Toronto to San Francisco & Other Places Along The Way

[NightShadow]

I was planning another trip to the Dragon with a bud who hasn’t been. He mentioned that he has always wanted to do Route 66 . I asked where that was and he told me. So I said why not. So we thought about it for a couple of days & the trip was on. We spent all of about an hour planning it out and that was it. We had also decided to do the I.B.A. run from the start for the Saddle Sore and the Bun Burner. That was going to take us a good part of the way across the country.

The 4 combatants for this trip are Darek and his 2009 Suzuki Boulevard C50 (800cc)
and NightShadow with his 2010 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 classic LT.




As for the 2 of us we are not advanced riders. I got my license last June 1^st and bought
my bike on June 3 and rode out of the dealership. I didn’t do any trips that year and
still got 22,000 kilometers on it. Just had the 2 days of training. To start this trip I had
37,431 kilometers on the bike. Total for the trip was 12,161 kilometers. Bike now sits
at 49,592 since last June 3. D got his license 2 months before me and put on 8,500 kilometers on the first year and for the start of the trip he had 29,270 kilometers .
As of now D has 38,221 kilometers on the bike and did a total of 11,620 for this trip.
Not to shabby for just over a year.



Preparations for the Kawi was a rear tire and oil change done 2 days before we left.
Prep for the Suzuki was a rear tire and wiring for a set of new speakers. We did that the
night before and finished up around 9 pm. The oil was done and finished around 10 pm.
I was all packed to go 2 days in advanced and D still had to pack. We were planning on
leaving at 5 in the morning but we were delayed for a half hour filling out paperwork and
other small things before we could leave.

The colored States are the ones we traveled through on this trip.




Route Map




Some pictures can be seen here

http://s37.photobucket.com/albums/e86/SueakaBarrel/Toronto%20-%20San%20Fran/#!cpZZ1QQtppZZ16



Day 1 & Part of Day 2 (Sat & Sun)

So we started out from Downtown Toronto at 5:30 am and it was fairly warm out.
We got out of Canada and crossed over to the States from Sarnia Ontario. We were
planning to cross the States using Hwy 80 out to San Francisco. The day ride was
uneventful and went fairly smooth. As we got closer to darkness the temperature
started to drop. By 11 pm it was very cold out and we had to make a stop to change
out of what we had on and get the big leather coats out and winter riding pants on.
I even had to put my big winter leather mitts on, it was that cold. (fingers get very
cold with gloves) D rode most of the way with no gloves at all. He finally broke down
with about 3 hours of dark left and put on his heavy gloves . (he was actually shaking
from the cold by this time) . Once he had done this he was OK and we were moving
at a good speed again. We couldn’t wait for the sun to come back out.

First light after riding all night



Once we saw it, it was about 2 hours after that, that we started to warm up. We had 15 gas stops for the IBA run of the trip. We got the 1000 miles in fairly quickly and needed to get the other 500 miles done. Well there was tons of one lane closures and that took some time off of our run and there was also a few wreaks with tractor trailers all over the
Interstate. We were starting to get worried about the time factor . Nebraska
was very windy in some spots and we were getting pushed around quite a bit. We ended
our IBA run in Walcott Wyoming. We did a few extra miles to make sure that
we more then covered the needed mileage for the 1500 miles needed for the
Bun Burner . We still had time left over and seeing as it was the middle of the day,
what now. So instead of going to find a hotel and sleeping for a while we just kept
going and didn’t stop until we were in Salt Lake City . We ended up with over 3100
kilometers done on this first run. (1926 miles – approx) The ride into Salt Lake City
had tons of hills and turns . Was a very enjoyable part of the ride to end the day. We
found a hotel and then headed out for dinner . Once that was done we packed it in
and headed to bed for some well needed sleep.


Day 3 – Mon

We got up late as we both slept in. Our plan was to ride from Salt Lake City to
San Francisco by the end of the day . So with us getting up late that would mean
another very late night. We had a quick breakfast & on the road . Heading out of Salt
Lake City and getting into the Salt Flats we had noticed 2 large machines cutting the
grass along the hwy . As we approached I was leading and D was behind me. As he was
passing by them ( they were about 30 feet from us) a stone hit D right in the side of the
head. (now that is why we wear helmets) D’s comment was if I hadn’t been wearing
my helmet, I would be dead.
It broke his visor and scared the crap out of him. We stopped a bit down the Hwy when he got my attention and told me what had happened. So he had to take the visor off
and run with his sun glasses . The wind was blowing fairly good today. We got back on the bikes and starting riding again. We got about 10 miles down the road when he stopped again in one of those emergency turn arounds . I asked what was going on and
he had now lost his air hawk seat. So we think that the wind had blown it off and he didn’t notice it right away. So I stayed put and he headed back down the Hwy. When he
got there he saw his seat ripped to shreds . So not only did they break his visor off of his
helmet, they also destroyed his seat . (120 bucks down the drain)





A little further along we stopped for gas in Utah and D left me there and went to Nevada . (let me explain this)

When we stopped for gas, about 1 driveway up the street, there was a Casino across the street . Well the drive way for the Casino was actually the border. So actually he just walked across the street and played the slots and lost 20 bucks. While he was doing this, I went inside the place we bought the gas and they had a few different shops for food. So I bought a late lunch and ate it while he was off playing. I ended up talking to a few riders
that had pulled in for a stop and met a few nice people. One rider was on his way to the Air Plane races in Nevada. (saw on the news later that day one plane had crashed & 50
or more people were injured in this mishap)
We got a few small rain showers during the day, but later in the day we could see a very dark cloud right across the mountains and the Hwy we were heading up.



So we changed into our rain suites and went for it. It poured on us for over 30 miles.
By the time we got past this storm it was starting to get dark out. We still had to go
through the mountains to get into San Francisco. So now it is dark out and this stretch
of road is all hills and turns and twisty. We got part way in and it started to rain again.
This lasted for what seemed a long time. It didn’t stop until we reached the outskirts of San Fran. Now it is close to 5 am and need to find a hotel room. We checked about 10 and found out that a big convention was on and that there was no room anywhere. We
ended up checking another 10 hotels and motels and found a dump. They wanted to
charge us a bundle. We said no way and offered half of what they wanted and they gave
it to us . So we unloaded the bikes and got to bed ASAP.




