Las
Cruces
As
I headed out of Yuma, around 10am or so, I saw that it had rained during the
night. I was expecting a lot of heat but
again, I got a little lucky with having a solid overcast….hence it was a cool
ride without a lot of desert heat beating upon my sore back.
Other
than horrendous cross winds the ride was uneventful until reaching Tucson. I was wearing chaps and the rain jacket cuz
it was sprinkling on and off along the way.
Entering the outskirts of Tucson I could see a dark cloud ahead and
figured it would be a passable run through it.
Boy, was I ever wrong!
The
thunderstorm hit me hard. Visibility really
decreased so I put the flashers on and hoped to get an off ramp soon….and I
did, within .2 miles one showed up. I
slowly worked my way off to the stop sign and saw a gas station about 50 yards
away….headed for it and just made it in when the downpour got even worse. I parked Sophia under the overhang ad took
the helmet off. I was soaked wherever
the chaps didn’t cover me. Yes, my butt
was experiencing the wet clothes feeling J.
As
I took my helmet off I noticed another bike on the other side of the pumps and
looking towards the building saw this fella standing on the side of the
building next to a yucca plant, under the eaves, smoking a cigarette. I think I found the owner of the other bike.
He
looked like I felt….soaking wet. He had
no chaps and no jacket..so I was a little better off. I joined him under the eaves and we chatted
before I invited him in to have a cup of coffee. He told me his story as we sipped, his uncle
had just passed and he was in Tucson closing his affairs then heading back to
Mesa when the TS caught him. I forget
his real name, but I he’s riding a Dyna and is a happy camper now after getting
out of the slammer for 17 years where he picked up the moniker “Troll”. I meet some of the nicest people as I
continue on my journey J.
The
rain let up so we took some pics of us and then we headed down the Interstate
in different directions. I think I can
make Las Cruces so I’m headed there.
Many,
many windy and gusty miles later I got into the outskirts of Las Cruces and
pulled off into a rest stop to remove the rain gear. The place was packed! No parking spots. Truckers were entering and just continuing
onto the exit. Seems like there was some
kinda party going on. I parked Sophia in
a Fire Lane and made it just in time to the Boy’s Room. When I came out I looked around and saw that
we were actually on a hilltop overlooking the city…I figured all the lovers
were up here where it was cooler for them to spoon and enjoy the views. Then I saw the fireworks…Holy Crap! It’s the 4th!! Totally forgot all about it. I watched a little then removed the raingear
and enjoyed a nice ride down the hill into the city.
I
like Las Cruces…quaint, historical, and loves to issue photo enforced speeding
tickets. I know cuz I got one here 3
years ago when I came to visit the Harley Store. I found my Comfort Inn and called it a day.
Happy
Fireworks everybody J
C ya mañana,
Gonzo
Twitter:
@GonzoCrossUSA
Email:
GonzoCrossUSA@gmail.com
Cell:
949-433-0761
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