Summer 2018, Day 22: Mines and Spaceships, Cesar Chavez NM

It was 117 degrees here over Shabbos, but with all three air conditioners running, we made it through.

It was windy this morning, so Ryan and I didn’t break out the PPGs:

Summer_2018_Day22_001

Trish and I went for a ride:

Summer_2018_Day22_002

We poked around this abandoned mine:

Summer_2018_Day22_003

Summer_2018_Day22_004

Summer_2018_Day22_005

It’s a hardrock mine, so we went in a little ways:

Summer_2018_Day22_006

Summer_2018_Day22_007

Summer_2018_Day22_008

Summer_2018_Day22_009

Summer_2018_Day22_010

Summer_2018_Day22_011

Summer_2018_Day22_012

Summer_2018_Day22_013

Summer_2018_Day22_014

Summer_2018_Day22_015

On the way back, we visited China Ranch:

Summer_2018_Day22_016

Summer_2018_Day22_017

Summer_2018_Day22_018

Summer_2018_Day22_019

Summer_2018_Day22_020

Summer_2018_Day22_021

Summer_2018_Day22_022

Summer_2018_Day22_023

We packed up the RV and drove west.  Our next stop was Legacy Park at Mojave Air and Space Port:

Summer_2018_Day22_024

Summer_2018_Day22_025

The park houses the Roton Rotary Rocket:

Summer_2018_Day22_026

…as well as a replica of SpaceShipOne:

Summer_2018_Day22_030

Summer_2018_Day22_028

Summer_2018_Day22_029

Summer_2018_Day22_031

Summer_2018_Day22_032

Summer_2018_Day22_033

We continued west through the Tehachapi Pass Wind Farm:

Summer_2018_Day22_034

We next visited Cesar E. Chavez National Monument.  It was closed by the time we arrived, unfortunately:

Summer_2018_Day22_035

We continued on to overnight at Sequoia Field.  See the alternating yellow line on the trip map for today’s drive.

Summer 2018, Day 20: Flying Tecopa Hot Springs

Were being hosted at the Tecopa Hot Springs Campground by PPG pilot Ryan.  We went for a flight this morning, but unfortunately my helmet camera was dead.  The scenery was beautiful, and we had a great flight:

After landing, M and I went for a ride:

Summer_2018_Day20_014

We stopped by a local hot spring:

Summer_2018_Day20_015

It’s really hot here just outside of Death Valley.  It was in the 90s at dawn.

We picked up this portable grill in Las Vegas.  I boiled up lunch outside since it was already approaching 115 degrees.  We had all three air conditioners plugged in, hence the group of extension cords in the photo:

Summer_2018_Day20_016

I also put out an extra awning:

Summer_2018_Day20_017

Summer_2018_Day20_019

Oh, the humiliation:

Summer_2018_Day20_018

It got up to a hazy 117 degrees today:

Summer_2018_Day20_020

Summer_2018_Day20_021

Summer_2018_Day20_022

Good Shabbos from Tecopa Hot Springs, California!

Summer 2018, Day 19: Flying and Motorcycling Jean Lake

This morning we got up early and drove out to Jean Lake:

Summer_2018_Day19_001

Summer_2018_Day19_002

Getting ready to fly and ride:

Summer_2018_Day19_003

Summer_2018_Day19_004

Summer_2018_Day19_005

Summer_2018_Day19_006

Summer_2018_Day19_007

Summer_2018_Day19_008

Summer_2018_Day19_009

Summer_2018_Day19_014

Summer_2018_Day19_010

Summer_2018_Day19_015

Summer_2018_Day19_016

Summer_2018_Day19_017

Summer_2018_Day19_018

Summer_2018_Day19_020

Summer_2018_Day19_021

Summer_2018_Day19_022

Summer_2018_Day19_023

Nice to get back in the air after 11 months!

Summer_2018_Day19_011

On the way back to Las Vegas, we checked out Seven Magic Mountains:

Summer_2018_Day19_012

We hitched up the RV and headed west:

Summer_2018_Day19_013

Tonight we’re overnighting at Tacopa Hot Springs Campground.  See the alternating yellow line on the trip map for today’s drive.

Summer 2018, Day 10: Oklahoma’s Motorcycle Island

We spent the day exploring Motorcycle Island outside of Tulsa.  It’s another hot and humid day in this part of the country:

Summer_2018_Day10_001

We had intermittent rain that served up ample slippery mud:

Summer_2018_Day10_002

Summer_2018_Day10_003

Summer_2018_Day10_004

Summer_2018_Day10_005

Summer_2018_Day10_006

Summer_2018_Day10_007

M and I drove all the way around the island:

Summer_2018_Day10_008

We all wiped out a few times, but neither riders nor bikes received significant damage.

Towards sunset we went for a swim in the lake.  The water was only 5 feet deep, and it was warm as soup:

Summer_2018_Day10_009

A great dinner rounded off the day:

Summer_2018_Day10_010

Tomorrow we’ll load up the motorcycles and hit the road!