Out of Arizona Heading for Louisiana via New Mexico and Texas (again)...

Out of Havasu (which we did not get much time to look at) and on the road to New Orleans. There was trouble with the RV which meant that the main group would be delayed. Since this leg would be the final one that we would do with the whole team (less Mike) we were keen to do most of it  with everyone. Bo and I had the most distance to travel with the need to night over at least two nights before New Orleans (Norlins to those wanting to say it with a Texas accent). Whereas the others needed only one night over to reach Dallas. Bo and I decided that we needed to go early to try and make El Paso We got lost somewhere in the back of nowhere Arizona and seriously low on fuel, and as is always the case there was a Diner just standing there on its own We walked in and I swear I was teleported back into the fifties. Apparently you can't move in this place in the morning but I swear there was only three buildings that I could see, otherwise there was no other sign of people,.

The little old lady who served us said we were only six miles from the Interstate (US10) and that there was gas, food and drink available. None the less we ordered up a Coke and took it all in.These places are bloody marvellous. Straight onto US10 (after refuelling) and a drag race to El Paso. We were never going to make it in a day, just too far and too hot. Meanwhile Dino and Lajey had also set off on their bikes, but on a different route. We finally called it a day in a small dusty town called Lordsberg, just 160 miles short of El Paso, but after travelling over 500 miles in temperatures well over 45 degrees I texted Dino to say we could not make El Paso only to find that he was in the motel across the road after having come from a totally different direction. What were the odds on that happenning in this huge country! We caught up, agreed to have an early night and ride out of town at sunrise for El Paso.

The early start was the right call. We got in well over 100 quick miles long before the sun put any heat into the day. We had breakfast in a diner in Los Crucas where Billy the Kid lived and killed people. From here we rocde hard and fast to El Paso. The main attraction for Bo and I was Barnett Harley Davidson, which is meant to be the largest Harley Dealer in the world. Before we could get there we went to Saddlebags which sells everything Western, from beautiful furniture to gun belts. Now El Paso is huge and sits just across the Rio Grande from the most lawless part of Mexico.  Funnily enough it is regarded as the safest city in Texas Everything in El Paso is about cowboys and Saddlebags is the Cowboy mecca.  

That gun belt I am wearing is a stock item that they sell to Texans who literally  put guns in them and wear them out on the ranch. From here it was down the road to Barnett Harley Davidson. What a place. It was simply enormous. The bikes in stock must have been worth millions.

l

We hung around this place long enough for the boys in the RV to catch up and meet us in El Paso for lunch. We went to Lin's Chinese Buffet where for $8 you can eat as much as you like for as long as you like choosing from about 50 different dishes. Bloody marvellous. We bade e veryone farewell and headed off on Interstate 10 which would take us all the way to New Orleans (after two days riding). We ended up just before dark in a little town back in Texas called Fort Stockton. Time to do some washing!