Sabbatical 1998 - Day 15

I hit the road again today.  This time my destination was Medford, via Crater Lake.   Unfortunately, I chose poorly when it came to collecting fuel.  I decided to shorten trip when I discovered that there was nowhere to refuel and I thought I was going to run out.

In addition to a sixth gear, the NightHawk needs a gas gauge. If you should happen across a motorcyclist riding down the road with his hands and feet off of the controls, that will be me trying to compute my mileage.  Gotta use the fingers and toes, ya know.

You see, it turned out that I was getting exceptional gas mileage and that I didn't have anything to worry about.  Oops. By the time I discovered this, I had no motivation to go back.  Oops.  Oh well, I'll catch it next time.  I can't let the destinations become more important that the journey, now can I?

Met a fellow two-wheeler at one of the Interstate rest stops who was on his way to a four day holiday in Reno.  Apparently he's not too good with math either.  We exchanged info about our bikes: his was a Yamaha 1100 of some variety that he bought for $900.  Had so much fun chatting that I almost forgot where I was going.

Turned off the super slab at Roseburg to go East on 138.  That's not what I actually did, but that's what I intended.  Eventually, I got pointed in the right direction using only a compass, a bad map and some bread crumbs that I had dropped on the way.  Somebody call the sheriff... Roseburg has some signs missing off the side of the road.

The Umpqua river is beautiful as you can see in these magnificent pictures that I didn't take.  As were these wildflowers that are herein visually under-represented.  I just couldn't get motivated about pictures today. Sorry.   You'll have to trust me that the scenery was beautiful.  It was.

I have a new rule for traveling that goes something like this: If he bike is moving, the visor is down.  If I had followed this simple rule, I and the bee that slammed into my cheek (the cheek on my face, you nitwits) would be much happier today.   Said bee died on impact and had no chance to sting me, but I didn't know that right away and I wasn't sure if the pain under my eye was caused by venom or plain old mass interacting with other mass under force.  I'm going to have a little welt under my right eye for the next couple of days.

Finally ended up here in Medford where I ate some dinner, had a nice whirlpool bath and then watched Babylon 5.  Life.  It just doesn't get any better.

Watch me get lost some more on Day 16.  I might even take pictures.