This post has been copied from my post on RiderzLaw.com

This marks my first real installment of my San Diego to Vancouver motorcycle trips. This is a journey that I recommend to anyone, whether by motorcycle, car, bicycle…it doesn’t matter, whatever your thing is, this trip delivers. I met someone in Nicaragua who walked most of the Hwy-1 journey and loved every second of it.

This animation shows the difference between my 2011 and 2012 routes. 2012 was far superior.

In 2011 I was eager to get beyond San Francisco, so for this reason rather than traveling up the coast I decided to take the 5, and then I’d catch the coast on the way back. I almost immediately regretted this decision. I set off early in the morning, around 5 am up from San Diego. I nearly froze for the entirety of the ride to Orange County, especially going through Camp Pendleton. Once through Orange County I had a few hours of pleasant weather before it began getting uncomfortably hot north of Los Angeles. Having done this drive before, the ride was boring and generally unremarkable. Part of the reason was that my iPod failed and so my only form of stimulation was the relentless blasting of air into my eardrums and under my helmet. I was also getting significantly worse fuel economy than I had expected, which was frustrating to say the least. VTX1300 owners often report 50-60 mpg, but I could hardly break 30. Despite ongoing modifications along the way, this was an issue I was unable to shake. I eventually made it to San Francisco around 3 in the afternoon, and immediately proceeded to purchasing a new iPod.

2012 on the other hand was quite different. We set off late with the understanding that our destination was only a few hours away. However a miscalculation put us in LA traffic at the wrong time, and we got setback. Add to this that the saddlebags I had purchased for this trip had melted on the exhaust pipes, which was discovered at a gas station just beyond Santa Monica on Hwy 1. I had to do some re-arranging and re-adjusting but it was going to survive. Onward we embarked severely behind schedule. We had some rain and some cold riding but we finally rolled into our destination, Montana de Oro State Park in San Luis Obispo…at about 10 pm…

Upon arrival it had come to our attention that someone had reserved our camping spot for the wrong date. Usually this would be my opportunity to blame another party for the trials and tribulations of my life but the cold truth of it is, that it was me. I had made our reservation for the right day of the wrong month (which apparently, isn’t the right day at all). Luckily, the group who was meant to be on the site hadn’t showed (or left early)…jackpot…So we set off into the darkness to attempt to find our spot. After failing, we just set up on some flat ground.

Whenever possible I always like to give a plug to the Montana de Oro SP. It is one of the most incredible corners of the world I have been to, and I’ve been to many. The next morning we awoke and broke down our small camp (Louise broke down camp, I took pictures). The views, as always, were stunning. After packing the bike we took some time to explore the sand dunes. While atop a cliff over-looking the ocean, we saw dolphins swimming in the waves below; lined up in a group, they followed swells in, breaking through and diving below them with complete finesse. ‘God’ I thought, ‘this place really is something else’.

Montana de Oro SP

At a certain point the gawking had to end and we were forced to continue with our trip. On the way out we stopped at a classic eating spot that is right off Hwy 1, Margie’s Diner. This place isn’t particularly cheap, but the portions are so enormous we were able to share a plate. Plus, given that Louise is a Red-coat, I figured she had to try some good American-style cuisine before crossing the pond again to her black pudding and eel pies. The food was good, but the portions so big that it primarily served to perpetuate the international stereotype of American obesity.

We didn’t stop much during our journey from Montana de Oro to San Francisco. There was however one important stop that I resolved to make. During my 2012 Baja 1000 trip, a local down in Ensenada asked me if I wanted to purchase a Lowrance HDS GPS unit off him, which he claimed was given to him by a Trophy Truck team. These units run over $600 easy. ‘Yeah right’ I thought, but if this was stolen, which it most undoubtedly was, I might as well get it back to the original owner. The guy asked for 1000 pesos, approximately $80 or so at the time. I refused and told him I’d give him 400, about $30. I wanted to get the GPS back but didn’t want to support a criminal. He reluctantly agreed, so the exchange was made. Following the transaction he kept returning and asking for more money, first for his kids, then for the club owners. Finally I called him a crook and things nearly came to blows. He told me to “watch my back” and “not forget where I was” just before getting kicked out by the management and everyone moving on with their lives.

People often mount GPS units anywhere they’ll fit, which can make them easy targets.

Days later on the largest off-road racing forum Race-Dezert I made a post about the ordeal seeking out the owner. I was quickly contacted by someone in the Bay Area claiming it, who was able to read the matching serial number off to me from the box: perfect. It turned out that he lived in Santa Cruz: doubly perfect. I told him I happen to be riding up that way within days, and that I’d deliver it to him. So now was the time to make good on that promise (and free up some room in my over-stuffed saddlebags). On road trips I tend to make a habit of missing the fashionably late mark, and this trip was no different. We did finally make it to his place in the mountains surrounding Santa Cruz, and lucky for us he was one of the nicest guys around.

We spoke about racing for a bit, and the story of how I acquired the unit. He told me that he runs with Robby Bell and his guys. Apparently some members from the crew brought back prostitutes to their compound who of course saw all their valuables/gear/race equipment lying around. The next day these prostitutes went back to their respective group of delinquents and told them about the gold mine. Within a day the place had been ransacked, with a huge loss to the team ($15,000+). In addition to that major loss, this gps unit was stolen during the day, from one of their vehicles in town during contingency. He was happy to have it back, and when I tried to refuse his $100 reward money, didn’t hear anything of it. He also was kind enough to help us get the saddlebags functional, which using some fire-proof materials he had lying around did just that. He then asked us to stay with him and his family, but given we already had plans with a friend in San Francisco lined up, we had to refuse.

After leaving his place we still had a bit of a ride before we’d be inside San Francisco. But we got there in one piece. We were staying with a friend who we knew from traveling in Central America. It was nice to finally have the warmth of a bed after a couple long days on the road.

I won’t dedicate another post to San Francisco, but some places to check out while you’re in the Bay Area include:

Twin Peaks overlook

Coit Tower ($7 Fee per person, probably best to walk up, traffic is terrible)

Clarion Alley (If you’re into graffiti)

I didn’t take any photos (or can’t find them), but check out Sutro Baths and Strawberry Hill.

I’d also recommend you spend some time in Berkeley and Oakland, as both have nice places for art and scenery. Definitely take a walk around the UC Berkeley campus. While there, be sure to stop by Cookies Rule Everything Around Me and take a ride out to the Regional Parks Botanic Garden at Tilden. It is hands down the best botanical garden I have been to. I consider it a must-see.