back in NZ and it about a week 10 days since i arrived back, Jan has sorted all the tee shirts for the kids and most of them were to big but they will grow into them. Am back at work and everything under control, Mary-Ellen my assistant manager did a great job while i was away and all i have is praise from the customers and reps and staff about how well she managed the business.
Now that i am home i have had time to reflect on the trip, the highs and the lows .
The highs would be just the traveling and seeing some of the magnificent scenery this country has to offer ( talking to local people in the states i think we have seen and traveled more of there country than they have )
Also just meeting and talking to people, their hospitality is awesome  even when lost in some city and you end up in a seedy part of town i would stop and ask directions and and people from all walks of life would help you out and ask where you were from, and if you were sitting in a bar ( and we saw the inside of a few ) people would ask where are you from and tell you about what to see and where to go. A big thank you to Phil on showing us how to read the maps and help full hints about traveling and how not to get lost,( still got lost but not as much as in 2012 )
Other highlight would be Jim Beam and Jack Danial's distillery, corvette museum, Jersey Boys show ,Laughlin,  and lots of laughs with the guys
The lows, while it was good the have the guys along i think we did to many miles per day for a start and didn't have time to look around. The other thing was and i am as guilty as the others is that when we booked into the motel all the modern gadgets came out and we were on the i pads i phones etc and grabbed a few beer and all ended up in one room where in 2012 we would unload gear hope on bikes and have a look at the local sights , now don't get me wrong i enjoyed this too. Having the car along was ok but would have been better if all on bikes as a bit boring following the car and while i enjoyed the 5 others company i preferred last time just with 3 people as easier to organize motel and where to meet etc but still the company was great. Another low bike problems but learnt a lot about bike and how to trouble shoot and fix the problem.
all up i did about 13000 km , had a good time, meet some great people, and loved the USA and would recommend this as a must visit country.
Next year plan to do a small trip with Jan some where  but bring on 2016 as plan to do the East coast of the USA, i should be able to get in 2 more road trips in before i retire.
thank you Jan for letting this old bugger live his dreams as my motto is " you are dead a long time, do what you can now as you never know what is around the corner and you have to live life to the full "
now all i have to do is get this blog edited and fix all the mistakes and try and get some photos in it

Left Vegas on Friday about 10am and thank god I was getting out before the weekend as was labour weekend here and the amount of traffic going to Vegas was unbelievable . Once on the road it only took me 20 minutes to get out of the city and into the desert and it was hot so I called into most of the towns gas station to have a drink either water or gator aid usually both and put water over my head to cool down . In some wee town they were showing they had how hot it was, 108 degree F , I found it was hotter than Death Valley last time I was here. Any way arrived in LA and was worried I wouldn't find the motel as wasn't using the GPS  just a note I had written on the bike so off at this exit checked GPS and it was around the corner wahoo who is the man . Checked in found pool ( 6.30 at this stage ) couple beers a feed in bed by 9.30 buggered.
Saturday on the bike and went and checked out Venice beach and the Santa Monica beach ,now these beaches are not like what you see in the movies or on TV with all the tanned beautiful people some looked ok some we're stunning and a lot were fat and not good to look at ,had lunch did some tee shopping and had enought by 4 so back to motel got a cab to movies ( expendable 3 ) and that was my day
Sunday just realised that kiwi shipping closed Monday and I fly out Monday night , damn and my suit case at the depot made calls e mails etc can't get a hold of any one, so not panicking will sort out Monday May have to stay an extra night and change flights . Went to a mall, 6th biggest one in the country finished shopping ( was going to Tijuana today, but bus had to get,from here 2.5 hr to San Diego 2.5 back ) any this mall was huge you needed a GPS to find your way around , saw I lot of stuff I would have liked to buy but am under orders from Jan ( you don't NEED any more clothes) then I dawned on me leave bike at motel on Monday buy a cheap suit case and they can pick up the bike on Tuesday ,and Ocker will need a bigger bag when he goes to come home.
Monday have gone to Wal mart got a cheap case , packed, emailed kiwi shipping , keys in envelope at front desk, taxi ordered for 6 ,and I am allowed to use pool till then sweet . Next blog from NZ

