[Writing these entries after the weekend, so everything I want to remember won't be here, but not gonna let that hold me back. I'll post them on the day and times they happened so it's easier on my brain and the character maximum on Blogger is not at risk. You'll want to read these from the bottom up.]
Booked out of lab and headed home for some quick packing and heading out the door. Loaded Dollar in the bed of the truck for some California riding. Lab ended at 1500ish and we were rolling at on High395 by 1600ish. We had a good drive to Berkeley and arrived around 2045ish. What stuck in my mind:
- Street Vibrations is the area's local hogcall, and the turnout is so massive, the Nevada Department of Transportation stops all road construction projects in northwestern Nevada so there won't be any traffic slowdowns. Many of these boys and girls have no problem passing cars at 70+ MPH and driving around them with they ride in formation is nerve-racking because there's little room for error. They faded away as the night settled in. Guess there’s a limit to their insanity.
- There used to be a series of trucker-friendly highway signs on the downward slope of the western Sierras that warned the big haulers about down-shifting and cooling off their brakes. They’re long gone in this era of fiscal belt-tightening and that’s a shame because they added a tone of friendliness to a long stretch of road.
- Probably the most sobering sight was on a trailer bed between Reno and Boomtown: three desert-camouflaged, combat-armored Humvees which were probably on their way to Travis AFB to be flown to Iraq. Those vehicles will probably be protecting our kids from gunfire and shrapnel inside a week.
- What is it with people who drive in the dark with only their parking lights on? On an interstate highway? At 70+ MPH?
We got our room and the usual Fred Flintstone Special: a queen-sized bed with the comfort of granite. Dollar spent the night in the electrical closet because management doesn’t allow bikes in the rooms. Guess they’re afraid we’re going to ride down the halls and stairs.
24 days until the USN
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