Day 4 – Tues


Seeing as we didn’t get into motel till very late we stayed until we had to be kicked out.
We didn’t do to much riding in San Francisco but had to get some stuff from different stores. First store we needed to find was a bike store so D could get another Air Hawk
seat to replace the shredded one. We tried to find a new visor but no luck. Then off
to find a cigar store as D had none of these either. (he can’t ride if he don’t have his
big cigars… LOL …) Once that was done I was off to find a new front tire for my bike.
We found a place not to far away from where we were and had to sit around for a couple
of hours waiting. So off D went to get some pics and see a bit of the city. He wanted a pic
of the Golden Gate Bridge . This is what it looked like when he got there.



After that he got some other nice shots around the city. Finally my bike was done and D
returned to where I was and we headed out of town to the Pacific Coast Hwy. In San Fran
it was nice and sunny and a bit cool that day. As we headed to the PCH it got foggier and
foggier and was very cool. We got down on to the Hwy 1 and went to the ocean and got our hands wet (or feet) It was way to cold for swimming but there was a lot of surfers out
on this day . Got a few nice pics of them. Was even one guy fishing from the shore line.
While riding down the PCH further it got cooler then when we started out. By mid to late
afternoon we were chilled to the bone. The sun never came out the rest of the day. While
riding the fog. was no more then a couple of feet off of the road in places. We did make a few stops and got some nice still shots with camera. Had a early dinner for us at this place



This was just our appetizers .



Our main meal was great. Some kind of noodles and chicken with Veggies .
D had noodles with some shrimp. (hot & spicy)

We only rode a bit longer after dinner and found a hotel for the night in Santa Anna
too get some much needed rest. I did do some video today but not as much as I
would have liked.


Day 5 - Wed


We got a fairly early start down the PCH for the second day. Was cool in the morning
& warmed up by noon. Fog had disappeared and sun had come out for a change.
Today we were just taking our time and looking at things all over the place. Kept
stopping to take pictures. We made one stop for fuel, and couldn’t believe what they
were charging for it. (was the only station around for miles) Normally fuel is 3 in change
for a gallon. This guy was charging 5 in change for a gallon. He sure knew how to gauge
every one that came in. This is the gas station that charges too much. Was called the Whale Watcher Restaurant (or something very close to that)



As we headed further south down the PCH we came across the Hearst Castle. We pulled
in and had a look around . We couldn’t see any castle. Upon further looking around, we
could see way up on the mountain top, the top of the castle with your eyes only. You could see buses going back in forth to get up the mountain. We didn’t bother to go up
& look around . D got out his camera and zoomed in on it . So the pics we got turned out
very good seeing as it was so far away.

This is what it looked like from the naked eye down below



This is what it looked like once we zoomed in on it



So we headed south again after a brief stop and ran into 4 Harley riders – 1 woman &
3 guys. She had the biggest bike of all of them. The 1 lane was closed so traffic back up.
We chatted briefly with them for a few mins while sitting there waiting to go. I was watching this woman handle this big Harley and she held it straight up with no wiggles
at a speed of maybe 2 or 3 miles an hour as we were moving up. I couldn’t believe how
good she was at it . She made us all look bad . LOL .. So we got through the traffic tie up
and headed south following these 4 riders . (staggered position) We were doing a fairly good speed down the PCH when some IDIOT decided to pull out and try to pass all of us on a fairly short straight away. Well you know what is coming. Traffic is heading his way and he cuts off 2 of the Harley riders to get out of the way from oncoming traffic. So further down the road we have another stop with only one lane open . The one rider goes up and says something to this person in his window and all you see is the driver sinking into his seat as he knows he was being a jerk. (I have this all on video) So off we go again further south and the 4 riders turn off to the left and we go right . We rode awhile longer that day and looked for a hotel or motel. Well we pull in and who do we see?
The same 4 riders from earlier. We get checked in and head to our room. Get all the bags off the bikes and head out for dinner. Found another Thai restaurant and had a great meal again. Back at the hotel we downloaded all the pics and video of the day. We saw the 4 riders having a beer outside so I took the video over and showed it to them. What a laugh they had watching this. One of them wants the footage of what we shot that day so he gave me some money to send it to him. He couldn’t believe how great the picture quality was. (I use a go-pro with 1080 P) We chatted with them for awhile and then hit the sack for the night . Seems they were heading the same way as us in the morning. Great bunch of people we met & great riders to boot. (sorry I can’t remember all there names) I’m old and that is my excuse and sticking with it.

[NightShadow]

Day 6 - Thur


The next morning we get a knock on the door from one of the riders we were with yesterday. They were heading out and wanted to know if we wanted to tag along as we were all heading in the same direction. We were just getting up and needed to shower and get ready. They left half and hour before us and we thought that was the last of them. It was very cool and damp out as it had rained that night. So we had some heavier stuff on for the ride in the morning. As we were riding the 166 that morning we didn’t know it but we were heading inland and it was getting hot out very fast . So I pulled over to change out of my heavy stuff and ride in my jeans and T – shirt. Funny thing is when we turned around there was a small café about 300 feet behind us and to the right of us . D turns around and says to me, isn’t that the 4 Harley riders bikes. Sure enough it was them. So
we headed over and one rider came out and we asked him why he was following us. That was good for a laugh. Anyways we had a quick coffee with them and chatted for a few mins and decided to ride with them. The woman was cutting back to San Fran and we were going to head down the 33 through the mountains and the twistys. So I videoed the woman first before she left us . Once we got to 33 and she left us we got to where the twistys started and I changed out the card and battery for this ride. I took 1 at a time for about 12 mins each and video taped them all through the mountains. D was taking pics with his still camera as this was all going on.

This is a pic of the 3 riders and me getting ready to video



Pics of D shooting us as we are heading down the road.





