Mono Lake - Wish You Were Here
By Gary (Koz) Mraz
Remember Pink Floyds album "Wish You Were Here". The front cover was the burning man and inside was Mono Lake? They included an actual postcard from Mono Lake as the enigmatic "here". Tripping over these bizarre images flashbacks inspire a motorcycle trek to this strange lunar landscape. The grand vistas and expanse panoramas of the High Sierras always provide a spectacular riding adventure.

Leaving L.A. reminds me of a massive heart attack. Its main arteries clogged with cholesterol rich SUV's. How drivers survive it's daily coronary is a minor miracle. The scenery changes dramatically at highway 14. It's the Mojave Desert, its July and its 110 degrees. A shimmering mirage of endless freeway lay before me. What was I thinking? What was the SPF of my sunscreen? Before sheer terror sets in I behold the Indian Wells Brewery at Inyokern. You can sample their wares and my favorite is the Lobotomy Bock but be careful, it's a potent 10.8%.

HWY 395 soon appears. Nestled between the Inyo and the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains this newly paved divided highway is a dream to drive. As you enter Owens valley the temperature cools and the road invites you to savor its sweeping curves and grand vistas. The purr of modified pipes in fifth gear resound; this is what Road King does best.

2 miles past Lone Pine is Manzanar, America's concentration camp. Rabid anti-Japanese American racism surfaced after Pearl Harbor and 120 thousand men woman and children were imprisoned. Operating from 1942 - 1945 Manzanar interned over 10 thousand. The camp was surrounded by barbed wire and eight guard towers manned by military police wielding machine guns. The visitor center is outstanding with a multitude of interactive and informative displays. You can drive the perimeter of the camp but the road is dirt and loose gravel. This lone monument guards this barren terrain as a chilling reminder of wartime mentality.

Continuing north past the town of Mammoth Lakes is Hot Creek natural hot springs. Turn east on Hot Creek Hatchery Rd/ Airport. After less than a mile, you will see a sign to "Hot Creek Geothermal Area". The last mile before the parking lot is also a gravel road. The "Hot" part of the springs is in the middle of a freezing stream. Hot water bubbles up and washes over you in warm waves from the mouth of the spring on the bottom. Occasionally its closed
About 20 miles further just past Deadman Summit is the Obsidian Dome. It's a mile-long mound of black glass, reaching up to 300 feet high. Obsidian is the result of volcanic lava coming into contact with water. From the parking lot at Obsidian Dome, you can climb up the mound but remember that the rock is quite sharp. This is the same material used by the Paiute Indians to sculpt arrowheads, spearheads and knives. Continuing north up the 395 there is snow on the mountains and it's getting cold (didn't I just mention its July and hot). The dark clouds that loomed at Manzanar now pelt me with light rain. As I approach 7000 feet at Lee Vining my concern shifts from sunscreen SPF to the icy hail that's hitting me in the face! Thank god I brought my leathers and goggles. The lesson here is to be prepared for anything. Completely frazzled I pull into the local Mobile to Gas up at 3.99 9/10 a gallon. The poor sucker next to me feeding his motor home is twitching uncontrollably and mumbling to himself. Inside is the Whoa Nellie Deli and Chef Tioga Toomey who makes the best blackened seared sesame Ahi Tuna I've ever had at a gas station bar none.

Mono Lake. (Pronounced Mow-No) "Mono" means flies in the language of the Yokuts, the Native Americans who live to the south of this region. Mono Lake is among the oldest lakes in North America and in its million year existence has never had an outlet. Surrounding the lake are the Mono Craters rising up to 9000 feet. Most of these eruptions were formed within only the last 10,000 years making this one of the youngest volcanic mountain ranges in North America. This geological contrast is absolutely amazing. A must see is the bizarre and unusual rock formations that grace Mono Lake's shores known to geologists as tufa (too'-fah). The most visible and remarkable formations are the towers of Mono's south Tufa Grove. Mono Lake has the most active formations around and they are between 200 and 900 years old. It's the alchemical cauldron of this lake that forms these strange limestone spires, some growing 30 feet tall. This is where Pink Floyd photographed the diver postcard. Their idea was the reverse of an imprint left on a bed by someone who has just vacated, they left a trace but no presence. In the diver postcard there is a diver (presence) but no splash (trace). Wow, have a cigar and think about that one for a while.

