Big Wheel Biker Gang 2006 U.S. Tour

We’re proud to finally, officially announce the next Big Wheel Biker Gang tour. Starting in early 2007, the Big Wheel Biker Gang will be going back to school!

We’ve already started training and you can check out a preview at www.bwbgtour.com/webvideo/school.mov.

If you’d like us to come to your college or have a suggestion on where we should stop, leave a comment and let us know. Be sure to leave an e-mail address, if it’s your college you want us to visit! See you at school!

P.S.
In the words of the great Thornton Melon, “Bring us a pitcher of beer every seven minutes until somebody passes out. And then bring one every ten minutes.” Words to live by on our next tour.

While we are hard at work preparing the announcement of our new tour, I realized this tour was missing something… A good story from West Chester, the home of Big Wheel Biker Gang Headquarters. So, while you wait for the new tour, sit back, pour yourself a drink, and indulge in the tales of Halloween from West Chester, PA.
Unforeseen circumstances left us with only two BWBG members for the night. But one biker or six bikers, we still ride with the same fire in our hearts. That said, Snake and I rolled down to the local 7-11 with Midnight, because even though we’re the Big Wheel Biker Gang, the beer ain’t free. Midnight was already picking up the ladies and had to sit for a few photos before we could leave the 7-11. With the first photos of the night behind us, we were off to 15 North for the costume contest. Bars aren’t very horse friendly, but we pushed through. Midnight did get a little too frisky with a few ladies, but luckily they couldn’t resist those deep blue eyes of his. Unfortunately the costume contest didn’t turn out to be the contest we hoped it would be. They had a Napolean Dynamite in the finals? Maybe we were stuck in a time warp. Perhaps it was time for a change of location. Just as the BWBG trio was about to depart, we came across a few of our favorite fans, Justin, Steve-O, and Becca. Taking over the streets is much easier with six!
The costume contest being a bust, we were off to Ryan’s Pub. Along the way, we ran into Superman and Supergirl. I suppose Superman was tired of flying, because he decided to take Midnight for a spin. Supergirl tried to hitch a ride with the two of them, but couldn’t quite hold on. Next was the lovely Tara in full riding gear. Hat, riding crop, the whole deal. Who better to take Midnight for a ride than a professional? After a few photo ops with Midnight, she took to giving Snake a lashing with her riding crop. I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions about that one…
Arriving at Ryan’s Pub, just a short ride from 15 North when you’re riding a big wheel, the owner asked me to come to the side door with him. Thinking he was going to tell Midnight he couldn’t come in, I was a little disappointed. To my surprise, he opens the door, clears a path and tells me he wants me to ride Midnight through the bar. Not being one to disappoint, I hopped right on, secured our capes, and pedaled my way all the way around the bar. Good thing the floors are flat! Ryan’s Pub must have been the place for 15 North, because we ran into some ex-bouncers drinking away. The costume contest winner at Ryan’s Pub? Bernie from Weekend at Bernie’s 2. A man I would be happy to lose a costume contest to. Oh well…
Many a beer and photo behind us, it was closing time and time to take to the streets again. This time we ran into an imposter Batman (obviously I was the real Batman, if I had Robin following me around), Flavor Flav, Santa’s helper, Chippendale Chris Farley, and many more… Quite the night for Snake, Midnight, and I. Be sure to check out the pictures here: http://www.bigwheelbikergang.com/photogal/thumbnails.php?album=16. And if you happen to have a picture with the gang, please send it to johnnydynamite@bigwheelbikergang.com.
I hope everyone had a geat Halloween! Until next time…