We rode for an hour or so till the end and pulled in to fuel up. We had a great ride with these guys as they had ridden these roads before. We chatted for 15 mins and said our good byes. What a great bunch of guys and riders they were. D and I enjoyed there company & they were a lot of laughs. So that took care of our morning ride.
We were heading towards Malibu and wanted to do all the twistys north of there.
Spent the afternoon doing twistys and enjoying every min of it.
We met a young lad named Joe, north of Malibu , doing a coast to coast ride. He is from Oregon and riding a Ducati. Very nice young man. We chatted with him for a bit and found out about his trip. Sounded like he was having a great time.

Pic of Joe & bike



We made brief stops in Ventura – LA – Santa Monica Pier & Sunset Blvd





We headed down to the Santa Monica Pier where they charge 8 bucks to park. Well
the line was long so we went over to the left side and got in for free. We went up to
look around the pier and were so disappointed with what we saw. (They glamorize it on TV for us to watch back home) There was hardly anyone there or anything open & looked like most had gone home. (this was at 7 or 8 at night) It’s a good thing we
didn’t pay to park . This is one place I wouldn’t recommend to anyone.
Once this was done we started to head north and looking for a hotel for the night.
I called a friend that lives there & he helped us find a hotel in that area not to far from where he lives and arranged a meet up time in the morning for breakfast. We finally stopped for the night in Orange County about 20 mins from his place.
Once we got to the hotel, we dumped off the bags and headed out for some late dinner. When we got back we downloaded all the video and still shots we had.
We really had a great day of riding and met some really great people along the way.

[NightShadow]

Day 7 - Fri


Today we had to be up and ready as we were meeting Revrandy for breakfast.
Some of you may know him from ADVrider site and some from the GTA site .
We talked about our trip and he informed us of some really nice roads to hit and
if we had talked to him before we had left, he could have given us much better
roads to ride. We chatted for a couple of hours and had a very nice visit with Randy.
Before we could leave the hotel that morning D had a small job to do. (he works for himself ) So we got things done and were ready by noon to leave. We headed up to the
74 for our ride today, and what a ride it was. It had lots of twists and turns and the scenery was just mind blowing again as it has been every day. (just so you know – we don’t have mountains – twistys – switchbacks – or anything like that were we are from – it is just flat & boring. ) So just imagine us with a big grin on our faces all day long riding these great roads. As we are going along the 74 we stop in at Hells Kitchen.
It is a biker bar with some great eats and drink. Young & old gather here as they travel
along. We met a group from Germany that were touring around California. (5 couples)
We also met some of the locals and a couple of other couples that were traveling around.
It was nice to chat with a few people and hear there stories. We had, had lunch earlier so we decided to try the Deep Fried Cherry Pie and Deep Fried Apple Pie with Ice Cream & Whip Cream on top of that. What a treat it was. We both really enjoyed this. To wash it all down was a very large Lemon Iced Tea. The temp in that area was mid to high 90’s and we were drinking tons that day.









This was hanging on a tree outside the place



This is a shot from over the City – just as you start to head down the mountain.



From here we are now heading over to route 66 which is part of our trip plans. The first part was very smooth and an enjoyable ride. Some info – my riding partner is a real route 66 fan. He has always wanted to do this ride. So here he is enjoying himself.





As we get further along the road changes and not for the better. The term – shake, rattle & roll – well that is what we felt like after a couple of miles. This road had more holes, cracks and craters where we could only do about 20 Kilometers an hour along here. It was like they hadn’t touched this road since they had built it. The closest turn off was approx 5 miles away. This seemed like forever getting past this part. (route 66 runs right beside the I40 in this part.) We finally turn off this road and get on the I40 heading towards Barstow CA. We were planning to go a bit further then Barstow and then call it a day. So we get 40 miles past Barstow and D’s bike breaks down. It will run but won’t move. We call CAA or AAA in the States and try to get a tow. He gives his number and they tell him he has no coverage. WELL isn’t that just great. Now D had called 2 weeks in advanced to CAA and made sure he had coverage for the 2 of us. So we now have to call them to see what is going on. They tell D that he is only covered in some States. We are both shaking our heads with bewilderment. So now we have to give them our credit card number and get coverage for California. That’s only another 34 bucks. (How is it they couldn’t have told us that our coverage was only for “ Some States ” before we left.)
So we get the coverage taken care of and then have to call AAA back and arrange the tow for his bike. Now in the meantime it is after 9 pm when we broke down and this takes about almost an hour to straighten out. In the meantime they are using up our roaming mins on D’s cell phone. While waiting for the truck to show up we ring Randy and ask him to search out a place we can take the bike to be looked at. There just happens to be a Suzuki Dealer in Barstow and fairly close to the towing company. Thanks Randy. Now we are just sitting there waiting now. So D lights up his cigar and I go for a smoke and we settle in for a longer wait. ( After a few hours one person stops to see if we are OK.
He says he is a rider as well & had just taken his bike in for service and offered to put D’s bike in his truck and take us back to Barstow. We let him know that AAA was going to
be there shortly and that we really appreciated that he stopped for us. He was the only
one that did stop in the 4 hours we were stuck on the side of the road. Gave us a couple
more bottles of water as well) (riders taking care of riders)
As we are sitting there in the middle of no where, we look up at the sky and see tons of stars and the milky-way. It is funny how things look different when you are stuck somewhere. Living in the heart of the City you don’t see that kind of thing. The truck finally shows up close to 1 am and we head off back to Barstow and get to the hotel at 2 am. The tow driver says he will keep the bike locked up at there yard so we don’t have to leave it outside all night. We just have to be there in the morning to load it back up on the truck and take to the dealership. We are both worn out with the full day we had and needed to get to bed.
(we got more great video and still shots)

[NightShadow]