The lake is three times as salty and eighty times more alkaline than the Pacific Ocean
No one would think from a distant view that the water, which seems so bright and enticing, is in reality so dense and alkaline that it would quickly cause death of a traveler who could find no other with which to quench his thirst. Israel C. Russell
Quaternary History of the Mono Valley, 1889

I hike to the top Panum Crater. Otherworldly, this mysterious landscape could be the dark side of the moon. The panoramic vistas from the summit are awe-inspiring. The whole of the Mono Basin, the Sierras and the White Mountains can be viewed with a turn of the head. Before me lay a million years of geology viewed by my meager half-century existence. At the risk of sounding like an armchair philosopher, standing on this summit slowly scanning this surreal diorama I am struck with the answer to the meaning of life. It's so obvious it was difficult to see, The answer is...to ask the question. Now I get it, that's why I rode here. Motorcycling is all about experiencing this moment in a Zen of nowism and nowhereness. Riding may be one of the few times you are actually alone, your personal trace in the presence of a vast universe. It's the question not the answer, the journey and not the destination. It's hot (or cold) the wind buffets me about, the pipes are loud, the seat gets uncomfortable, bugs, dirt (and hail) hit me in the face. Behind each oncoming steering wheel with a cell phone in hand lurks death or injury. Who the hell thinks this is fun or cool. What's worse is I'm not really even going anywhere! But here I am, loving every moment and I wish you were here.

Lodging: The El Mono Motel & Latte Da Coffee Café Located in the heart of Lee Vining. They are a small family-run motel/coffee house and offer travelers a unique experience. With a great view of Mono Lake, cappuccino and home baked goods they are the best deal in town.

Restaurant: The Whoa Nellie Deli at the Tioga Pass Mobile Station in Lee Vining gets the Road King stamp of approval for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Erick Schats Bakkery: The town of Bishop, a great pit stop for cappuccinos and lunch.

Indian Wells Brewing Co: Lobotomy Bock will be hard to find but Trader Joes will have the Mojave Red.

Harley Rental: Antelope Valley Harley Davidson, Thanks Woody and Danny. Enjoy the ride with no hassles, just rent it.

I decided to ride to Joshua Tree National Park in the California high desert. I knew that I would own the road! I invited a riding partner, Jeff, who lives in Palm Desert and rides one wicked Ducati 749 twin.
I've heard a lot about Joshua Tree. It seems to have some ancient mystery about it. Native Indians claim the trees are spirits of dead Indian warriors ominously guarding their desert domain; there is an energy dome built in the 1950s to commemorate some extraterrestrial race; and it's home of the largest freestanding boulder in the world and the oldest living organism on the planet, the creosote bush. U2 must have had some reason to call their popular album Joshua Tree, so I want to get out there and see for myself.
As we pass Desert Hot Springs I remember hearing about the Cabot Yerxa Pueblo. Yerxa homesteaded here in 1913 on Miracle Hill and discovered the now-famous natural hot springs. There's this amazing four-story, 35-room Hopi-style pueblo and a 40-foot Indian sculpture outside that was hand-carved by Peter Wolf Toth. In his "Trail of the Whispering Giants," he has placed one of these majestic sentinels in every state of the union.

Onward to Highway 62, we pass the wind farms. They stand eerily out of place, as if some alien race of gargantuans had left their toys behind. The run up the base of Little San Bernardino Mountain can be very windy. Sudden gusts can put you into another lane. My heavy Road King is a real advantage here.
We stopped at Yucca Valley, home of Hutchins Harley-Davidson with its attached Highway 62 Diner. With a '50s décor, each booth has a Seeburg 100 jukebox selector. The diner serves breakfast all day. We checked out the cool menu and ordered the Road Kill and the Panhead breakfast. Hutch also has a vintage Harley museum in his dealership that is a must-see.

Back on 62, we pass by the Joshua Tree Inn. That's where Gram Parson (of the band The Byrds) died. It's a really bizarre true story made into a movie called Grand Theft Parsons, starring Johnny Knoxville-definitely worth a watch.

Off the hwy is Old Woman Road, which takes you up to Landers, home of Giant Rock and the Integratron. Giant Rock is thought to be the world's largest freestanding boulder. Dr George Van Tassel was one of the leaders in the UFO movement of the 1950's and held annual "Spacecraft Conventions" at Giant Rock for 25 years He built the Integratron, a 38-foot high, 55-foot diameter, all wood structure originally designed as a rejuvenation and time machine. Today you can have a neuroacoustic sound bath, attend a UFO symposium or participate in an Unplugged Goddess retreat.

