Albuquerque to Andrews: Lessons Learned

The weather continued to be dicey. With morning cool and breezy and thunderstorms picking up in the afternoon. The ride to Cline's Corner was quick. And then south, all the way to Artesia before heading back east toward Hobbs and then Andrews. I could see the storm clouds building in the southwest all day. And when I got to Eunice I pulled out my iPhone and pulled up the Hi-Def Radar app. It should two cells of thunderstorms moving from south to north across my path home. The first one was tracking a little further west than the second. The first would cross my path half way between Eunice and Andrews, while the second was bearing right down in Andrews. I caught the tail end of the first storm, and just made it into the garage before the second struck.

Home at last!

It's been an adventure. A lot of lessons learned on the ride:

          Don't go off the paved roads if it looks like rain.

          Keep some slack in your plans so you can ride around the weather.

          Keep everything strapped down tight in waterproof bags. The Ortlieb Dry Bags worked perfectly.

          Put the items most likely needed while on the road at the top of the stack. And the item most needed will always be your rain suit.

          The GPS is a lifesaver....literally! I would still be lost in Owl Creek Canyon if it hadn't been for the GPS. And it guided me to my motel in every strange city I stopped for the night.

          Book all your motel rooms in advance. Don't rely on Providence to provide you a motel room when you need it. You have to get off the road before the critters come around.

         Ibuprofen is the rider's best friend. Take two every four hours to keep all the aches and pains at bay. It is much more enjoyable when you don't feel your age any more than necessary. Whiskey and a hot tub are your next best friends at the end of the day. When booking your room, spend a couple more bucks to get a motel with a hot tub.

         Don't forget to pack your swimming trunks in a ziplock bag. In fact, pack everything in ziplock bags, then in the Ortlieb bags. It is easier to get items out if everything is in its own bag.

The most important lesson is never stop riding! If $2 of gasoline is as therapeutic as $200 of counseling, then two weeks on tour is liking finding the fountain of youth. When non-riders tell you your crazy for riding a motorcycle, tell them your sanity depends on riding a motorcycle.