Oranges

Tuesday, June 21st.

What a gorgeous day to wake up to!  It was perfect!  I jumped on the bike and quickly passed through Alabama and into Florida!  I can taste the third corner, Key West.  My mouth salivates at the thought of it!  I can also taste oranges.  hhhhmmmmm.....

I drove 317 miles to the state's capital Tallahasee and stopped for the night.  The next day I rode the 219 miles to Land O' Lakes, Florida.  Not so much because I like butter, but because this is where my Aunt Colleen, Uncle Ray, and my two cousins, Emma, 5, and Julia, 4, live.  Ray and Colleen feel more like cousins because we are so close in age.  Great to see them again! 

Friday I met my Uncle Jack in Homossasa Springs, an hour north of Tampa, with plans to go out on the Gulf of Mexico on his boat.  The weather was calling for thunderstorms, so we just took the boat out on the Crystal River, and relaxed for a couple of hours, jumping in the aptly named crystal clear water of the Crystal River.  As I rode back to my Aunt Colleen's house, I got hit with those thunderstorms, and am starting to think I should just abandon all other form of clothing, and keep my rain gear on permanently.

Saturday Ray had a Harley booked to rent.  Of course, it was raining when we woke up, excited for a nice little Saturday ride.  The weather cleared by the time we were ready for the day's ride, after a little photo session with my cousin's sitting on our Harleys.  We cruised around central Florida, and stopped at a little Italian place in a remote part of Florida for some lunch.  Ray and I were pleasantly surprised at how delicious the enormous calzone we were served was!  Part of the pleasure of riding is finding little treats like this, in off the beaten path places you might not find if you were in your car, heading for a specific destination.   Once again, the rain wanted to join the party and we got soaked as we made our way back to Ray's house.

Thanks so much to Ray, Colleen, Jack, Emma, and Julia!  Good times in the Tampa area!

Ghost Rider

Saturday, June 18th.

My cousin, Brad, from Cleveland, happened to be visiting his uncle an hour north of Houston.  Because I was so close, and it was random we were both in Texas at the same time, he invited me to his uncle's house for a night.  His uncle, Pete, has a gorgeous house on Lake Conroe.  After the short 148 mile drive there, Pete cooked us up some burgers and dogs, and we ate outside facing the beautiful lake.  We did a little night swimming in the neighbors pool, and called it a day.

                                                   Pete's dog rides a Harley

In the morning, after some kayaking on the lake, I thanked Pete for his hospitality, interesting stories from his 30 year career as a pilot, and headed for Louisiana!

It was a bittersweet ride to Louisiana.  It was Sunday, June 19th, Father's day.  The joy at reaching Louisiana was fighting the sadness of Father's day.  After all the miles I've ridden, it's starting to feel like the home stretch.  I made it a short day of riding, and stopped in Lake Charles after only 166 miles. 

Monday morning I woke up to an overcast day, which soon became thunderstorms.  I stopped and put my rain gear on, then the sun would come out.  So I'd take my rain gear off, and get back on the road.  Then it would storm again.  It continued like this all morning.  When I was ready to ride it would start raining.  When I'd stop because of the rain, it would become sunny.  It was like the clouds didn't want me riding, and when I'd attempt to get on the highway, they would spit on me!

Again, thoughts of quitting entered my mind as I drove 20 mile in two hours because of thunderstorms.  But I forged on, and the afternoon was humid, but it didn't rain very much. 

I was also remined of the contrasts in America.  I'd spent 6 days in Texas, where it was very dry.  In Louisiana, however, right next door to Texas, I'm surrounded by swamp!  In the afternoon I crossed the border into Mississippi.  Ever see Mississippi burning?  No, I don't mean the movie.  On either side of the highway Mississippi was burning.  Smoke engulfed the highway, and fire crews were working to put out a fire.  I wouldn't call it a forest fire, but the ground was smoldering on either side of the highway, in an area about the size of a football field.  Odd considering I had just driven through swamp land.  Riding through the smoke I felt like Ghost Rider!

After 284 miles, I stopped in Biloxi, Mississippi, a place that has bad memories from a road trip gone bad 3 years ago.  But that's another story.

Austin

Thursday, June 16th.

The ride to Austin was uneventful.  Hot, and of course, windy.

