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I originally wanted to take this trip last year, but as usual things conspired to keep me at
home. This time I found myself in between projects and while the responsible thing to do
was to go look for more work, I decided to take a sabatical. My plan is to head west
sightseeing and catching up with friends and family along the way. Once I get to the
Pacific I'll head up the coast and then take a ferry into Seattle. Spend time with family
there and then head over to the Mackinac Bridge and then back down to Atlanta.
![]()
For the first time since Cub Scouts I'll be camping. I've done as much prep as I can do,
and the bike is loaded for bear.
![]()
First night I made it to New Orleans and found Bayou Segnette State Park. I was
expecting around $15/night instead it was $32. This first night turned out to be a disaster.
The park ranger suggested a great restaurant (see proof below) but by the time I got back
it was already sunset. So I'm trying to setup the tent and my flashlight goes out. Then
the mosquitos tear my ass up. I finally get the tent setup and zip myself in for the night.
2am I hear wicked howling and now I'm thinking about Liam Neeson in the Grey. I'm
scarred to death, thinking that wolves are circling the tent. Never been so glad to see the
sun come up.
![]()
From New Orleans I make it to Royers Cafe in Round Top, TX and I'm beat. Ran into a
storm front that forced me off the road outside Houston. That combined with exhaustion
from not enough sleep from the night before and I'm really dragging. Fortunately the pecan
pie restored my soul.
![]()
Dallas, TX - spent two nights with an old friend who took care of me like I was family. A
few nights off the bike helped me recuperate. Then I'm off to the Grand Canyon.
But first a stop by the Petrified Forest
![]()
Grand Canyon Campground -
I was able to camp two nights at the Grand Canyon. This was much improved over the
New Orleans fiasco. Got my tent setup before dusk and the campground was reasonably
quiet, with more people camping nearby. Even heard one guy snoring. Main camp
ground was full so i camped in an overflow area, had to ride back to the main camp to
shower. Still fine tuning the packing and organizing. Making a lot of rookie mistakes. But
its getting better.
On the last morning I noticed the rear drive was leaking pretty bad. Dealer didn't torque the
drain plug and it was about to fall out. Had that happened at speed the rear end would
have seized up and I would have been sliding down the freeway. Probably run over to boot.
Found some 80-90 weight gear oil that should hold me until I get to a dealer. The least
they can do is take 30 seconds to torque every bolt, especially when I told them I'm riding
cross country.
![]()
I decided to swing by Las Vegas BMW (by way of the Hoover Dam) to have them
check the rear drive. Good thing, they found the drain plug was loose again. Turns out
there were two washers that kept it from sealing. Most repair shops have a policy of
helping travelers first. Within 5 minutes they rolled my bike in and had me on my way in
45 minutes, no charge!
After leaving the BMW shop I looked around for lunch but since there was so much traffic I
decided to ride down the road towards Death Valley and find a sub shop. Bad Bad idea.
That highway had no services, no gas, no nothing. So by the time I reached DV I was
hungry and sweating bullets looking for gas.
I found one station in the park @ $5.60/gal and was happy to pay it.
I drove through the only available campsite but decided to bail. Just too hot and too hungry
to do primitive camping. I ended up staying at Furnace Creek Inn (excellent room). After
dinner I'm walking back to the room and can't believe my eyes when a cayote walks by. It
stopped for a moment, maybe waiting for me to toss him some food, before heading
towards the pool area.
![]()
Finally made it to Morro Bay. This segment from Death Valley to Morro Bay proved
to be the best of the entire trip. I expected Death Valley to be just a drive through the
desert but instead it turned out to be a diverse eco system. From a low of 100ft below sea
level to 4000ft above sea level. The the ride through the Sierra foothills and finally the
arrival at Morro Bay was just spectacular. I don't think it's possible to have a better day
riding. Seriously.
Camping at Morro Bay, also turned out to be the best camping of the trip. The breeze off
the ocean kept the bugs away and the campground itself was excellent.
![]()
From Morro Bay I made my way up the coast and then through Napa Valley to spend
some time with my brother. The most notable event here was the clothing optional, coed
hot springs. And that's all I'm going to say about that. After leaving, I headed back to the
coast and headed north along the Oregon Coast.
