Kelso Depot With the GWRRA

After months of conflicts, the little Woman and I made it to the Gold Wing Road Riders Association. (Shouldn't it just be the GWRA? You're only going to ride a Motobago on the road, aren't you?). We met dozens of people- Michael, Daniel, Trish, Jerry- and so many others we couldn't keep track. 38 attended the breakfast. They introduced Reece, the oldest biker in Nevada. He's 94! His bike has... well, they look like training wheels, on each side to keep him upright. This club is trike friendly too, as over a dozen three wheelers graced the parking lot.
We headed for Kelso Depot after breakfast. Eating is important to the GWRRA. 'Eat to ride and ride to eat' is their motto! Two dozen scooters, split between bikes and trikes, headed down I-15 for Kelso.
Kelso Depot is an abandoned rail stop that the state of California rehabilitated and converted to a museum. The railroad generated the need for the stop, as it provided water for the steam engines, an extra locomotie to push the laods up the grade, and a maintenance and repair facility. From 1905 to 1948, the place rocked. By the 50s, diesel engines replaced the obsolete steamers, and Kelso evaporated. The newer locomotives needed no water, no assistance, little repair, and the city quickly died.
Back in the saddle, we rode back roads (yes!) to Nipton. Nipton is another town that provided a railway stop in the past. Now the general store gets busy when the California lottery gets to 60 million or so. People from Las Vegas flock to Nipton to get a ticket. The irony of this isn't lost on me. Did you know that Nevada has no state lottery?
The small restaurant struggled to keep up with 20 or 30 bikers descending at once. Their feature item is a buger, but wrapped in a tortilla, not a bun. Very nice.
The GWRRA fizzled at this point, some going home via 15 and others East through Searchlight. We elected to go with Mike and Jerry through Searchlight. Jerry's bike gave him trouble, and finished his trip on the tow truck. I'm not going to mention the American brand it was, I'm not.
The Gold Wing Road Riders Association did not disappoint. A truly nice bunch of peole, out having a good time in the desert.
One more day, one more adventure.