Day 8 - Sat


This morning D had to be up by 8 and at the tow company to load his bike on.
Got over to dealership and they said it would be a couple of hours before we would
know what was needed and wrong with it. So D comes back with X large coffee’s and
breakfast. We hang out for awhile, do some of the ride report as we are always forgetting and also do some computer work. D goes back and finds out it was a seal on the drive shaft that let go and some other parts gone as well. Now D is told that they can’t get parts till next Thur or Fri. (they are closed on sun and mon.) So D comes back and we search the internet for other places. We find a place 70 miles south of us that will have all the parts by Tues morning. (what’s wrong with this picture – Suzuki bike – Suzuki dealer)
D now goes back to dealer and has it out with the parts guy. He explains it to him how he found all the parts, but he couldn’t. (we said that we would pay extra for overnight shipping) The parts guy is still arguing with D about how he would have to come in on his off day and order the parts. (well with all the part numbers and parts list in our hands how is it that he has to come in to order the parts. Just pick the phone up and order from home as you have the list. The long & short of this is, the guy orders it for us and should be in on Tues morning. By this time it is mid afternoon. So we go for a walk and find something to eat and do a bit of shopping. We stopped in at the Barstow Station and buy a few things for the kids and I found a nice leather vest for the wife. We looked around a bit more then head back to the hotel. We do some more computer work and talk to our wives for awhile and then head to bed for some much needed sleep. Oh BTW this is the first day that we actually had 3 square meals and some treats. (we haven’t had a lot of time for this yet – always riding) & if you are ever in Barstow CA – Do stay away from the Dealer if you need parts. We will let everyone we know and then some how badly we were treated.



Day 9 - Sun


I had arranged to meet Revrandy the next day at the 138 & I15 cut off for a ride. Rev had said that he had never been up in that area before. So something new for him to check out for a later date when he has more time. D heard about a flea market from a local but had never been there. So he decided to taxi over and check it all out. Well it was so small and almost nothing there. He got back in the taxi and went over to the small route 66 museum
and had a look around . He was telling me that it didn’t have much inside it. So he bought a patch for himself and left a bit later . It was close enough that he could walk back to the hotel. I finally met up with Revrandy and get my video camera going and off we go. The first few miles is sort of straight but after that it is all twisty and sweepers. We rode for a couple of hours and headed towards Big Bear City and the lake. We stopped just short of the lake and Randy wasn’t sure on how to get home from this area. So he was going to go back the way we came and then head home. It was going to be a long ride for him, so we chatted for a few more mins and he departed and I kept going. I got on 18 for awhile and then the road split in 2 – So what way now. I decide to take the right fork in the road. Well it was the wrong one and I get lost . To my surprise it takes me out into the country side and I end up doing a really nice curvy road for about ¾ of an hour. It was basically a big loop. So now I get things sorted out and get back on track. I finally hit the 247 that is supposed to take me right back into Barstow, just down the street from our hotel. The 247 is in the low lands and it is hot as heck. The roads are straight, as far as you can see.
Then I do one turn and head up the mountain pass and through it . Seemed to take forever on this road. One more turn and I am back in Barstow and the hotel.

Revrandy and bike



What the roads were like



Scenery



247 as far as u could see in both directions





Day 10 - Mon


This morning was a late start as we both slept in again. As for D’s day, he was going to go shopping again and look around some more. After that he was going to hang out at the pool with his bottle of Tequila and his cigars and work on his tan. As for me I was going on another ride up in the same area as yesterday, but going in the other direction from the 138 and over to Hwy2 (Angeles Crest Hwy) for some twisty, curvy roads and nice scenery. This road is about 60 miles approx in lenght . Was going to do a loop at the end and come back around on a couple of other roads but as I was going in, the loop roads were all shut down. I had my video camera going again and On the way back, I was using the still camera and pulling off at a lot of the mountain cut-offs. This road was just as fabulous as all the rest we had ridden. I was smiling from ear to ear all day today .













Now I would have liked to take D on these 2 roads when he got his bike back, but
that would have taken us longer with our plans and it was getting cut some already.
Our original plan from here was to head to Tulsa on Route 66 and then cut south to the Dragon & go through the top of Fontana (2 up the Smokey Mountain Hwy to the Blue Ridge Mountains & continue up Skyline Drive (Shenandoah National Park) & through PA & back across the border to home. So now we were going to have to high tail it some when he gets his bike back as we only had 2 ½ weeks to get this all done.



Day 11 - Tues


The 2 of us slept in this morning as we were expecting to get D’s bike back sometime today. We called to see if parts had come in & found that they wouldn’t be in till the afternoon truck. We headed down the street and had a big breakfast to kill some time.
We worked on the computer for a bit and got some unfinished stuff done. The temp for each day was in the high 90’s and was never a cloud in the sky. The day just dragged on.
So that meant that we would have to check out and wait around . The hotel let us stay in the room till 1pm and then held all D’s stuff in the office till we got the bike back. We went over for 4pm and got back to the hotel by 4:30 pm and loaded up. We were looking to get out of Dodge (Barstow) We hit the Hwy around 4:45 pm and rode the rest of the day till 3 am and then had to crash for the night . We did a section of route 66 along the way. We cleared California & part of Arizona during this stint. It was 97 degrees when we left the hotel in the afternoon. With that heat and the bike heat, we were both melting away. We were making sure that we were getting lots of water in us on each stop. It’s a good thing that the sun was dropping soon as it was taking its toll. Even during the later hours it was still warm out but the ride was much easier without the sun.


Day 12 - Wed


We got a late start seeing as we rode well into the night, last night. Had a quick coffee at the hotel, packed up and hit the Hwy to get some miles behind us. It was sunny and hot out when we started. As the day wore on it got hotter and the winds picked up quite a bit. We were fighting the winds from noon onwards and was making the ride more difficult & was tiring us out. Other then that it was an uneventful day till 9pm. We had pulled off the Hwy and decided to have a late dinner and the hotel was just down the street. (500 meters away) As we are pulling into the restaurant, D has a wobble in the rear end.
So we park the bikes and get off and we look at his bike and it has a flat tire. So we just looked at it and then decided to go eat first and look at it afterwards. We had been snacking during the day and had not had a good meal yet. So in we go and stuff ourselves for the next hour. Now our bellies full we need to decide what to do with his bike. The town we stopped in is a ghost town . Just a few hotels – motels , gas station and 3 or 4 places to eat . Everything else is boarded up. We do find a truck stop about a mile away and D goes to get a can of that foam stuff and try that to at least get it to the hotel for the night. So we get it in and the tire comes up. We head down the street to hotel and park bikes. Well we hear this hissing noise. Well we look down and the foam is coming out from the spokes all over the ground. We didn’t know he had tubes in his tire but we sure know now. So we get in and start looking for the nearest shop to Santa Rosa (name of the town) The nearest place is Albuquerque – New Mexico – Only 130 miles away. We call it a night and will have to get it done in the morning.

