2 Wheels 2 Tijuana - a photographic adventure

Bike's finally home

2008-05-30T16:28:00.001-07:00

I figure it was shipped by pony express at best, took almost a month!
Shipper did $2000.00 damege to the good side too!!! Ouch!
Fixing in progress, nothing structural, can't wait to get it back!!!

update

2008-05-14T14:32:00.000-07:00

Gonna be able to start actual writing soon I hope, hands are still kinda sore from the crash....

More to come!

2008-05-05T06:48:00.000-07:00

Now I gotta write the "actual" book, pick which pictures I'm going to use & get it published! Stay tuned.........

Day 13 photos

2008-05-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

Home Sweet forkin HOME!!! Day 13...

2008-05-03T10:27:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's finally really over! By the way, sat in row 13 on my flight to Nanaimo on day 13 of my adventure....Stayed in a really nice hotel in San Fran last night, right at fishermans wharf, & flew first class home, but as usual... of course it wasn't gonna be that easy!

Had problems with united airlines, they screwed my check in up & I ended up missing my flight, a number of people, but united employees, air Canada people (who for a change were AWESOME, helpful & AWESOME!) & some frequent flyers, all told me united has gone seriously downhill, overworked, understaffed, but that's no reason to be rude shitheads! Which they were!!

A/C fixed it & got me home, but I had to spend an extra 6 hours in San Fran airport! The A/C people picked me up in one of those golf carts & wizzed me thru customs etc, was nice! Got home about midnignt, it was AWESOME to see Lara & then get home to my zoo, who mauled me, that was awesome too!

Glad I'm home, glad I did it, can't wait to do it again, who's comin with me???

Home at last!

2008-05-03T00:47:00.000-07:00

Scott is now home, safe and relatively unscathed. He flew in late tonight from SanFran; the bike is being shipped. I'm sure he'll have an update tomorrow about the last leg of the trip, unexpected as it was.
-Lara

Day 11 & 12 photos

2008-05-01T23:27:00.001-07:00

day 11 photos

2008-05-01T23:20:00.000-07:00

Day 11 & 12 update

2008-05-01T23:11:00.000-07:00

I thought I could make it home in 2 days, & I would have….

I left El Cajon (San Diego suburb where I was staying with friends), got out good & early, it was cold & overcast & even started raining as soon as I hit the highway & it rained right past long beach, not too hard & it wasn’t that cold & hey, I’ve got the clothes for it, especially for southern California’s mild “chill” & rain. It started clearing up around. LA. Man the traffic is nasty, this lane splitting stuff is such a time saver, but as I pass by I’ve noticed that So-cal people talk too freaking much on their cel's, even when they're passing on both sides running at 140k + they’re still freaking blabbing their heads off, it’s really annoying, especially when they should be concentrating on not hitting me!!!!!

Stopped at Ventura for lunch & gas, couldn’t help myself, that song was running thru my head over & over, “Ventura highway in the suuunnn shine…” & hey its sunny & beautiful again! Food, gas a pic & back on the road!

Next I got to Santa Maria & stopped for gas, Wind is kicking my ass, it’s the 2nd worst I've come across , the oregon coast might have been the worst I ever rode in, but at least its sunny here. Holy Crap, the wind kept getting worse, I can’t even believe it, it was killing me, I needed a break & I wanted to take 1 more pic so as to have something decent, the Ventura pics didn’t seem like enough for a whole day’s ride & the California coast is really gorgeous when there’s no buildings in the way, so I took the exit to Monterey Bay for a photo. The truck in front of me turned too sharply & left a slick of oil when it cut in front of me, maybe it was carrying barrel’s, regardless there was nothing I could do, the bike instantly went sideways & we frizbee'd clockwise down the onramp, when we stopped moving I couldn’t believe it, how the hell did that happen, why didn’t I listen to my little voice that was telling me to keep going to San Fran, CRAP!!!

OK, now it was time to take stock of the situation, the bike was on it’s side facing the opposite way, still on but not running, tried to get up & my knee really hurt, went for my side zipper to check it out & shit, my fingers really hurt too, painfully pulled my gloves off & my 2 middle fingers were no longer pointing in the right direction, I have no idea why or what the hell I was thinking but I seem to have decided that this seemed like the first issue I should deal with, so (what the hell was I thinking!) I grabbed them one at a time, pulled them straight & they popped back into place, didn’t even hurt that much… at the time! Then to the knee, we’ll that was interesting, kneecap’s are supposed to face forward, so this can’t be good?! My boot got caught under the bike & I must have twisted around while sliding, confirmed by the scuffs & damage on my gear. OK, back to the knee, I’ve had a dislocated kneecap before, can’t be any worse than the fingers right, gave it a shove, POP…. HOLY FREAKIN SHIT, wow, that one hurt! Then over my shoulder I heard “Holy Mama” I looked up to see a trucker who had been behind me & stopped to help, looking quite pale & “crossing” himself, adrenaline rules!! He got my bike upright & me on my feet, I mean foot & moved on, THANKS DUDE!. Next a cop came by about 2 minutes later, took a report, although he confirmed the wet oil when he arrived he had to tell me just as we started down the ramp, that it was dry & said “too bad you weren’t 10 minutes later… no shit Sherlock, he then followed me down the hill as I rolled the bike down the off ramp to the motel at the bottom, Oh yum, 7-11 stale hotdog for supper, nothing else in hobbling distance! Things got worse, the pain started to overpower the adrenaline & the insurance people told me the private portion of my bike insurance had expired, FORK!!!! This was NOT happening… Actually it wasn’t, at least the insurance part, I finally found someone at the insurance company that found my current policy & assured me everything would be fine, whew…. Now I could relax in pain & be pissed off that the cheap motel at the bottom of the off ramp didn’t allow outgoing long distance at all, not 800 #’s not collect, can’t wait to see my cel bill…. There was a bike shop close so I got it there early, they had the parts I needed, on a bunch of new bikes in the showroom, but would not sell them to me, pricks, like 9 guys are going to walk in & buy the same bike the same day… My bikes pretty scratched up but not really in bad shape, the rear brake lever is broken as is the end cap that holds the throttle grip on the handlebar, probably $50 worth of parts that make the bike basically undrivable. So I was forced to jerry-rig the broken parts to at least get it somewhere I might get it fixed.

