Well, what a difference a year makes! We arrived back in the US after our break in Australia, with another 6 months on our visa, ready to go again. (Even though we had been given a 5 year visa for the USA, we can only stay 6 months at a time, and border runs to Canada and Mexico don't give you another 6 months, you need to go further afield.) While we were back in Oz, we had attended another Horizons Unlimited meeting, and met Brian and Val, other bike travellers, that had a catamaran for sale, and we had decided that after this time in the US we wanted to buy one. Well, after looking around, Brian and Val's boat ticked all the boxes, and a deal was done. When we return to Australia, a new adventure awaits!!!!!
27 Feb to 3rd March,
We flew back in to Phoenix, and were lucky enough to be able to stay at Bevan and Clare’s for a few days again. Thanks guys, you are life savers! Nick and Noeline arrived and picked up Sammy the Yammy, as I had sold it to Nick while we were back in Australia. We couldn’t carry both bikes with us, and would not be coming back to Arizona this trip, so it seemed like the best thing to do. While we were there we re-lined the ceiling and tailgate in Izzy. As the back window was still broken, I replaced it with a plastic one still there from the slide on camper I had gutted previously. Hopefully it would last longer than the glass ones had!
Nick, Claire, Noeline, and Bevan with us, and Sammy proudly out in front. I will be sad to see it go, it has been a great bike, and has carried me 100,000 kms around the world without any problems I did shed a tear when it rode away, but it is going to a good home, and continuing it's travelling heritage.
4
Drove to Deming, in New Mexico, where we stayed in the truck at Dan’s, another bike traveller we met in Mexico last year. There we met some of his friends, one of who liked to make a Pisco Sour, so of course we had to try that, very nice too. Thanks for your hospitality guys!
Drove to Deming, in New Mexico, where we stayed in the truck at Dan’s, another bike traveller we met in Mexico last year. There we met some of his friends, one of who liked to make a Pisco Sour, so of course we had to try that, very nice too. Thanks for your hospitality guys!
5
I did the paperwork I needed to do for the settlement on the sale of my unit, which had sold the day I left Oz to come back to the US. Due to this we left Dan's late, but were in no hurry. We have been driving along the I10, a good road but boring. Lots of desert. Bloody cold in the mornings, about 1 degree. Drove in the dark, until we arrived at Walmart car park in Fort Stockton, where we slept for the night.
I did the paperwork I needed to do for the settlement on the sale of my unit, which had sold the day I left Oz to come back to the US. Due to this we left Dan's late, but were in no hurry. We have been driving along the I10, a good road but boring. Lots of desert. Bloody cold in the mornings, about 1 degree. Drove in the dark, until we arrived at Walmart car park in Fort Stockton, where we slept for the night.
Crossing from New Mexico into Texas
6
Stopped at Fredericksburg and had a look around, an old town originally settled by the germans. Quite neat and trendy, full of wineries and shops selling nick knacks. Stayed at a rest area near Johnson City, just passed LBJ’s ranch. We were going to go back in the morning for a look around, but left before it opened, so we kept going.
Stopped at Fredericksburg and had a look around, an old town originally settled by the germans. Quite neat and trendy, full of wineries and shops selling nick knacks. Stayed at a rest area near Johnson City, just passed LBJ’s ranch. We were going to go back in the morning for a look around, but left before it opened, so we kept going.
Sign near Fredericksburg
7
Passed through the outskirts of Austin (capitol of Texas), and Houston, shitty traffic, and lots of roadworks. We stopped for fuel and found I had left the fuel cap back at the last fuel stop, not happy Jan. An accident and roadworks at Lake Charles in Louisiana robbed us of another hours driving, but we got to Lafayette at around 7.45, and parked in Walmart for the night. One comment about the roadworks here, when they close off a lane, they drop the speed limit from 75 or 80 mph to 60 mph, and double the fines if there any workers on site, thats it. None of this flashing lights, stop go people, 40kph speed limits for miles, and all the other mamby pamby bullshit we carry on with back in OZ, We could learn a lesson here. Rant over.