[NightShadow]

Day 13 - Thur



We are up early so that we can find a bike shop that can fix his tire and also make sure they have a tube in stock. D finds a place and calls. As long as we get to the shop by 3pm they will fix it up and have him back on the road later that day. So we call AAA again and they are over in an hour to pick up. So we put D’s helmet on my handle bar to help push it onto the trailer. (ever try to move a bike with rear flat tire?) It gets tied down and they are ready to go. We talk over a few things and they leave. I head back into the room & start doing some computer work. I decided to go out for a smoke and see his helmet on my bike. So by this time they are down the highway and I call him. It is to late to turn around now as they only (AAA) go 100 miles and you have to pay the rest . It is 5 bucks a mile and they had 30 extra to go. So it is a good thing that it is a state that has a no helmet law. So D is going to ride back without it. It is now around 11am, so I go and pay for the room for 1 more night as we won’t have time for anything by the time D gets back. I find out later when D gets back that he tells the driver to drop him off at the 100 mile mark and he will push bike across the street and call AAA again . The driver tells him to hold on for a min. He pulls out his cell and calls his boss and tells him that D doesn’t have any more money. They talk for a few mins and he hangs up. The driver says to D that he is going to take him right to the bike shop and not to worry about the extra cost. So D saves himself some money. (that was cool of them) While waiting for his bike, an old friend of D’s shows up and they go out for some coffee and catch up on old times. They have been friends for over 20 years. (D’s wife must have called him and let him know he was going to be there.) We were planning to stay at his place for a day or so, but with us being behind we didn’t bother to stop in. When D gets back we head for dinner around 8 pm. We ate well again today. After that, we decided to head down the main street to check out this little town. Wasn’t much to see. Oh and we left our helmets in the room seeing as it was a ghost town and it was also Legal to ride without. (have to try it at least once or twice) After our little ride, it is back to the hotel and a early night as we want to get a very early start in the morning.




Day 14 - Fri


Today we were on the road by 6:30 am and leaving New Mexico behind us. We made our first fuel stop just inside the Texas border . Once fueled up, we head across the street to this place as we were thinking of breakfast in this place, but they didn’t look like they were open yet .



We saw a small building that was a restaurant on one of the corners and went in to have some coffee and toast. It was run by the husband & wife and 2 kids. (place was empty)
We got to chatting with them & they were thrilled to here about our ride to this point.
As we are getting up to leave and ask how much, they say it is free. We argued but weren’t going to win. ( He tells us he enjoyed the report we gave him and that when
we were stuck in that hotel for 4 days – bike repairs – he said that someone should get
it, to help you out. ) ( it was very nice of them – great people )
So back on the road again and we head over to Route 66 in Texas and do part of that route. As we are coming into Amarillo on 66 we needed to use washrooms and needed some water. I ask for a bottle of water and D got a coffee. I come out from restrooms and find a glass of water . (have no way to carry that in my side bag) LOL . So we leave 2 bucks for the coffee and leave. The blonde owner comes out before we drive off and gives us the 2 bucks back . She says she can’t charge us for that . We were dumb founded – but OK. So we chatted with her for a few more mins and tell her about the trip so far . She was a real Gem. (place was called Smokin Joe’s







As we are heading down the main street they have left the main road as it was. It was made of dark red bricks. (don’t see that very often)
After this we head back to the highway and get out of Texas awhile later. We are now in Oklahoma and doing another part of route 66 . We were traveling along and spotted a Route 66 museum and stopped to have a look see. They had kept some of the original buildings . Was a nice place to check out.












After this we headed across the street to a KFC and had lunch . It was getting
hotter as the day went on & the wind was picking up again. With our bellies full now
we head back to the Highway and finish off Oklahoma.



Then we ride across Arkansas & stop 5 miles from the far boarder of Arkansas to end the days ride. The worst part of this day was going into Oklahoma. The road conditions were terrible. We are used to potholes and cracks in the roads but they have craters that we were dodging for close to 100 miles.



Day 15 - Sat


Today was a late start as the alarm didn’t go off . We had a quick shower and coffee, then got the bikes loaded up & out the door. Today was going to be a boring day as we needed to make up some more time. We got out of Arkansas very quickly & through Mississippi – Alabama & a part of Georgia and into Tennessee. Around lunch time D had changed the route up. We weren’t going to go to Tulsa , but start heading south & a bit east. I had to agree as we wanted to make sure we got the Dragon, Blue Ridge & Skyline Drive in our trip. As we are heading south and seeing some very dark clouds in front of us, we decide to pull over for a break and get our rain stuff on. So we find a small side road and pull over. (the main road has hardly any traffic at all on it) Now we didn’t get much in pictures today but we did get one while we were stopped. We saw these 2 beasts out roaming around and having a good eat. (at the time seemed strange) There was no fences to keep them in and they were just on the side of the road. Nothing seemed to bother them.



After our break we rode for a few more hours and ended the day in Chatanooga. We unloaded the bikes and headed right out for some food. (I can’t remember what it was)
(it was that good) LOL . After dinner we hit the sack for an early day tomorrow as we knew there was going to be a lot of riding and fun riding at that.

[NightShadow]

Day 16 - Sun
.

Up early today, quick coffee out front and then on the road. We hit the Hwy for ½ hour only today. The first road we hit after that was through the Chattahoochee National Forest. This was not just a great road but scenery was beautiful. Large lake with a huge river running up & along the roadside. Lots of sweepers, twists & turns. Saw many people white water rafting and having fun.