It was getting harder to get around so I finally broke down & went to a Doctor, $300. Later I’m on crutches & in this weird brace/cast & the Dr says there was no way I’d be driving back even if the bike could make it…. He did give me vicadin though! Well, this was a disappointing ending to a really spectacular trip, although there’s really not much more to photograph on the I-5, right? Do I have any regrets, no, not really, would I do it again, ABSOLUTALLY I’d still be riding now if the bike was safe! I made it to Tijuana, via storms, wind & weather from hell on the Oregon coast, long hours to Yosemite & Death valley, rattle snakes, M16’s, cel phone blabbing speed freaks massive winds & 5000kms in 11 days….. and an oil spill brings the trip to an end what a bit of bad luck. But it’s not really over, I plan to do it again, but without so much urgency & pressure I would like to do an anniversary run & bring some friends, take more time, less rush, no “schedule”. I really put a lot of pressure on myself to get this done & done within a challenging timeline to say the least, but I had to get back, got stuff to do back home!!

Next time I’ll go down the coast to San Diego, probably TJ again too, then up thru Death Valley, Yosemite, hit sequoia park too, then the redwoods & north to Nanaimo! No book, no picture pressures, that parts done, but don’t think I’ll be camera-less, are you insane?!. I survived my “guardian angel” Vultures the instant death hallucinations at Death Valley, the wind, the snow, the assorted weather, snakes & guns & an oil spill ends the trip…. I’ll be fine & my bike will too. I met a bunch of awesome people, some I didn’t even get their names, but they all impacted my trip & I remember all the smiles and interactions, from the stranger who just gave me his own map & then explained his best directions, to the girls at the hotel in Fresno who gave me such an awesome room & fantastic deal, & everyone I met in between however briefly or when I imposed myself for 3 wonderful battery recharging days at Jim & Ron’s! I saw some of the most spectacular scenery in North America & tried to capture it all

If it had to happen the timing might have been good to end it now though, like I said there’s really not much to see on the I-5 & I get one more visit in San Francisco. This has been good for me & I hope you all enjoyed it too…. Thanks for coming along for the ride!

Day 11 & 12 all good things come to an end....

2008-05-01T21:21:00.000-07:00

I'm in San Francisco, dr says no riding & no parts to fix back brake & throttle, we're being shipped home :(.

Downloading pics & figuring how to write this one, will be up soon!

Day 11 to Monteray

2008-04-30T23:18:00.001-07:00

I'm doing better than my bike, was in an accident, oil on the off ramp. a disappointing end to an otherwide awesome trip, don't think I'm hurt bad, pissed tho! Tryin to sleep, gotta get up & push the bike to the dealer to see if I can ride it (hopefully I can still walk in the am?, who cares if I can ride right!)

Day 10 photos

2008-04-29T20:51:00.000-07:00

Day 10 & My 2 wheels made it in 2 Tijuana Mexico today!!

2008-04-29T20:48:00.000-07:00

Just crossed the border out of TJ, that was an experience, I'm travelling alone, the road signs in Mexico are lacking at best, so you can imagine how I felt when I took my first wrong turn into the REALLY bad part of town, cops with M16's in balaclavas, oh ya I made a good choice, 2 Wheels 2 freakin San Diego sounded pretty good right about then!

Got directions from some cops not modelling the latest in cold weather headgear fashions, I then tried to take a photo of Mr Balaclava but quickly learned he did not allow photos, which was made VERY clear by the quick back & forth movement of the M16's barrel pointing just a wee bit too close to my head for comfort, the message was further reinforced by whatever he was loudly yelling in Spanish…. The other cops, who gave directions spoke a bit of english & told me he said “no pictures” those two were pretty cool dudes & even posed for a pic! I couldn’t get outa there quick enough though & finally navigated to the touristy part where I decided to walk around. Everyone is selling something & the english is quite good there. Most were friendly but everyone there was also SELLING HARD! Barter & negotiation is alive & well in TJ.

It was hot & I was getting tired & was faced with the looooooong nasty border lines, except when I was waiting to merge a Mexican border guy told me to lane split, Oh Ya! & to boot people actually moved to make space! The 2 hour car line took me about 15 minutes & I was across, the US border guard did a serious double take when he looked at my plate & said WTF, you came all the way down here on a bike, by yourself?? Well yes I did & it’s been cool, but to be frank, it was a bit scary down there with the shootings & legendary banditos, but everyone (except balaclava man) was very friendly, thanks for a real experience TJ! Off to El Cajon (san diego).

Got back chilled out, hung with the dogs at the pool, was awesome, just had dinner, packing for tomorrow. I’m heading up the coast to Big Sur & getting back on the interstate around Carmel, got about 2500kms to go, I’m targeting Saturday to be home, how’s the weather up there?

Day 09 photos

2008-04-28T21:40:00.000-07:00

Day 09 finally some rest

2008-04-28T21:39:00.000-07:00

This'll be a short one, was kinda a battery recharging day for me. Went to the San Diego Wild animal park. As an african photo safari is one on the things I have on my "bucket list" this was the next best thing & it was AMAZING! They're very conservation oriented & it shows.

I've only titled 2 because I think they all speak for themselves. Sadly one of the titled pics is a female Northern white rhino, one of approx 8 left in the world & none in the wild as their territory has been decimated by war. There is only one left of breeding age......http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/06/11/news/inland/61007190722.txt

It was REALLY hot here today, over 100, we took a fantastic ride on the backroads thu Wildcat Canyon & it was beautiful. I fell asleep at the pool after. All in all a good day. Mexico tomorrow & then north up the coast & home!