We cruise through Joshua Tree National Park and the scenery is surreal. The rocks take on a strange liquid like form as if floating gravity free. Armies of Joshua Trees loom before us, defending their arid empire. It's an absolutely beautiful drive. We head up to Keys View. At 5575 feet the vista is staggering. You can see Mexico 3 hundred miles away. We are truly in the middle of nowhere. And somewhere in this knowhereness the bolt holding in the shifter lever of Jeff's bike fell off! He can't shift! Now I had tools in my saddlebags, in fact I had sunscreen, maps, water, flashlight, hell I was prepared for an overnight stay. But I am afraid I can't help him and his 14 thousand dollar Ducati 749 metric super bike. There is no cell service and no triple A! As fate would have it, up rumbles Ray in a monster truck with every nut, bolt and tool available this quadrant of the known galaxy. With a little tinkering we securely fixed the problem. We thank Ray (of light) and his daughters for their miraculous appearance. There is a lesson to be learned here. Check your bike before you leave and bring some basic tools with you. The loop back out of the park on Pinto Basin road through Cottonwood Pass Road is fantastic! It's 40 miles of downhill grade, grand vistas, continuous curves, and we did own the road! Ultimately we are spit into the 8 lanes of Hwy 10. Finally back in Palm Desert, 215 miles later, 5575 feet lower and 100% wiser its time for a cold Corona by the pool!

I'll Bet you didn't know Vermont had islands,18 to be exact and I bet you didn't know the oldest fossilized coral reef on earth is on one of those islands! We'll be traveling over Lake Champlain, the home of Champ, America's Loch Ness Monster and through North Hero Isle, summer home of the Royal Lippizans. Riding some of America's most beautiful roads and discovering some of her history and heritage.

Personal History
In 1937 seven Methodist ministers (granddad being one of them) pooled together a vast sum of cash (900 dollars) to find a refuge their families could escape to during humid New York City summers. They drove a Packard to the end of a muddy Vermont dirt road and found their paradise near Chelsea Vermont. Grandpa, grandma, aunts and uncles are all buried here in this 200-year-old cemetery and four generations later this is where I will lie. Across the dirt road is the dilapidated church grandpa married my mother and father in. Steeped in personal family history Vermont and New England reflect something deeper, American History.
Wilkins Harley History

Ground Zero for this ride is Wilkins Harley Davidson in the town of Barre. In typical Vermont heritage Wilkins Harley Davidson is a multi-generational family run business and Vermont's oldest HD dealer. Opened by Alan Wilkins in 1947 with 2 bikes it's easy to see why this family run dealership is so popular. I was lucky enough to catch their annual Live to Ride cycle show with a full day of music, free food and events that attracted riders from miles around. Wilkins HD offer a fly and ride program where riders can fly into Burlington, pick-up their Harleys and ride to their hearts desire. Barbara Wilkins (Alan's Wife) told me back in the day she would drive over to the small local airport for pick-ups. I watched a group of Germans excitedly gather their steeds for an excursion. The weather was beautiful and I also was anxious to begin my road trip but the 2007 Sportster I had rented was nowhere to be seen. Completely out of rentals my concerns grew. Here I was in a sea of HD's yet nary one to ride! With noon approaching manager John Lyon (Ann Wilkins husband) walked over and said that I will leave with a bike and that I could have his personal Harley. I saw his gorgeous award winning custom V-Rod on display with all the other show bikes. Its no wonder Wilkinson Harley Davidson was ranked the # 3 dealership in customer satisfaction nationwide! No sooner had those words rolled off his tongue the service department informed us the Sporty was back, cleaned up and full of gas. Not that tooling Vermont on a custom V-Rod wasn't appealing I had my reasons for wanting a Sportster with center controls. Thanking everyone for their fun and hospitality I was off. Route 2 north rolls through picturesque country side paralleling the Winooski River. With the cooperative weather it was smooth sailing ahead.

Just a few miles north of Barre is Montpelier, Vermont's state capital. With a population of just over 8000 people it's a quaint little city. The state capital building has a striking copper dome with gold leaf. It's the only State Capital in America without a Mac Donalds. Only 15 miles past Montpelier is RT 100 to the infamous Smugglers Notch. This is when the fun really begins. Passing Waterbury and world renowned Ben & Jerry's ice-cream the road begins to undulate. Further up to the Stow ski resort the asphalt snake comes to life. Catching the 108 the serious twisties wind their way to the "Notch" at the very top this mountain road. Choked by boulders smugglers notch allows for only one way traffic and an eternal dance of give and take by passing strangers. Caves on the Westside were supposedly used to hide loot during the war of 1812, hence the name.

Vermont History

Its here I catch RT 104 north through St Albans to the 78 towards the Vermont Islands. Riding through northern Vermont I am reminded of the revolutionary spirit that prevailed here. Ethan Allen, The Green Mountain boys. Battles at Lake Champlain. They helped forged what was to become a free America. They hauled the abandon French cannons from Fort Ticonderoga through Vermont to a discouraged George Washington. It was these Cannons at the battle of Boston Harbor that sent the entire British navy scurrying back to England. State motto's like Vermont's "Freedom and Unity" and New Hampshire's "Live Free or Die" sum this spirit up. Vermont's roads immerse you in their green mountains, enveloping you, shielding you from the outside world, certainly from cell phone service.

