New Friends and the Road
Posted on 13. Nov, 2011 by admin in Gypsy Bikers
by Jimi Dean
It was Thursday and I was due in Tucson, Arizona by Saturday to see a friend off for New York. The day started off kind of slow, as I had been camping for about a month in Ocean Beach, San Diego, California, and had accumulated quite a bit of crap during my stay. The junk that accumulated was left over from my storage unit in Tucson, I moved the essentials (paperwork, tools, memorabilia, a blender, my car, etc.) to my dad’s house in California. Getting rid of most of the junk and packing up my bike I headed to Los Angeles to visit my kids and play with them for a few hours. After enjoying their company I was off to catch the ride of the evening.
Next stop Joshua Tree to find a lovely place to camp. I had been there a few times as a kid, we would go rock climbing and spelunking with my great uncle Louie in some of the wonderful caves. So much for that plan, wrong turn. Ok, Big Bear Lake doesn’t look too far according to my map. Another place my family and I used to go when I was younger. We would hang out at my grandfathers’ cabin, play games of hide and seek in the forests and really just enjoy being with each other. Oops, another wrong turn. Looking at the map my plans once again changed, As Cheryl Crow sang “Leaving Las Vegas” in my head – “oh I’ll stay in Barstow for the night,” especially after I saw how close I was. Never having been to Barstow California, I pulled in and found myself uneasy with the people there. It seemed as if this part of town was full of tweakers looking to stay awake for a few days. Trusting my gut, I pulled out my phone to look up campsites near Barstow. Calico Ghost Town came up as the nearest one. Maybe I could find a place near-by to camp or… just sneak in sleep, shower and be off before anyone noticed. As I neared Calico I noticed that there where a lot of little pullouts. I circled back to take one to find myself sinking into the sand. After a few stalls and a lot of sand throwing I was back on the road. As I looked closer at the little pullout’s it seemed they were all little washes and four-wheeler trails leading off into the desert. Being on a street bike, sand is not a very fun or a safe road to travel on. “Well I guess I’ll just go to the campground” I said to myself.
Calico Campground, yay. As I pulled in there was a little kiosk where a ranger or ticket master should be sitting to take your money and direct you were to go. Being 10:00 o’clock at night, no one was on duty. I did a quick ride around the site to check for security and, sure enough, “Can I help you?” After explaining to the security guard, Nick, aka “Woody” from Toy Story, that all I needed was to get some sleep and would be outta there early in the morning, I gratefully followed him to an open campsite away from the other campers.
Nick and I shared some of our stories with each other. I shared about my travels and what brought me to traveling and told him about some of the wonderful people I have met. Nick shared with me his exploration of the mines in Calico and his adventures on his crotch rocket. I found the conversation with him relaxing. As we discussed his love of twisting roads and fast rides I found myself lost within the pleasant memories of my own experiences. As he shared his enjoyment I felt the excitement and freedom Nick experienced with his bike. Not at the same pace as mine but still the enjoyment of the roads and the freedom that comes with two wheels. It was really nice to meet another person who wished they could join the open road and live a nomadic lifestyle. The more people I meet the more I see the same wants and desires to join the road, to minimize the stuff that seems to take over our lives, and do away with the worries of what we perceive others think of us. As Nick turned to walk back toward the truck he told me, “Oh, there are some Kawasaki bikers staying further down the way. I’ll take you to them if you’d like.” Excited to get to share interest with other campers, and not knowing what kind of bikers to expect, I followed him down the road. He pulled off, and pointed to a bunch of lights.
As I cruised the campground expecting to find street bikes, I found quads, toy haulers, four wheelers, Teryx’s (Kawasaki’s version of the Polaris ranger), and campers, but not a single street bike or tent. I pulled into an unoccupied site, and not five minutes after I’d gotten off my bike, three lovely ladies from Kawasaki’s corporate office, located in Irvine, California greeted me. Jessica, their assumed leader invited me to another campsites for a drink, I told her I’d be over once my camp was set up. I wanted everything to be ready in case I had too much to drink, I could stagger back, crawl into bed, and pass out.
As I headed toward where Jessica directed me I began to hear laughter and 
conversation. This was going to be a wonderful evening with some very happy people. There I joined Jessica, Tara, Dan, Jon, Larry and a couple others; enjoying drinks and each other’s company and having a blast. As I walked up, Jessica asked what I was drinking and I asked what she had. She responded “You look like a whiskey kinda guy to me” and with that I soon had a glass of Gentleman’s Jack on the rocks placed into my hand, It was very kind of Dan to so freely share such an expensive whisky with me. With whisky in hand, stories of good times were shared by everyone. They were really interested in what I was doing on the road, where I’d been, and what I used to do. For every story I shared they had their own. Stories of traveling on motorcycles, going to rallies, and the things that you run into on the road, were some of the subjects we covered. Jon was telling us about coming across the plains and riding through the clouds of locust
and grasshoppers. I could relate to getting off my bike and my chaps and jacket being covered in the yellow green bug-slime. I explained the plans I have to create a book of sunset pictures from across the United States with the stories that accompany each one. This really excited them and they wanted to make sure to be a part of the book.
They explained to me what was in store for the weekend: there would be a big Mexican-food potluck on Saturday night, fun on the trails, and above all else, good company. I was invited to spend the weekend enjoying their kindness and 
friendship, but was torn between riding to my friend’s going-away party in Tucson, or staying for the good company here. I flipped a coin. Heads; I stay, tails; I go. Tails came up twice! Jessica, unconvinced by the coin toss, convinced me to stay. She was extremely hot, interesting, and we just seemed to click. How could I say no. The decision was made. I laughed and played with them till the wee hours of the morning. Later, feeling quite exhausted, I headed toward the showers then and off to bed.
