5,087 miles into the trip we reluctantly left Lake Tahoe on the 20th. We had debated many routes and finally determined that the most direct route home was now in order.

We continued on 89 until reaching U.S. 395 and in the process climbed a couple more passes in excess of 8,000 feet (including Monitor Pass) and at times were again quite chilly. If motorcycling in the mountains gives you nothing else, it gives you a variety of temperatures. Even Robert, for once, felt cold.

We had also debated the several ways to exit east-central California as there is not really a way to do so. There is a northerly route via Carson City, NV and U.S. 50 which is dubbed "The Loneliest Road in the World" and for good reason. Then there is the southerly route through Death Valley. We chose the more central route exiting on 120 to U.S. from the East entrance to Yosemite. I would have enjoyed another foray through Yosemite but we were out of time.

U.S. 6 in Nevada took us eastward, rapidly. There were few obstructions to "efficient" travel. The only inefficiency was Robert running low on gas when the intersection of 375 and U.S. 93 in eastern Nevada proved NOT to have a town called Crystal Springs as reported by Delorme's Street Atlas. Luckily he had filled his spare 1-gallon can in Tonopah and we easily rolled into Caliente with miles to spare.

A limiting factor the whole trip had been the smaller fuel tank of the Kawasaki Vulcan Nomad at 5 gallons versus the 7 gallons of the Beemer. We would usually get about the same mpg but the smaller tank meant looking for fuel at about 150 miles.

We made it into Cedar City, Utah that night for another stay in a motel and a fine T-Bone steak dinner at the Shoney's next door.