Motorcycle/Mustang Journey
Day 1
Vegas to Zion
Couldn’t sleep last night. I fell asleep at 11 and woke up almost every hour until 3am at which point I was fully awake and never fell back asleep. I let Ember out and luckily she didn’t shit the crate, first time in 5 days. Tried to fall back asleep but was just too excited/nervous. Had to wake up Whit at 6 am because the Uber driver I had booked bailed on me at 4am. She was not happy but the kids were delighted to take me to the airport. Cam wanted to make sure I remember to show him the redwood trees. Watched News of the world and cried on the plane and got like 20 min of sleep. Picked up the bike around noon. Changed in the restroom and packed my bike for the first time. Took me a half hour to get the thing situated. The temp was clocking in at 88 degrees. It was hot. From the start. In my full gear from head to toe in black. My back was hurting from the plane ride, I set off. Right away I get on the largest highway in Vegas. Traffic was congested and the speed limit was 75. I was freaking out. I made it about 45 minutes in sheer panic when I decided to pull over and get my bearings. I pulled into a truck stop and stretched out and got some tacos from a taco stand and 4 waters. Got back on the road. I made it another hour of pure torture. So hot and traveling at 80 miles an hour which I haven’t done since dental school traveling I95. I stopped twice more before finally making it to Springdale. The ride in was unreal but I couldn’t appreciate it because I just wanted off the bike. My back was killing me. I was so hot and it took me 5.5 hours to get to Zion. I finally pulled into the hotel got off the bike in triumph and checked in. “Sir we have you for 3 nights?” “Uh no. That’s not right”. “Oh wait we don’t have you. Are you sure you are staying at the Hyatt?” “ Whoops no! Spring Hill suites.” “Oh that’s right in the back and looks exactly like this hotel” Back on the bike. Pull up to the springmill suites. Head over to the counter and say I’m here to check in. “Dr. Casella we are so sorry,” the front desk person says to me as if they have been practicing this all day. “There has been an emergency and unfortunately we no longer have your room”. We booked you a room at the best western down the road.” I loose it. Make a scene. Say I’ve been driving for close to six hours and traveling since 630 am. I’m cursing and saying no. I booked this 5 months ago. The general manager comes out and apologizes and I calm down and leave. Get back on the hog once again and check in at the best western. Some lady overheard my sob story at the front desk and brings me a bottle of wine. I get settled, throw some trunks on, go to the pool and drink the wine. Then I shower up and walk to the bit and spur for a steak dinner paid for by Marriott.
Day 2
Zion Nat’l Park – West Rim Trail
Woke up at 5am this morning because it turns out I suck at sleeping on vacation too. I started watching YouTube videos of the hike I was going to do today, Angels Landing. Apparently 13 people have died on this trail and two within the last month. I spent a good amount of time freaking myself out. Finally said to myself “nope”. Got breakfast at the hotel lobby and headed to the shuttle. Started feeling more confident as we approached the drop off at the grotto trail head. The park is breathtakingly beautiful. Definitely in my top 5 best views. It was crowded but not super busy on the way up to Angels landing. It was steep and hard, but really fun. Got to the top of one part and saw the sign for angels landing. You could do angels landing or continue up along the rim. It was crazy. In order to climb up the spine to reach Angels landing you had to climb in a single file line while holding onto chains so that you don’t fall to your death. The problem was that there were so many people doing this that people were waiting for each other to go by. I bailed. Funny how the older I get the more fearful I’ve become. Met a nice couple from Switzerland at a vista high up the canyon. They felt the same way about Angels landing. hiked another mile and made my way back down to the lodge where I got a burger and beer. Really cool scene. Felt like such a cool place for Cam, as he loves to explore and there are tons of “obstacles”. Hiked back to the start where I really struggled with the decision to either do one more trail or call it a day. I decided to hike another 2 miles to the emerald pools. Big mistake. I was exhausted and didn’t enjoy that hike. By the time I got back on the shuttle I had done 8 miles with a total of elevation of 1700 ft. I could barely walk to dinner that night. Got a quick bite and then went back to the hotel where I started “My Octopus Teacher” and went to bed. Next stop Page AZ.
