ITALIAN BIKERS IN THE DESERT

Sunday, August 22

After a restful night at a hotel outside Grand Canyon, we rode south on Rt 64, to pick up Interstate 40 going west. Hot weather, flat Arizona plains, and our sights were set on reaching Los Angeles. Looming ahead was the desert, and the certainty that temps would be three figures.

We took a short detour onto Route 66 to eat lunch at a classic diner in the town of Williams.  Several groups of motorcyclists were there enjoying the food.











 
Gassing up in Kingman, home of Andy Devine, we observed a dozen motorcycles, a mixed batch of Harley's, BMWs and Goldwings, that all sported Italian flag and Route 66 decals. Enthusiasm for the travel, and for our white Goldwing promptly started parallel conversations in English and Italian.

Claudia told us that they live east of Rome, and her father, Testa, is a scooter dealer. The two of them were riding a shiny yellow Goldwing, and the others were riding bikes rented in Newark with San Francisco as their destination. We all marveled at the meeting, and extended invitations to come visit, then off they went.

We embiked south on Interstate 40, passing the Black Mesa, toward Needles, California and the Mojave Desert.

Father and daughter crossing America on a yellow Goldwing