As soon as I got into the room I knew I was not going on any of the group rides. Most left before 8 and it was a long day getting there. So, I did just the opposite. I slept in late, got breakfast at the casino (which is an experience in itself), and went swimming at the pool. Motorcycle rallies are really a rough life.
I remember as a kid seeing ads for the place that the rally was held at (John Ascuaga’s Nugget) with this crystal clear pool and the roof that opens up. Some 15 years later I go see the pool and it’s full of kids, sunscreen, and who knows what else. Ahh, the deceptions of advertising :(.
Later that morning I rode up to Lake Tahoe to do a bit of hiking and kickback. It was nice only riding about 100 miles that day as it gave me some time just to enjoy the area. I’d not seen the Nevada side of Tahoe near as much as the California side, so it was cool to ride, but then do some hiking in one of the local parks.
The rally itself was fun. It was great to meet John Austin (Mr. V-Strom West himself).
Plus all the V-Stroms!
Later that evening I did some gambling. I played a few tables, a few slots, and lost a few bucks but all in all a good time.
Getting home I figured we’d travel along the lake and see some great scenery. What I got stuck in was frustrating then but ironic now. There was a bike ride to raise money for leukemia. No worries. Problem was that there were cars along the drive forcing the cars behind to drive at 15mph. So here I’m thinking, we’ve got a bike race to raise money for leukemia with all the bikers sitting in traffic breathing who knows what in exhaust. After getting out of the Lake Tahoe Basin traffic jam I rode along Highway 88, a two lane highway through the mountains back to Sacramento.
Highway 88 is one of the true gems of California, running by Caples lake and has two mountain passes on it. By the time I got back to the Bay Area I’d ridden some 700 miles!
Leave a Reply