![]()
Oregon Coast Errosion
![]()
Cape Blanco on the Oregon Coast is the western most location in the lower 48 states
![]()
While riding up the coast I noticed an inch long gash in the rear tire. BMW of
Eugene Oregon was the closest location, 200 miles away. So I headed towards the
dealership. 100 miles later I checked the tire and the gash had grown to about 4 inches
and the white cords were now visible.
I was concerned that the tire might blow out at any moment. Fortunately I made it and got
a new tire the next morning.
![]()
Mosquitoes 1 Greg 0
Camped at Fort Stewart and I can honestly say I've never seen that many mosquitoes ever
in one place. They would seem to appear out of thin air. And I don't mean two or three,
more like a swarm. So setting up camp was a challenge.
Earlier in the day I had dinner in Portland at the Davis Street Tavern, a popular hangout of
the Grimm TV show cast. But there were no sightings.
So yesterday I got new tires. New tires and wet roads are not good. New tires and wet
curvy roads are worst. After Portland I had to take twisty Hwy 26 to get back to the coast
and Fort Stevens. It was dicey but I managed to arrive with my assets in tact.
Goal for today is stay along the Washington coast and make my way to Bainbridge for the
ferry ride to Seattle.
![]()
Seattle Ferry
![]()
Seattle Ferry Looking Down
![]()
Dinner at Bizzaros in Seattle, first night
![]()
Dinner with family
![]()
On the way out of Seattle, I decided to take the Cascade Highway.
Cascade mountains in the distance
![]()
Gorge Creek
![]()
Cascade Rainy Pass
![]()
![]()
![]()
Even though this has been a long trip I've only had a few key destinations. After
riding the Cascade Highway, the next destination is the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan. So
that means a long run down the super slab to cut down on time. I was making good time
out of Great Falls, Montana when I picked up my first driver appreciation certificate from
the Montana Highway Patrol.
Caught me doing 79 in a 70mph zone. But the kicker is that he had his lights flashing and
siren going for two miles. He even said I passed another car with him still in hot pursuit. I
apologized profusely which I guess he accepted. After getting back on the bike I realized
that my duffel bag probably obscured his cruiser. We could have had a Rodney King
situation.
Last night I camped at Bismarck ND. Started out nice, $10 for a tent site, hot showers, life
is good. But around 1am a group of people started yelling. First i thought it was a fight
then I heard laughing. I was so tired that I just slept through it. It went on most of the
night, then around 4:30 someone yelled shut the f up. I set up, listening for what was
going to happen next. Then a car alarm went off, so i called 911. Dispatcher said they
would send someone but it didn't change anything. They kept laughing and outright
screaming. Maybe they were on drugs. It definitely cut my sleep short.
Should reach the bridge by tomorrow.
They say that discretion is the better part of valor. So with thunderstorms scheduled
to meet me at the Mackinac Bridge I decided it would be good to turn towards home.
Actually I had planned to go ahead to the bridge but in discussing the matter with Honey
Bunny she convinced me that the bridge would be there for another day. So drat and
double drat.
Last night on the road. I decided to stay at a nice (non flee bag) hotel, have a steak dinner
and catch a movie. Dinner at Outback was excellent and me and the bike are in for the
night.
![]()
Finally made it back last night (Sunday) around 10:15pm.
This last push home saw me riding for a little over 12hours, fours hours of which was in the
worst heat I've ever experienced. I snapped this picture while riding through Lexington KY.
You can't make out the temperature but it had just reached 100. I've never seen triple
digits while riding at speed. Shortly after this the temp rose to 102. I couldn't take it so I
pulled off, got some water, ice for the helmet and ate some sugar wafers (had to keep my
strength up).
After recovering for half an hour or so, I'm back on the bike, ice melting and keeping my
head cool; then I look at the temp again and it was now 103. Unbelievable. Thought about
raising the white flag and pulling into a hotel. But Honey Bunny had promised she would
make it worth my while if I made it back that night. Well, I'm not sure about that, could
have been thoughts from a near heat stroke.
![]()
Final stats for the trip:
Departure: May 30th, return June 24th. Just a few days short of 4 weeks.
Camping: 9 nights
Mooching: 4 nights
Hotels: 12 nights
Total miles: 7620
Highest gas price: $5.60/gal in Death Valley.
Trip Hi - Although the scenic views were spectacular and breath taking, they don't
compare to catching up with old friends and family.