Passed through the outskirts of Austin (capitol of Texas), and Houston, shitty traffic, and lots of roadworks. We stopped for fuel and found I had left the fuel cap back at the last fuel stop, not happy Jan. An accident and roadworks at Lake Charles in Louisiana robbed us of another hours driving, but we got to Lafayette at around 7.45, and parked in Walmart for the night. One comment about the roadworks here, when they close off a lane, they drop the speed limit from 75 or 80 mph to 60 mph, and double the fines if there any workers on site, thats it. None of this flashing lights, stop go people, 40kph speed limits for miles, and all the other mamby pamby bullshit we carry on with back in OZ, We could learn a lesson here. Rant over.
They do things a little different here in Texas.........
Chillin' with a couple of mates in Baton Rouge, where we stopped for a few hours.
View of Baton Rouge, with the Mississippi river on the left, and a lake on the right
8
Drove down to the coast, where the water was nice and clear, but no surf obviously. There is a coastal strip that is quite touristy, taking in the town of Biloxi. Stayed at Ocean Springs, on the east end of the coast, stealth camped in a bar carpark for the night, it was quiet enough, but we were near a train line, and there were a few noisy, long trains during the night.
Drove down to the coast, where the water was nice and clear, but no surf obviously. There is a coastal strip that is quite touristy, taking in the town of Biloxi. Stayed at Ocean Springs, on the east end of the coast, stealth camped in a bar carpark for the night, it was quiet enough, but we were near a train line, and there were a few noisy, long trains during the night.
Looking out over the Gulf of Mexico
9
From there, we headed up to Mobile, in Alabama, where we passed a wreckers with an Isuzu truck in the yard, so we stopped and I got a new (used) fuel cap instead of the piece of rag I had been using. From there, across the border to Pensacola in Florida, and over the bridge to Gulf Breeze. There we caught up with Bud and Terri, a couple we met in Oaxaca in Mexico last year. We had a great night with them, and met some of their friends as well. They are all sailors, so the talk was mainly boats. They took us to Joe Patti’s, a seafood shop that has everything, and at really good prices, so we bought some prawns, scallops, and fish, sealed in a foam esky with ice to travel, and the ice was still good 5 days later!
From there, we headed up to Mobile, in Alabama, where we passed a wreckers with an Isuzu truck in the yard, so we stopped and I got a new (used) fuel cap instead of the piece of rag I had been using. From there, across the border to Pensacola in Florida, and over the bridge to Gulf Breeze. There we caught up with Bud and Terri, a couple we met in Oaxaca in Mexico last year. We had a great night with them, and met some of their friends as well. They are all sailors, so the talk was mainly boats. They took us to Joe Patti’s, a seafood shop that has everything, and at really good prices, so we bought some prawns, scallops, and fish, sealed in a foam esky with ice to travel, and the ice was still good 5 days later!
Outside Joe Patti Seafood, a must stop if you are ever anywhere near Pensacola.
Flying the Aussie flag, leaving Bud and Terri's place
10
Florida
Bike week was on in Daytona, and we had been in touch with Dave Hand, another guy we had met in Mexico, who said he had room to park the truck at his place in Ormond Beach, just north of Daytona beach, so we headed off towards his place. Mainly highway driving, but Bud did suggest another way a little less boring than the interstate, so we took it, and spent the night at Perry, in another Walmart carpark. Not ideal, but it did the job. The days were nice, no rain, but cold in the mornings.
Florida
Bike week was on in Daytona, and we had been in touch with Dave Hand, another guy we had met in Mexico, who said he had room to park the truck at his place in Ormond Beach, just north of Daytona beach, so we headed off towards his place. Mainly highway driving, but Bud did suggest another way a little less boring than the interstate, so we took it, and spent the night at Perry, in another Walmart carpark. Not ideal, but it did the job. The days were nice, no rain, but cold in the mornings.