I can’t tell you much about Nevada and Utah, except this… For some reason, the states are flooded. All along Route 80, all you saw on the sides of the road were flooded fields. Maybe they were filming the long awaited sequel to Waterworld. Not having Midnights water wings with me, I decided not to stop. Another fun fact about these states… Anytime you want to hear “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None The Richer or “Meet Virginia” by Train, all you have to do is turn on your radio. They’re also big fans of John Cougar Mellencamp. Now that I think about it, maybe they’re stuck in a time warp and are still filming the original Waterworld.
With the other great lakes behind us, our first stop on the tour home was the Crazy Horse monument. Just down the road from Mount Rushmore, you can stop and see the work in progress. With just the head of Crazy Horse carved out of the mountain, you can see the drawn markings where the horse will be carved. Still having to carve the horse and the rest of Crazy Horse’s body, it seems like it will be quite a long time before it is actually finished. Since they are still actively carving, you are only allowed to climb to the top one day of the year. Unfortunately we did not show up on that day, so Midnight and I took in the view from the base of the mountain.
Winding down the road from Crazy Horse to Mount Rushmore, it looks like a boulder could fall onto your car at anytime. After miles of perilous road, I pulled into the park with Midnight and the rest of the gang. Except for the actual mountain, there’s not much to see other than the gift shop, cafeteria, and the Avenue of Flags which flies the flags of the U.S. states and territories. Still hobbling, I gave Midnight a piggyback ride up to the viewing point. The view is quite impressive as you look up to Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln carved high into the mountains.
Heading back to the entrance of the park, we ran into some old mountain goat friends of Midnight. It must have been a long time since they last met, because the older mountain goat, upon seeing Midnight, stopped eating the grass, arched his back, stared down Midnight, and looked as if he was going to charge. Thinking better of the idea, the mountain goat decided to just move and chew grass from a further distance. Even with a broken leg, Midnight still demanded respect.
Trading the floods of Utah in for the corn fields of Iowa, it was time to visit Dyersville, Iowa. What’s in Dyersville you may wonder? The Field of Dreams. Determined as I was to get to the bottom of this Waterworld sequel mystery, my first attempt to track down Kevin Costner had failed miserably. It seems as though he no longer hangs out at the ballfield. Although Kevin Costner was not there, you could still see the farmhouse in which they filmed the movie and the ballfield complete with corn field lining the outfield. Although there are two competing souvenier stands, only one was open. The other stand, which closed early that day, is run by outside investors and seems to be not officially associated with the field or the movie. After checking out the field, I was sure to stop by and pickup some “official” souveniers. If you’re ever in Dyersville, be sure to stop by the field and ask for Cindy. Tell her the Big Wheel Biker Gang sent you. It probably won’t get you anything, but let’s be honest… You should really just say that everywhere you go. It may not get you anything, but people will be impressed.
Sadly, the Field of Dreams was the official last stop on this leg of the U.S. Tour. “This leg” you ask? Well, it would be a shame to restrict ourselves by claiming this would be the last stop of the “a man and his horse tour.” It’s a big country out there and there’s a lot more to explore! Midnight and I can only stew in cubicle hell for so long before the call of the road wil overwhelm us once again. (Well, Midnight isn’t in cubicle hell, after he was officially banned from the building. In case you missed the eviction letter, check it out here… ESH eviction letter)
Even though the future of the U.S. Tour is undecided, I can tell you that very soon the next Big Wheel Biker Gang tour will be announced on this very site. This time there will be more bikers and there will surely be a long list of entertaining stories.
Thanks to everyone who kept track of the tour, posted comments, sent their well wishes, and checked in to make sure I didn’t get lost along the way. Sorry everything wasn’t always posted in a timely manner, but hopefully you enjoyed it all. See you on the road!!!
-Johnny D.
P.S. Almost forgot to give you the health update on Midnight. Midnight is indeed up and running again. He’s currently running on some temporary tires and will soon be outfitted with higher quality wheels. He’s even dressing up for Halloween, so he’s obviously back in good spirits. It’ll take more than a broken leg to keep Midnight down!
P.P.S. New pictures for you… Keystone, SD and Dyersville, IA