It was nice to see another familiar face in Austin.  My friend Mike has a house he rents with his bandmate/friend, and they were nice enough to put up for my time in Austin.  We went out that night and met up with another friend of ours who lives in Austin.  Friday, I went to Cowboy Harley and got another oil change.  After I got back, Mike came home from work and took me to the Barton Springs, where the water is always 67 degrees Farenheit.  We took a refreshing swim.  That night we had a chilled night at a very cool outdoor bar.  Austin, stay cool. 

Yeeeehaaaaawwwwww!!!!!

Monday, June 13th.

The morning started out great, but as it wore into the afternoon, the wind picked up and I struggled.  Near the Texas border, the New Mexico landscape started to flatten, and as I crossed into Texas, the landscape became flat and brown, and it was hot!

To imagine riding a motorcycle through Texas:
Close your eyes.  Picture the color light brown as far as the eye can see all around you.  Now imagine a dragon is breathing fire on you.  Even the wind is hot!

Flat, dry, hot, and windy.  Each mile seems like an eternity.

I stopped in Childress after 293 torturous miles, and made a bad hotel choice.  My room had flies in it.  I went to the front desk and said there were several flies in my room, expecting the receptionist to give me another room.  Her response was, "Oh, you want the Raid then?"  Uh, apparently flies in the room are not so unusual, and they have Raid on hand to give to guests to take care of the fly problem. 

The next day I got up to find another windy day.  I have a friend in Forth Worth, 227 miles from Childress.  I fought the wind the whole way, and was relieved to finally arrive at my friend Liz's apartment.  She was out of town, back the next day, but left me a key with the leasing office of her apartment complex.  I got the key, went into Liz's apartment, cranked the A/C, and spent the rest of the day drinking water and cooling off! 

On Wednesday, Liz came back from her business trip and we had planned on spending the day at the pool.  But, I went to breakfast in the morning before Liz got back, and left the battery on on my bike.  Before pool time, I had some errands to run and sat on my bike to find the battery dead.  Instead of pool time, I had the bike put on a flat bed truck, and taken to a Harley dealership.  Bob, in charge of service, charged up the battery for me, and didn't charge me!  Thanks Bob!  No charge for the charging!

When I got back, Liz and I hit the town of Forth Worth.  Some good Mexican food followed by a few tasty beers!  Thanks so much Liz for the hospitality!

The Big Bad Wolf

Sunday, June 12th.

The first half of the day was perfection.  Almost perfection.  At a gas station I got of my bike and forgot to put the kickstand down.  Embarrassingly, I had to pick the bike back up and put the stand down.  Other than that, the sun was shining, the roads were smooth, and New Mexico provided scenery that allowed me to see thousands of years in the past, layer by layer, in rock formations. 

The second half of the day was not so good.  I met the big bad wolf,  who huffed and puffed, and almost knocked me off my bike.  The wind picked up, and made driving difficult.  As I was driving on a two lane road, I got hit by the strongest gust of wind to date, and it carried with it lots of dust.  A truck was behind me when I got hit with the gust that covered me in dust and moved me from near the shoulder to the center line.  I consider myself lucky that there were no oncoming cars, and that I was able to stay on the bike.  I slowed down and let the truck pass, so I could catch my breath and calm down.  The image of the dust wind wall still haunts me. 

High winds the rest of the day didn't allow me to get as far as I would've liked, and I stopped for the day in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, after 323 miles. 

Three Warnings

Saturday, June 11th.

I had about 350 miles left until I reached the monument.  My first trip through Utah was not a pleasant one, because of the weather.  This time, however, was much better, and not at all boring.  The rock formation scenery did not disappoint.  With clear blue skies, and warm to hot temperatures, it was much more enjoyable allowing my eyes quick glances to the left and right as Clyde and I sped along.  I was given a warning to watch my speed by an elderly man dripping with blood from his forehead on the side of the road.  He looked like he lost control of his car, and had smashed into a rock just off the shoulder of the road.  There were plenty of people tending to him, so I didn't stop.  I hoped that his injuries were not severe, and was thankful of his warning of what could happen out here if you weren't careful. 

I stopped for gas several miles later.  A man complimented me on my bike and asked where I was from.  He said that I should be careful.  Lots of gangs in the southwest and that I should be aware of that and avoid them or I'd get ripped off.  At this point in the trip, I wasn't too worried about anything of that nature.  So it's good to be reminded bad things can happen and not to be too relaxed.  It was my second "warning" of the day. 