Last night in Vegas, now some of you must be thinking all jim does is sit by the pool, visit bars, drink beer and that's it and ride his bike and that's it , but this is not the case, yes in the afternoon especially in the heat and I am talking hot , 40 degrees c it's to hot to be on the bike especially in the city as you have to sit at the traffic lights and you cook and the bike is over heating so I tend to pick on things to do in the morning , relax in the pm and go out at night when cool .
Yesterday took a ride out to the Hoover dam and then rode down the strip but by then traffic at the max so back to room and pool $2.00 buds and the server comes to you then I went to the Jersey boys show last night , when in Vegas this has got to be seen Awesome the some Chinese after a wee flutter a look around and home by 1.00  a good night ( by the pool all shapes and sizes no one cares )
Today up at 10.00 and away to see the Mob Museum and OMG didn't notice but 3 hours there very interesting ,history of the Mob in USA and about law enforcement ( nothing about the MORTIMER Mafia thank goodness ) . Tonight am going to walk down the strip take in the atmosphere ,a few beer a wee flutter ( double my money yea right ) . Before I leave I might buy a pair of cowboy boots , have started buying tee shirts for the grand kids , jan gave me there sizes but here it's different measurements so am buying an assortment and Jan can sort out what fits who and when they get to big for the tees they can swap around . Am in count down mode now as only 4 sleeps left here , this is an amazing country , sure they have screwed a few things up , like why don't people stay home and cook wholesome meals instead of eating out at all these crap fast food places , they need to get rid of tipping and introduce a decent wage for hospitality workers, and biggest bitch when something advertised, that's the price, oh sorry then there is the tax, and wtf is this 1cent 5cent  25 cent coin and 1 and 2 dollar notes it's the 21st century get rid of them , ok to much sun and buds time for a Nana nap then Viva Las Vegas strip ( good bands all around the place )  tomorrow LA

Haven't posted for 5 days so this is a quick update. Left Armarilo and on to Albaquerqui which is about a 5.5 hr ride and not too hot as a bit overcast and between those 2 city hit a cafe in the middle of nowhere on Route 66 called Mid point cafe and it's half way between Chicargo and LA 1139 miles each way . Any way got to albaquerqui got a cheap motel just off I 40 w ( getting the hang of the road system now thanks Phil ) so had a quick ride around bit city to big so back to motel and went to a big wings sports bar ( wings terrible but beer good ) counted 37 TV screens in the bar. Any way got talking to a guy called Mark who was waiting on a lady friend hadn't seen for 20 yrs and this was his local and then a guy called Mark  heard my accent so he joined us and both we're asking about work in NZ as wanted a change of scene , so many beers later Mark had to meet his friend outside as she wouldn't come in and Dave had to go so exchanged e mails and snuck across the road to bed. Coronas  there $10 a bucket (5)
Next day Saturday was Flagstaff but before I got the I recognised an Indian trading post where I ran ran out of gas back in 2012 so look at gas gauge on bike and it was orange which means it low, bloody hell not again so took it slow and hit a gas station about 10 mile down the road ( still had 20 miles up my sleeve)
Any way flagstaff is awesome especially the historic 66 part of town and being higher up in the mountains and not to hot so had a look around and came to a square where they had some local Spanish dancing with wee kids all dressed up like 150 yrs ago, and buskers, and bars a great afternoon ( just a note if you are an outward type af person you can talk to any one, so have meet some great people on this trip )
Sunday on to Laughlin which is a small casino town on the Colarado river just over the Arazona boarder so now in Navada ( got to wear a helmet now) $35.00 a night at the holder nugget can't go wrong . Monday did a day trip to Oatman and chilled by the pool and took a river Walk . Today arrived in Vagas hope to see a few shows bit of shopping for the grand kids. Only 6 days till I fly home .

