Casper & Petey go to Albuquerque

[radare]

EDIT, Radare: This was originally posted on July 29th, 2012. I broke it out of the Great Seca II Relay thread, for consistency. You can find the original post here: http://www.xjrider.com/viewtopic.php?f= ... =40#p17565

Great minds think alike, I also woke up at 9:30 (set my alarm for 7:30, just don't know what happened). So I booked it up the way I had originally planned. Beautiful route with not too much traffic, but just enough at certain points to be really annoying (silly people going 25 on a curve rated higher than the speed limit of 45; and, double yellow lines keeping a full group behind them, illegal and dangerous to pass them all). I thoroughly enjoyed the scenery on the way up, but for the full 260 miles I went up, I stopped once to get gas without getting off my bike and once for 3 minutes to call Radare and let him know I was going to be late (no signal, so it didn't help either way). (No pictures from the ride up there, I will be taking that trip again though, it was amazing.)

I finally showed up in Raton at 3:00 and quickly found that amazing looking XJ happily resting in the shade.


Saw Radare sitting over at the tables (also in the shade, seems to be hot around here) enjoying a nice drink.


Curious little guy came up and said hi, but I never caught his name.


I sat with Radare for a bit and chatted away; then as he was getting a refill, I introduced the little guy to his new ride.


He quickly grew fond of it and preferred the cockpit seat.


I let him say his goodbyes to his previous ride,


found him a belt buckle and gave him the best seat in town.


Radare and I parted ways after that and I started the long, but fun journey home. On the way up, I found a nice little 32 on a distance sign and on the way down, I found a 34. If only someone had found 32 and 33.


I showed the little guy many things New Mexico has to offer, from its trees


to its lakes.




Also took a few pictures that will go in my favorites.



(Mmm, rubbed clean tire from turning and a fresh thin coat of dirt gives some amazing effects.)

Before we got to the lake, I happened upon the Vietnam Memorial State Park.










Its a pretty peaceful place and has an awesome view.


I took it pretty easy on the way home and it was getting dark, so I skipped my trip down 14 and chose to take I-25 home. The little guy and I stopped at a gas station just outside of Santa Fe and filled up our half tank.


I find it very boring to ride on the interstate and always get bad gas mileage on them, so I avoid them for long distances like the plague. Today, I think it was worth it, 11 hours of riding is good for one day for me.

Home safe and sound.


Of course when the little guy met some more friends and didn't give them his name, they named him Rupert.


First leg of the Relay is done, second leg is to be done very soon. I am looking to head west to Tuscon or Phoenix. I am tempted to do a weekend venture out there, 1000 mile round trip, but it depends on availability. Currently thinking Saturday and Sunday the 18th and 19th if I am going to go all the way, or Sunday the 12th if someone wants to meet in the Silver City area. I will be PMing some of the more active members about it, but if you are interested, please post.