A bit more cautious, I continued to the Four Corners Monument.  It's in a very remote area, and after driving down some roads where I've never felt more alone, I reached the Four Corners Monument USA! 

The monument where "visitors can simultaneously straddle the territory of four states" is maintained as a tourist attraction by the Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation Department. Unlike many other attractions based on political boundaries, such as the Berlin Wall, it is an example of a political boundary as a tourist destination for the sake of itself.  The monument consists of a granite disk embedded with a smaller bronze disk around the point, surrounded by smaller, appropriately located state seals and flags representing both the states and tribal nations of the area. Circling the point, with two words in each state, the disk reads, "Four states here meet in freedom under God." Around the monument, local Navajo and Ute artisans sell souvenirs and food.  The big thing here is to lay with one arm in Utah, one in Colorado, one leg in Arizona, and one leg in New Mexico.

 

Just a few days ago, I had heard about this monument, and now I was there!  Because it was the Four Corners Monument, and I was on a Four Corners trip, this is the only place I felt compelled to buy a souvenir.  I went up to a souvenir stand run by a very sweet woman, picked out a t-shirt, paid her, and walked away.  That's exactly what I did.  I walked away, and forgot to take my t-shirt with me.  Fortunately, as I got to my where my bike was parked, I heard a woman, yelling, "sir, sir!"  And the woman had chased me down to give me what I had purchased, and then stupidly left without!

I drove a few more miles to Farmington, New Mexico and got a room for the night.  A man was being arrested in the hotel parking lot for what looked like a DUI.  Third warning of the day.  Don't drink and drive. 

Tomorrow, Texas!

Snake (River) Bite!

Friday, June 10th. 

It was another beautiful day of riding through Idaho as I headed toward Utah.  It seems the prevalent thing in Idaho, besides potatoes, is Snake river.  I stopped in Twin Falls, Idaho, had some lunch, and then went to Shoshone Falls.  It's like a mini Grand Canyon, with water falls.  After a quick peak, I continued on to drive through Utah a second time on this trip.  What a drive.  As you drive on the highway, look left.  Snow-capped mountains.  Look right.  Snow-capped mountains.  I drove through Salt Lake City, and stopped just outside Provo for the night.  What was the view from my hotel room?  Snow-capped mountains!

500!

Thursday, June 9th.

While I was in Seattle, I saw a TV show about how the states' borders were made.  On this particular episode, they talkd about the only spot in America where four states touched borders.  It was called the Four Corners Monument.  Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico.  Perfect!  I'm heading to Texas next, and it's on my way!  I'll see the Four Corners Monument on my Four Corners trip!  A mere 1,200 miles southeast of Seattle!  So that's my next, unexpected destination. 

Although it was a bit overcast in the morning, not unusual for Seattle, it felt like it was going to be a great day.  I headed southeast with Clyde's headlight pointed toward Boise, Idaho, 500 miles from Seattle.  One of my minor goals for this trip was to ride a 500 mile day.  Washington was beautiful to ride through, green mountains, and a glass lake or two to test my ability to keep my eyes on the road.  To get to Boise, I got a taste of northeast Oregon as well, where I had a small hiccup.  In my efforts to reach the 500 mile mark, I was pushing it with how often I stopped for gas.  When my gas light comes on, I have about 30 miles before I run out.  The gas light came on.  A sign on the highway said the next exit had gas, and was about 15 miles away.  Perfect!  I exited the highway and happily got to the gas station, where I deflated like a balloon.  It was closed, and looked like it had been closed for quite a few years.  I stopped and checked my GPS, which said there was a Chevron gas station 6 miles down the road.  6+15=21.  Great!  I'll make it with 9 miles to spare!  I drove the 6 miles and where my GPS said there was a gas station, was a ranch.  But in the distance I could see a Texaco gas station.  I drove to it, and that was also closed too!  I thought that was it.  I am out of gas and am going to have to figure out a way to get gas.  The Texaco station looked like it was recently closed.  I walked up to the door and it had a hand-written sign that said, "Sorry we are closed.  For emergency repairs and fuel, go to Ben's Truck Repair accross the road."  I went across the road and saw Ben.  Ben looked to be about in his late 50's, and was a slow-moving kind of guy.  He didn't seemed to thrilled that I stopped by, and mentioned that some other guys on Harleys had gotten gas there earlier.  I wonder if Ben knew there was a sign directing people to him for gas.  He told me to pull around back to the other shed where he kept the pump.  I did, and he handed me the gas pump.  I put in 4 gallons.  He said 5 bucks a gallon and 5 bucks for his time, and that he thought that was fair because the next gas station is 30 miles down the road, and if I coulda made it there, I wouldn't have had to stop at his place.  I thought, "yup, that's true."  And paid the man.

