DV '15 - Goodbye Peggy Sue

DV ’15 – Goodbye Peggy Sue

         

It’s the same thing every time. The last leg of the trip comes, we’re gearing up to take off after the final stop, and someone says, “Hey! This is it. We have to say goodbye…”, and we scamper around the bikes giving out hugs to everyone and thanks to the leaders for such a great trip and a marvelous plan. Our goodbyes took place in the parking lot of Peggy Sue’s 50’s Diner in Yermo, California.

To get to Peggy Sue’s we started out in the lobby of the Red Rock Hotel in Las Vegas for a Starbuck’s breakfast, outline the plan for the day, and refresh the bonds required for a good tight group-ride, something we’d need for the ride along Highway 15 from Las Vegas to the Southland of California. As it turned out, nobody in our group broke the bank of the Red Rock Casino nor had any of us drained our accounts in the attempt; additional proof to me that our stay there was more about the journey getting there than being there. It is often the case for me, and I’m sure at least some of the others, that a ride like the one we’d had the day before overshadows what can be found at a hotel.

We had a nicely disciplined run from Vegas to Yermo and the nature of the road demands it. Around the lunch table at Peggy Sue’s we remarked with pleasant surprise how clear the center divider was on this day when all of us who’ve traveled the route have seen overturned cars and tipped over trucks on the shoulders and in the center dividers on many occasions. People are nutcases on this road trying to force their wills on the overcrowded lanes to top speeds in the mid-eighties and faster still. Our group stayed nice and tightly formed to discourage bad driving maneuvers by poor drivers, you know the ones I’m talking about – those a-holes that race up to the car in front of them and cut dangerously in front of the next lane to save all of a few precious seconds only to be passed by the very car they tailgated because they are such poor tactical planners. Even on a Monday, we saw plenty of that.

Jed and Sue at Peggy Sue's

Peggy Sue’s was the ideal place for our lunch stop having a table reserved for parties of nine or more which fit our nine-count perfectly; Kevin had opted to stay over in Vegas to attend a training course readily available in town. The décor of the diner is a nod to everything fun from the fifties and the wall behind us was a tribute to The Wizard of Oz. I was sitting across from Jed and Sue and got a great photo of them with Dorothy’s companions looking over their shoulders. Items on the menu are named for the fifties stars, John Wayne, Gary Cooper, Fabian French Dip, Chubby Checker…

The Turgator as coined by
Brad Parrack/Huell Howser
Photo from Tim Tarbet

Interestingly enough Peggy Sue’s has a Huell Howser cheeseburger and Huell visited us as channeled by our own Brad Parrack in a nature documentary out back in the Diner-Saur Pond and Garden with Huell, as interviewed by Jed as they discussed the Turgator in particular and other amenities found in and around the pond. The other highlight for our farewell walk was, fittingly, Sue doing a dance on the Peggy Sue Stage.

Peggy Sue's DinerSaurs
Photo from Tim Robertson

My dino shot

Vicki Peterson put a fantastic trip video together featuring Sue’s number as the finally and the Huell Howser interview as well. I’ve posted the link to the video at the bottom of this post. Tim Tarbet also posted a shorter ride video earlier in our trip and can be found on his FB page. As of the writing of this post there had been 580 views of his video. Vicki included Tim’s video with her longer video. I recommend both.

A few parting photos followed our goodbye hugs and wishes/admonitions for safe travels and then we were on the highway again. I’m sure the others can attest to this as well – riding affords me some measure of solitude in the midst of the rushing crowd. The final leg of a group ride allows me the time to zero in on each of my riding companions and consider what I know of them as well as the great amount that remains hidden. As each rider or sub-group of riders peeled off from the group I stayed with, I considered them and directed thanks and prayers for their safe travels. As with all my trips, I am left to myself to consider the whole trip as I pull up the drive. I learn about the people I’m with as well as about myself when I ride and this trip seemed even richer for it. Maybe it’s because I’m deeper into my writing and considering how best to show in words what my mind and heart are seeing in pictures and feelings.

Y’all keep the iron side up and stay tight with your mates.

Video Links:

Vicki P: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_yq9I-bo-w “So Cal Victory - Lone Pine, Death Valley and Red Rock National Park Ride - 4/26/2015”