Day 3
Zion to Lake Powell/ Page
5 am wake up. Grab some breakfast and mentally prepare for another ride. Hoping this time will be different than the 7th circle of hell experience I had on the way out from Vegas. Decided to leave at 9am before temps started to soar on the afternoon. I was much better at packing and preparing for this leg (although I forgot a pair of swim trunks and my Fred’s hat). Downloaded motorcycle road trip playlist from Spotify, set up the blue tooth, and headed out. I drove through Zion National park which was incredible. One lane road that winded up and down through the canyons. Went through a tunnel which was not super pleasant. The temp was perfect and the tubes were rocking. My back felt great. This was the polar opposite of the first trip. I stopped a few times to take in the views and snap some pics. I got to lake power in about 3 hours. Toward the end of the trip I started getting fatigued but other than that it was an awesome ride. Checked in at the hotel and asked where I should grab some lunch. Birdhouse. Right up the street. It was about a half mile away and I walked through an area which was a little sketchy. Kind of breaking badville. Cars on cinder blocks and what have you. The place turned about to be a fried chicken joint of all places, just like pollo hermanos. Got the full Arizona experience. Wasn’t sure what to do with the rest of the afternoon after I got back from the pool so I decided to check out horseshoe bend. Got on the bike and headed out with just a hiking pack. Unreal. Such a cool spot, so glad I decided to do it in the evening rather than in the morning. I was able to spend a good amount of time there. Back to the hotel. Light dinner then bed. Next up Grand Canyon.
Day 4
Page to Grand Canyon
Another early morning. And I’m not actually sure what time I woke up because the time kept changing in page. It bounced from daylight savings time (which the Navajo observe) to MST randomly while I was there. I had a restless night filled with anxiety dreams about driving off cliffs. Guess you could say I was apprehensive about getting back on the bike. I headed out around 8:30am and the NAV said under 3 hours. Not too bad I thought. Had a scenic trip out of Page and stopped about 20 min out to take some photos. Pulled over into a scenic view spot but it was all gravel. The bike tipped and I laid it on the ground. I attempted to pull it up myself but the thing weighs over 1000 pounds without all my gear. I panicked. Luckily there was a woman wearing scrubs there as well getting in her car to leave. I asked her to help me out and we got it upright together. No damage to the bike because it was more of a placement then a fall. But still not a good way to start the trip. Note to self – no more gravel pit stops. I got back on the road and took deep breaths to settle my self down. Got about an hour and a half in and took another break. This time I checked Waze to make sure the bike NAV was accurate and thank god I did because it wanted me to go down a road that was closed due to Covid in the Navajo country. Bad news. Added another 2 hours to my trip. I tried to stay positive. Headed back out. It was a super windy day. Wind gusts of up to 50 mph. It feels like someone is taking your head and pulling it in the other direction. You also have to react instantaneously and roll the bike against the wind so you don’t get pushed off the road. This went on the whole ride. I did stop in Flagstaff. Which was nerve racking trying to navigate the city on a motorcycle. But I managed to find an awesome brewery that served some really good pizza. Had a beer and a pie. It was the highlight of the trip. Had about another hour and a half from there to the Grand Canyon. The ride out from flagstaff was at least scenic. Mountains and Forrest. Made it there around 3:30. So close to 7 hours of travel. My back hurt the entire time. I constantly experimented with different positions and nothing helped. Checked into my hotel which was literally right on the Grand Canyon but was a dump. Took a shower that had a shower head at about the 4 ft height so that was fun. Doing squats to wash you hair is a good time. I headed out to grab dinner at the lodge and had a cocktail outside. I started to map out the rest of my trip on Waze because I honestly don’t know if I can continue to do 4 hour stretches at 70mph. Give me 35-50mph 3 hour drives and it would be amazing. Turns out I have 3 legs left at 4 hour stretches to go. I texted my travel agent to see if i can change up the game plan. If I have to I will but honestly not enjoying it. I’m too old for this shit.
