts: Getting to Colorado, buying the motorcycle, and the beginning of the journey. I got up at 4:00 AM EDT to get ready for the trip and pick up my daughter, Karyn, at 5:30 AM. She took me to the Fort Lauderdale airport where I boarded the plane and flew to the Denver airport, arriving at 9:45 AM. The shift of two time zones made the 4 hour flight seem like two. Upon arriving I was met by the bike's owner, Larry. It was great to finally put a face with a voice and we immediately set off for the parking lot to drive to his home in Castle Rock, about 25 miles south of Denver. We had a great talk on the way and became friends from this transaction. At his house we did the formalities of the Bill of Sale and payment. I saw his new Harley-Davidson Road Glide (beautiful yellow pearl with a deep shade that gives yellow a serious tone) and his Mustang Saleen. The car and bike both are very impressive. We took the bikes for a ride to get the 5-day temporary tag that I would use to ride home. Then we went to the Yamaha dealer to pick up a water-proof license bag. While there I bought a half-helmet in a very patriotic theme and a do-rag with much the same flavor. The helmet, a good deal at $40, was on sale at half off. I couldn't resist it. I would have spent more if they had had the things I needed in stock. We moved on to Walmart where I got necessities like lip balm, 50 SPF sunscreen, and Gatorade for the trip. We grabbed a quick lunch at Wendy's and went back to his house. After final packing and arranging items (thanks for the bungee cords, Larry) my planned 1:00 departure took place after 2:30 had passed. But I was finally on the road. Once on I-25 South I had a nice ride past Colorado Spring towards New Mexico. Motorcycles were out in force as the day was beautiful and clear. The mountains on my right were spectacular as I rode along the snow-peaked corridor. I did stop once to photograph the Grand Tetons. I didn't stop enough to take photos, though. I didn't have time or safety in most cases. As I went south the mountains suddenly ended just below Colorado Springs and I was on open ground to finish this 219 mile section of the trip. It would have been great except for a turn I didn't realize I had made correctly. I ended up getting back on I-25 for a 37-mile diversion (totaling 75 round trip) into New Mexico south of Raton. When I turned around I found myself accelerating to highway speed only to learn how quickly the Roadstar would go over 100 mph. In a few miles I came upon a police cruiser with someone pulled over. I was immediately encouraged to drive a bit more sensibly. After getting back on course (running 2.5 hours behind) I realize that night is setting in as I head east towards Texas. It was just a little over 212 miles to Amarillo across very rural landscapes at night. The night was not only unfamiliar, but determined to test my willingness to drive as temperatures continued to drop. Fortunately, it didn't get too cold along the dark highway. The two-lane road occasionally gave way to a small town and provided an opportunity to refuel both the motorcycle and myself. I finished 3 of the 6 Gatorade bottles I had brought with me and bought another large one at one station. I changed time zones to Central Time and lost yet another hour. The forecast in Amarillo was for high winds in the morning. I was not prepared for how high the winds would get. There were trees and bushes bending as if they were in a Florida tropical storm. Gusts undoubtedly exceeded 50mph with sustained winds around 45mph. The bike, however, handled fine and I found my way through the downtown area to the Holiday Inn. I was exhausted and hungry. The Holiday Inn was very nice. The hotel had a conference center and indoor atrium with restaurant and arcade area complimented by full-size trees. I rode across the street to the IHOP and had a French toast for dinner. I went back to the room, cleaned up, and fell to sleep. I had planned on this first short leg of my journey to be the easiest. It was just over 400 miles, the shortest by far. I had planned on getting to the hotel by 5:00 or 6:00 at the latest. Instead, I visited parts of New Mexico I hadn't planned on seeing and pulled in at 12:30 Central Time, a full 9 hours after leaving Castle Rock, CO. It was a test and made me question the wisdom to ride in unfamiliar territory on a new motorcycle. I hadn't planned on riding at night much, if at all. I had to wonder if I could make each remaining planned leg of the journey, the shortest of which was 625 miles the next morning. Aside from the visions of beautiful western terrain left in my mind, I had those concerns floating in my head as I drifted off to sleep. I was so tired I wasn't sure I would awake in time to leave in the morning or if I could possibly be rested enough to endure another day. And then I was asleep.