Sgt Blco's USA Coast to Coast 2017

So after a very wet start it finally dried out (you have to love hot and humid......!!) at we hit the Natchez Parkway down through Mississippi:

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Stop for fuel just as the local troppers appear to fill with gas and doughnuts. Incidentally, Fuel around these parts is under $2.00 per gallon which is about 38p per litre at current exchange rate......!!

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Into Elvis's birthplace at Tupelo which was very hot and mildly interesting. I've been there a couple of times so I guess that's why i didn't take many pictures but there are some on previous write ups. There was alos a couple of coach groups who rolled up so it was full of shuffling tourists.

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We escaped the tourist trap and headed across country in temos up in the high 30's and found a bit of coll up at Sardis Dam which is one of the largest fresh water lakes in the US .

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Lunchtime was looming as we hadn't had much breakfast and I remember that there was a restaurant in a small town called Panola on the way. Unfortunately it has closed down as many places have but we found this fabulous pizza place in the same town which was almost deserted. Apparently, it's the best place around and folks come 50 miles to grab one of the pizza's or sandwiches and I'm not surprised at it was delicious.

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Peter and Tony had a small pizza.........

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Whilst I had to have a Muffaletta which turned out to be a doorstep of a sandwich.......

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Full of food and fuel, we head off towards Arkansas and Oklahoma

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We pull into Pine Bluff in a huge storm but next morning started very hot which temps nudging 40 degrees. Luckily, we climb into the absolutely fantastic Ouchita mountains in Arkansas which are a gem to ride through. Incidentally, if anyone doing the TAT, you ride the dirt roads across here which are utterly fantastic.

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Not many people know of this area and most pass by but it's always worth thinking about on a Coast to Coast. You have to love American road Engineers as they seem to love finding a mountain range and building a brilliant biking road across the top. If this road was in the UK or Europe, it would be jam packed with all sorts but as it's here, there is no one here so we ride this great road and admire the stunning mountain views all on our own.

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Of course we need food and fuel and up here in the middle of nowhere it's hard to find. We fell up on this small garage who served us up a great brunch and really cheap at about $5 per head. Quite how they make a living is hard to say but it's one of the last places open for a large area.

Bikes parked in what shade there is....

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The Honda takes it's usual place by the fuel pumps......

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Whilst we tucked in.....

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Talking to the owner was really interesting. She had moved down from Chicago a couple of years before and had bought this place so was trying to make a go of it. She left Chicago because there is no work up there and of course the conversation turned to politics. Many large swathes of the US have been basically abandoned by succesive administrations and told to accept globalisation and the loss of work. Industry has been decimated not only in places like Chicago but in many places like rural Oklahoma. She said that there are so many people leaving places like Chicago that the authorities are going to tax people who leave as the their tax receipts don't cover there costs. Down here, people have nothing else to do so the place is falling to rack and ruin as no one has any money. It's big Trump country and when you see what's happening here, you really understand why the voted for him. Politicians have let everyone down and he is their last hope of something. It's easy for us to get sniffy and all high minded about these things but until you see what's happening in places like this, you can understand it. I can see it and I reckon there will be a lot of trouble in certain parts of teh USA if this issue isn't addressed fairly soon.

Anyhow, we head across to a small town called Davis Oklahoma. One of my best buddies grew up in the area and said we had to go to a BBQ places called Smokin' Joes as it's the best in the area. he wasn't wrong and this place is unbelievable. The amount of meat dished out is staggering and everyone did their best but were soundly beaten by the sheer amount on the plate for around $15.......

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Vegetarians look away now.

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Next morning we need to blast across Northern Texas which is pretty flat and not much happening.

After last nights massive feed, we leave early with no breakfast and it's around 100 miles before we stop for sustenance at a really great typical busy roadside cafe. The breakfast waitresses were brilliant and these girls not only work hard but are all sassy and take no shit off anyone. They do love us brits though.

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Unlike your local cafe where all that's on offer it a plate of grease and stale bread, breakfasts over here are superb and the choice huge.

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Fully fuelled we now head across the vastness of Texas. You can't get the scale in a photo but everywhere is a long way from anywhere else. Strangely enjoyable riding though.


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Lots and lots of fracking out here and there is big money to be earned if you can stand the bleakness and the vast distances involved in getting anywhere.

This big refinery loomed up and it felt like we were on a Mad Max movie set.

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Everyone loves a big truck and this Ford F250 was a monster. And they say a GSA is big...............

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Cracked off nice and early but the mist was down but started to clear as we approached Colorado to give us a peak of some lovely mountains.

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Most of the US is quiet high and we were up at 6,000ft and climbing slowly. It started to rain heavily and the mist was in and it got very effing ccccccold and a truckstop appeared just in time. Proves you need to carry all sorts of gear on these trips as the weather can change quickly.

Putting on the warm stuff

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Night heaters on chaps

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If the cap fits.........