With ten dollars less in my pocket, I was across the Golden Gate Bridge and parked in the southwest parking lot. After a trip under the bridge and back to the car and back under the bridge(I had forgotten the monkey in the car), I was finally, officially at the Golden Gate Bridge. With Midnight by my side, I scoped out the grade of the bridge to see if I would finally become the first man to big wheel across the Golden Gate Bridge. Needing time to consider the feasability, I decided to explore the adjoining park and fort.
Rolling down a few hills in the park on Midnight, I was at Fort Point, just under the south end of the bridge. Fort Point is not a horse friendly fort, if anyone was planning on visiting with their horse. The park ranger said he was going to put Midnight by the door and keep an eye on him. After wandering around the fort for awhile, I returned to find Midnight unattended. Way to go ranger guy! Guess it’s best that keeping the streets safe is left to the Big Wheel Biker Gang.
Enough of this sightseeing, it was time to make history! I was determined to ride all 1.7 miles, but it wasn’t as easy as you’d think. Because of the grade of the bridge, it was impossible to ride from one end to another. I was going to ride it in two parts. First I rode the north half and then returned to the middle to ride the south half. Although the slope was too great to ride uphill, it was not large enough to be able to glide downhill. Crossing the bridge required 1.7 miles of strenuous, continuous pedaling. A little more sore and slightly fatigued, I had successfully covered the entire length of the Golden Gate Bridge. Unfortunately that is when tragedy struck. Pulling off of the south end of the bridge into the park, Midnight started to waiver. And then… Bam! Midnight’s wheel turned sideways. The friction and heat of the axle over the last 1.7 miles had worn a hole through the middle of the rear wheel. A horse with a broken leg would be put down, but I wasn’t going to give up that easily on Midnight. We had been through too much together! (Thanks to the peson that sent the well wishes on the guest book) Carrying Midnight back to the car, I let him rest in the backseat while I took Hank around to see the sights. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to see Alcatraz. Maybe next trip. I hear Alcatraz on Easter is a wonderful time.
Speaking of Easter, it was time to go see Lombard Street. What does that have to do with Easter you ask? Well, the Biker Gang will be racing down Lombard Street at 2pm on Easter Sunday. Come one, come all. After parking in the Ghirardelli parking garage, I was climbing up the huge hills of San Francisco with my back up big wheel, “Racer 3.” You didn’t think I’d come unprepared, did you? Standing at the top of Lombard Street, it was going to be tough to get down with all of the traffic. There’s a continuous stream of tourists driving down the street. I needed a plan. Standing at the very edge of the brick road, looking around, thinking, I could see people starting to stare at me. They knew I was up to something. Then the key to the ride showed up. The trolley. Every so often the trolley would park just right, so traffic would be blocked in all directions. That was my opportunity. Hopping on Racer 3, I was flying around the turns of Lombard Street as cameras were flashing. Unfortunately, 2/3 of the way down I ran into traffic. Being a cautious driver on my first attempt, I waited in line between a pickup truck and a car. Once at the end, I waited my turn at the stop sign to go. My turn. I was off. Across the street and down the biggest hill I’ve ever ridden. Both feet on the ground and I was still flying. I could see a frightened Asian family at the bottom. As they moved to jump out of the way, I pulled a hard right and stopped just short of them. To properly scope out the track for the Easter race, I headed back up to the top. Timing the trolley just right, I was off again. This time I wasn’t going to let traffic bother me. Approaching the first car, I swerved to the right… Swerved to the left past car number two… Car three… Car four… Past car five to the bottom. Piece of cake. Heading back up the hill to go to my car, I was stopped and interviewed on a home video. Just one of the many cameras I ended up on that day.
Unfortunately time was running short, and it was time to start the long trek east. I’m going to miss the west coast, but I’ll be back!
Up next… “The whirlwind tour home…” Stay tuned to see if Midnight pulls through.
P.S. As soon as I review all of the Golden Gate Bridge video footage, I’ll let you know how long the ride actually took.