Day 08 photos

2008-04-28T06:53:00.000-07:00

Day 08

2008-04-28T06:42:00.001-07:00

Thanks Chris Mortano, I appreciate your skill with my f%$#@d up filter on Saturday night!!

Man, the cool ocean breeze feels awesome on my face. It's my first view of the so-cal water & I'm at a rest stop, my last recharge before San Diego.It has been a loooooonnng day. I overslept, guess my German friends kept me up too late, & hot the road 3 hours later than my optimistic take off time.. I left just ahead of the Germans, it was nice, warm but a bit of a breeze & I was keeping my eyes open for the perfect pic for my friend Maureen. She's redecorating & has specific color needs, took a few, hope there's at least one she likes!

It heated up quick, I went in a long sleeve t-shirt & my small helmet & sunglasses, lathered up in sunscreen & loaded with water. The trip was pretty uneventful, picked a comfortable pace & enjoyed the view, occasionally stopping for a pic or 2. As the day goes on I have to stop more frequently just to stretch out a bit, I stopped at Jawbone canyon again to say hi to Rose & Bobby, they’re the folks I met yesterday. Anyway, long story short, I had a nice visit & on my way out finally had the nature close encounter I'd been waiting for, just not with a creature I wanted to meet, especially so up close & personal....... when you hear the rattle you automatically KNOW what it is..... The rattle sounds just like on TV, Bobby says it spends a lot of time around their shop & has scared the crap outa lots a folks! It’s called a Mojave green & they're quite rare now, people have given them a bad rep that Rose says they don't deserve. Regardless, they can keep them in Jawbone Canyon, if he wants a ride, he needs a helmet get away from my bike!

The heat started to get to me & there's still bumper to bumper traffic thru LA on Sunday afternoon? How freakin Crazy is that!!!!!! I think I'm now about 1/2 hour from San Diego, looking forward to relaxing at Jim's, need the break, THANKS Jim!

An odd observation, Vultures & crows really are the dominant birds down here, no disrespect intended to my wonderful US brothers & sisters who have made my trip so AWESOME, but there are ALOT of them & no eagles, whats up with that??? Met a dude named Paul at rest stop, he gave me advice on locations to check out & shared a recent & particularly gruesome motorcycle accident he viewed, Hey, thanks Paul, I’m already stressed by the crappy drivers on the 405 south, that visual has made me much more alert!!! Gotta wonder about the speeders, they all drive so freaking fasst? I did finally se someone get a ticket so obviously CHP does write them once in awhilr. The other strange thing besides selling booze at gas stations, is the cel phone use, people were flying by me on both sides at better than 90mph & 90% 0f them were holding cel phones to their ears, not even hands free?? Morons, makes me wonder if anyones paying enough attention to see me?!

Was almost to Jim’s place & got “misplaced” I thought I was in a bad part of town & I knew I was lost, I saw a police car & decided to ask directions. I pulled up & he already had a dude in the back of the car, confirming I was indeed in a bad part of town, but officer Meyer, once he & his partner had their prisoner safely in the back seat, offered much appreciated assistance & gave me directions away from the wrong part of town I was in & to where I was going! Thanks Bro!!!

Finally found Jim & Ron's place & getting there was like getting to an oasis after the endless hotels! The steak & hot tub were awesome & I’m gonna sleep like a baby, thanks guys, San Diego zoo & wild animal park tomorrow!!!!

Day 07 more photos

2008-04-27T08:41:00.001-07:00

Day 07 photos

2008-04-27T08:39:00.001-07:00

Day 07 HOT, did I mention it was HOOOOOOOOTTTTTT!!!!

2008-04-27T08:23:00.000-07:00

This is the earliest I've gotten on the road so far! This is awesome, got gas hit the road, passed a sign for LA...... FORK, there goes my automated response, oh well it’s only a mile & I can turn around, no problemo. So, my early leaving actually...... Ummm… Gets me into the heart of Death Valley at 120f.... I mean noon, high noon in Death Valley, that's good planning, shit what I was thinking....... Good thing I'm pretty!

Lotsa bikers on the road, all going the other way? Is that a message? Even though I'm riding alone I enjoy the camaraderie & the secret biker wave, makes you feel like you’re not so alone. Just pulled into Mojave for gas, came down from the mountains, it was a bit brisk at the 70mph legal highway speed cause I'm just wearing my mesh pants (please no purvo ideas, they’re padded motorcycle pants with mesh for the heat!) As I dropped towards the valley I could feel it heating up, feels good now, bet it’s gonna be unbelievable about noon.... Ouch!

Everyone tried to scare me off of going to Death Valley by myself on a bike, the security guard at the hotel made it clear that I would certainly hallucinate & die, pretty much instantly when I arrived. I stocked up on Gatorade & am looking for a long sleeve t-shirt store in Mojave, there's gotta be one open at 8am Saturday morning right?

10:30am
The ipod is actually helping my sore parts not get sore quite so fast, now let's CLARIFY, I DO NOT dance, previously I only danced when I had to for sex, but as I'm happily married, no more dancing required, but I can jiggle along with the tunes as I'm riding, I'm sure by the expressions on the truckers faces they think I have a rash, or possibly a swarm of bees may have flown up my pants & into my jacket, hey whatever, its keeping the soreness at bay. Since I'm by myself & in the middle of nowhere I pretty much gas up at every station, thanks again Magellan, you jerks!!!!!! The last one was ridiculous, if the lady there wasn't so nice & trying so hard I would have just left! None of the pumps would work, so there's me in full face helmet & black riding jacket in 100f heat pushing my bike from pump to pump & her running out each time to see if it was working, finally it did & I was outa there, just an extra boot in the goodies, it was the most expensive gas yet! 5 more minutes & I was at the turn to death valley...... Du du du daaaaaa.....I took the turn, something caught my eye to my left, shit, it's over, I was hallucinating, crap I'm gonna croak & before I freakin see death valley, I hate you security dude!! It looked like a snow covered field & an ice covered lake, how could I possibly survive, all my Gatorade would go to waste..... Well I'm still here, do not know exactly what it was but I took pics! On to Panamint & the park!