Trip Lo - First night camping, when I thought wolves were circling the tent (no kidding).
Haven't been that scarred, probably ever. Thanks to a park ranger for talking me down
(sorry I didn't get her name).
home. This time I found myself in between projects and while the responsible thing to do
was to go look for more work, I decided to take a sabatical. My plan is to head west
sightseeing and catching up with friends and family along the way. Once I get to the
Pacific I'll head up the coast and then take a ferry into Seattle. Spend time with family
there and then head over to the Mackinac Bridge and then back down to Atlanta.
For the first time since Cub Scouts I'll be camping. I've done as much prep as I can do,
and the bike is loaded for bear.
First night I made it to New Orleans and found Bayou Segnette State Park. I was
expecting around $15/night instead it was $32. This first night turned out to be a disaster.
The park ranger suggested a great restaurant (see proof below) but by the time I got back
it was already sunset. So I'm trying to setup the tent and my flashlight goes out. Then
the mosquitos tear my ass up. I finally get the tent setup and zip myself in for the night.
2am I hear wicked howling and now I'm thinking about Liam Neeson in the Grey. I'm
scarred to death, thinking that wolves are circling the tent. Never been so glad to see the
sun come up.
From New Orleans I make it to Royers Cafe in Round Top, TX and I'm beat. Ran into a
storm front that forced me off the road outside Houston. That combined with exhaustion
from not enough sleep from the night before and I'm really dragging. Fortunately the pecan
pie restored my soul.
Dallas, TX - spent two nights with an old friend who took care of me like I was family. A
few nights off the bike helped me recuperate. Then I'm off to the Grand Canyon.
But first a stop by the Petrified Forest
Grand Canyon Campground -
I was able to camp two nights at the Grand Canyon. This was much improved over the
New Orleans fiasco. Got my tent setup before dusk and the campground was reasonably
quiet, with more people camping nearby. Even heard one guy snoring. Main camp
ground was full so i camped in an overflow area, had to ride back to the main camp to
shower. Still fine tuning the packing and organizing. Making a lot of rookie mistakes. But
its getting better.
On the last morning I noticed the rear drive was leaking pretty bad. Dealer didn't torque the
drain plug and it was about to fall out. Had that happened at speed the rear end would
have seized up and I would have been sliding down the freeway. Probably run over to boot.
Found some 80-90 weight gear oil that should hold me until I get to a dealer. The least
they can do is take 30 seconds to torque every bolt, especially when I told them I'm riding
cross country.
I decided to swing by Las Vegas BMW (by way of the Hoover Dam) to have them
check the rear drive. Good thing, they found the drain plug was loose again. Turns out
there were two washers that kept it from sealing. Most repair shops have a policy of
helping travelers first. Within 5 minutes they rolled my bike in and had me on my way in
45 minutes, no charge!
After leaving the BMW shop I looked around for lunch but since there was so much traffic I
decided to ride down the road towards Death Valley and find a sub shop. Bad Bad idea.
That highway had no services, no gas, no nothing. So by the time I reached DV I was
hungry and sweating bullets looking for gas.
I found one station in the park @ $5.60/gal and was happy to pay it.
I drove through the only available campsite but decided to bail. Just too hot and too hungry
to do primitive camping. I ended up staying at Furnace Creek Inn (excellent room). After
dinner I'm walking back to the room and can't believe my eyes when a cayote walks by. It
stopped for a moment, maybe waiting for me to toss him some food, before heading
towards the pool area.
Finally made it to Morro Bay. This segment from Death Valley to Morro Bay proved
to be the best of the entire trip. I expected Death Valley to be just a drive through the
desert but instead it turned out to be a diverse eco system. From a low of 100ft below sea
level to 4000ft above sea level. The the ride through the Sierra foothills and finally the
arrival at Morro Bay was just spectacular. I don't think it's possible to have a better day
riding. Seriously.
Camping at Morro Bay, also turned out to be the best camping of the trip. The breeze off
the ocean kept the bugs away and the campground itself was excellent.
From Morro Bay I made my way up the coast and then through Napa Valley to spend
some time with my brother. The most notable event here was the clothing optional, coed
hot springs. And that's all I'm going to say about that. After leaving, I headed back to the
coast and headed north along the Oregon Coast.