As the sun took his bow for the day, and exited stage west, I reached Boise.  I completed my 500 mile day, with a 513 mile total, and got a room for the night.  After 500 miles and about 10 hours, I was tired!  Good thing I rested in Seattle.

Thought and Observations After....

...2 corners, 33 days, and just over 6,000 miles ridden.

The United States of America. 
This is truly a land of contrasts.  Whether it be landscape, the people, the weather, or wealth, you can't help but notice the contrasts as you drive around this country.  You can be driving through the mountains, and a couple of hours later be in the desert.  It can be hailing one minute, and sunny the next.  You see people of all colors, shapes, sizes, colors, and backgrounds from second to second.  You can be in a wealthy neighborhood, then cross a street and be in "the hood".  Ocean on one side, woods on the other.  Bums on the sidewalk begging for money as a guy parks his BMW on the street in front of him.  The contrasts amaze me. 

Roller Coaster. 
I had done preparations for this trip before I left.  Planned routes, bought certain clothing and gear, make sure the motorcycle was in good working order, thought about costs, etc.  I thought I was prepared.  Or as prepared as I could have been.  Physically.  I never thought about any mental challenges, or emotional ones.  I did not prepare for hours and hours of riding alone, and how much time I'd have with my own mind.  Sure, I have a radio, but thoughts tend to drown that out after a while.  This trip has been an emotional roller coaster, and a ride I was not prepared for.  I've been happy, sad, elated, dejected, angry, frustrated, and indifferent.  You name it, I've felt it.  I'm fairly certain this is why I've felt so tired the past few days.  I've thought about everything you can think about!  I've had some personal revelations I do not wish to share, but what a mental ride this has been!  After a few days of rest, I THINK I'm ready to get back on the road tomorrow!

Bad Habit. 
I've developed a habit of winking to my self when I think of something I funny or come up with what I think is a good idea.  I actually wink.  I'm really starting to annoy my self with this damn winking.  It has to stop.  Wink.

Ice Cream.
A lot of people have given me tips on where to go or what to see.  While I appreciate it, keep in mind I am the only one driving, and am exposed to the elements at all times.  A quick detour here or there, is not a quick detour for me.  It takes me longer to get places, because I need to take breaks.  My butt begs me for them!  This is the way I'm thinking of the trip: America is an ice cream shop.  Each city or state is a flavor.  I'm simply going through the shop sampling the flavors.  I don't have a big enough stomach to have an entire bowl of each.  I pick one or two things I'd like to see to get an idea of what each place is like.  To take a taste of the city, if you will.  Example:  I'm in Seattle now.  I wanted to see the Space Needle and Pike Place Market.  I walked from the Space Needle to the Pike Place Market.  I have an idea of what Seattle is like, and I look forward to coming back, knowimg I've liked what I've seen so far.  I have some things to look forward to when I come back someday.  I'm sampling cities and states.

Quitting. 
I have to admit there have been several times I've thought about quitting.  Through all of the wind that pushes me like a bully, when I was stung by hail, or on a day when I'm soaked after a day of riding in the rain.  I stopped at a gas station to get some coffee, on a particularly wet day in northern California.  As I sipped my coffee, I noticed a used car lot across the street.  There sat a late 90's forest green Jeep Wrangler, with big tires.  Good lookin' Jeep.  Would be a lot of fun to drive.  I wondered if I could trade my bike in right now for the Jeep, and finish the trip Jeepin' it.  But that's not what I set out to do.  Four corners, three months, TWO wheels, one man.  In times like these I think of my dad.  He fought and beat cancer in 2007.  Cancer knocked on his door again, however, and no matter how difficult the struggle, he refused to give up on life.  He did everything possible to stay here on earth as long as possible.  He loved life and wanted to live it, no matter what cancer did to his physical state.   Despite not being able to eat and feeding through a tube, he wanted to live life.  Think about never tasting delicious food again!  Despite having to breathe through a hole in his throat, he wanted to live life.  No matter what was thrown at him, he was willing to take it on to continue living life.  I can endure some bad weather to do what I love to do, if he could endure storms worse than anything Mother Nature can cook up in her kitchen.  Don't give up on life, and don't give up on your dreams. 