The next morning, I woke up to the heat of the sun, because I failed to find adequate shade the night before. As I stepped outside, Jessica offered me coffee while Tara and Chris offered bacon and eggs. My day was spent hanging with this trio, poking fun at one another, laughing, and playing.
I spent most of my time talking to Jessica. The more we talked the more I enjoyed her company. For hours we went on about the way she saw life, and my own philosophies. We talked about travel and how she used to follow the The Other Ones (Grateful Dead, less Jerry) in her VW. She was everything I could have ever expected to find; a wonderfully philosophical and truly beautiful woman. It was amazing the way our outlooks meshed. It started to feel like I’d found what I had been looking for on this journey: great friends, wonderful people, and possibly love. The thoughts and feelings that she stirred inside me were marvelous and I was intrigued by her knowledge for life. It’s been a long time since I’d met a person, let alone a group of people, that I could get along with so well. Later in the evening we went up to the saloon in the Calico ghost-town for a drink and ended up sitting at their wobbly card table for a game of Texas Hold’em. What fun! They used bottle caps for chips and a worn out deck of cards.
Later I was invited to dinner with Jessica, Tara, Chris, Joslyn, Justin Big Dick Calico (a nickname he was given at an earlier event) and latecomer Angelica. We made hamburgers with flat bread buns (amazing) and of course bacon, onions and all the fixens. I offered my services to help, wanting to give back to these wonderful people as much as I could, as everything was so freely given to me. We enjoyed our dinner with a spectacular sunset, laughter, and beer. It seemed my worries of making it to Tucson by Saturday faded as it was clear that I was supposed to meet these wonderful people.
Later Friday night Bobby took me on my first ride on one of the Teryx’s, we wrangled up a few others to come along in their off road vehicles and off we went. I was blown away by the delight of the group’s night ride. They had been doing this for years, knew the terrain very well, and had destinations we would stop at to horse around and have a beer. The first stop was on top of a mountain and the stars were so bright I couldn’t help but lie down and gaze. Jessica soon joined me and the world slowly faded away until there was nothing left except the stars and us. It was yet another truly amazing experience that will not be forgotten
Some of the other places we went that night were just as amazing, and travel between destinations was like riding a rollercoaster in the dark. Not really seeing what the next turn had in store, but just enjoying the adventure. The ups and downs of the hills and bumps reminded me of the road; not really knowing where I was off to next but something guiding me, in this case Bobby. Being in the company of these wonderful people, the cool breeze, and the beautiful night sky I almost felt as if I were dreaming. The jokes didn’t stop coming, and so much laughter filled the silence that there was no doubt, that everyone present was enjoying each other to the full extent of the moment.
On the way back to camp, Bobby’s Teryx got a flat and, without a spare or the
tools to even change the tire, we took what was thought to be an easier and faster way back to camp. The trip back brought thoughts of life and those proverbial forks in the road to mind. We could have gone back the way we came, the familiar path, yet we chose another path, both ending up in the same place, yet one allegedly easier and faster. To me, the fork we took back did not seem any easier or shorter and had a lot more bumps and whoops, which were really hard on his rim. Needless to say it seemed an interesting experience that one person’s easier, shorter way may actually be harder for others—and vice versa. All and all, in the end, the journey of life’s choices is what really matters.
I awoke the following morning to the sweet smells of coffee and bacon frying in the pan. Unfortunately though, Chris had left for work very early before I’d had a chance to say goodbye. He was an uncommonly interesting character, and I truly enjoyed his sense of humor and personality.
We decided we would go to town to have a drink at the saloon and play Texas Hold’em. our crowd this time was much larger, which seemed only to double the fun. For much of the evening luck favored Jessica and I, and we took turns running the table and raking in our winnings. Later that afternoon we strolled around the little ghost town just taking in the sights and enjoying the old buildings. Before too long we wandered upon a small business that, for a buck, offered gold-panning to tourists. We decided to give it a shot and ended up having a wonderful time. The funny thing is; Calico was a Silver mining town—not Gold.
That night, a group of us visited Calico’s cemetery to check out graves and explore the night. What a great experience. Tara told stories of how some of those came to be buried, and the gruesome circumstances in which they passed, spooking some of the younger campers a little. As she continued to weave the midnight web of these ghost stories, low growling noises began to emanate across the dark graveyard.
Things were getting a little weird. Just then a security-guard showed up to inform us that the cemetery was closed. He ushered us out. As we gathered out front to make sure everyone was accounted for, the curiosity of the noises that were being heard started to grow in a few of the campers. After a bit the curiosity was too much. And so, Tara, Jessica, Myself and one other guy decided to circle back around to investigate. As we approached the fence, there came a shocking loud growl and, before anyone had time to run, a shadowy figure jumped from behind the wall! It was the best scare I’ve had since childhood. In the end it was only Dan after all—our fucking Dan. I fell on the ground laughing so hard I thought I was going to pee my pants. Others apparently were scared enough they did, but I will let that be an embarrassment they can tell.
Sunday morning came all too quickly and there was a kind of sadness floating around the campsite since everyone knew that the weekend was over and we would soon go our separate ways. For me, the sadness was to say goodbye to the wonderful new friends I had just made. Taking down names and numbers, I hoped to stay in contact with some of them. But it was especially hard to say goodbye to Jessica. For never before had I meshed so well with a woman’s personality, and in such a short time. After cuddling with her most of the morning, a big hug and one last kiss, I hopped on my heavily loaded motorcycle.
Turning my gaze into hers one last time, I refocused on the road ahead, twisted the throttle, listened to the engine again play its grumbling tune as my wheels turned against the surface of never-ending highway, I wondered, what great adventure might be coming next.
Jimi Dean
http://www.facebook.com/Jimi.dean
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