Adventures on the R1200GS Adventure! July 7, 2016

I've been itching like something crazy to get out and ride the new Beastie Bike.  I mean, a long ride.  I want bonding time :-)  So, although I was very late to the party I begged Lisa Erbes, the Butt Lite Rally Master if I could come hang out at the finish and maybe help score or carry bags or whatever.  Such a gracious Rally Master, Lisa said to come join the party.  That was all the impetus I needed to start packing the bike for a long ride.  The Butt Lite (an endurance motorcycle rally) start and finish is in Denver, CO this year.  Not really a long ride from our home, but a good start!

So, I took care of what business I had and packed up the bike to head out toward Denver from home, Ivins, UT on Thursday, July 7.  Unfortunately, my honey, Eric has to work and can't come along with me.  However, he was very encouraging and said I MUST GO RIDE THAT NEW BIKE!!!

Okay, okay.  I'm off for a ride :-)  But, I wanted more than 1,500 miles round trip.  I wanted an epic kind of ride.  What else could I do?  Where could I go?  Well, the BMW MOA is having their national rally in Hamburg, New York next weekend.  Maybe I might go there?  Just in case I decide to head east, I bought a tent so I would have someplace to sleep.  Eric loaned me his sleeping bag and pad.  Now, I'm kind of prepared.

Anyway, here is the Beastie Bike all locked and loaded waiting for departure.

One of my mascots, Bones, keeps creeps away from me and my bike!

 Left side pannier holds tools, tire repair stuff, maps, zip ties, spare faceshield, etc. and now, sleeping bag, tent and pad!

 Right side pannier holds my heated gear, laptop, bike cover, and other miscellaneous "stuff".  The dry bag has a fleece jacket, a hoodie, a nice bottle of vodka and a ground tarp for the tent, should I need it.

 Top case holds my clothes and toiletries.

All packed up, I actually got up this morning at a reasonable hour and left the house around 8:30 or so.  I had to fiddle with the pairings on the electronics to get my music to play, but I was able to sort that out.  Hooray!  My destination for the day was Grand Junction, CO.  Maybe 450 miles away, not so far.

I didn't even take the scenic route but instead headed north on I-15 to I-70 where I turned east.  I-70 is a direct shot to Grand Junction and then Denver.  Just before noon, I stopped in Salina, UT along I-70 to top off the gas tank and grab some brekkie at Denny's.

Eric and I stopped here a few weeks ago and were not impressed (hey, it's Denny's) but my experience today was stellar.  I ordered a small brekkie that only cost $4.50 but, the server was so awesome, I tipped him another $4.50.  Yeah, that's how good he was.  The brekkie wasn't bad either.  So, a rather pleasant experience, a full tummy, and I was off again on the I-70 heading east.

 I took another break at Green River, UT.  There isn't much happening in Green River and the river was actually running quite brown!  It was hot, too.  I just stood in the shade and had a smoke, shook out my buns that were starting to hurt and got back on the bike toward Grand Junction.

 Not a particularly pleasant place...

My Beastie Bike was running just fine.  The heat didn't seem to bother it at all, although I was ready to find someplace cool.  I made one more quick stop in Fruita, CO just to shake out the buns again and to plug my Sena into some power as the battery had gone dead and I wanted to hear the instructions to the motel.

About 10 miles down the road from Fuita, I turned off I-70 and into Grand Junction, CO.  I had to ride another 7 miles or so to my motel for the night, the Palomino Inn.  I LOVE this place!  It is a re-habbed 50's era motel and simply wonderful.  So much nicer than the big box motels.  Eric and I have been coming here for quite a few years now and every year we see even more improvements.  The owners have great pride in this place and it really shows.  Hey, the rates are great too!

The owner remembered me and we had a nice conversation.  She did ask about Eric and I told her I was solo on this trip but remained happily married :-)

 I had a nice parking spot just in front of my room.

 A picture from the other direction.  I'm in that room just to the left of the front of my bike.

 They have a nice pool.

 And the rooms are fabulous!  Beautifully decorated and very comfortable.  All rooms have a King bed and either two armchairs or a sofa along with a desk, dresser and nightstands.  Very nice!  Oh, a big plus for me, they don't allow children under 12.  Yippee!!!!!!!!

 Free wifi, flatscreen TV and continental brekkie in the morning.  Oh, they also have a great ice machine (along with soda and snack vending).

 There is a mini fridge, microwave and coffee maker.  The air conditioner works very well!

 Although the bathroom is small, it is spotlessly clean and more than adequate.  Plus, the towels are big and fluffy!

What more could you want?  My bike is parked right outside my door, I'm in a very comfortable room and I'm sipping a delightful cocktail after a long day of riding my wonderful new Beastie Bike!  Oh man, it would only be better if my honey were here to share it!

That about wraps it up for the day.  I haven't decided what to do for dinner yet.  I have several options but if I have another cocktail, it will definitely be pizza delivery, hahahahaha.

Tomorrow I will land in Denver at the Marriott Denver Tech hotel and get some scoring training before the riders start to arrive.  I'm looking forward to seeing everyone, the staff, volunteers, riders, everyone!  After Butt Lite, I'll make a decision as to where I'm going to go.  Stayed tuned if you want to know!

As always, thanks so very much for following along.  I want to send a special shout out to Shirley J. for watching my Spot Tracker and letting me know my batteries were getting low.  I now have fresh batteries and should be good for the rest of the trip.  I truly appreciate you folks watching out for me, especially when I'm riding solo.  You're the bestest!

Cheers,

Cletha