We took our time getting up and out this morning since we were in a nice place (photos 1, 2 & 3) and didn't have far to go today. Since the Embassy Suites offers a free breakfast, we headed down the glass elevator (photo 4) to the second floor, where three cooks prepared whatever type of eggs you wanted. We've eaten lots of Continental breakfasts at lots of motels on this trip, and this was by far nicer than any of those others. Of course, we could have stayed two to three nights at those other motels and bought breakfast at Denny's for cheaper than this, but hey, you can't take it with you.

Surprisingly, the weather was cool and the sky overcast on this late August morning, which matched the slightly melancholy mood I was feeling. For all practical purposes, this was our last day on the road; our retirement trip was almost at an end. True, we still had to ride the last few miles home tomorrow from Linda's parents house, but that was a commute on familiar roads.

We headed south on Hwy 50, which took us out of the Stateline traffic and reminded us that this was going to be a ride through the mountains after all. We hooked a left onto SR 89 and within a short number of miles we were soon by ourselves. After climbing some, SR 89 tees into SR 88, a fine motorcycle road if ever there was one. We turned west and settled in for some nice scenery and some great high-speed mountain riding.

As we climbed into the California's granite mountains, the high fog or low clouds, continued to keep the temperatures cool but were slowly lifting as the summer sunshine started to force itself back into its rightful place on the mountain (photos 5, 6 & 7). The Goldwing made a low growl as I would climb the front side of the mountain and then would be whisper quiet as I coasted down the other side. We were passing high mountain lakes and it made me wish I had brought my fishing pole (photo 8). One fellow in a small boat had the whole lake to himself (photo 9). I'm sure he was every bit as happy to be the only one fishing on that high mountain lake as I was riding my Goldwing. Viva la difference.

Of course, since this was our last major traveling day, I was torn between stopping for photos and enjoying the road and the ride. As we crossed a small bridge over an even smaller stream, I compromised and stopped for some pictures (photos 10,11,12, 13,14) then, as we got lower down, I gave the Wing its head and allowed it to do what it was created for, those high speed mountain roads.

I'm not suggesting this big sucker is some kind of crotch rocket, but that Wing does like to fly when it has those long sweeping 65 mph curves right in front of it. If I can do 65 and 70, some youngster on a crotch rocket could do far more, but then again, my wing just took us comfortably over 11,000 miles of prime real estate, something you wouldn't want to do on a sport bike.

There were no stops now, just one long tree lined curve and then another. That big wing and I held hands and we helped each other to the maximum amount of fun allowable on a motorcycle. We were soon in the groove; look ahead, let off the gas, lean, lean some more, accelerate all the way through, then straighten up and get ready to do it again. Look, slow, lean, and roll. Just like they taught you in class, one turn after the other until you lose track of time and place. You're focused on the road ahead; you're trying to do it better, smoother, faster, each time. Who cares what's happening at work or half a world away, just feel the bike… the road… the curve… the moment. God, I love this bike. This is why we ride my friends, for roads like this. Roads that take us through high mountains or alongside rivers, or along ocean vistas, but those high-speed curves are what make the ride interesting and it's the curves we remember. Highway 50 through Nevada was interesting; highway 88 through the Sierras is fun! If Route 66 is the Mother Road, then state route 88 is the Mother Lode. There really is gold in them thar hills, my friends, and it can be found on SR 88.

Far too soon we came to Jackson and stopped for some lunch. We like Jackson, and have developed a tradition of stopping in the local Safeway parking lot and making our own lunch while eating alongside a rock wall near a small creek. It was now getting very warm and one would be hard pressed to believe that several hours earlier it was cloudy and foggy. The route ahead now started to flatten out as it crossed the Sacramento Delta, and it was time to get on with it.

We continued westward on SR 12 towards Rio Vista and then picked up SR 160 along the Sacramento River to Antioch. We then jumped up on Hwy 4, a freeway, to Martinez. Within an hours time we were visiting my sister, who only two-weeks earlier had been on death's door with pneumonia. Although still weak, she looked great, and I was glad to see her standing upright and out of the hospital (photo 15).

We headed over to Linda's parents house to wash the bike, get some rest, and savor the moment. We'll be home tomorrow.