Oregon Coast Errosion
Cape Blanco on the Oregon Coast is the western most location in the lower 48 states
While riding up the coast I noticed an inch long gash in the rear tire. BMW of
Eugene Oregon was the closest location, 200 miles away. So I headed towards the
dealership. 100 miles later I checked the tire and the gash had grown to about 4 inches
and the white cords were now visible.
I was concerned that the tire might blow out at any moment. Fortunately I made it and got
a new tire the next morning.
Mosquitoes 1 Greg 0
Camped at Fort Stewart and I can honestly say I've never seen that many mosquitoes ever
in one place. They would seem to appear out of thin air. And I don't mean two or three,
more like a swarm. So setting up camp was a challenge.
Earlier in the day I had dinner in Portland at the Davis Street Tavern, a popular hangout of
the Grimm TV show cast. But there were no sightings.
So yesterday I got new tires. New tires and wet roads are not good. New tires and wet
curvy roads are worst. After Portland I had to take twisty Hwy 26 to get back to the coast
and Fort Stevens. It was dicey but I managed to arrive with my assets in tact.
Goal for today is stay along the Washington coast and make my way to Bainbridge for the
ferry ride to Seattle.
Seattle Ferry
Seattle Ferry Looking Down
Dinner at Bizzaros in Seattle, first night
Dinner with family
On the way out of Seattle, I decided to take the Cascade Highway.
Cascade mountains in the distance
Gorge Creek
Cascade Rainy Pass
Even though this has been a long trip I've only had a few key destinations. After
riding the Cascade Highway, the next destination is the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan. So
that means a long run down the super slab to cut down on time. I was making good time
out of Great Falls, Montana when I picked up my first driver appreciation certificate from
the Montana Highway Patrol.
Caught me doing 79 in a 70mph zone. But the kicker is that he had his lights flashing and
siren going for two miles. He even said I passed another car with him still in hot pursuit. I
apologized profusely which I guess he accepted. After getting back on the bike I realized
that my duffel bag probably obscured his cruiser. We could have had a Rodney King
situation.
Last night I camped at Bismarck ND. Started out nice, $10 for a tent site, hot showers, life
is good. But around 1am a group of people started yelling. First i thought it was a fight
then I heard laughing. I was so tired that I just slept through it. It went on most of the
night, then around 4:30 someone yelled shut the f up. I set up, listening for what was
going to happen next. Then a car alarm went off, so i called 911. Dispatcher said they
would send someone but it didn't change anything. They kept laughing and outright
screaming. Maybe they were on drugs. It definitely cut my sleep short.
Should reach the bridge by tomorrow.
They say that discretion is the better part of valor. So with thunderstorms scheduled
to meet me at the Mackinac Bridge I decided it would be good to turn towards home.
Actually I had planned to go ahead to the bridge but in discussing the matter with Honey
Bunny she convinced me that the bridge would be there for another day. So drat and
double drat.
Last night on the road. I decided to stay at a nice (non flee bag) hotel, have a steak dinner
and catch a movie. Dinner at Outback was excellent and me and the bike are in for the
night.
Finally made it back last night (Sunday) around 10:15pm.
This last push home saw me riding for a little over 12hours, fours hours of which was in the
worst heat I've ever experienced. I snapped this picture while riding through Lexington KY.
You can't make out the temperature but it had just reached 100. I've never seen triple
digits while riding at speed. Shortly after this the temp rose to 102. I couldn't take it so I
pulled off, got some water, ice for the helmet and ate some sugar wafers (had to keep my
strength up).
After recovering for half an hour or so, I'm back on the bike, ice melting and keeping my
head cool; then I look at the temp again and it was now 103. Unbelievable. Thought about
raising the white flag and pulling into a hotel. But Honey Bunny had promised she would
make it worth my while if I made it back that night. Well, I'm not sure about that, could
have been thoughts from a near heat stroke.
Final stats for the trip:
Departure: May 30th, return June 24th. Just a few days short of 4 weeks.
Camping: 9 nights
Mooching: 4 nights
Hotels: 12 nights
Total miles: 7620
Highest gas price: $5.60/gal in Death Valley.
Trip Hi - Although the scenic views were spectacular and breath taking, they don't
compare to catching up with old friends and family.
Trip Lo - First night camping, when I thought wolves were circling the tent (no kidding).
Haven't been that scarred, probably ever. Thanks to a park ranger for talking me down
(sorry I didn't get her name).
