Day 10: Desert Upgrades, Water Pump Woes, and a Ghost Town Cookout
Leaving the neon oasis of Las Vegas behind is always a bittersweet moment, but when you’re pointing the front wheels toward the California border, the anticipation of the open road takes over. Yesterday’s run from Sin City to Calico Ghost Town was supposed to be a straightforward desert sprint, but as we’ve learned on this trip, the road gods always have a few twists up their sleeves.
From airport farewells and sudden dashboard warnings to a late-night campground grill-out, here is how we officially crossed into the Golden State.
The Morning Log: Farewell to Vegas and the Hunt for Horsepower
We kicked off the morning with a repeat performance: Subway for breakfast. It was the only thing around our neck of the woods, so we fueled up on foot before handling some emotional logistics. The four of us said our goodbyes to Melissa and Bridgette, leaving them in Vegas to catch their flight back home to Nashville. We missed having the girls in the mix immediately, but it was time to pack the rigs tight and figure out our next move.
First up was solving Blake’s motorcycle dilemma. Instead of spending the rest of the trip in the support car, Blake made a power move and decided to rent a rig all the way through to Nashville. He locked in a beautiful 2019 Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited with a solid option to buy it outright when he turns it in at the end of the run.
While Pete and Blake went to secure the rental, Dean and Mike went to move our parked bikes under some cover to load up the gear. Right on cue, Mike’s dashboard lit up—the temperature light was glaring right at him. Of course, had we noticed this over our two-day recovery window in Vegas, we could have easily had it sorted out. Who knew?
We scrambled to find a spot to strategize, rolling into a nearby Panera Bread for lunch. We spent the afternoon waiting in the room until noon trying to finalize a plan and pick up Blake’s bike. While hovering over our lunch at Panera, we started pulling up the bike’s diagnostic error codes. It didn’t take long to realize it was a classic water pump failure—a notorious gremlin that Pete, Vaughn, and Jeff have all battled on their own rigs in the past. We called up the local service department, and they gave us the green light: if they had the part in stock, they could get us turned around today.
The Rental Swap and the Mojave Crossing
When Pete and Blake finally arrived at the rental car agency, they were expecting a standard Road King. Instead, the agency hooked them up with a full Ultra Limited—a perfect, high-comfort upgrade for Blake to crush the remaining miles.
With the rental secured, Pete and Blake split off and pioneered a path back down to Route 66, cutting directly through the heart of the Mojave Desert. The desert heat was completely relentless and bone-dry; the boys noted that a fresh stick of ChapStick was the single most valuable piece of gear they had all afternoon.
[ DESERT HIGHWAY VISUAL REPORT ]
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The Horizon: Massive, sweeping desert expanses framed by beautifully jagged mountain silhouettes. They aren’t incredibly tall peaks, but they have immense definition, shape, and unique character.
The Sci-Fi View: Just before crossing the California border, we rode past three massive solar collector towers. With the sun blindingly reflecting off the mirrors, the whole complex looks like an alien set right out of a science fiction movie.
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Once Mike’s water pump was officially replaced and buttoned up, he and Andy Dean blasted out of Vegas to catch up with the pack.
Buggies, Beanie Weenies, and Cabin 1
We officially crossed the state line into California, navigating the classic Mojave trails through the mountain pass and dropping down through Baker. Off to our right, the historic Arrowhead Trails were alive with activity, kicked up by hundreds of riders throwing massive walls of dust into the desert air on their ATVs and quads.
As we neared our destination, about three miles outside of Calico Ghost Town, the highway threw us one last surprise. We rolled directly into a massive, roaring parade of about 100 custom rail buggies. We settled into the pack, cruising alongside the off-road machines for miles until they finally veered off the asphalt.
We finally rolled into the Calico campground and claimed Cabin 1 as our basecamp for the night. Overall, the ride from Vegas to Calico was classic desert riding: endless stretches of sagebrush, shifting sands, and gorgeous mountain backdrops.
[ ROAD CHEF REVIEW: CABIN 1 CAMPGROUND GRILL ]
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The Situation: Arrived after dark to discover absolutely
nothing in the ghost town was open for dinner.
The Pivot: Made a high-speed run to the nearest local gas station and cleared out the shelves.
The Menu: Standard all-American ballpark hotdogs, potato chips, and a classic side of beanie weenies, all flame-broiled over a charcoal grill right outside the cabin door.
The Verdict: Outstanding. When you’re starving after a long desert haul, a simple grilled hotdog tastes like a five-star steak.
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As we were wrapping up our hotdog dinner, the neighbors staying in the cabin right next door strolled over and treated us to a bag of marshmallows and graham crackers. We fired up the coals again and whipped up a batch of perfect, messy s’mores.
The desert heat finally broke, the air cooled down beautifully, and we spent a fantastic, relaxing evening sitting outside the cabin, listening to the desert quiet, and recounting the wild logistics of the day. Blake is officially back on two wheels, the stators and water pumps are holding their peace, and California is officially open for business.
Next Stop: Rolling further west through the old desert towns. Keep the shiny side up!