Tried to get out of the motel early today, but wasn't successful, didn't make it out until around 9:00AM. Predicted to be another hot day in Yuma. I had selected Route 95 North, since it is one of the few roads we have not used when traveling from Yuma to Laughlin. We refueled at Quartzsite and headed on to Palmer, still on Highway 95. At Palmer we gassed up again and followed Highway 95 along the Colorado River to Lake Havasu City. Lake Havasu City is the site of the London Bridge. It runs from Lake Havasu City out to Havasu Island. Doesn't really go anywhere, just wanted to give Peggy a ride across the famous 'London Bridge'. Out of town again on Highway 95 for a few miles to join up with interstate 40 West. Crossing the Colorao River, we stopped and got a picture of the California state line sign for the ABC's of Touring Program. Five miles West of Needles, Californis we turned North again on Highway 95. I should have fill up, but didn't and as I turned off onto Highway 95 I discovered it would be approximately 43 miles to Laughlin and I already had 51 miles on the current tank full of gasoline. I knew it may not be enough but we proceeded anyway. Seventeen miles down the road we crossed over into Nevada and picked up another photo of another state sign. About mile further up we would have to turn East on Highway 163 to Laughlin and would you believe, since we were last here they had built a nice, new Chevron Station at thst intersection. Somebody is looking out for us. As we've mentioned before, this week-end is the Yuma Prison Run and we passed hundreds of bikes headed South toward Yuma. Some were in large groups and some in groups of three to five bikes, some appeared to be hard core patched bikers and some just week-end ride. We're staying at the Flamingo Hilton Hotel and Casino. We stayed here five years ago and enjoyed it. Today was different, as we pulled up to the front of the motel with other people who we checking in, I was aked by one of the 'bell boys' to park my bike over in a different area and register and then I could unload. At first I didn't think anything about it, until I noticed the other people, in cars, were allowed to remain parked where they were in front of the motel while they went inside and registered. When I went in to register I hung my coat over one of thos baggage carts and asked Peggy to watch it and the bike while I registered. When I came back out she told me that the baggage carts were for 'bell boy use only'. I told her don't worry about it and I took the baggage cart to the motorcycle and started to unload the baggage. One of the 'bell boys' asked if I need any help, I was already mad about them asking me to move my motorcycle to another location and mad at myself for not seeing what was going on until after I moved my vehicle. So there is no way any 'bell boy' is going to handle my baggage. I took the cart on to the bike and started to unload, the head 'bell boy' came out and said the carts are for 'bell boy' use only. We had a nice discussion and I told him where he could put his baggage cart. We were scheduled to stay here for three days. After I got into the room, I called in a complaint to the motel supervisor and cancelled our stay for the next two nights. Other nice things we found about this motel. Local calls $0.75 cents for the first 10 minutes and $0.10 per minute after that. They also have a business center with two personal computers with a rate of $4.00 for the first 15 minutes and $7.50 for each additional one-half hour. What a rip off! We're out a here at 11:00AM tomorrow morning and we won't be back. Wouldn't recommend this motel to anyone, except Peggy. She can continue to visit their casino. She took their slot machines for a ride....We came out ahead on this deal. Anyway we did have a nice ride of 261 miles today, 3,628 miles this trip, 152,520 total miles. Room charges: $69.00 room charge plus $6.21 tax, $75.21 total room cost.
View from the Rear by Peggy:
Friday, leaving Yuma, Arizona for Laughlin, Nevada - 70 degrees; calm/sunny.
Checked The Weather Channel on TV and they posted yesterday's high throughout the U.S - was in Gila Bend, Arizona, 93 degrees - We just rode through that town yesterday - that's where we met those two bikers on our gas stop - small world.
Was going to be a sleeveless top today under my leather vest and jacket - Rode outpast the Yuma International Airport; left onto Pacific Avenue - past Yuma Harley Davidson; right on 16th Street to pick up Hwy 95 North - we weren't going West on I-8 any longer.
We're in a vally with plowed/planted fields - miles and miles of them. At the edge of some of the fields there's a bunch of new homes and/or RV/Mobile Home Parks. We're headed North coming up on a mountain range - past ahuge 'Rinkers' facility - over the 'Gila River' and climbing through the mountains.
Rode by 'U.S. Army Yuma Proving Grounds' - sign 'Watch out for Animals next 80 Miles' - Passed 'Yuma Proving Ground Firing Range' - miles and miles of sagebrush.
Riding through another mountain range - air is cooler - can see in the distance a beautiful, multi row of mountains to our East and a regular mountain range to our West - another 'Watch Animals' sign - just realized, NO FENCES ON EITHER SIDE OF ROAD.
Passed alot of bikers going South towards Yuma - most likely going to attend the 'Yuma Prison Run' this weekend. We continuously crossed paths with the most bikers we've seen while riding - well over 200 bikes in various locations. A big bunch of riders didn't have any windshields and had the 'ape' type handlebars - a 'hardy' bunch to be sure.
At mile marker 101 we stopped in Town of Quartzsite - Exxon gas - $2.37; $2.47 and supreme $2.57 - continued North to Town of Parker on Hwy 95 - numerous military jets flying high above - riding past fields and fields of light-brown and low sagebrush (?). It's pretty as it's different - just miles and miles of it waving in the breeze.
WE ARE RIDING HIGHER AND HIGHER! Past Buckskin Mountain State Park... Had to stop writing at this point as we were higher and everything was wayyy below us!
We were coming into area of Lake Havasu City and Mac asked me if I ever heard of some guy buying the London Bridge and plopping it down in a desert? I said, no, that I hadn't - he said, well this is where he put it, laughing.
We rode through the town - so many people - got directions to where a ferry might cross West into California - the ferry didn't cross there but Mac found out where the 'London Bridge' was so we rode over it - pretty neat, not too long at all.
Back on Hwy 95N where we took I-40 West towards what sign said 'Los Angeles and Bullhead City. Got picture at California border at 1:30PM - also said, 'San Bernadino County' - and picture of Colorado River sign and then train traveling over 'high' tracks from California over the Colorado River and into Arizona.
Passed sign 'Entering Pacific Coast Time Zone' so have no idea what the correct time is.
We continued North now on I-95 through Eastern portion of Hackberry Mountain range - elevation at approximately 5,390 feet.
We crossed into Nevada near the junction of I-95 and Hwy 163. We took our picture, stopped for much needed gas at a Chevron station just past Hwy 163 (new gas station) - regular $2.69; $2.79 and premium $2.89.
Turned East on 163 and rode 19 miles into Laughlin, Nevada - was cooler riding - we came into Laughlin out of the mountains - was beautiful to see this small gambling town with it's high-rise casinos just sitting there surrounded by the desert and the Colorado River behind it - what a site.
Our reservations are at the 'Flamingo' - we stayed here a number of years ago and didn't remember this facility being so backwards... Guess they just want folks to gamble - of which I did and stopped when I had won $95.00 on a $1.00 poker slot machine.