After a tasty breakfast at Shelly Diner, even though they screwed up my order, it was time to check out of the Orchid Suites. A very sad day. Leaving my Winona Ryder parking spot behind, I headed down Santa Monica Boulevard to finally spen some quality time at the beach. Of course it was cloudy. After a left on Ocean, you could see the Ferris Wheel of the Santa Monica Pier spinning. Luckily there was plenty of parking right at the pier and Midnight and I were off to see the ocean and the pier festivities.
Strolling down the pier, they have some small gift shops, fast food restaurants, Bubba Gump Shrimp, a Ferris Wheel, and some other random rides. Being cloudy, there weren’t too many people out, but enough to watch in amazement of Midnight. It’s probably been awhile since there was a horse on the pier. There are artists on the pier also, so I decided to have a cartoon drawing done of Midnight and the monkey for only five dollars. Little did I know who I was meeting! David Liebehart of Korendian descent. For those not in the know, the people of planet Korendor are responsible for giving us cell phones and computer. Without them, you wouldn’t be reading this right now. Take a minute to think about that. David asked if I minded if he put a hot girl in the drawing. Sure, why not. He then continued to inform me that he hadn’t had one of those since 1994. So, if you’re a nice single lady and like what you see in the picture gallery, I can get you his contact information. After finishing, he asked if I could tip him with a bag of chips and an iced tea. I was his only customer for the day so far and he hadn’t had a chance to eat. So after stopping by the gift shop to pick up chips and a drink and a few souveniers, David asked me to appear on his show. He wanted me to come on and talk about my travels with Midnight and the monkey. Unfortunately, I needed to start heading towards San Francisco, so I couldn’t. I told him the Biker Gang would return and I’d be sure to get in contact him when we arrived. After grabbing a quick lunch myself, Midnight and I checked out a few more sites and took a ride down the large hill leading to the pier. California has some great hills for big wheel riding! With the rain starting, it was time to head north.
Heading north on the Pacific Coast Highway, it started to brighten up, so I pulled off to watch some surfing and dip my feet in the Pacific Ocean for the first time. It also gave Hank and Midnight their first chance to jump in the ocean. Further up the coast, I stopped again to watch the sunset on the Pacific Ocean (pictures to follow in the photo gallery). There were all these tiny bugs hopping in the sand. There must have been a million of them. I have no idea what they were, but I survived standing around them for a good half an hour, so they must not be too deadly. If anyone knows what they were, feel free to let me know.
Calling it a night, I’d wake up the next day in hopes to make it to San Francisco during the daylight. Unfortunately, the pumpkin festival of Half Moon Bay quickly crushed that dream. The two hours to travel five miles faded the sunlight and postponed my tour of San Francisco until the next day. I did manage to see the Golden Gate Bridge that night, before resting in San Rafael. This time I took a car across the bridge, but in the morning, I would be traveling by big wheel!

Here’s a preview of what’s to come in… “I’d never shoot a lame horse! He’s my best friend…”

Ok, so sticking the video right in the blog wasn’t working for everyone…  So to see the preview video, follow this link…  http://www.bwbgtour.com/webvideo/sanfran.mov

And if that wasn’t enough, check out the following new photo gallery entries:
San Diego, CA
Hollywood, CA
La Brea Tar Pit, CA
Beverly Hills, CA
Santa Monica, CA
The Ballad of El Hank