I was a bit indifferent about the hotel, first person I met was quite rude, I asked where to check in & she said “the Shell station” I’m like, “what?” she repeated it & looked at me like I had 2 heads. Their gas price is also insane! By far the most expensive & almost as much as Canadian. Went as far as I could on the gas, fire made it hazy, didn’t realize sand spits up when you get passed, mmmmm delicious, as I took windshield off & most of the bags too, was fun, the road was like a cool roller coaster ride, sadly though no wildlife & photo opps were limited by gas & the fire haze. It really was very cool anyway, REALLY glad I made it! The rest of the hotel staff have been Awesome, friendly & helpful, the room & I have internet!!

Going into Death Valley you first go up to 5000 feet from panamint then down to more than 200 feet below sea level, gets chilly at the top ( on a bike ) & HOTTTTTTTTTTT at the bottom!Sand storms, cool lighting, it’s awesome, wish I had a bigger gas tank & more time! Met some awesome people tonight, some dudes from Paris & some folks from Germany, thanks for the company Guys!!!!! It really was an awesome day ( the hallucination was a naturally toxic lake that’s harvested for the toxins & looks like snow & Ice, HA!!! I’m still ticking!!!) Gotta sleep, got a long day to Tijuana!!!!!!!!!!

Day 06 photos

2008-04-26T00:30:00.001-07:00

Day 06 freak show

2008-04-26T00:11:00.000-07:00

around 9pm
Talk About a mostly wasted day I am so behind & getting so broke….. CRAP!!!

First thanks again to the ladies last night at the Radisson, what an awesome room & the “sleep number bed” was COOL! I’m in Palmdale at the motel 6. The manager, Annamarie is a wonderful lady & came to fix my fan, that in the 90 degree weather was blowing hot air on the cold setting, she fixed me up & we had a nice chat. Regardless of the stuff that frustrates me, gets in the way & generally pisses me off, I have met some really fantastic people & those people have made my trip!

My back aches, knees are swollen & took a rock in the left elbow & right ankle & I swallowed a bug that swirled upinto my helmet, a rather large & hairy tasting bug at that…, I think floorboards & highway pegs are in order next time! Finally put my ipod on too, really helped pass the time on an otherwise BORING, windy ride down the interstate towards L.A….. WHAT… L.A. you ask, what the hell happened to death valley??? Well, since you brought it up… I finally was able to contact Magellan re the GPS, after dealing painfully with the call center in the Philippines I finally got transferred to a friendly & trying to be helpful guy named Aaron from the Florida call center, he was empathetic to my situation & to the fact that the call took about 2 hours to get NOWHERE. We tried to find a dealer in Fresno with a crossover in stock, no luck, he suggested I head for San Dimas, just outside L.A. the US head office for Magellan & they’d swap me for a new one, he’d call me on my cel & confirm. Well I was already really late for getting to Death Valley at a reasonable time, it’s about 8 hours from Fresno, so I headed for San Dimas. It was a mostly boring ride, Raider fans kept popping up everywhere & I think we picked up 2 new VI Raider fans too. Met Dennis & Casey Allen at a rest stop (where I was trying AGAIN to get thru to Magellan) they were riding too, awesome people, we chatted for a bit & they had Raiders logos all over their bike, so I snapped a shot for fun & for Coach Snoop. Told them about our Raiders & gave them my web address so hopefully they’ll check out my ride & the team. I rode with them for about an hour, NICE PACE, really enjoyed it & it’s nice to ride with someone, they took their exit & I was solo again.

Then I got to again consider How do these people get away with driving cars so fast, idiots. They're regularly over 100 mph! I got stuck between some trucks & it was keep up or get run over..... Interestingly enough my chaps flap really hard over 90mph & it’s like a magical leg massage...... oooh! OK, enough of that, I got out of the trucks & down to a pedestrian 75mph, man it’s tiring to drive like that in the wind & with all the loony’s around you! Oh well they sell booze at gas stations here & that doesn't seem like a real good idea either? Gas station means driving booze means drinking, hummmm no wonder there’s so many “report drunk drivers” signs & billboards asking people not to drink & drive.

Back to the trip, it’s about 4 ½ hours to L.A. so I was about ½ hour out at 4:30pm when I received “the” text message from Magellan, “no crossover gps units in san dimas, sorry we’ll mail you one in about 2 weeks” I was at a gas station, I tried to stay calm, I called, got the Philippines again, no help, on hold, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Terry Dollar & decent dude from Asplundh came to my rescue with directions & a plastic coated map to replace my still soaked ones, THANKS Terry!! I then Begged the Magellan guy for the san dimas phone number & finally… 10 more minutes of hold & he gives me the number…. I call it, it’s forwarded to the philippines office… OK, those who know me well will not be surprised about what happened next & will be able to close their eyes & really clearly visualize it ( it’s in a “76” gas station parking lot to help with the “atmosphere” ) I began beating the payphone with the handset & screaming %*@# at the top of my lungs, then with veins bursting in my forehead advised anyone who hadn’t already run for cover, that I did not suggest the purchase of a Magellan gps……I called for sympathy from my lovely wife, who suggested I didn’t need a gps & was doing great without it, not realizing my frame of mind & that all day I was under the impression I’d be picking up a brand new gps that would easily navigate me through L.A. traffic to find my cousin's house on the San Diego side of L.A., that I’d never been to… obviously despite her best intentions that conversation was short… salt in the wound short… A CHP officer came by "to see if I was OK" or perhaps see if had any concealed weapons?, he chuckled when I told him the story & suggested the phone was not the villain & I should consider skipping L.A. in the 5pm Friday insanity traffic & instead head towards Death Valley perhaps staying in Palmdale (see how well I take advice!) So I’m here, few pics today cause nothing to see, I’m only 4.5 hours to Death Valley & I’m hanging out in the motel 6 by the highway on this warm Friday night, gonna get to sleep early, really looking forward to death valley, I may try to go into Mexico at Tecate on Sunday & coming back thru Tijuana. We’ll see, we’ll see……