Tomorrow I start the journey to corner #3!  Key West! 

Corner #2!

Sunday, June 4th

I woke up later than usual, growing more tired by the day, and took my bike to the Harley dealership.  It was Sunday, and the service department was closed.  Fortunately, one of the salesman grabbed some tools from the service department and re-attached the kickstand in a matter of minutes, and sent me on my way with no charge.  Thank you, kind sir.

Seattle was in my sights.  But after just 270 miles and after leaving Oregon and entering Washington, I saw a sign that read "workzone ahead".  My mind read it as "warzone ahead", and I panicked for a short time before realizing I must be tired, and should finish the 126 miles to Seattle the next day.  

Monday morning was nice and sunny, and I happily rode to Seattle, the second of the four corners!
The Space Needle is the landmark I designated for corner 2, and drove directly to it!  It just so happens my hotel is right next to it!  Half my goal is complete!  Two out of the four corners!

Because I've been feeling so tired lately, I decided to take a three day break here to rest. 

Tuesday I spent most of the day in bed, with one quick trip up the Space Needle.  Wednesday, which is today, I checked out Pike Place Market to see the guys throwing fish.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, google it.  I also intended to get a coffee at the very first Starbucks, but the line was ridiculous, so I took a quick look, and headed back to my hotel.

Wednesday evening I met some friends of a friend.  A friend of mine, who's from Seattle and living in Korea, put me in contact with her friends, and we met for dinner.  It was really nice of them to meet a lonely traveler and make me feel like I had friends in Seattle!  Good times and delicious dinner!

Murder on the 101

Saturday, June 3rd

Today I would see the Redwoods!  I was pretty pumped for that.  I left Eureka! and continued north to the "Trees of Mystery".  They are something else.  Trees grow out of trees that have fallen, and some grow out of trees that are standing straight up.  And the shear size and age of them is staggering. 

The rest of the day would not be as fun, but possibly more interesting. 

I remember a Seinfeld episode in which George accidentally runs over a squirrel.  And he explains that we are supposed to have a deal with them, and they should know to get out of the way.  As I was riding along thinking about how big those Redwoods are, and bird landed in the road just ahead of me.  I had not time to react, and wasn't able to swerve out of a path that led my wheels to where he was standing.  I ran the bird over.  I looked in my rear view mirrow and saw him lying lifeless, and another bird flying to his aid, or most likely to comfort him in his last moments here on earth.  What happened to the deal!?  Why didn't you fly away!

                                                 R.I.P.
                                                Tweety
                                             2007-20011
                                      Beloved Husband and Father

Further down the road, with a heavy heart, I pulled over to mourn the loss of Tweety.  I went to kick Clyde's kickstand down, and noticed it was already down.  Hmmm, that's not right.  The spring that hold's it up when riding had detached from the kickstand, making it a limpstand, and impossible to continue riding unless I wanted to scrape every inch of road with it.  I tried for a while to re-attach it, but that spring is very strong, and all my might couldn't pull it far enough to re-attach.  I came up with the genious idea of using my electrical tape.  I put tape around the end of the kickstand, and then pulled it up with the tape, and taped the other end to the my bike.  Simple solutions work every time.  I drove another 80 miles and got a room in a town with a Harley dealership that could fix it.

The Oregon coast:

Just Like a Woman

Wednesday, June 1st

My goal today was to get to San Fransisco.  My original plan was to drive down the entire west coast on the coastal road.  But since I am now going north, I decided to take the inland I-5 to San Fran, and then drive the coastal road of Oregon.  As I headed up I-5, a friend texted me and said I absolutely should drive up the coast.  So I drove 80 miles due west to hit the coastal rode and drive up the coast of California.  That was a nice ride!  Rolling green fields, and I even saw some buffalo!  That was unexpected.  I made it to the 1, and started driving up the coast.  What a stunning drive that is, and I was glad I listed to my friend's recommendation.  I watched waves crash on beaches and smelled the sea as I made my way up the coast.  However, 40 miles south of Big Sur, my destination for the day, and just as the driving got really good, now along a cliff's edge with the sea hundreds of feet below, the road was closed.  Just like a woman.  Beautiful, and as you get further and further, and things start to get really good, she makes you stop. 

