Long Gulch, Pistol Creek, and Fast Harley Go West, the Sequel

[Fast Harley]

A Trip to Tombstone, or "Where can it be this land called, 'Helldorado?' " (Look it up.)
Sorry, Harley has a "stupid phone," so nothing got posted.

Day 1- Long Gulch & Pistol Creek arrived at the Harley House and we departed at 7:00am.
We drove the wagon built by the Dodge Bros., and a supply wagon, pulled by hundreds of mules.
(Gasoline is horsepower, diesel is mule power.)
Along the way visited Toad Suck. Yeah, really. (Look it up.) Legend says that the best guess for the name is
that idle river men would suck the bottle in the taverns until they "swelled up like toads!" (Look it up.)
Stopped for the night in Alma, Arkansas. (Look it up.)
(Began to learn that a popular country theme restaurant uses clones.)
Day 2 - Saw, but did not eat at a restaurant where the theme is: "One thing at a time."
Arrived about lunch time at the World Famous, (Look it up,) BIG TEXAN STEAK RANCH, in Amarillo.
Was good, but we did not eat the 72 oz.'er.
The vistas in Oklahoma, Texas panhandle, and New Mexico were something to behold.
Down for the night in Moriarity, N. M.  Jumping off point for End of Trail.
The hotel was the first place I ever stayed in with imaginary soap. It would lather, then disappear.
 Day 3 - Left in a cloud of dust and later had breakfast in Grants, N.M. It was 41 degrees outside, (seriously,) but
colder inside due to something they called "air." No, really.
Over every rise here there is another impossible panorama.
Passed through East Gallup, Gallup, and West Gallup. Could have just been Full Gallup.  ROFLOL (Look it up.)
Went through part of the petrified forest. Traversed Winslow , Arizona, where the is a statue on a corner
of a man called Glen Frey. (Look it up.) Never thought I would ever be there.
Passed but did not see the Barringer meteor crater. Said to be the best preserved in the world.
Approached Flagstaff , AZ. and to our surprise began to see  hundreds of acres of  ponderosa pines.
Very high, here, Mt. Humpheys, nearby is well more than 12,000 feet. (Look it up.)
Down through a gorge with the most fantastic cliffs and canyons you could ever imagine . No, really. No mere
words could ever describe. (Look it up.)
On to Sedona, AZ. where it is said that there is a great amount of spiritual energy. (I don't doubt it.)
Sedona has a least a dozen of something called roundabouts to control the wagon traffic. I hate 'em.
I wrote a poem:
Roundabouts that evil thing so insane
Need to go back from whence they came
In Europe they seem just fine
But in Arizona they're way out of line
Why, one town planned so many couldn't put 'em all there
The last one's in the middle of nowhere!
Round and round until you're dizzy, you see
A waste of time and money, it has to be!
You can't tell what the other fellow is doing
With square corners you just keep moving

Made it to Prescott Valley, AZ. and a four story hotel cut into a hillside.
The country restaurant has a new and different kind of clone.
A late evening thunderstorm, (that's right,) only one in America!
Lasted about an hour.
More later.....
Harley.
By the way, Long Gulch posted a wonderful dissertation, but it was lost in the ether, forever.

[Tombstone]

Glad you all made it home Harley, hope you had a good time and congratulations on you 6 place GF. It is a heck of a category out there too.

[Fast Harley]

Day- 4 -Got as far as Phoenix, then Mesa, and visited a general store called Wild West Mercantile.
Friendly folks, there.
Made Tombstone in the afternoon. Checked in the Allen Street Inn. Yes, right in the heart of things.
Lunch at the Longhorn.
Later, visited Big Nose Kate's, then walked the streets of Tombstone, alone, after dark. The spirits
there, brush your neck and lightly kiss your cheek if you have the awareness. I felt them. It was an
interesting walk. I think my own "specter" dressed in all black worried some people taking ghost tours
in the half light.
Stopped by the Four Deuces.
Listened to the hoot owls before retiring.
Harley.

[Fast Harley]

Day - 5- Up early as usual. After breakfast, visited the campground where we met our pards.
Walked the streets more, then rested at the Crystal Palace.
The Blonde Skyrider, (L.K.), Roma Jane, and Cooper came in from Tucson, early afternoon.
Kiss and I toured the all original Bird Cage.
F.H.
Today was the anniversary of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. I thought the town would give it more
hoopla than what I saw. Like it, don't like it, still the world's most famous gunfight.

[Fast Harley]

Day- 6-Forced up very early. Went to the range and signed in.
Visited Doc Holliday's and the Crystal Palace.
Did the walk-through as Deputy Posse Marshal.
Toured the historic courthouse.
Dinner at the Depot, and Johnny Ringo's.
Food real good, service real slow.
Hombre Sin Nombre showed up!
Day- 7- Breakfast then out to the range to shoot 2nd flight.
Hot, but you can't sweat.
Targets VERY close, but not all that big.
Shot gun targets giving me problems, that close and shooting down.
I shot it clean.
Tombstone and Lady T. invited us all to dinner at the campground.
Thanks, and thanks again for the special well grilled "Harley" beef! Tasty!
Day- 8 - Up very early. Saw a rabbit near the room, said I would "run like a rabbit,"
today. Pretty much came true. Heard the coyotes howling as well.
Shot first flight which actually is much better because less heat, and less wasted energy
waiting to shoot afternoon.
Taught myself how to shoot the shotgun, DOWN. Ran it well, today.
I was clean and no penalties for the match.
Tombstone would have been clean but rifle gave up and left eight in the gun. Sorry that
had to happen.
Kiss had only one miss, but got a penalty for shooting pistols from a window instead of a
door. I almost did it on the first day. Sorry it had to happen.
Horse Doc was clean for the 12 stages shooting Outlaw!
I was 6th GF of 21 which I am proud of. Paid ten places.
Kiss was 2nd LGF of 5, only because of the "P". The winner, Gypsy Belle, was a fine young lady.

[Fast Harley]

Day - 9- Packed up. Would have liked to have stayed in" The Town Too Tough to Die,"
just one more night. Might not ever be there again, you never know.
Out to the range for awards. Big tent full, no shade or relief for those outside.
Bordertown is a worthwhile experience, all in all well done. It is different shooting in
the real west.
Enjoyed meeting T.A. Chance and several others.
Left Allen St. behind and hit the road.
Made Truth or Consequences, N.M. for the night. (Look it up.)
F.H.

[Fast Harley]

Day- 10- Halloween! Up early, and drive, (the Wagon.)
Into Shawnee, OK. for the evening.
The country restaurant now has some VERY different clones. Some were probably meant
for other places, but they ended up here!
Day- 11- Up at 3:00 am. Yep.
On the trail and on a mission. Mules sweating, wagons bouncing.
By now, due to lack of sleep for many days, I was no longer having fun. Sounds like a
personal problem, huh?
A major wagon jam past Nickajack lost us an hour. (Look it up.)
Back to the Harley House after a 14 and 1/2 hour day.
We did Winter Range in '13 and in the aftermath we did Bordertown for about $ 1,200 less
(Kiss and I,) due in most part to a favor by Roma Jane. Thanks!
Dear reader, we have reached the end of this adventure/
Harley.