New Year’s Day with Beggars in Death Valley

On New Year’s Day, I awoke in Las Vegas. The rest of the world was still asleep after a long night of reveling. As I rode down the strip towards old Las Vegas and the Freemont Street area, a less-than-glamorous film stuck to everything. Once outside of the fantasy bubble of a bazillion-dollar casino hotel, the empty streets seemed gritty. After visiting a few sights scattered about town, I hit the road towards Death Valley. After two nights with a million of my closest friends in Sin City, it was time to get back to nothing.

My ride into Death Valley wasn’t without company, however. I met a car full of young women who also stopped to take photos at the park sign. They didn’t speak very much English, but they were able to convey that they were excited to see me alone on my motorcycle. I guess some things are universal. Women who ride motorcycles kick ass in any language.

I also met these two wily beggars. They were hovering around the roadway, waiting for cars to come along. As a car slowed, they’d move in closer. They must get a lot of food that way. I didn’t feed them but I enjoyed watching what they were up to. Seeing animals, especially ones not typically in your environment, is a simple pleasure.

After the hustle of Las Vegas, being nowhere felt wonderful. It was a perfect way to welcome 2017.

Fuzzygalore

Rachael is the whimsical writer behind the 20+ year old Girlie Motorcycle Blog. As a freelance blogger, she is on a mission to inspire laughter, self-examination, curiosity, and human connection. Girlie Motorcycle Blog can be found on several Best Motorcycle Blog lists.

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5 Responses

  1. bob says:

    Are those Coyotes? They do look well fed.

  2. Todd Oilyrover Olive de dogalina says:

    Night-time, like a blanket of fresh snow, takes the rough edges off our environment. The difference is especially stark when it’s designed to encourage you to slip into the fantasy. No one feels like a high Roller at 7am on the strip. And like DC, the shine fades every block away from the center.

    As a transplant in New England, I miss the space you capture so well in your pictures. Roads that plow on to the horizon. In our air travel world we’ve lost perspective on the scale of the country.

    Thanks for sharing!

  3. Kathy says:

    Nice post! Those coyotes are pretty. I would’ve enjoyed watching them, too. Thanks for sharing.

  4. curvyroads says:

    “Women who ride motorcycles kick ass in any language.” Yes, we do!

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