Vegas to Houston - July 17 - July 25

[droveto]

I decided I needed to catch a couple of games from this historic NY Yankees season so I'm riding from Vegas to Houston in a couple of weeks.
I'm no stranger to the heat or long rides so am good with carrying tons of water, extra gas, etc...
I'll be camping most nights except in Houston where I'm staying next to the stadium.

As making good time is a requirement, I'm mostly taking Rte 40 to 287 to 45.
I've booked my campsites so it will take some pretty compelling stories to change my route, but that being said, I will for a more entertaining ride if it doesn't add more than a couple hours.

I've mapped out all my gas stops and it doesn't seem like gas should be too scarce. Happy to hear of any suggestions or stories telling otherwise.
So I'm looking for any food suggestions or fun stops along the way.

My stops are:
Holbrook/Petrified Forest - AZ
Tucumcari - NM
Burkburnett/Wichita Falls - TX
Houston, TX

I'll be returning the same way I arrive

If someone feels like joining, I'm happy to have a riding partner or two.

 

[droveto]

Here's my lame, but intelligent update.

The day before my trip I checked weather, and Texas right around 100 is what I had planned for so the trip is on. I've been exercising at peak heat in Vegas for a couple months now, I've been riding in peak heat and feel satisfied with my cooling gear.
I leave, ride for close to six hours and set up camp in Holbrook, AZ and check the weather forecast. Texas got bumped up by around 8-14 degrees depending on the area and also several thunderstorm and flash flood warnings.
I decide an extra 10 degrees for the next 7 days of riding is unsafe and make the decision to ride the moto back and take the Jeep.

I break down camp and start my trip back.
The trusty (sarcasm) Garmin is warning me of thunderstorms and flash flooding. I can see it all happening several miles to the north west, and the map on the navigator confirms. My route doesn't take me through there, so hopefully I can avoid drama...

I breathe a sigh of relief as my trusty Garmin has cleared itself of alerting me of any weather issues...

And then I start riding from Seligman, AZ to Kingman, AZ...
The lightning. Holy crap the lightning. I'm not exactly sure how to proceed. My mind tells me that pulling under a bridge is the wisest choice, but what if a car hydroplanes? What if a truck decides to pull over because visibility is so low but doesn't see me parked there? What if he does see me, but notices late and the slowdown on the highway causes accidents behind him? As I'm shuffling through my decision matrix, I completely miss an exit that would have allowed me to hang out under a bridge off of the highway. At this point I've been riding for nearly 9 hours today in 90-100 degree weather. I set up camp, then broke it down. Who am I kidding? The destination is my bed and my dogs. There's no stopping...

I endured a fireworks display of lightning that kept the adrenaline so high that it erased the previous 9 hours of riding and kept me 100% alert, and in the moment. Not that I could avoid a bolt of lightning, but I had decided that there were so many strikes to ground because of the tall electrical wires and poles standing above everything. So as I crossed under power lines, I took the opportunity to ride through them at the highest speed I felt was safe and then I gathered myself for the next round of lightning bolts illuminating the sky like Vegas on the fourth of July...

My return schedule had me coming through Seligman and Kingman today and I learned that there is flooding happening all over the place with even more rain in the forecast. So I'd say I dodged a bullet on what could have been a completely miserable and unsafe trip.

 

[mikegalbicka]

I refuse to ride in lightning. One very near miss was all it took to convince me. Glad you are safe thus far and hope you stay that way.

 

[ramble]

A nice descriptive adventure!!!! Thanks.