Video Summary of Our 2019 40 to Phoenix Ride

Wow! What a trip this year. Laurie wanted to make the entire trip this year but with her neck issues she was not sure she could do it. Finally, near the departure date, she said "Let's do it." The organizer of our trip, Russ Schaeffer, does a great job of breaking up the days into manageable mileage to Chula Vista, CA. I planned our days on the return leg to not be too long.

If the trip proved too much for Laurie, we planned to get her on a plane back home. In Springerville, AZ she had severe pains during the night and I was trying to figure out how to get her to Phoenix, AZ and on a plane. But with drugs and a mule like stubbornness by 8:00 AM she was ready to go. She did great on the whole trip. Actually she seems to have fewer aches and pains at higher elevations which gives me a good excuse to say we need to head west on a trip to higher elevations.

It was great seeing folks from the past rides and making friends with new riders. I even met another Bobby Daniel rider on this trip.

I love doing this ride in the Mar/Apr time of the year. Most of the ride is very comfortable with temperatures in the 50's to 70's and very little heat or humidity. We hit some frost in Amarillo TX and a few inches of snow in Moriarity NM but it was not a big deal. That is part of the fun. Just turn up the thermostat on the heated gear.

We rode 6197 miles from Raleigh NC to Wilmington NC to Chula Vista CA back to Raleigh NC (coast to coast) and had a blast. The places we visited are too many to list but some of them are the highest point in Alabama, parking lot barbecue in Conway Arkansas, Sequoyahs Cabin in Oklahoma, 100th Meridian Museum Erick Oklahoma, Dots Mini Museum Vega Texas, snow in Morarity New Mexico, Pie Town New Mexico, Standin' on the Corner in Winslow Arizona, Borrego Springs California, Kitts Peak Arizona, School House Inn Bed and Breakfast in Bisbee Arizona, Roswell New Mexico and the Telimena Scenic Drive in Arkansas.

We are absolutely planning another trip to Mad Jack BBQ in Cloudcroft New Mexico at an elevation of 8600 feet. They had the best pork barbecue sandwich I have ever eaten in my life. Maybe it was just the elevation and beautiful day, but we are going back.

Anyway you came here for the video summary. It is at the bottom of this blog. I can't wait for our 2020 trip.

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