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As is usual around these parts, go around a corner and the weather changes and the sun gods were smiling on us today. We took a lovely highway at the foot of teh Rockies and were rewarded with a superb ride and fantastic scenery. No matter how many times I come here, I still absolutely love what's all around.

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Look at this road......

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And pull into another great little cafe with great views all around.

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Just up the road is one of the bizarrest places anywhere. A guy has spent the last number of years building this bizarre castle on the top of the mountain. He's a bit of a nutter but has hand built this place and it's open to the public. People are climbing all over it and it has to be 150ft high. Richard had a mooch up to the first level but cae down saying it was a bloody death trap. Now I'm no health and safety loony but it's staggering to understand how kids are allowed up there with no apperent nod to safety. Oh well, we had a good look around and it's a pretty impressive, if odd, place.

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Now this is a wobbly box, Colorado style.

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That wobbybox appears to be a "toy hauler"! Excellent! :thumb2

Great report so far! :clap
 
Keep it coming Chris, Its nice to reminisce about all the places we saw and great people.

Difficult adjusting to work again, ho hum.

Warm regards Andy/Chris
 
Good report Chris. I always read the reports on your trips to the US and wonder if I can get the time off work to go one year.
 
Great read Chris, hope Keith managed without help from the 'Roadcaptain'
That castle looked like it was inspired by Guadi.
 
Good report Chris. I always read the reports on your trips to the US and wonder if I can get the time off work to go one year.

Yellowstone 2019........20 days so only 3 weeks off work. Start getting the piggy bank topped up :thumb
 
After an excellent evening in a brewery in Canon City we headed up the road to the Royal Gorge. It's basically a wooden bridge which goes over a 1000ft drop to the river and it was built about 20 years ago purely for tourism. It's non teh worse for that and a good spot. We rode across it 2 years ago but for some reason they have stopped people doing that now so you can only walk which is probably a good thing. My memory of creaking wooden boards as I rode across still haunts me. Anyhow, walking across is pretty cool and worth the $15 fee just to watch the fear in peoples eyes. Andrew, Jonathan and myself all admit to being scared of heights so it's a brave decision to stroll across.

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The merry band bravely standing on teh bridge. The smiles are hiding the abject fear being felt by some of us and fair play to Andrew especially as he was truly terrified. Took some courage to walk across there but he bought a Honda Crosstourer with DCT so is used to gambling.......

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Nice clock.....

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So from there we took the back roads across to Pikes Peak and gently wandered along some lovely roads through great scenery.

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And then it was onto Pikes Peak which is the highest paved road in the US rising to 14,200ft in pretty short order. Many of you will have seen it on TV with Guy Martin flying up there flat out taking his life in his hands at every corner as there is no run off and no barriers and it's a long way down. The reality of riding up there is very very different. There is a blanket 25mph speed limit to which the doddery yanks insist on adhereing to. There is a rule that you have to let other vehicles pass if there is a line of 3 or over but these dozy sods never use their mirrors so you just have to risk a few overtakes to get some clear road. Eventually you get behind another buffoon in a truck who brakes going into an uphill hairpin at 10 mph and occasionally comes to a complete stop in the corner but never mind, you just look at the view.

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Then you get to the top and the views are fantastic even through the cloud which drifts across.

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This nice KLR650 managed to wheez it's way up the mountain, but i suspect the motor had been looked at judging by the sticker.

<a href="https://chrisbiltcliffe.smugmug.com/Colorado/i-Z476r4q/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Colorado/i-Z476r4q/0/844766f5/XL/P1050716-XL.jpg" alt=""></a>

Once again, Jonathan and Andrew braved the fear and stood closer to tehe edge than was comfortable although Andrew was hanging on to Christine pretty tightly.

<a href="https://chrisbiltcliffe.smugmug.com/Colorado/i-f7R4SXL/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Colorado/i-f7R4SXL/0/889907d6/XL/IMG_0667-XL.jpg" alt=""></a>

And then it was time to go down as it's pretty uncomfortable at that altitude. Not just the lack of oxygen but the place was packed.

<a href="https://chrisbiltcliffe.smugmug.com/Colorado/i-mVr7ZsT/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Colorado/i-mVr7ZsT/0/3c47128e/XL/P1050723-XL.jpg" alt=""></a>
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Fuel up with some lovely non ethonol gas

<a href="https://chrisbiltcliffe.smugmug.com/Colorado/i-pCrFsXq/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Colorado/i-pCrFsXq/0/02a28593/XL/P1050730-XL.jpg" alt=""></a>

And a lovely ride across the high plains to Salida to finish an excellent day.

<a href="https://chrisbiltcliffe.smugmug.com/Colorado/i-mjNJ35V/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Colorado/i-mjNJ35V/0/65ed1c0d/XL/P1050733-XL.jpg" alt=""></a>
 
I remember that castle, I found it when I was doing my road bit recovering from the big off on the TAT. And long straight roads past oil facilities where you can ride with your eyes closed.
 


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