Once through the CNF we headed over to 68 and north. This was another great road.
Worked our way up to the Cherihola Pkwy. Made a stop at the Harley Shop and
bought a long sleeve shirt for myself and one that my bud had asked me for if we
were to head down that way on this trip. We had to make another stop for fuel and
it had a place with warm food. They had just cooked up some deep fried chicken and
fries, so we bought a few pieces and some wedges and ate outside in the sun shine. We
needed to get something in us as we hadn’t eaten yet today. (seems we forget to do that)
It was very cool this morning when we left but it was now very warm and getting hotter.
Heading across the Cherihola, we made sure to make lots of stops for Pics and had the
video camera going again. (this is one of my favorite roads to ride – easy cruising with
nice turning radius) (Cherihola and next few roads I did in June – this is D’s first time )



Now when you look over the cliff where we were standing you can just see this place as
a small spec with your eye. We pulled it in as big as his camera would allow. Turned out fairly good . The roads around the area looked like a lot of fun. Now this is living in the mountains.



Things are looking up




We now are heading north on the 129 towards the Dragon. When we get on site, no one is waiting to have pics done in front of the signs or the tree of shame. We got that done right away and then inside to see what else we could buy. D needed to get some shirts – few patches – lic plate bracket & I grabbed a couple of T-shirts for the kids.








So now it is time to head up the Dragon. D is leading and I am following with video
going . We get up to the turn around spot and D climbs off bike and gets a few pics
from the cliff. Then it is back down the Dragon for another run. As we ended the run, I can see D’s face and it says it all . Eyes wide and a grin from ear to ear. I didn’t have to ask how he liked that road. It was written all over his face.
Now we are heading down 28 towards Fontana, which is another nice road to ride, working our way down to the Smokey Mountain Hwy and then heading north on the
19 – 74 so that we can either stay in Cherokee or move on. We get into Cherokee at
6:45 pm and fuel up. The sun is still shining but setting fast. We are debating on weather to make a mad dash to Ashville or stay put.




WELL




You know what comes next ?????









So off we go. I am hopeful that we can hit the highest point in the sun so that he can get his pictures done . We are now rushing a bit to get up the mountain. (I have done the Smokey to Ashville run already, but not the rest of it.) Well we are approx 100 to 200 feet from the top and it was like someone hit us with a black wall and fog. We had no idea that it was coming in from the opposite direction. So we get to the top and can’t believe it. We were lucky to get the one shot he needed to get. (the all important one)



With the dark clouds and fog rolling in on us we have to put on something warmer and get the heck out of there. As we start riding over the fog gets heavier & is a bit harder to see. This slows us down some but still moving. The dark was not our worst enemy at the time. Further along we start heading down and it clears up a bit and we can see ahead of us as far as our lights will go. We finally make Ashville and the hotel. We get unloaded and ask if any good places to eat. A young lad says the East Village Deli & Grill is good
food with good prices. So off we go to this place. Seems nice enough. D orders 1 ½ rack of Ribs with a Salad & Spicy Apples (which were very good) & shot of Scotch . I ended up getting the Rib Eye Steak Sandwich (this thing was a foot long) with a Salad & a shot of Rye. The meals were both fabulous. We couldn’t have asked for anything more. This was a great way to end the day. (great meal + great roads all day) Can’t ask for anything better then that.
Now as to the East Village Deli & Grill. We both give it a 2 thumbs up for food, prices
& service. (Excellent) No problem with recommending this place to others.



Day 17 - Mon


Today’s Forecast



90% of our Ride Today




Today is a late start – 10:45 am - Must have been to much drinking last night. LOL
So we head out for the Blue Ridge which is about a mile down the road from our hotel.
We get on and go about 2 miles and we head into heavy fog right away. We also have a slight mist coming at us but not enough to get us soaked. About 10 minutes down the road we hit what I call complete fog. You could see maybe 10 to 20 in front of you if you were lucky enough. The worst part was it started to rain out . Our rain suits came out and some warmer clothes as well. We rode for what seemed like forever but not as long as we should have and headed off the Blue Ridge to get fuel. Well we were in some little place in the middle of nowhere taking a break after the fuel and having a drink. A bunch of people that came in for fuel as well – just looked at the 2 of us and had to say – nice day for a ride . (then start laughing) (it was still raining pretty good ) BTW my boots were soaked by now and I am sure D’s were as well. I had to try something out and see if it works any good. I went in the store and asked the lady for some plastic bags and got out a dry pair of socks and put them on with the plastic bags. It seemed to help for a few hours but it seemed the moisture was getting in later in the day. So it worked for awhile. Wasn’t helping that it was still raining on us. So we are back on the Blue Ridge again for awhile, when we hit a Road Closed Sign. We now have to take a 28 mile detour. So off we go on this wild goose chase. We ended up going through a small town called Sparta. Something looks and sounds familiar. D pulls into a Burger King and seems it is time to have something to eat as we hadn’t eaten today. As we are getting off the bikes, I say to him that I have been here before. ( It just happens that on the way to the Dragon in June our group had stopped in the same BK for lunch as well) Small world.
D goes in to the BK and I stay outside for a smoke. I needed one by this time.
In pulls this old guy on a Harley. Old worn leather coat – jeans – gloves – boots- no rain suit. You can see he is really soaked . We get to chatting and he had left the same place as us and was heading home to Roanoke. He is retired and grew up in the Tenn – Carolina area. He knows all the back roads from when he started riding as a kid. No highways for him. He was telling me he goes over to the old neighborhood for days at a time to ride.
He just stays with old friends when visiting. Now just imagine this – your first ride of the day is Roanoke along the Blue Ridge to Tenn – Carolina area. He does this all the time.
(Most people only wish for roads like that to ride) (me included)
So in we go and get something to eat . After lunch we head out and find 6 more riders
in the parking lot that were coming from the other direction. They have bad new for us.
It is still foggy and raining where we are heading. We get past this detour & back on the Blue Ridge and hit the odd clearing where we can see 500 to 1000 feet in front of us. It is all we can do but throttle up as much as possible and get as far as we can before we run into the fog and rain again. Trust me we don’t get far. Back in the fog and rain. We just keep going for awhile and then pull over after an hour or so . Time for a quick break and smoke . We light up for a few mins and the old timer comes along . He stops to see if we are OK and then chats with us for a bit . A few mins later he leaves . We catch up with him a few mins later and decided to let him lead for awhile. We are watching this guy and he is really starting to make me and D laugh .
(Don’t get me wrong – I have to explain this.)