Last I left you, I was off to get dinner before the Kimmel show. I stopped by the Hollywood and Highland Complex to pick up a few slices of pepperoni pizza. Looking over the edge of the wall, I could see the line building up for the show. Not wanting to be late, I left behind half a slice of pizza. As I’m headed to the garbage can, a stranger asks if I’m going to finish that. Saying no, he asks if he can have it. Sure. Looking back, I see him munching away on my leftover pizza. Thinking about it, I should have given him my free soda refill too. Oh well. Sorry buddy! With dinner behind me, it was off to Kimmel. While standing in line, you can see Uncle Frank wandering back and forth. Doing security things, I’m sure. After a long wait, they let you inside and let you use the bathrooms, where I ran into Uncle Frank again. We keep the streets safe, he keeps the bathrooms safe. Uncle Frank is the security guard of the show and Kimmel’s uncle, if you didn’t know.
Although Robin Williams was advertised, we’re informed that he shot his appearance last week and wouldn’t be there that night. Oh well, at least there’s still Rod Stewart!
Finally Jimmy Kimmel comes out for his monologue. He really does look a lot skinnier in person. Looking at him on the stage and then up at the monitors, you could definitely see the difference. Guess the camera really does add 10 pounds. It must age you too, because Rod Stewart definitely didn’t look as old in person. Rod was awesome, but how could he not be? He is Rod the Mod!! He said “Do ya think I’m sexy” was a crap song. At least he knows! Supposedly Paris covers it on her new cd. I’ll have to check that out. After the interiew portion, they herded us outside to see Rod perform. Rod promised to do a few songs after the show finished taping too. A free concert. Score! Unfortunately, cameras weren’t allowed.
Outside, I finally spotted a nice girl right in front of me to bring home to mom. Decked out in a strapless pinstripe dress, fishnet arm warmers, and a nose ring. And she liked Rod Stewart!? Just the type of girl mom always wanted for me. Unfortunately, she was gone as quickly as she came, so I couldn’t woo her with my daring tales of big wheel adventures. Oh well, such is the life of a biker on the road. They come and they go… I’ll get ‘er next time, mom! Or maybe I’ll put Tex on the case of tracking her down. What else are sheriffs good for? Rod ended up doing four songs. Three new (Have You Ever Seen the Rain, It’s a Heartache, and I’ll Stand By You) and one old (Rhythm of My Heart). All classic performances. They did have the words to the songs on a teleprompter behind us, which I thought was weird.
After the show, I decided to check out a movie at the Chinese Theater. Jackass, Number Two. The theater is not a hopping place on a Thursday night, but I wanted to see a movie at the Chinese Theater, so you do what ya gotta do. Had to go support those other guys from West Chester. You know, the less famous ones?
After the movie, I was off to wander the streets for a drink. Almost ready to give up, I ran into the Frolic Room. Not as exciting as the name would imply. It was pretty dead, but I stuck it out and had a few Newcastles. The bouncer did inform me that although you get kicked out at two, most bars open at six in the morning. Took note of that for the next Biker Gang trip to Hollywood! Finishing my last beer, it was time to get some sleep before heading to Santa Monica in the morning.

Hey. While you’re waiting on the edge of your seat for the next exciting update, you can pass the time with over 100 new pictures from the Grand Canyon! Enjoy!
And here’s our fan submitted photo. Thanks Tom!