Day 06 update

2008-04-25T12:34:00.001-07:00

Scott has been dealing with Magellan all morning about his broken GPS. He said their customer service dept has been awesome so far, the problem is there are no local dealers who can swap out the model he has. It sounds like there's one in Simi Valley so he's heading there today, then plans to hit Death Valley tomorrow. I'm sure he'll post an update later!
-Lara

Day 05 photos - Yosemite to Fresno

2008-04-25T07:46:00.000-07:00

There are more photos in the facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=11959812727) - I can only post a few here at a time. -Lara

Day 05 - to Yosemite

2008-04-24T16:40:00.000-07:00

8:33am
Hey guys, thanks for the comments & thanks for checking the trip out! There was a big snow storm in the sierras, just got off the phone with the hotel, I was worried I couldn't get thru but it looks OK & I'm on the road to Yosemite, can't wait!!! should be there about 3:30pm!!!!

11:30am
Left a bit late to let it warm up & beat the traffic just got thru Oakland and holy fork, that was scary! Leaving san fran was rushed but orderly traffic, it’s a beautiful city wish I wasn't on such a tight budget & timeline. No gps really sucks, can't look at the map on my tank bag while I'm riding so I gotta try to remember a few directions & go again. San fran looked amazing from the bay bridge, it’s a no stopping zone but I got lucky & zapped in behind a construction crew, to a serenade of car horns, lol, got a shot & jammed myself back into traffic. Coming out on the Oakland side was like a new world, everyone had skulls & cross bones everywhere & everything’s painted silver & black?!?! ......just kidding but it is insanity as soon as you cross the bridge! I was doing 140 trying to keep up & still see the road signs & they were ALL passing me on both sides, swerving in & around each other like a cone drill!!!! I pulled in with the trucks in the "55 mph max for trucks lane" & only had to do 85 to keep up? Passed a couple of chp radar checks too, gotta assume the signs mean you can go 65 mph above the speed limit cause no one got pulled over? Maybe they were like the guy in super troopers & it was just mannequins & the cops were fishing? Can vultures be considered guardian angels? Hope so cause they always seem to be overhead when I get in any type of uncomfortable situation...Man people play their music loud here? A guy my age just gassed up & I thought his rear window was going to pop.... & this other freak waiting in the carwash line must have his freaking repeat button stuck, omg gotta get outa here! Gassing up & back on the road, hope I'm going the right way? Thanks Steve, sales guy I met at jack in the box, for the awesome directions!

2pm
Got gas & stripped down some more, its H O T. Thermometer reads over 30 in the shade! Met some bikers who just got back from Mexico, said its hotter south, glad I can still peel more stuff off & got my extra helmet!

3:30pm
Stopped in Groveland for gas oldest saloon, 20 min on hwy after awesome twisties re road work, the sweats pouring off me!

4:30pm
Trip was good I'm obviously a born navigator, doing fine (so far gps-less) except one minor missed turn that I'll blame on the HUGE (think green crap on Tim Allen’s face in wild hogs) bug splattered dead centre on my facemask, slightly distracting me, so I missed my turn, was back on track in 5 min! Met a nice family from the Netherlands at a view stop, this was their 2nd time, I think first for their kids, they're checking this out at the next starbucks, hi guys, nice meeting you! Started to cool off at about 4000 feet, not cold, but no longer boiling! I thought my bike was getting kinda quiet too, then my ears popped, lol. I'm just past the gate into the park, a robins been sitting watching me so I took his pic. On with the trip! This has been an awesome day to be alive & be on a bike (once I got past Oakland!) Met Gail & Tina at Yosemite they are from St Louis we had a nice chat, lovely ladies, & they pointed out the insano’s climbing the rock….

7:50pm
Amazing day Yosemite is spectacular! I saw all I could & decided to make a run for Fresno.... Just couldn’t not stop take a few more shots! Then when I promised myself no more pics, I looked to my right, 6000 feet up heading south out of Yosemite...... What a sunset, crap, slammed on my brakes, took the shot & hopped back on my bike, now the suns almost gone, I'm stuck with a tinted visor & I discover SAND on the road from the snow removal trucks, crap, that sucked finding that out leaning thru a serious corner, my tail wagged, my heart skipped one & now I knew what to look for! Getting gas, think I'll be around Fresno by 9pm ish? It gets freakin cold fast above 6000 ft, I came zipping down the mountain, freezing (no where to stop) running in low gear & beeping my horn for wild life, musta looked insane, but it was fun & the deer got the hell out of the way!!. Stopped at the first McD's to eat & put warm stuff back on!Was making good time to Fresno, did not enjoy the rest of the road though, bad visibility. I was pretty tired when I saw the Fresno signs, but no hotel signs or visible hotels at the side of the highway?? So, the genius that I am decided there surely would be on just a little way down the highway… so I kept going & kept going & kept going, getting more & more pissed off that I didn’t just stop & finally, when I knew I’d never get back if I didn’t turn around, I did & hammered it back to Fresno, cursing (out loud btw & now also hating garmin very much for the faulty gps) the whole way, sore back, sore ass, sore knees tired & now quite cranky!! Stopped at the first hotel I could find, it was a Radisson so I was concerned about my budget, but exhausted, then Nancy & Lynn came to my rescue, gave me an AWESOME deal & put a smile back on my face they were awesome, friendly & helpful, thanks ladies!I’m drained, need sleep, Death Valley might be a stretch tomorrow, I’ll think about my plan when my head clears! G-night!

