Last Gasps Of Road-Trip 2023

Travel these last weeks has felt more like commuting than adventuring. Despite riding hundreds of miles a day and crossing international borders, my travel has generally been so I can get things done. It started way back in September of course, when I had to leave Colorado early to look into my cat, who had become deathly ill suddenly. But I got more recreational riding in afterwards, before having to adjust again because of my rear wheel failing.

It may not look like a work trip, but this is how I commute these days to get things accomplished.

Then it was endless travel, taking care of doctor’s appointments and visiting my storage unit. That definitely felt like commuting, but I put about 5,000 miles onto my odometer in only about 1 1/2 months. Then came the trip to Mexico, which was I was doing so I could hunt for a place to rent for the winter, so in a sense it was a work-trip too.

I also took the Indian down for that trip, which meant I wouldn’t be exploring much of Baja; an 850lbs touring bike is not ideal for the mostly dirt roads of the region. But I did manage to enjoy myself. The area around San Felipe is a tranquil place. There is no irrigation so no farming. Locals live off of fishing and tourism, so the “action” is centered in town. The rest of the coast is made of campos, which is like individual trailer parks where you build a house instead of park a mobile home.

I spent my my in the south campos, where I have friends and even a slight sense of community. From there I was able to meet up with old friends and launch a few expeditions to house-hunt. The first one I looked at ended up being the one I chose, but it was smart to look around. It’s a small casita and is fairly new, with all electric appliances, furnished, and with the kitchen stocked with the usual utensils. It’s also within walking distance to roadside eateries and such, and I think it will be a great home base while I work on the book and do some local exploring.

The south campos are a very quiet existence. It can take me several days to get used to how still it is if there is no wind. A single truck driving by on the highway 1/2mi away can become a big deal.

While down there I also happened into several events. First was Oktoberfest, which was essentially an excuse for locals to gather at the South Campos Community Center and eat some brawtwurst. I happily obliged and it was a great place to meet up with several full-timers that I remembered from last year when I went down to Baja.

The second thing was Dia de los Muertos, the day of the dead. Oddly, Baja doesn’t really celebrated the holiday the way the rest of Mexico does. They celebrate Halloween, so we had to do a lot of hunting to get items for a party my friend Aleks was putting on. The party  was great though, with about 50ppl showing up, a live band, plenty of food, and beach-side views. I am rarely in a social mood these days, so after about 2 1/2 hours I was spent, and took advantage of the several different shows you can watch on Netflix in Mexico.

Our ofrenda for Dia de los Muertos.

The last thing was Shrimpfest, the Festival de camarone. I happened to be at this festival last year, so it was cool be be back again. It celebrates the beginning of the shrimping season, and you can actually see the change that very night, as the waters have larger shrimp boats out dragging their nets instead of the smaller panga boats out looking for white fish.

For me it’s an excuse to eat and drink too much, though honestly I kept things in check. I’ve lived a life of excess and it’s starting to feel old. When I was a musician I tried to go pro. When I was racing I put every ounce of energy and every penny into it. When I went on the road I dumped everything into storage. But living awesomely has its drawbacks, the first of which lethargy and constant exhaustion. Living off of tacos and beet only is not sustainable.

Bacon-wrapped shrimp are probably the favorite item on sale for Shrimpfest, but there is still other seafood along with chicken, sausages, and plenty of beer.

I still got to enjoy myself with craft beer from San Felipe Brewing and plenty of street food, then I called to confirm I was going to take the casita beginning December 01. When I’m down there for the winter though I will definitely bring the Suzuki, as I want to explore the peninsula on some mini-trips– a sort of vacation from my winter vacation, which in itself is a sort of vacation from my regular life of traveling around and exploring; I am content with the problems I have in life right now.

But I also had to get back to the US, so I made the 550mi trek back to Bisbee, AZ. It was a pretty boring trip, as the terrain is very repeating. Instead of sitting in traffic at the border though I took Mexico’s Hwy 2 around Mexicali, through the farms trying to survive on the near-empty Colorado River, and all the way to the border crossing at Sonoyta/Lukeville.

A final meal of tacos, through the border in less than 5min, and past the Organ Pipe Cactus and rocky hillsides of the Sonoran desert in Arizona. I spent about a week in Bisbee, where I was able to pull the Suzuki out of its short-term storage, air up the tires, and change the oil. Getting the Indian back into winter storage is always tricky, as it lives in a cellar with a narrow entrance an ramp down.

It’s in there with stabilized fuel and a cover, and this winter I’ll need to decide if that bike has outlived its usefulness. I do not want to keep paying insurance on it if I only need it occasionally. Next year I plan to explore Alaska, which is clearly the province of the Suzuki. With its combination of decent comfort, long range, simplicity and easy maintenance, ruggedness, and ability to cruise at 70mph or bash over rough terrain, it covers all the bases.

Always a pick-me-up when you’re tired, down, or blue, tacos are great for celebrating the good times too.

Just recently I  left Bisbee on another trip within a trip. I have to be in Vegas for several weeks. Thanksgiving is coming up and I spend it with my friend and his family, who are like an adopted family. Before that (right now actually), is the Formula 1 race. This is the inaugural race, with a brand new track built out of the city and heading right down the Vegas Strip. Rain is forecast, no one knows how well the track will work, and the sessions are all set for nighttime despite cold temperatures in the desert this time of year.

Small town Post Office: Wikieup, Arizona.

After these two items is a race of my own. The LA-Barstow-to-Vegas (LAB2V) is a famous off-road event, having its 40th anniversary this year. It’s done with street legal motorcycles, so my DR fits the motif without me having to do a bunch of mods. I will ride down to Barstow, camp overnight, and in the morning I’ll check in for Day 2, then race back to Vegas. It requires little more than a new rear tire and to replace the worn out drive chain.

Nothing, Arizona lives up to its name.

This is all well and good, since I want the bike in good shape when I head down to Mexico. The fewer times I need to cross into the US for items, or pay duties to have things imported to me, the better. I’ll keep in touch of course. This winter I hope to update my website and do more blogging, while also working on my book. At some point I’ll need to revamp things and probably build a mini-site for the book itself. While I do like marketing work and brand creation, I’m also stunned out how exhausted I feel about everything…everything. Hopefully I just need some tacos and time on the beach. Time will tell.