After breakfast at the “famous” Shelly Diner (supposedly parts of Million Dollar Baby were shot there), it was time for Midnight to make his Hollywood debut. First stop, Grauman’s Chinese Theater where we met Superman! According to Superman, he is the official Superman of the Jimmy Kimmel show. I believe he said he had been on 48 times. I tell him how I had come from Metropolis. The dirty rat proceeds to one up me. He had just gotten married in Metropolis under the Superman statue. I did my research, just for you, and it’s true (Superman wedding). He tells me I should really have Kimmel riding that thing. If anyone knows how to hook that up, Midnight is ready! After a quick photo op with Superman, Midnight and I stroll down the Walk of Fame. Along the way, Midnight poses for a few photos with his favorite stars’ stars and we talk with a few random strangers. Having had enough of this walking nonsense, it was time to ride! Doubling back past the Chinese Theater, I hop on Midnight. I come around the corner of Orange Street and go flying down the Walk of Fame… Past the theater as people are taking pictures and trying to figure out what’s going on. Four or five blocks later, I decide to stop. There would be a bigger ride in the next few days that I would need all my energy for (There’s your teaser). I take the long walk back to the Chinese Theater and stop to give a promo card to Superman and let him know anytime he wants to ride with the gang to look us up. To my surprise, he offers to ride right there and then. A quick weight check (185 pounds, Tex… You’re getting close to not being able to use that excuse anymore) and Superman is sitting on Midnight. A good push and Superman is riding Midnight down the Walk of Fame, cape flowing behind him. People were taking pictures like crazy. Superman really made the day!
Superman, having brought up Kimmel, gave me the idea to check out the show, since the El Capitan was only a few blocks away. So, I was off to the computer to see if I could still get a ticket. On the way, I was stopped by a tour bus and asked who I was. Johnny Dynamite, of course. Geez! You’d think no one watches the news in California. At this point it was time for Midnight to make his debut in the lobby of the Orchid Suites. I don’t think the lady running the place knew what to do. I explained the tour to her and to a nice lady from Utah that was checking in. I’m sure they’re both big fans of the gang by now!
Anyway, I lucked out and tickets were still available for Kimmel. Guest, Robin Williams and Rod Stewart. How could I pass up Rod?? Being without printer, I write down all of my ticket information and head out to grab a quick dinner before the show…
This has been your update from the Chevron parking lot. Up next: “You looked fatter on tv…” and “I’ve never met anyone from planet Korendor before…”

And if you’ve liked the adventures this far, consider signing up for the Big Wheel Biker Gang mailing list, so you can keep up with all the future tours and other Big Wheel Biker Gang news. Just go to http://www.bigwheelbikergang.com/home.html and sign up at the bottom of the page. Thanks!

I had arrived in Hollywood! Waking up in the morning, for some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to walk down to Bevery Hills. Strapping on the same pair of Diesels that carried me through the Painted Desert, it didn’t even phase me what I was doing. They were right next to eachother on the map. After munching down on some leftover pizza from the night before, I was pounding the pavement. I cut through the Hollywood and Highland shopping complex where, looking back on the hills, I caught my first glimpse of the Hollywood sign. It was still a little unreal finally being in Hollywood. Having looked at my map, I knew if I followed Highland, I could eventually cutover on Wilshire Avenue and eventually run into Beverly Hills, so that’s what I did. Crossing Sunset… Crossing Melrose… Still walking. I thought I was going to catch my first glimpse of a “sleepy Mexican.” Walking down Highland, there was a random person passed out on the edge of someone’s front yard. When I got close though, it just ended up being a bum that need to wash the dirt off his face. I think I might be a little pissed if I walked down the driveway in the morning and there was a bum sleeping on my front yard. Oh well.
Eventually I made it to Wilshire. Taking a right, I was on my way to Beverly Hills. Long before Beverly Hills, on Wilshire, you come across the La Brea Tar Pits on Rancho La Brea (“Death Trap of the Ages”). An old asphalt mining quarry, you can smell the scent of freshly paved streets in the air. Iniside the museum, you can see fossils of all the different ancient and present animals they’ve pulled out of the tar pits. You also learn the smartest animal of the area is the raccoon. They’ve never recovered raccoon fossils from the tar pits and can’t explain why. After checking out all the fossils and the pits, it was time to keep pushing towards the Hills.
Along the way, I learned two important lessons on L.A. One: Hollywood Video is still called Hollywood Video in Hollywood, not just video. I took a picture to verify the fact. Two: Dollar stores only cost 99 cents in L.A. Also took a picture.
After what seemed like walking forever, I could finally see the Bevery Hills sign! It was still a walk to Rodeo Drive. I spent the next few hours roaming the streets of Beverly Hills, eyeing up all of the high fashion stores. I stopped by the Beverly Hills Diner for lunch and had one of their “world famous burgers.” The burger was good, but the only complaint was the weird man in the corner talking to himself. At first I thought maybe he had one of those phone ear plug things, but that wasn’t the case. He was just crazy. Across the street, I stopped in at the Museum of Television and Radio. It’s not so much a museum, as a place to watch tv. About the only thing you can do there is watch one of the 130,000 shows they have in their catalog. I went with “The Hook-up” episode of Seinfeld. With the museum closing and so many options, it was hard to think of a show to pick. While there, everyone kept asking me if I had been there before. I’d say no and then they’d explain what I should do. When I got upstairs, the lady asked the same question. Answering no, I expected her to tell me what to do when she said, “Really, I swear there was someone wearing that same shirt in here a few days ago.” I gave her an odd look and told her that was strange, because I make the shirts. I didn’t sell a shirt to anyone in California, so I don’t know how someone could be running around in a “Can you handle sixteen inches?” t-shirt. Very strange.
Next up was the Kitson stores. After walking around in circles a few times, I finally tracked down North Robertson. The men’s Kitson was preparing for a private party for Kevin Federline that night. Having some self respect for the gang though, I didn’t stick around. After browsing Kitson for awhile, I stopped by the Original Penguin store on Melrose and began the long walk home. Eight hours after starting, I was finally home and my feet were killing me! If you ever make the trip, you might want to consider a taxi or the bus.