Leaving the mainland at West Swanton my first bridge over Lake Champlain enters East Alburg. Only 2 miles from the Canadian Border this is where the 78 meets the route 2 south (Theodore Roosevelt highway). My first stop is Isle La Motte and is only 6 miles long and 2 miles wide. The French chose the island as the site for Fort St Anne in 1666 and is the first recorded settlement in Vermont. It remained garrisoned for some time but was abandoned long before permanent settlement. Visitors to the 81-acre Goodsell Ridge Fossil Preserve here can use a trail that will lead to the oldest known fossilized coral reef on planet earth!. You view remains of cephalopods, an ancestor of present-day squids; stromotoporoids, a cabbage-like animal that was the primary builder of the reef. As you walk through Goodsell Ridge your able to actually walk across their tops, which would be very similar to what you'd see if you were snorkeling over them 480 million years ago,"

Back to Rt 2 south I cross the lake again to North Hero Island. Rimmed with cottages this is obviously a summer playground for swimmers, boaters and jet skiers. This is also the summer home for the Royal Lipizzan Stallions of Austria. With performance's weekly they credit the American G.I.'s in WWII for saving these beautiful horses from the approaching Russian's. They fed horsemeat to their army.

With my lunch in mind I pass the Hero's Welcome Café. Their wide assortment of coffees, subs and wraps inspired my usual culinary challenge of "What do you have vegetarian?" I opted for the most popular which was an herb and garlic wrap with hummus and honey mustard filled with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles sprouts, carrots and cheddar cheese. In veggie bliss, wrapped in a gorgeous day, a spectacular view of the lake surrounded by fellow riders this just couldn't get any better%u2026or could It?

Continuing southward on Route 2 over to Grand Isle I drift between panoramic vistas of Lake Champlain and deep green sweeping valleys. The bridges connecting the islands range from paved granite rock piles to expanse steel structures. On land giant grain silos majestically rise above the lush green carpet like domed mosques surrounded by a thousand praying pines. Pillows of air pockets alternate between sun warmed Jacuzzi's into cool shady shadows. Each claiming its own distinct scent, this is what motorcycle riding is ALL about!

Re-entering the mainland from South Hero I took Highway 89 into Burlington and visited Battery Park. The park was named for the artillery stationed there by American forces during the war of 1812. It was these cannons, aided by the U.S.S President that successfully defended their position against an attack by a British squadron. This is also the perfect vantage point to scout for " Champ" Vermont's own Loch Ness monster.

Upon arrival at the Days Inn I was informed that they had over booked and was sent to their sister hotel, The Handy Suites. My 69 dollar a night room became a spacious suite with a kitchen, living room and bedroom big enough to spend the rest of my life in. Expecting modest accommodations and peanuts and beer for my "vegetarian "dinner the best was yet to come. Grabbing a bottle of Kendall Jackson at the local market, Vermont has an alcohol law that allows customers to bring in wine or beer into designated restaurants, they can't open it for you but supply the necessary implement and there is no uncorking fee. I wandered into the restaurant directly behind Handy suites, called The Euro. Tucked behind the hotel on Susie Wilson Rd is northern Vermont's best-kept culinary secret. The Euro restaurant is a comfortable, wonderfully decorated family operated dinning delight. Owner Dudija Karic and her family claim culinary history, relatives and recipes to the personal chef of Josip Broz Tito. As refugees from war torn Bosnia they came to America with the skills they knew best, cooking. Vermonters have been sponsoring uprooted families since Vietnam and last year 74 refugees from 30 countries took the oath of citizenship. A peanuts and beer expectation transformed into an extraordinary dinning experience. Opening with a fresh dinner salad with their own yogurt based dressing, escalating to Pumpkin Parmesan (yes I said Pumpkin) with a robust red sauce, and fresh from the oven garlic rolls. Climaxing with a samosa (a triangular bakery) filled with peas, carrots, and potatoes with a cranberry yogurt dipping sauce. All home grown and farm fresh, this was hog heaven!

Also located in Burlington's Battery Park is Peter Wolf Toth's Whispering Giants. The 40 foot wooden sculpture is in every state of the union and reminds us of our own emigrant heritage. Vermont's refugee resettlement program helps uprooted families establish freedom from the oppression of their native soil. Senator Patrick Leahy (grandson of immigrants) called it a renewal of the American promise and a sign that Vermont has not closed its doors to those who will make us stronger. Whether its lineage to the Mayflower, Bosnia Herzegovina or the original Nauset Indians who lived in Vermont, the true spirit of American freedom lives on.