Las Vegas to Coto De Caza, CA 6/17/11

2011-06-21T12:02:00.000-07:00

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A few months ago I decided to visit my friend Ernie in Coto de Caza, CA. Not because I like Ernie all that much, but because the trip offered a run through the Mojave National Preserve http://www.nps.gov/moja/index.htm in southeastern California. I had read about its long lonely roads, Joshua trees, and sweeping vistas. Consequently, it was a must do trip for me.

With my 2010 Harley Ultra Classic all gased up and packed for the weekend, I launched off from my home in the western Las Vegas foothills around 8:00 am on June 17, 2011. I quickly made it on to the Las Vegas Beltway (215) and was heading south. After merging on to I-15 South I knew I had a straight shot on smooth wide roads to the California border.

Running at 70 mph I reached the little gambling oasis of Jean, NV http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean,_Nevada in just over 30 minutes. This is a really cool little place as it has an "old Nevada" style casino, a state prison, and it intersects I-15 and Highway 161 to the historic ghost town of Goodsprings, NV http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/nv/goodsprings.html . If you are ever in the area, make the short trip to Goodsprings and stop in at the Pioneer Salloon http://www.pioneersaloon.info/index.htm . It's where they shot the movie "Misfits" with Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe. Worth it.

Passing Jean, I could see the casinos in the distance that make up Primm. Primm borders the sate of California and offers travelers from the west coast their first chance to gamble in Nevada. Having never ridden the Mojave trip before I felt it made sense for me to stop there to top off the tank so that I could be assured of making it all the way through the Preserve and beyond to Twentynine Palms, CA.

Gassed up and ready for the desert, I pulled back on to I-15 South for the short ride to the Nipton, CA exit. After taking Exit 266 it was only 4 miles until I had to make a couple of short jogs to end up on Morning Star Mine Road and begin the Mojave Preserve ride. Having a nice paved road with no traffic to run on and in the middle of nowhere was joyous to say the least. The Joshua trees were abundant and there were wild desert flowers skirting the road nearly every mile. It wasn't long before the abandoned mining town of Cima, CA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cima,_California was upon me. There I met up with a huge array of Union Pacific Railroad track and paralleled them all the way to historic Kelso, CA. The train depot at Kelso has been completely restored and makes a wonderful stopping point in the middle of the Mojave desert http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/ca/kelso.html .

I made the stop in Kelso, drank some water, and saddled back up for ride on Kelbaker Road. I crossed over the expanse of tracks, cruised along The Devils Playground and then over the Providence Mountain Range toward Twentynine Palms. Even though it was very hot in Kelso, I had decided put a jacket on under my leather vest because of the gradual change in altitude going over the mountains. I was glad I did because the temperture dropped quickly as I gained altitude peaking the mountain range.

Crossing over the top of the mountains I was met with a beautiful vista of the Mojave Desert and the Old Woman range. I had to pull over and take it all in. I felt like I was the only person on earth. There was nothing around me except wide open spaces and a confident tortoise crossing the road at his own leisurely pace.What a sight. What a feeling of freedom.

Soon I-10 came into view and I quickly passed under the interstate and continued downhill toward the National Trails Highway, better known as historic Route 66. Turning west onto Route 66, I wanted to make the pilgramage to the legendary Roy's Cafe http://www.rt66roys.com/ that is popular with motorcyle riders from all over the U.S. Pulling into Roy's just after about a mile or two, I thought about the old Air Force adage of "the only time you can have too much fuel is when you are on fire." so even though I didn't need much, I found a pump and was going to top off the tank. I was quickly met at the pump by a nice young man who was in charge of pumping gas...what? It has been at least 40 years since anyone has pumped gas for me. I love this place!! There was a van-load of German tourists at Roy's taking pictures of everything in sight. They asked if they could photograph me and on my Harley. Of course!! I'll never forget my stop at Roy's Cafe in Amboy, CA on historic Route 66. What a kick!!

From Amboy I headed due south over the Bristol dry lake bed and through the salt evaporation fields for the few remaining miles into Twentynine Palms. I was hungry and stopped for lunch there since I didn't want to stop again until my destination of Coto de Caza which was still 137 miles away. After all, Ernie was expecting me to arrive around 2:30 pm and the timming was looking real good to accomplish that. I wolfed down a burger and had some more water to stay hydrated.

After a minute or two in the airconditioning to get the burger and a few more in the shade of a tree adjacent to the parking lot, I hopped back on the Harley and headed out of Twentynine Palms. I mistakenly thought the hard part of the trip was over....but noooo! Once I arrived in Yucca Valley, I was confrounted with a seemingly endless number of traffic lights that were always red. Exiting that frustration, I was subsequently gobsmacked straght in the face with the most pounding headwind I have ever experienced. It was no surprise at all to see giant wind farms everywhere around me. I buffeted my way to I-10 and headed west. This was no fun at all. The wind was strong, hot, and blowing sand. My eyes stung and, without a full helmet shield, my face was being sandblasted. In addition to all of that I was constantly being jostled by the turbulent wind coming off the trucks and cars.

I missed my turn to Riverside on Hwy-60 and ended up going beyond it northwest to I-215. This manuever took me an extra 40 minutes out of the way. Oh well, I was fighting the wind all the way and was focused on staying upright on the bike. Once I completed the extra 40 mile trip around to Riverside I decided to pull over and call Ernie to tell him I was going to be about an hour late. He took the call and said he was at physical therapy for a recent back problem but would be there when I arrived...no problem!

Heading southwest again on I-215/Hwy 91 brought the wind more to my back and it was a welcome relief. I had had enough of the turbulence and beatdown. A few miles south of Riverside, CA is the 241 toll road to Coto de Caza. I eagerly merged on to the toll road and got comfortable for the home stretch. Cruising through the Santiago Canyon was easy. The road was clear and smooth. It was a peaceful and picturesque ride. The only difficulty I had on the toll road was fumbling for the correct change at the frequent toll booths along the short stretch of highway. I paid $7.00 to go about 25 miles but it's California, right?

I exited the toll road at Oso Parkway and turned left for Coto de Caza. A few miles later I found myself at the gate to Ernie's subdivision. Tired, sunburned, thirsty, and covered with road grime, I had a spirited but brief discussion with the gate guard about the fact that I was most certainly on the approved guest list and that I was not there to rape, rob or pillage any of the "Coto" residents. All I wanted at this point was a cold beer and a shower. The gate lifed and I sped away...cold beer...hot shower...just ahead!!

Winding my way through the neighborhood of upscale "casas", I finally reached Ernie's beautiful hillside home overlooking part of the Santiago Canyon. I pulled up onto the flagstone driveway, dropped the kickstand, hit the kill switch, and sat there in the quiet for a moment to unwind. I hopped off the bike and rang the doorbell. Nothing!! No sound inside and no answer. Ernie was not home yet. Now you know why I don't like Ernie all that much!!

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2011-06-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

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Las Vegas to Coto De Caza, CA 6/17/11

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