Day 04 con't

2008-04-24T06:49:00.000-07:00

12:01am

went for food & a walk met Evie at the Jones bar, food was great & she's a Canuck too! Walked & walked & walked & walked & walked & finally found fishermans wharf or market or whatever the hell it is, got some pics & cabbed it home, time for sleep!!! :)

Day 04 photos

2008-04-23T22:22:00.001-07:00

Day 04 San Fran

2008-04-23T22:05:00.000-07:00

2:30pm
Finally had the burger I've been craving! I'm in Willits California. About 210 kms from Eureka. So far it’s been the best driving I've had! Scattered rain, a bit of wind and a healthy dose of SUN! Probably for about half the ride so far. Went thru the "Avenue of Giants" Redwood national park, it was AMAZING silky smooth roads winding around the giant redwoods, beautiful & fun! It was still sprinkling when I was there but I made a few stops anyway and met a bunch of girls from Courtenay heading for a music fest outside Palm Springs, was nice to chat, however briefly, with some fellow islanders! The ride from the redwoods was good, except for 1 moron from Washington who was driving a suzuki sport ute & thought he was in the Indy 500 & a dufus in a delivery truck who almost tipped in the twisties....... LOSERS! Anyway I'm told I’m about 4 hours from San Fran, gonna hit rush hour.......Hope the weather holds this has been nice! Tempted to take off the things I hate wearing most, rain boot covers, but wet boots would suck worse than those nasty things, so I'll hold off! K, back on the road to San Fran!

4pm
Well I'm too hot, a good problem right now. Gotta stop & take some stuff off, freaking rain boots first!!!!!!!!! Closer I get to san fran the worse idiot drivers I'm seeing! One crazy chick passed me eating a sandwich & talking on the phone weaving in & out of traffic at about 150k just gassed up & these silly pay at the pumps want a zip code, gotta go in & the young lady didn't even get off the phone, just took my cc........ Time waster had to pump & then go back & pay! I'm stripping down at the gas pump in Hillsburg, next stop san fran, so I asked a gentleman what my eta would be & we got into a brief chat, I’m pleasantly surprised how helpful & friendly everyone I’ve met has been, I guess Vancouver has jaded me? Anyway turns out Adam is a sales manager at a VERY cool sounding winery & suggested when we do our anniversary trips we contact him for a stopover in the Sonoma valley, sounds good to me!! Wonder how rush hour will be on the golden gate bridge?

5:30pm
AWESOME is all I can say, I’m standing on a hill overlooking the Golden gate bridge, San Fran, the harbor & surrounding area, it is breathtaking….. The road up here was unbelievable twisty & the view was worth it. I made better time than I expected, it was AWESOME to not fumble around my pegs with those annoying rain boot covers, much more relaxing to not have them on, the weather is fantastic, hope it holds! Part of my “made better time” was in part due to a friendly trucker who leaned out the window & said “hey Canada, you can run the center line when traffic stops here, it’s OK…” so I did, was very careful but people actually made room, it was very cool & got me thru in record time! After taking some pics I crossed the bridge, you’ll notice a couple of one handed while I was moving photo’s, don’t do this at home, I’m a trained professional, you’ll be able to tell that by the slanted pics, LOL! And for my daily excitement, there’s a TOLL, surprise… guess who doesn’t have a bridge pass & guess who has no cash… A guy on the hill told me to run it & they’d either give me a freebie or mail me a bill for $5. We’ll see if I get a bill! Got to my hotel met Paul Polk of Paul Polk construction ( there’s your plug Paul, thanks for the directions!! ) & Ricky at Super 8 who gave me an AWESOME deal on a hot tub room, he’s gotta be psychic my body really needs it! Great meeting you guys! I’m gonna try to get some more pics at fisherman’s Wharf & grab some food, be back later! I’m lovin it, hope you guys are too!Hey ,Corner Gas is on US TV!!!

Day 03 photos

2008-04-23T09:09:00.001-07:00

Day 03 cont'd Coos Bay to Eureka

2008-04-22T21:07:00.000-07:00

6:00pm
Mother Nature took one final shot today, about 6 miles outside Eureka California the wind came screeching in with hail……. AGAIN! But I’m here at the super 8 & even earlier than I thought, progress?After my awesome lunch I got back on the road, immediately I was passed going the other way by cops & ambulances, wow, glad I wasn’t wherever they were going. I’m not surprised though that drive this morning was NASTY!!! I actually saw a guy in worse shape than me, on a bicycle, got blown clear over the cliff… LOL, actually some of his stuff got blown over he was fine, if pissed off, soaked, cold & 20 miles from shelter is considered fine?I headed south on the 101 & soon the rain started again & the wind, sadly my hands were only warm for about 5 minutes, only the liners actually dried by the fire, but 5 minutes was better than nothing!I hit the California border quicker than I thought, I was REALLY raining, didn’t realize Pelican Bay State Prison was on the northern Cali coast, shoulda stopped for a warm meal & bed as right about there the hail started again, big stuff & it was hitting hard glad I had my armor, full face & windshield! I got gas at the first stop I found, the only have 91 0ctane in California? Dude at the station was helpful & friendly, suggested some good stops after Eureka.Got back on the road, rain was heavy, but the roads were decent, it’s funny how not being inches from a 500 foot cliff in single lane traffic makes the road feel better?I hit the redwood forest pretty quick, actually past a VW van full of Tofino hippies during the climb. The fog got thick & the hail started again, at least no wind! I was soaked thru & cold but I gotta say the redwoods are pretty spectacular, I got one hail free fog limited stop so shot a few pics & had to move on. The highway comes out high up on the coast & guess what, the wind was back…. Fun!The rest of the way was strong winds in multiple directions, intermittent hail & rain broken up by short bursts of sunlight, it was pretty freaky. So I made it, gonna be on the hairdryer till late trying to dry my stuff, got some pics to upload & then I intend to soak in the tub & hit the sack early. Heading for San Francisco tomorrow, fingers crossed for good weather!!!!I’m beat up, tired & sore but really glad I’m doing this I’m gonna take some awesome stories and pictures away from this & have accomplished quite an a adventure!