I drove 15 miles back in the direction I came from and got a hotel for the night, which was right on the coast and a great place to rest for the night.  The next day I drove south a bit further to catch a road that went east to the 101, so I could continue north to San Fransicso.  Rolling into San Fran is quite a site.  House upon house built into the steep hills.  It must have been quite difficult to build this city.  An engineering feat.  I drove through Golden Gate park and then head straight for the Golden Gate bridge.  Another engineering feat.  I won't mention the fact that it's not golden, nor a gate. 

I checked into a hotel and checked the weather for the next day.  A storm was coming.  And it looked like I would only have one night in San Fran, unless I wanted to be there for several days watching it rain.  The next morning I jumped on my bike, checked out the famous Lombard Street, then drove across the Golden Gate bridge and headed out of beautiful San Francicso!

I drove up the coast, again amazed at the scenery.  My joy at the scenery was dampened by a light rain that was constant all day.  I was getting pretty tired from the trip, and the time alone to think may have been getting to me, so I didn't get as far as I would have liked, taking lots of breaks.  I did see some Elk, which I had never seen before.  After 281 miles I grabbed a room in Eureka.  How can you not say that city name with out an exclamation point.  Eureka!

Corner #1!

Tuesday, May 31st

On Tuesday morning I left my brother's apartment bright and early for a day trip to San Diego.  It was a fairly easy ride and I headed straight for landmark number one, the San Diego Zoo!  Corner 1, DONE!  I finally felt a sense of accomplishment, and a renewed energy to complete my goal.  All the terrible weather has been worth it!  San Diego has a much cleaner feel to it than L.A.  I went to La Jolla, based on a friend's recommendation, and basked in the glory of reaching my first corner as I watched (now fellow) surfer's ride the waves. 

I headed back to L.A. and went to a bar with my brother to watch the first game of the NBA finals.  Unfortunately, the Heat beat the Mavs, and my deep hate for Lebron has not waned.

Thanks Kevin for good times in L.A.!

Broken Dreams

Friday, May 27th

The sun was happily shining on Clyde and I as we headed west on I-10 through the desert on our way to L.A.  Not much to mention on a great ride through the desert, until I got near Joshua Tree in California.  It may have been the worst wind I'd experienced so far.  But I pushed on and was ecstatic to see the City of Angels glowing in the distance, as evening was giving way to night.  I arrived at my brother's apartment in Venice, Calfornia, just after eight.  Kevin, my brother, heard my bike as I was parking and came out to meet me.  He's got a cool apartment, complete with skylights, just three blocks from Venice Beach. 

Saturday we checked out the Venice Beach area, which is filled with all kinds of people, and things to see and do.  We watched skaters at a skate park, people playing basketball on the courts, and meatheads pumping iron at the famous muscle beach gym, and oddly enough, some Sumo wrestlers putting on a Sumo display.  We took a walk on the pier, and our timing couldn't have been better.  Lifeguard trainees walked out on the pier, and had to jump off as part of their final training.  It was really cool to see some twenty trainees take the plunge, then race back to the beach!

Sunday morning my brother and his friend took me out surfing.  It was my first time, and despite white-water waves that not a single other soul was out trying to surf that day, we had a great time.  I'll definitely do that again.  After a hard morning's surf, we stuffed ourselves with In-N-Out burgers.  We spent the rest of the day in a coma on the couch.  Surfing is hard work!

Monday we checked out Santa Monica Pier, and rode the ferris wheel at my brother's plea.  I'm not a fan of slow-moving wheels that put me high in the air, but my brother insisted.  It did give a nice view of the beach.  After that I took a ride to Rodeo drive to see what all the fuss is about.  It looks just like it does during the opening scenes of Beverly Hills 90210.  Monday night we hit Dodger stadium.  It was $1 Dodger Dog Night!  Good dogs for only $1!  They played the Rockies, which makes the second time I've seen the Rockies play on this trip.  I'm not becoming a fan, though.  Chief Wahoo takes up all the baseball love in my heart. 

My overall impression of L.A. is that it's a place of broken dreams.  Those dreams are picked up by other people with fantasies of making it, only to be smashed again.  Pick up the pieces of your dream when you get off the bus from the midwest, but no need to sweep them up when they are smashed, because the next busload of dreamers will pick them up.