Update: The painted desert/petrified forest pictures are up. Don’t forget you can comment, rate, and send the pictures as e-cards. What better way to say hi to a friend than with a BWBG e-card!?
Up next, “There’s a Superman in every town…”

Crossing the border into California, there’s nothing but open plains and mountains of boulders. Along Route 8, I had to stop for two border guard checks. Luckily, having ditched the illegal Mexicans miles back and Midnight having his papers in order, we passed the checkpoints without incident. You don’t see much but mountains until you get to San Diego. Luckily I picked up a zoo brochure at the hotel in Yuma, so I had directions. After a few pictures in front of the zoo, Hank, the monkey, and Midnight went off on their own, while I roamed the zoo. After carrying Midnight up and down the Grand Canyon, I was just starting to get full movement back in my right shoulder. You think it would have been the other way around, Midnight being the horse and all. Unfortunately, he seems to have a fear of heights and my shoulder paid the price. Anyway, first stop was the koala bears. They were cute, but all asleep. Next stop was the kangaroos and camels. The meerkats had babies, so those were fun to watch. I made sure to stop by the Polar Bear Plunge, but all the bears were sleeping. They have it set up, so you can go below and look under the water. I’m guessing it would have been really cool, if the bears had been awake to jump into the water. The tigers and otters were asleep too. I wanted to see some lions, but couldn’t find them. I did get to see a hippo “swim” though. They have a similar set up to the polar bears. The hippo floats along under the water until it hits the bottom and then pushes forward with it’s front legs and floats again until it hits the bottom. The best part was probably the pandas (it’s the featured exhibit). There was a baby panda that slept up in the trees. The branch didn’t look like it could hold the weight of a bear, but she was passed out and didn’t move a bit. The big panda sat under the tree eating the whole time. I hung out for awhile watching the bear strip branches, munch down, grab some more branches and repeat the process. On the way out, I stopped to try to get an eagle for Nicole as requested. As hard as I tried, the eagle had the advantage of being a good 30 or 40 feet above my head and had the gift of flight. A beaten man, I headed back to the car. Sorry, Nicki!
Rounding up Midnight, the monkey, and Hank, it was time to time for Hollywood. After a short run up Route 5 and the 101, I was on Hollywood Boulevard. The hotel was right behind the Kodak Theater and only about two blocks to the Grauman’s Chineses Theater. Having only slept for 2 hours the night before, I passed out after a Pizza Hut dinner… So, unfortunately, there are no exciting Hollywood stories for that night.
Coming up next, “These shoes weren’t made for walking…”
Oh, by the way.., The street sign for Arizona was for roads marked, “Runaway Vehicles Only.” I guess missing people get milk cartons, missing cars get their own roads. The street sign for California was “State Prison Beware of Hitchhikers.” The man is still trying to keep the poor hitchhiker down! Soon there might not be a safe state to hitchhike in.