Day 03 - back in the saddle

2008-04-22T15:36:00.000-07:00

12;30ish PM. OUCH, I just took a mouthful of the HOTTEST hot chocolate I've ever tasted....It’s about 12:30 & I'm at the whales head restaurant, on the highway (it has a cool wood lighthouse statue & an awesome view) they kindly gave me the table by the fire to try to warm up & dry out.Today started late, my ftp upload of my original pics failed last night. The weather was shitty again, lots of rain but a bit warmer, so I thought I'd retry the ftp (it failed again) & see if the rain slowed. The ftp failed & the rain didn't slow so I headed out. Another day another adventure. The roads were ok for 30k or so & I made some good time, so of course Mr. Murphy who MUST be hiding in my saddle bags, chose to rear his NASTY head, my tried & tested "no fog" visor FOGGED! Crap! I think some moisture got into it........ The rain eased a bit so I cracked it open & it was pretty good after that. The next up was the wind, now I've been thru some nasty wind & this was NASTY, but add on narrow windy wet roads along the coast & the fun really gets nut sack snugging & white knuckle sphincter puckering! I was running around 30 kmh ay best & one gust actually pushed me into the oncoming lane, good thing the oncoming logging truck was a ways off, not sure the vulture circling above me was too thrilled with my recovery! I snaked thru a "max 20 mph" gorge with the coast out of sight, but now the wind was swirling. So cracked on my hazard lights, hugged my tank bag & crawled along as far right as I could be in the right lane! I've found for the most part the yanks have been much safer & more courteous drivers ( on this trip at least) so obviously since I survived mother natures wind assisted lane change, Mr. Murphy had to come up with a couple of butt headed tailgaters, on narrow little stretched where I couldn't get out of the way....... One was from Alberta, but that's not the point. I find it hard to believe the cars couldn't see the rain & at least feel the wind? What were they thinking?The rain eased a bit & so did the wind so I stopped for a few photos.There's a lot of time when you're riding to just think & you don't seem to think about stuff that bothers you at work or whatever, your. Mind seems clearer ( perhaps that's just the terror ) I think about the road & the view, the stuff I cannot get pictures of, the ultra windy roads thru heavy green growth of trees and bushes, the twisty coast road, the fact that every second I move forward I'm somewhere I've never been before. I think about Lara & my friends & I hope I can express this well enough to make them feel like they were here too.So the sun peeked thru & I saw this place so I came in. Everyone (as has been the case my whole trip) is very friendly & helpful. They gave me a table by the fire & welcomed me to stay as long as I need to. I had a delicious lunch & a good relax. But my stuff won't dry, its just too wet!My waterproof gloves & jacket could not take the constant beating of wind & rain so are totally soaked thru, but at least they'll be warm!I also think I finally figured out this trip, its one of my life challenges, something I have to accomplish & accomplish by myself.This is an adventure, screw the. Gps, screw the voice recorder (although I will have to make more notes due to my old-timers) but crap, that's life!My hot chocolate is room temperature that I love it, my stuff is warm, I'm gonna take a few photos & make a run for Eureka!

Day 02 photos

2008-04-22T06:56:00.001-07:00

I'm having lots of trouble uploading photos to this site. Here are a few from Monday.

-Lara

Day 02

2008-04-21T19:39:00.000-07:00

Day 02, wow, I experienced pretty much every emotion today, happy, sad, scared, excited, angry, frustrated, drained etc. Woke up feeling pretty good, got a good sleep, had some breakfast & was off. The weather looked promising, overcast but the sun punching thru.When I got on the road it was dry but COLD, headed for the 22(?) west to the coast from Salem. The sun broke thru & it was nice… until it started snowing, NASTY! It didn’t stick but it was cold & treacherous, the sun broke thru as I got to Lincoln city, that didn’t last, it was snowing again in a few minutes!! I did get some shots today, FINALLY, haven’t checked them out yet gotta eat! Anyway, between Lincoln City & Newport I stopped a bunch of time for pics, the weather changed & extreme changes, every 5 minutes, rain, snow, hail, fog, torrential downpour, glimpse of sun, oh ya & the wind HOLY #$@% the WIND, it was… well actually it was terrifying, even when I slowed to a crawl it almost turned me sideways, now that sounds a bit unpleasant right, now think I’m in windy 2 lane wet roads in some cases 300+ feet of sheer cliff over the teeny guardrail beside me….. Anyway, my gps ( the waterproof Magellan I just got) crapped out, seems water seeped behind the screen somehow (possibly a result of all of the above weather?) should be warranty but I actually need it now (it’s pinned to the wall by a hairdryer right now actually & my fingers are crossed) next my portable recorder croaked, hummmm should I be getting the message? So I gotta go by memory now, sorry my specific photo locations will end up being pretty vague like, ya that one was on the Oregon coast between Nanaimo & Mexico….When the fog hit I was just about at the sea lion cave so pushed on. It was pretty cool, but darker than the T-mens rink, it’s HUGE & there were a couple hundred sea lions staying out of the shitty weather I was to stupid to stay out of….. wow dumber than a sea lion has new meaning?The rain & wind were pounding, the guy at the caves suggested my sanity could be in question if I even attempted Eureka today, It’s about 6 hours from the caves in good weather & after all the rime I lost in the weather it was 4pm by then. I settled on Coos Bay, population 16,000, kinda reminds me of Port Alberni? Anyway I crawled along, cold, soaked & getting beat to crap by the wind, oh ya & the fog was fun too! All of a sudden about 60kms from Coos Bay the weather cleared & the road was dryish, so I cranked it & made a run for Coos. So here I am already a day behind, sore back, waterlogged, cranky & feeling a bit defeated, it wasn’t supposed to be quite this much of an adventure! Yes I am looking in the mirror saying WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING, & why for the first time in their lives are the weather people correct (ASSHOLES!!!) Looks like at least one more day of shit weather on the coast, hoping to make Eureka tomorrow, but it’s pretty slow going in the weather!The Wet weather gear really takes it out of you, it’s a chore to take the huge gloves on & off at all the stops, putting all of it on in the morning is a chore, taking it off is a bigger chore especially when it’s wet & wearing it is like being a kid in a snowmobile suit. It drains you, hard to get on and off the bike gotta dry it out every night, dry weather would be so much better & easier to get things accomplished, I’m drained!At least the hotel has a hot tub again, getting lucky with these hotel drop ins! It really is beautiful here, there’s a bunch of pictures I wasn’t able to take due to weather or no where to stop safely on the windy roads, got a few though, let me know what you think, I’ll post them soon.Overall today I’m tired and a bit disappointed, I’d hoped to have more pics by now, but it sure is a forking adventure…..