He wears glasses and he has a large wind screen on his bike. Well he can’t see through the wind screen as it is all fogged up. So as he is riding along with his head bobbing from side to side every few seconds. (well you all know what a bobble head doll is ??? )
You get the idea now as to why we were laughing at him. Don’t get me wrong, you just had to be there to see it. I just wish I had, had my video camera going. We rode with him for awhile longer and then had to step it up a bit . We were pushing the limits today for most of the day and not making much head way. Some of those clearings we hit, we would see approx 100 bambis running around . Some we would see on the side of the road. If you just rode by they would just stare at you as you passed them. If you tried to slow for a picture they would bolt. So we finally got smart . When we would see them, we would hit the kill switch and roll in quietly. It worked a couple of times and got a few good shots. Our ride from Ashville to Roanoke was physically and mentally draining.
It is only 283 miles. This has to be one of the hardest day rides we have ever done. It seemed to take forever to get into Roanoke. For awhile I didn’t think we would make it that far. Once at the hotel we dumped our bags and headed out to a Thai Restaurant again. We have now eaten in one on 4 different nights. (we must like it) LOL
When we get back – not more then 2 minutes later we hear loud thunder and it rains like crazy out. It only rained for 3 or 4 minutes but it made small rivers everywhere. We didn’t even have time to cover the bikes up. I tried but was a waste of time. Was soaked before I could even get the side bag open. It was now time for a hot shower and hit the sack for the night .

[NightShadow]

Day 18 - Tues


This morning we got another quick coffee in us & then got the bikes loaded so we could be on the road by 7:30 am. The Blue Ridge was just up the street again from the hotel, so didn’t take us long to get going . We could see for the first 10 miles and then we got right back into the fog again. (we are thinking – not again – like the day before) This went on for some time before we actually could see anything again. We made our first stop at Otter Peak Visitor Center to see what they had inside. We got to chatting to the 2 rangers inside for a bit and 1 of them was also a rider. I had made mention about seeing all the deer in the open fields. He says to the other ranger – Guess what? This guy has seen some deer and they both start laughing. OK – I just realized I was the butt of the joke.
Little do they know, we don’t see things like that back home, so it is a totally different situation for us. They just walk out the front door of the place & you can see them all over the place. We chat a few more minutes. End up buying a patch from them & head out the door. We decided to have a smoke when 1 ranger comes out and says to us, why don’t you go over to the restaurant and have a coffee and relax with your smoke. OK so we are now looking all around us and all we see is trees and road . We were dumbfounded as we had no idea of any place around. (seeing as we rode in fog all day yesterday and most of the morning we could have passed a million places and never seen a thing.)
He tells us, it is just 100 meters down the road . OK . So we head over & sure enough it is right in front of us. Who Knew. We go inside and decide to have a late breakfast. It is a very nice place with good food and the prices were very reasonable. The view from the restaurant is floor to ceiling windows looking out onto a small lake. In front of the place is an apple tree with a young buck having his or her breakfast as well. Everyone in the place is watching this. Now with our bellies full we head outside for a smoke and to get back on the road. I saw a few bikes coming down this road from out of the trees. One pulls up beside us and we start chatting for a few mins. I was curious as to where they were coming from. The guy says that there is a hotel behind the trees. (OK dork moment #2 for the day. LOL ) As we our getting ready to leave, the sun pops out. Couldn’t have happened at a better time. So we are riding along again and with in a few miles we are back in the fog and rain. (this really sucks) It is raining, but not to hard. Over the next couple of hours we get rained on 3 or 4 times. As we are nearing the end of the Blue Ridge the sun decides to pop out again. (we hope it will stay this time )

A couple of Pics along the way





Now this one should read – You have finally finished it



We have now finally completed the Blue Ridge Parkway. So now it is onto
Skyline Dr – (Shenandoah National Park)



We get to the gates & they want a 10 dollar fee. I had heard from another rider that,
that is what they charge to ride the park. So it wasn’t a big surprise. (just wondered why they charge and a lot of the others don’t - not a biggie) We are riding along and some nice twists and turns so have to make a stop to get video camera going. Now we get riding again and are enjoying the ride and scenery when we come to some stopped cars in the roadway. I had to make a decision quick on weather to stop or go around them. As I am passing them, I see a car further down on the other side of the road flashing its lights.
I couldn’t figure this out. I start scanning the area and then I see it. There is 3 black bears on the side of the road and looked like they were waiting to cross. I hit the kill switch and rolled towards them. So here I am thinking I am going to get all this on video. Great!
Well once they cross the road I pull up a bit further down and wait for D to come up to where I am. Did you get some pics of that . What are you talking about. He had not seen this going on at all. So I tell him about it and let him know I got it all on video. He says to me that I may not have. ( D tells me I have moisture where the lens is ) Now I am not a happy camper. (these cameras with the full back on - are supposed to be fully water proof - well we know better now.) (when we checked the next day the footage was a bit blurry but u could just make them out)
Anyways D goes back up the road and gets his camera out and zooms in on one of the bears. We did get some shots, but by this time they were partly hidden.



I take the camera apart and get moisture out and set up another battery and card just in case. So off we go again and make some stops at different look out areas and get some nice footage and still shots.