Cruising down the highway in the hot hot sun how bizarre, left Dallas yesterday no mistakes straight out on the 85 west and decided not go to San Antino as was a 6 hr drive then I would have back track next day so headed to Abilene but only took 2.5 hrs to get there so took a look around the frontier museum hell they were hard men and women in those pioneer days and at the end of the tour you sat on these swivel stools in the middle of the theatre as there was a 360 degrees screen so you had to follow the action all around you . On the bike again in the hot hot sun and about 3 found a wee town called Synder so got a motel only $40.00 with pool got a couple of beers and chilled then into town for a pasta $8.99 for a big chicken creamy pasta in bed by 9.30 oh on the news a gut was shot and killed here 2 nights ago.
I have noticed I am loosing weight as by myself now and not so much beer and food when I was with the rest of the guys also enjoying going at my own pace not in a hurry trying to keep up with every one.been talking jan my understanding wife most days on face time but Wi Fi hopeless some days.
Today I left at 8.30 and arrived in Armarilo about 2.30 traveled 340 km so resting by the pool and tonight going to get the free limo to the big Texan steak house which is vey famous for its large steaks also have a lot of craft beers there ( been trying different brews some good some bad like NZ ) might go to the race track tomorrow also look at some Route 66 stuff like the Cadillac ranch . The ride today was great very flat with mile apon mile of cotton fields as far as you could see then there was a big canyon about 8 to 10 miles wide and you rode down into it and it was like going into a furnace ,was about 42 degrees in leather vest and chaps didn't help but got back up top and there was a nice breeze and more cotton fields .

What day is it. Monday I think starting to loose track of time. Just a reminder about spelling , things not making sence, wrong words in the sentence etc these blogs usually written after a long drive or a long day and I am buggered, or after a few beers etc but will get them all proof read when I get home. Another thing I might not be able to do any more bloggers after # 100 as I think that is all you are allowed.
Ok left Mt pleasant on Saturday morning and had a straight run to a quality Inn in Irving which is between Fort Worth and Dallas so after laundry duties went to a mall in Grapevine and it was ferkin huge so had a cheap Tai and a look around but got sick if the crowds so decided to chill at the movies, a 30 screen complex you can even get a meal and eat it at a table while watching a movie , saw the Gardians of the galaxy and really enjoyed , just as I got back to motel it started to rain and rain and the same in the morning but it was very heavy with all the lightening and thunder but still 29 degrees. I was going into Dallas about 10 but put off till 1 and finally got a shuttle at the airport ( transport system crap here ) and when I arrived a did a JFK tour which is one of the best tours I have ever done. Took an hour in this trolley buss but the driver/ guide had such a know large of the shooting and the events it was like you were there. After the the tour had a healthy lunch (no cheese) and found a train station ( bit dodgy lot of  suspicious people lurking about but a few cop around) and caught a train home , think I got off at wrong station cause I was at the Irving conference centre with no one around  so got a cab back to motel , couple of beer next door at a flash hotel as this was the only bar around , and listened to some guys talking about Wal Mart as they were on a month long course , the way they we're talking I would say a brain washing course
Today made a fatal mistake decided to take bike to Fort Worth railway station even though I had the GPS a 10 minute drive took 35 min, one wee mistake re an exit and you are screwed, any way got train to Union station and went to the Sixth floor museum where JFK was shot by Lee Oswald, it had all the info about the lead up to and after the event also had some info regarding all the conspiracy theory's . Got train back got lost now time for beer by pool , tomorrow Vista the Alamo

now Friday so here

is an up date on the last 3 days, after nashville we arrived at the Jack Danials distillery and meet up with Speed,Phil & Ocker and had a tour around the plant which was awesome and all the guys enjoyed it. Then off to Memphis and found a hotel near the airport as Phil and Speed had to fly out next morning back to NZ and bugger me didn't know but it's Elvis week and hotel full of impersonators and old ladies but they didn't see much of us as it was such a big hotel ,just about needed a GPS to find your way around. So the order of the night was swim, few beers, meal, few beers then bed.

Next morning the boys after a tearfull good buy from Speed they were one the shuttle and off,  so after packing up did the Grace land tour and then we moved into down town near Beale st as this was where all the entertainment was with a free outside concert and some of the country's top Elvis impersonators preforming in the bars and they also close off the streets and you are allowed to purchase a drink and wander around and drink it. We had a blast mingling with all the old ladies ( meet some from England and Scotland and they would be in there 70  just here for the week) and they were screaming and yahooing at these entertainers and the truth be known we enjoyed them also.

Today we split up and I am heading to Dallas and have got as far as Mount Plesant and Dallas only 2 hours down the road so am by the pool no drinks as a dry county and just chilling .