27th June 2018
Despite the late night and exhausting journey I am up relatively early. Most motels in America have laundry facilities and this one is no exception. One thing I must say is the room is very good, clean and large with a full size fridge/freezer, small kitchen area with a humungous microwave, a two ring hob and sink, but not a cup, plate or knife to be seen. I did stop on the way last evening to pick up some supplies… coffee, milk, a lovely crusty bread roll, butter and some apricot jam for my breakfast, but nothing to boil water in or spread butter with… I go downstairs and ask there but they don’t provide anything. The woman on reception does however offer me a couple of plastic disposable cups… can I microwave these I ask, No she says… not much use then really, I already have metal cups I can’t use because obviously I can’t microwave them. Luckily I have a knife, fork and spoon set that I take on my travels so that’s not a problem.
Not one to be easily deterred I do try microwaving the cup… it doesn’t melt so I make myself a coffee… I bought coffee bags to try, don’t bother peeps, they are horrible.
Next is to get my washing done.. so while that is on I start packing up my stuff ready to go on the bike. I have to wait for the washing to finish before I can finish packing of course so I go back down to put it in the dryer.. the dryer takes 45 minutes and I need to check out in 30.. oops. Oh well, I’ll just explain that I had to wait for the dryer because it is set at 45 minutes.
Ok so now all done, but of course I can’t get it in my bag because it is all fluffed up from the dryer. I do have compression bags but still the tail bag is bulging. I do manage to get it done up some of the way, I’ll sort it out properly when I stop tonight. On top of everything else one of the zips on my saddlebag has busted so the top is open… sigh! A trip to Sacramento Harley is in order to see if they have any bags.
I eventually check out an hour late so am not on the road again until gone 12pm.. not ideal really. I drop in quickly to Harley, no bags so I’m back on the 50 towards Lake Tahoe heading for Winnemucca. I don’t know if it’s the new grips or the road surface but my hands are so painful. I have osteoarthritis in my hands, wrists and fingers and they are just terrible. My right hand, lower arm and elbow are particularly painful and I start to think that if this continues I might have to go home. I mean I seriously can’t ride with this level of pain everyday.
Apart from the terrible pain, I have to say I have a glorious ride, it is just idyllic.. the sun is shining, the temp is in the mid 80’s, there’s hardly any wind and the scenery is devine.
I start to climb up towards the Sierra Nevada mountains and it just keeps getting better and better.. I did quite a lot of filming:
Of course none of it will load at the moment
A photo op stop at Southfork River (Dallas anyone?)…
With a random shoe…
I pass this totem pole and a couple of others with similar designs
And the scenery just gets better as I climb up through 4-8000 feet.
And as I look down into the basin that contains Lake Tahoe.. I can see the lake in the distance from the top of Echo Summit, just fabulous.
I arrive in South Lake Tahoe and decide to find somewhere to stay. Ok so let’s have a look at booking.com…. no way, far too expensive for me – over $150 for one night… no no. Ok so I need to continue onwards. I ride around the lake and start looking for a coffee shop or something to sit and relax in for an hour, (and use the loo), before continuing onwards. Well, I can’t find anything at all, there are loads of properties dotted around amongst the trees, but no shops or petrol stations, etc. I turn off at Incline Village thinking there must be something here, but it all looks to be gated off areas for residents only so I give up. One thing positive though, the pain in my hands has started to subside, it is still there but much, much less than before so I think it must have been the road surface. I’m definitely going to have a look at the grips tomorrow though, I’m not entirely happy with the positioning.
Anyway, back on the road and I’m about 25 miles from Carson City. Mmmm, that sounds very familiar – maybe that was the town they mentioned in Bonanza when I was a kid, (probably before most of you were born), I must check it out. Anyway I check out booking.com and get a room for less than $50 at the Carson Tahoe Motel.. a fantastic price I just hope it doesn’t come with bed bugs, yuck!
I am soon rolling into Carson City and I am very pleasantly surprised. First of all I didn’t know it is the Capitol of Nevada, but mostly the style is very western… wide open spaces, low rise buildings and exceptionally clean. Oh yes, I like it here. I pull in to the motel and park up right outside the door. The woman on reception, (she’s the manager her badge says), is very nice and tells me I can leave my bike there and they will keep an eye on it. She hands me a real key, not a keycard so just like that I decide to stay 2 nights, I need a break from all the drama and am very tired. I haven’t even seen the room yet, but I have a very good vibe about this place.
Into my room and it is excellent, very palatial with 2 king size beds, a relatively huge bathroom, flat screen TV, coffee maker, large single fridge and a huge AC unit… just heaven, yep have made the right decision there Pogs.
After unpacking I decide to go out an get something to eat. I ride down the road and find a steak/bbq place that looks good.. and it is. Then I pop into one of the casinos (we’re in Nevada remember.. never more than a gnats hair from a casino somewhere) that has a coffee shop and order two scoops of ice cream and a coffee… all delicious.
I also enjoy a conversation with the woman behind the counter, she was born in Carson City, moved to Colorado after she finished college and missed Nevada so much she came back and plans never to leave again. Well, good for her, there’s nothing wrong with loving your home. She tells me to visit Virginia City, it’s just up the road and is preserved as an old west town, very historic. Oh like Tombstone, I say, I went there and really enjoyed it. Oh yes if you like Tombstone then you will definitely like Virginia City.
This is Lidia, the woman in the coffee shop…
Well, what a fantastic day… I flop into bed planning not to get up again until I am fully rested and then ready to explore Carson City; I’ve got my cowgirl hat all ready.. hahaha
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