| Author | Message | ||
     Jerry_haughton |
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| Jerry_haughton |
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| Jerry_haughton |
 continuing eastbound, posing for a moment at Death Valley Junction (formerly Amargosa, town of), the official crossroads of Nowhere, California. this tiny wide spot in the road bustled once, but has been sleepy now for a long, long time. they DO have an opera house, tho. a pic of it in a bit, in the meantime, some fun reading: www.death-valley.us/article562.html (Message edited by jerry_haughton on May 24, 2006) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
 here's a "Watch out for..." sign you don't see every day. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on May 24, 2006) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
 i think it's referring to my Road King... (Message edited by jerry_haughton on May 24, 2006) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
 it's taken a good portion of the day, but i've finally entered Nevada, and presently climbed on Highway 95 about 30 miles north of Pahrump. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on May 24, 2006) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
 this was my first visit to this area. pretty sobering stuff. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on May 24, 2006) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
 my pleas for entry fell on deaf ears, despite assuring the Folks with the Big Guns that y'all would be disappointed without some up-close-and-personal pix of things that go nuke in the night. glow away, said they. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on May 24, 2006) | ||
| Brineusaf |
Very impressive indeed. Kyle Brine United States Air Force | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
thanks Kyle! here are four pix that should warm your heart:  so there i am, choogling southbound on 95 approaching Indian Springs, Nevada, when i spot something out of the corner of my eye. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on May 24, 2006) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
 how cool, is that, a remote-controlled RQ-1 Predator! what i didn't know, but soon found out, is that Indian Springs is the home of Creech Air Force Base. i spent the next 20 minutes watching two Predators doing take-offs and landings, while taking pix standing next to the fence with all the "No Photography" signs. more reading: http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/modern_flight/mf62.htm http://www.globalaircraft.org/planes/rq-1_predator.pl (Message edited by jerry_haughton on May 24, 2006) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
 so there i am, getting ready to light a fire in the Road King and choogle some more, when i hear a VERY distinctive sound. and who should taxi by but the USAF Thunderbirds, getting ready to go airborne and head (presumably) back to Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, their home airfield. the sight (and sound!) of these magnificent birds of prey brought great joy and gladness to your humble scribe. to be riding at ALL today was a gift. to have five F-16's taxi by, getting ready to go to full afterburner, well, this was a gift IN a gift. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on May 24, 2006) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
 this is the last pic i got before they rolled out and went UP!!! sorry it's a little blurry, it was shot hand-held at full digital zoom. at this point i put the camera away, sat back and enjoyed the show. one by one they launched, slowly, fast, faster, REALLY fast, then POW!!! straight up they went, then arched over on their backs, inverted, still in the burners, made vapor trails, leveled out, rolled over right-side-up and then flat disappeared. this was grand, folks. we missed the Thunderbirds during our otherwise fabulous layover at Nellis during FBRAT last year, so to see them today was EXTRA sweet. i wanted to scream and shout and jump up and down. so i did. this truly fine day of riding was chock-a-block full of grand adventure, from sun up to sun up, but if seeing the Thunderbirds go Buellistic had been the ONLY bennie from 25 hours and eight hundred and some miles of riding, well, it woulda been worth every bug splat. WOW!!! more cool reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creech_Air_Force_Base http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USAF_Thunderbirds (Message edited by jerry_haughton on May 25, 2006) | ||
| Jugallo94 |
That last pic brings back a memory. "Welcome to the Team ***hole." lol DEE DEE DEE | ||
| Buellfighter |
Thanks Jerry for the beautiful pics and narration. I always enjoy reading about your adventures! | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
That last pic brings back a memory. "Welcome to the Team ***hole." exactly!   | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
thanks Buellfighter.  this is what i've been riding for all day, a road i've never been on before (this is Highway 156), and a Nevada i didn't know existed. the air is suddenly cool, ALMOST cold, and instead of sagebrush and sand dunes there are pine trees, craggy peaks, and mountaintop chalets. i repeat: THIS is a Nevada i did not know existed. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on May 24, 2006) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
 20-mph twisty mountain roads in Nevada? who knew??? (Message edited by jerry_haughton on May 24, 2006) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
 looking back the way i just came. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on May 24, 2006) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
 this would explain why the air is so cold. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on May 24, 2006) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
 this is looking the direction i've been heading. snow? in Nevada?? in late May??? unbelievable. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on May 24, 2006) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
 i'm STILL having trouble coming to grips with the words "Las Vegas" and "ski" and "snowboard" being seen together in the same place. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on May 25, 2006) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
 sorry, it made me smile. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on May 24, 2006) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
 (Message edited by jerry_haughton on May 24, 2006) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
 oh, no! for the next nine miles?? gasp!!! btw, we're now southbound (and climbing) on Nevada Highway 158. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on May 24, 2006) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
 somebody PLEASE buy this property for me 'n D. if you do, we'll let you come visit a couple of times a year. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on May 24, 2006) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
 or, buy it for yourself and let US come visit a couple times a year. it is absolutely stunning up here. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on May 24, 2006) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
 see the road wayyyyyyy down below? that's more 158, and from this photo op stop - for about the next seven or eight miles - i left the bike off and simply coasted, smooth, quiet and serene. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on May 24, 2006) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
 coasting. the notch in the rocks is called Robber's Roost. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on May 24, 2006) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
 and the trail up to said notch. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on May 24, 2006) |