11-15
Arrived safely at Dave’s, and set the truck up for a few days, where we did a few little jobs that needed doing, and spent some time at the bike week events. A night at the flat track races was a highlight for me, as was a walk around the exhibitors tents and displays at the speedway. Dave had a couple of friends staying with him, who visit him every year during bike week, Greg and Roger, nice guys, so we did a couple of rides with them as well. Main street at night is definitely full of sights, well worth the visit!
Arrived safely at Dave’s, and set the truck up for a few days, where we did a few little jobs that needed doing, and spent some time at the bike week events. A night at the flat track races was a highlight for me, as was a walk around the exhibitors tents and displays at the speedway. Dave had a couple of friends staying with him, who visit him every year during bike week, Greg and Roger, nice guys, so we did a couple of rides with them as well. Main street at night is definitely full of sights, well worth the visit!
Riding around Daytona during Bike Week, bikes everywhere.
16
Doc and Karen, another couple we met in Mexico, have a place about 25 miles away, so we went and stayed a night with them. Great to catch up again, and meet a heap of their friends as well.
17
We had planned on staying 2 nights with Doc and Karen, then heading back to Dave’s, but we came up with the idea of doing our planned Caribbean cruise early, as it was still a lot cooler than we thought it would be, and way too cold to go north. Looking on the internet, we found one that went to the places we wanted to go, but it was leaving the next day, so we booked one of the last cabins left, and headed out towards Fort Lauderdale straight away. Friends of Bud and Terri’s, Don and Tamara, (another couple we met in Mexico), were staying on their boat in a marina at Indiantown, which was on our way down, so we pulled in and caught up with them for the night. It turned out to be a much later night than we thought! There I noticed the bikes handlebars had hit the back window again, and broken the plastic window I fitted back in Arizona, I really am over this bloody back window!!! There was plenty of room to park in the marina carpark, so that was home for the night.
Doc and Karen, another couple we met in Mexico, have a place about 25 miles away, so we went and stayed a night with them. Great to catch up again, and meet a heap of their friends as well.
17
We had planned on staying 2 nights with Doc and Karen, then heading back to Dave’s, but we came up with the idea of doing our planned Caribbean cruise early, as it was still a lot cooler than we thought it would be, and way too cold to go north. Looking on the internet, we found one that went to the places we wanted to go, but it was leaving the next day, so we booked one of the last cabins left, and headed out towards Fort Lauderdale straight away. Friends of Bud and Terri’s, Don and Tamara, (another couple we met in Mexico), were staying on their boat in a marina at Indiantown, which was on our way down, so we pulled in and caught up with them for the night. It turned out to be a much later night than we thought! There I noticed the bikes handlebars had hit the back window again, and broken the plastic window I fitted back in Arizona, I really am over this bloody back window!!! There was plenty of room to park in the marina carpark, so that was home for the night.
18
Leaving fairly early in the morning to make Fort Lauderdale, we had a good run through, but the problem was to find somewhere to leave the truck while we were away. We also had to buy a padlock for the back, as we had managed to lock our keys inside while at Dave’s, and had to smash our old one to get back in again. Eventually managed to find a park right near where the boat leaves from at the port, very convenient, but also expensive, $19 per day. The parking was undercover, normally very desirable, but not when you rely on solar power, so not sure what will survive in our fridge while we are away. Not much I don’t think. We managed to get on board in time, and the ship, the “Caribbean Princess” left about 4.30 in the afternoon.
Leaving fairly early in the morning to make Fort Lauderdale, we had a good run through, but the problem was to find somewhere to leave the truck while we were away. We also had to buy a padlock for the back, as we had managed to lock our keys inside while at Dave’s, and had to smash our old one to get back in again. Eventually managed to find a park right near where the boat leaves from at the port, very convenient, but also expensive, $19 per day. The parking was undercover, normally very desirable, but not when you rely on solar power, so not sure what will survive in our fridge while we are away. Not much I don’t think. We managed to get on board in time, and the ship, the “Caribbean Princess” left about 4.30 in the afternoon.
