Stop - National City, CA
Today's miles - 50
Total - 10,788
I wasn't going to post a report for today but I changed my mind. I actually did ride a bit today so that needed to be noted. And I wanted to offer those reading this who are preparing for their own Four Corners Tour a couple of things I have learned.
Kelley called ahead to make an appointment for me this morning at Sweetwater Harley Davidson for service. I'm staying at the Best Western Marina Gateway which is only one mile away from Sweetwater. This worked out great. I brought my bike over at 8:30 AM and filled out the paperwork. I told them I wasn't in a hurry so they could take their time. Then I walked back to the hotel.
There was a Denny's on the way so I made it my 2nd Denny's for the trip. I guess there is a cafe at the hotel but I never looked for it. I'm a little tired of guessing which continent the motel continental breakfasts come from. But they do save time and money. I just wonder if in fact those yellow round things lined up in the steamer tray actually, at some point in history, descended from a chicken.
Then I proceeded to waste the rest of my day. I read and I sat by the pool with occasional forays into the hot tub, then the pool, then back to the chair.
Around 2:00 PM, I walked back to pick up my bike. Spit cleaned and polished, there it sat, itching to go. But first I had to pay the fiddler and those of you who ride Harley's know that they don't play that song for nothing.
From the dealership I came back to I-5 south and rode down to the Coronando exit, exit #4. Stay straight there and you are on Hollister. Follow it until it ends (being surprised as I was at the horse culture you pass through on the way) and turn right on Monument Road. That takes you to the Border Field State Park. There is a monument there that marks the farthest southwestern corner of the USA. You can also see Tijuana from there, and a fence that runs down into the water. At least that is what the guys at the Harley dealer told me. Because you can only see that stuff if you get there on a Saturday or a Sunday. Today is Friday. I saw the sign and the closed gate. So I rode on.
I rode back to civilization, took a left to get to Imperial Beach, and started looking for the ocean. I found some places I could turn into to get closer to the beach but all I saw were "No Parking Here" signs and no available parking spaces. But I got close enough to see the beach which was the goal.
Then I went hunting for Hiway 75 which follows the coast up into San Diego. I must say that the people who can afford to live here have it nice. Beautiful weather, beautiful sights...just not much in the way of free parking. Hiway 75 ended and I hunted and pecked my way, with help from my GPS, back to I-5. I have never heard of the Coronando Bridge before but it is majestic. I rode slow enough over it to peeve the other drivers around me but I wanted to see the sights and the sights from that bridge are great.
Then back to the hotel where a chair with my name on it was waiting by the pool.
So here are my final stats for the Four Corners part of my trip:
- 18 days on the road or hanging with family
- 8,639 miles from Key West, FL, to San Ysidro, CA
- 28 states (I'll add Arizona and New Mexico on my way home)
- I spent 11 nights in motels, 5 with family/friends, and 1 at the Iron Butt Motel on the Massachusetts Turnpike.
I'm going to bed soon without setting an alarm. When I wake up it will be time to go. I had the two guys working the hotel desk sign my witness sheet as I intend on attempting a Bunburner on the way to Brownsville. I'm hoping for a Bunburner GOLD which is 1500 miles in 24 hours but I'll settle for doing it in 36 hours. It all depends on how it goes. It slows down after San Antonio and you never know how it will be getting out of here so we'll see. But I doubt I'll be taking many pictures and I won't post another ride report until I'm back in Houston.
My final thought is this - I'm not sure yet what I will ultimately learn from this trip but one thing I know for sure is that it was important that I did it. For lots of reasons. And it was important that I made time to see people who have long been important to me. My Uncle Jerry was doing well in the hospital on Wednesday. We had a great visit. But we both knew the end was near. His lungs were failing due to complications from the chemotherapy he had been receiving for his pancreatic cancer. None of that is good. We said what needed to be said and that was that.
My aunt called me this evening to let me know that Jerry passed away this afternoon. The end came much quicker than expected but there is mercy in that. May God bless and keep all who knew and loved him.
And I guess, if you have ever wanted to ride a motorcycle all the way around the United States, there is no time like today to get it done. You just never know how many days you have.
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