Holey Dribble

I've decided to post some notes I took while on a motorcycle trip to New Orleans.

Day 1

I left Seattle before the sun came up on a overcast Saturday morning. It was the second week of February. I intended to get somewhere south of Sacramento before putting up for the night. However, I was immediately delayed by the need to run over to the eastside where I’d left my cell phone at work. I considered leaving without it as I’d never had an occasion where I needed it. But “better safe than sorry”, especially when riding a motorcycle over 3000 miles in the winter. The roads to the eastside were treacherous and terrifying. We’d gotten some snow the previous day. Overnight it had partially melted and then frozen again which coated the roads with a thin layer of ice. “This is not getting off to a good start”, I thought. Eventually I retrieved the cell phone and got back on the interstate.
Heading south on I-5 my only inconvenience was a light rain. It changed to a slightly heavy rain around Portland but I was making good time. Finally I made it past the Oregon, California border and stopped at a Denny’s for lunch. I was looking forward to Yreka and getting past this last mountain pass where I dreamed of blue skies and warmer weather the rest of the day. As I left Yreka the rain came again. I slowly turned to a heavy rain then into a gusty downpour. As I started to wind my way up the Mount Shasta pass the rain turned to sleet and then to snow. As the visibility dropped I slowed gradually to 35 so that I could see and drive in the ruts in the road. As my glassed froze over I had to wipe them but then they froze over on the inside and I was completely blind. So I continued by looking over the top as icy flakes stung my eyes. I passed three cars that had spun off the road. I continued up the mountain. My right eye decided it had had enough and refused to stay open. My left eye started fluttering from the cold and icy abuse I was giving it. Sighing I pulled off the road. I used the cell and a tow-truck took me back down to Weed, CA.

Day 2

Weed, Ca to Las Vegas, NV

Rain, rain, rain, heavy rain, really heavy rain, light rain... CA-NV border, no more rain.

The only notable incident of the day was along Hwy 93. There are long stetches where it's a two-lane road with a LOT of traffic driving very fast. It was a pitch-black night, no moon, and heavy on-coming traffic. Everyone appeared to be going about 90...either anxious to leave or anxious to arrive in Las Vegas. Far ahead I see many a car speed up to pass and then dart back into thier lane. I'm cruising along with no-one in front of me. Then I see it... looking far ahead I see a car heading my direction swing out into my lane in a futile attempt pass. It's obvious he's not going to make it. I swung over to the shoulder (hoping there was a shoulder) as he blows by me in my lane. It was not a heart pounding moment.

You see, I only had two options: smash into him and die instantly or drive on the shoulder and hope there are no obstuctions or junk to run into. When you choices are limited to only one then there is no time to consider the implications, no time to even respond emotionally. It just happens and you move on. No amount of skill can change the outcome. Either you live or you don't and there's nothing than can be done either way.

As I swung back into my lane I thought, "That's one, eight more lives to go." And I could see the lights of Vegas in the distance.

Day 3 - 0 miles. I layed around all day talking with my friend Robin.

Day 4 - Las Vegas to 150 Miles shy of El Paso, TX. Nice road, pleasant ride.
Day 5 - 150 Miles W of El Paso to Winnie, TX.
My strongest impression of Texas is the smell. When I first entered the state I saw and smelled miles of feedlots on both sides of I-10. After getting past El Paso the smell in the air went from cow shit to an oily refinery odor. I nievely thought there must be a refinery nearby. As I put hundreds of miles past me the oily refinery smell stayed. As I neared the gulf coast the oily air turned to a thicker oily-oceon air smell. It was not pleasant.

As I drove through Houstan I was wide-awake and knew that I could make it to Lousiana before stopping. For those of you that aren't following along on a map, that's about 800 miles so far. Nature though, had other plans. My beautiful clear road become enveloped in fog. The fog quickly became so thick I could only see about one car length in front of me. I used the tail lights of the car in front of me to help stay on the road. Often the waves of fog would completely obscure the road and the tail lights so I was driving blind. I decided I better exit and find a place to stop for the night. The fog got thicker. I switched to watching the white line on my right to keep from driving off the road. I didn't dare slow down too much for fear of being rear-ended. Sometime the fog would thicken even more and even the white line beside my tire was invisible.

Next thing I knew I was no longer on the interstate. What happened is the white line I was following took me off on an exit. I was driving so blind I had no idea I was no longer on the highway until I suddenly came to the intersection at the end of the off-ramp. I drove around in the dark and the fog for awhile hoping to see something to give me clue where I was, or better yet, a motel. Then I saw it, a neon sign barely visible through the fog. It said, "OTEL". I pulled in, walked in, noted the filth of the place, and rang the bell nailed to the counter in front of that barred desk. As I waited I saw a sign on the wall in back that said, "$200/week, ask about hourly rates." A guy came up and eyed me suspicously. I said, "I want a room for the night." He looked confused. He said, "For the night!?". I said, "Ya, for the night." He shrugged his shoulders charged me $20. The shower was very nice.

Day 6

Winnie, TX to New Orleans.

Backing up a bit I'd like to note that I saw only 3 highway patrol cars on my entire trip through Texas. In Lousiana I saw them every couple miles. Another thing is the condition of the roads. The Alaska Highway is in better condition than I-10 through Lousiana. I have to wonder where all the national interstate funding went in Lousiana. I appears that it went to buy more police cars.

As I left Texas the refinary smell went away and was replaced by a thick, boggy, moist petri-dish odor. I feels like the air is alive with little tiny creatures, and parts of creatures. It's a bit unnerving.

Mardi Gras: The French Quarter during Mardi Gras is like my mom's Gulash: a couple weeks left-overs thrown together in a pot and boiled. Unidentifiable gray, soggy chunks with splashes of equally unidentifiable colorful yet flavorless bits flowing together in a steamy, seathing moistness which takes more energy to consume than is provides. It left me hungry for real food.