Day 01 update, so far so good!

2008-04-20T22:58:00.000-07:00

A serious long day, left home just before 8am arrived in Salem Oregon 8:30pm....The sun run was going on in Van so the streets were blocked, my GPS would have sworn at me if it could, it kept trying to recacculate a route out of town & running inot road blocks. Finally got on the highway, weather was decent, actually warm in van. Got the border, the canadian guys were buttholes when I was registering my camear gear ( so they couldn't try to chage me duty & tax coming back) so I prepared myself for the Yanks, surprise the Yank was a decent & friendly guy, in fact all the Yanks I've met on this trip have been friendly & helpful, NICE! wether south of the border was a nightmare, cold, rain, snow, hail (much easier to deal with when you got a windshield, but that's another story..) anyway the weather slowed me quiet a bit, hit sun just outside Seattle for about an hour, then the nasty shit hit again,rain, serious wind, snow cold, made it to a litltle town just north of Portland & had genuine mexican food, Oh Ya!!! Headed for Lincoln city but the weather turned worse so I detoured to Salem super 8 has a pool & hot tub, I NEEDED it, back is sore, hammy's holding up OK, ass not so bad either, back's killing me!. Not alot of pics today & I lost a fair bit of time due to weather & the border, I think I'll be 3 days to Yosemite instead of 2? we'll see, tomorrow the photo part begins, hope the weather holds! I'm back on the road at 7am Good night!

Underway...

2008-04-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

OK Scott is officially underway! He's on the ferry to the mainland and will be checking in later today with an update :o)

-Lara

To be or not to be...

2008-04-19T19:03:00.000-07:00

I noticed today that there aren't any posts to let you know the reason why Scott is doing this trip. Here's a synopsis (in my own words):

Scott's dad awakened his interest in photography and, as you can see from his website, he has a LOT of talent and has a real passion for it. His dad also peaked his interest in motorcycles and now Scott rides as often as possible and loves that we live in a climate where he can ride almost all year round.

When Scott was very young, his dad was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and it quickly advanced to the point that he was in a wheelchair for almost as long as Scott can remember. He passed away when Scott was in high school. We also have many long-time friends who have also been diagnosed with MS, some as long as 20 years ago, some just in the last few years.

Scott wanted to do something substantial to help raise funds for MS research. This project allows him to combine two of his passions to create a book that he not only hopes people will enjoy but will raise funds for this close-to-his-heart cause.

We're thrilled that you've chosen to check out this trip-blog and hope that you also join the Facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=11959812727) to show your virtual support. :o)

- Lara

The Plan

2008-04-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

What looks like a waste of time, backtracking from Yosemite thu Fresno to Death Valley ("D" to "E" on the red stars) is due to Tioga pass rd, the faster way, being closed with 24 feet of snow...... Being a 1 wheel drive on a 2 wheeled vehicle, I believe the wise move is the detour, it actually only ads an hour to this portion of my trip, as Tioga is very windy & slow going! Besides, I couldn't find snow tires for my bike even on ebay :)

snow!

2008-04-19T08:29:00.000-07:00

The bad news is that we woke up this morning to 2 feet of snow on the ground (and a power-out). The good news is that apparently Vancouver doesn't have any. Scott might have to delay leaving until Monday, though he hopes not! We'll keep you posted...

-Lara

PS: Feel free to check out the 2 Wheels 2 Tijuana group on Facebook - join to show your virtual support: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=11959812727

Thank you, Sponsors

2008-04-17T07:24:00.000-07:00

Thank you to the following trip sponsors:

Mid Island Towing & Transport
Nanaimo Mini Storage
Island Hot Tub
United Rentals (Nanaimo)
Millers Pub
Olivers Pet Supplies
Ross Barnard's Nanaimo Motor Products
Spunky's Motorcycle Shop (Mike in Parts)
M. Hansen
Kensington Realfund Corp.

We appreciate your help in getting this trip underway! If you would like to sponsor Scott's trip, please email him at scott.kirkpatrick[at]shaw.ca.

What's goin' on...

2008-04-17T07:10:00.000-07:00

Preparations are underway! Scott leaves on Sunday and has been getting all his camera gear, rain gear, snow gear, and hot-weather gear all packed up. I've been trying to work out the kinks of getting this blog ready for him and finding a quick-and-easy way to get the photos during the trip. We're both really excited about this!

To those of you who have stumbled upon this site, Scott is an amazing photographer (check out his work at www.stkphoto.com). He's documenting this motorcycle trip from Nanaimo BC to Mexico and will be creating a book about it and donating proceeds to MS research. I'll let Scott say more about his reasons in his own postings.

In the meantime, this blog will let us all follow Scott on his trip and have a preview of what I'm sure will be many breathtaking photographs along the way...

Lara