So down the road again we decide to stop in at a visitor center. This is the first thing we saw when we parked the bikes. (sorry about pic – something happened to color)



We go inside and look around to see what else we can spend our money on.
There is a couple of others in there so we are thinking that maybe one of them owns that bike with the fishing rod on it. I think we ended up buying a couple of patches and then head out side. We took a break here for awhile and had some snacks and water. The guy that owned the bike came out and we started to chat with him. They are 2 Fire Fighters from NY City on there way down to Miami for some fishing. (now that’s the life )
D loves to fish as well so he was very curious as to how this guy had mounted it.
They ended up chatting for awhile. The strange thing for me was he had it mounted and at full length and not taken apart to make is much smaller. (he still had the hook on it)
Once they are finished talking we are back on the road again. After awhile we do run into another black bear and this time we do get on video and a few still shots.
We only hit some heavy fog along this part of the mountains for about 10 mins . After that it was sunny again. The day was turning out OK considering what we had started the day with. We finally get to the end of the mountains and are both smiling as it was a great ride through the park. We stop for a pic and quick smoke before we have to get back on the – what do we call them – Boring Roads.





We left Shenandoah National Park and headed towards Altoona. We stopped for fuel and some snacks or dinner.
By this time it was almost 8pm and the hotel was only 6 clicks away. We started talking to the locals there, only to find out they are expecting flash flooding over night and rain most of the next day. We heard this from some guys radio. So I look at D and it is now decision time. Do we chance riding home now and see if we miss it all, or stay, and chance we have to ride all day in the rain. . Once we had decided to ride all the way home after a long days ride, we decided to cut dinner out and have quick snacks. . (this consisted of Twinkies & Twix chocolate bars and bottled water.) ( OH Boy -Yummy )
So off again, on 99 to the 219. It is now dark out & can’t see a thing. We only see the odd car or truck every once in awhile. We don’t hit any rain falling, but we do seem to hit roads that are very wet at times and then later on dry. It is like this all of the way to Buffalo. So we must have gotten lucky tonight and missed the storms in front of us. We get into Buffalo around 2am and find fuel before we cross over. We also had to stop at duty free for half an hour. With this all done we head to the border crossing. We show our passports and pay our fee in about 2 mins and we are back in our country. We pull over a few feet from the check point and put away our passports and lock everything up. We get on our bikes to leave and it starts to downpour. We were planning to stop part way home at a Timmy’s and download all the video to the laptop from today. With the rain coming down so hard there was no way I was stopping till I got in my front door. We could hardly see in front of us, it was that bad. The last couple of hours was not a nice ride. We pulled in around 5am that morning. It was a very long day as we had started around 7:30 in the morning and finished up at 5am. When I think of it, we had a couple of days like that .



Ride Report Summary


First big adventure is over. We started out with 2 ½ weeks to get this all done,
but lost 5 days to break downs and did this in just over 13 days.
We sure had one Hell of a ride.

Did we get to do everything we wanted?
Of course not. We had to cut a few corners to make it all work.

Would we do this again?
Hell yes. - In A Heart Beat. – Wouldn’t even have to think about it.

How many can say they went across the country, on a bike and through almost half the States in the States in one trip? We can.

We saw beautiful country as we rode along and met tons of great people & heard their stories and adventures, which made our trip even more enjoyable.

Things I would change?
Make sure I have more horse power under me and a heavier bike.
Also make sure we have paper to write on & to make sure we did our ride report
every day so we don’t forget stuff from the day before.
To take more time to enjoy the roads that we travel.

The Weather
For the most part we missed tons of storms. Got sprinkled on a few times,
got soaked a few times. So overall we lucked out .

Cameras
Still camera – over 1000 pics
Go Pro – 90 gig (still have to edit it)

Cost of trip?

Was just over $2300. for all expenses
For Darek it was a bit more as he had the repairs.

As to my riding partner?

Darek navigated the whole trip. Only turned the wrong way 3 times & got it corrected
within a few hundred feet. Twice was at night when harder to see.
(not a bad feat for doing over 12000 Kilometers)
He kept me laughing most of the trip. (just the way he is)
He is not only a great rider but a great friend. I would not have
any hesitation in doing another long trip like this with him.

[silvrsurfr]

Great report. thanks for sharing. and glad you made it back safe. that's quite the trip.

[bluerider]

Very nice I wold love to do a trip like this. Congrats on the trip and glad you guys made it there and back safely.
thanks for sharing and awesome pictures

[revrandy]

Meh the roads you posted in CA are nothing special. I ride similar roads all the time (btw had lunch at Hell's Kitchen on Tuesday - took the long way back from San Diego).

[canadianshark74]

Awesome ride report. Thanks for sharing. Glad your both got home safe.

[Velocity Sportsgear]

I really enjoyed your ride report and pics. Good to see you guys are home safe.

[NightShadow]

btw had lunch at Hell's Kitchen on Tuesday

Isn't that a great place . Good food. Great roads. Did you get a chance to talk with any peeps while there? BTW was it crowded?

Glad your home safe.

Thanks
It was a Fabulous trip. Now just need to make next years trip even better.

We are talking of doing the IBA run on Sat around the lower great lakes. Lets hope it doesn't get to cold out and weather is OK.

[revrandy]

Isn't that a great place . Good food. Great roads. Did you get a chance to talk with any peeps while there? BTW was it crowded?

There were only 2 other people in the restaurant when I was there. Didn't talk to them as they were engaged in their own conversation (besides they were cruiser people ). I love the food there, Cook's Corner is even better and the beer is cheaper.

[Magnum]

Great write up and pics. I have riden to califoria a half dozen
times in the past. Hwy 50 is an interesting ride thru the mountains,if
you ever get a chance.

[gcrouse]

Theres a trip of a lifetime right there my friend. Great report and pics, really enjoyed the journey. Thanks for posting !!!!!

[Wheelieboy]

Great trip! I wish I could have hit up some places you visited while I was down there. I hope one day I'll be able to do it again.

Its nice about your adventure because I know exactly how you felt at certain times. Trip of a lifetime for sure!

[SeaBreez]

Awesome trip - Sooo jealous.

Nice meeting you (Darek & Adam) and riding with you on Sunday. Especially the back way home!

(Monica and I must have smoked half your cigar while following you LOL!)

[TIBURON]

wow, this is an awesome story man..... I've done a few trips but no cross country like this one!! Congrats guys!!!! Derek now you have experience in fixing susukis lol