Day 5
Grand Canyon – Bright Angel Trail – South Rim
Woke up pre-dawn and decided that this time I was going to take advantage of being up so early. I made my way outside with my camera and headed along the south rim trail to get to a good vantage point to watch and photograph the sunrise. Back to the hotel to grab another shower made for little people, and got some breakfast from a vending machine because the food situation in the village sucks. I decided to hike the Kaibib trail as I heard that was the better one to hike. Went to the front desk to ask about how to get there and she said its about a 3 mile drive. I thought to myself do I really want to get on my motorcycle, drive there, and carry around a helmet for 3 hours? Nah, lets just do the bright angel trail which is right outside my hotel. I was going for the 3 mile resthouse down the trail as my turn around point. This hike was opposite of Zion. This time you start at the top of the canyon and work your way down. I realized the 1.5 mile turn around was the new goal about 20 min into the hike when I realized how brutal of a return it would be. Mid hike I got a call from my travel agent. I spent about 30 min on the phone with him coming up with a different game plan. I decided I no longer wanted to ride, and instead would rather rent a car. I was dreading the motorcycle parts of the trip and the routes were only getting longer. He came through big time. He made it all happen that morning so that I have only two more legs before I turn the bike in and fly to Diego to continue my trip in a car. I made it to the 1.5 mile resthouse and began the journey back up. I was surprised how many families were doing this fairly strenuous hike. I was beat by the time I made it back up. Had an awesome chicken sandwich at El Tovar and a couple beers and went back to the room for a bit. Next I decided to hike the upper rim towards that kabob trail head. It was awesome, as I got to see a lot more of the Canyon. Funny thing is I started listening to the audio book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. A lot of what I listened to was resonating with me, and I had a sense of regret and anxiety at the same time. The author was talking about how being on a motorcycle was about being in the scene and not just observing it through a window. And how if you aren’t uncomfortable then there is no reward. Kind of hit home. So much so I had to stop listening. Then I realized this author was someone who had a base level of enjoyment of riding that I didn’t share. The overwhelming feeling of dread and panic about something going wrong and the discomfort of riding itself outweighs being “part of the scene”. Maybe I need more experience, maybe I need a better back, or a lighter bike…either way I don’t care…I want to enjoy the rest of this trip. I am happy I did it, and shit I made it across 3 states and drove for nearly 20 hours in many different climates and terrain. It’s an accomplishment. And I would not have had the stories if I didn’t do it. But I’m definitely selling my bike as soon as I get home. I’m a car person now. When I got back to the hotel I went to where my bike was parked to check the oil, voltage, and connections…need to keep it maintained.
Day 6
Grand Canyon to Sedona
4:30am wake up and my palms and feet are sweaty. I am anxious about the ride today. Face timed with the fam. I really am missing them today as there is no one I’d rather be with on my birthday. Turned the big 4-0. Nothing bad can happen on my birthday, I thought to myself, as I packed and readied myself for this 2.5 hour leg to Sedona. Took one last tiny shower, and got the gear on the bike. Plugged in the info in the NAV and loaded up the tunes, Im going with road trip classics playlist. It was a bit brisk today and would have been a good day to use the liners, but instead I decided to wear hiking pants and a bathing suit under my riding pants for versatility when I arrive in Sedona. I would be getting there early and If I didn’t have a room I wanted to be able to do something. Either way I needed to get out of there. I was not a huge fan of the Grand Canyon. Too touristy, and the accommodations and food options stink. Glad I stayed where I did so I didn’t have to worry about traveling to hike the Grand Canyon, but the village is in sore need of a renovation. The drive from the Grand Canyon to Sedona was brisk, but actually amazing. Of course after I make the decision to turn the bike in, I have an epically awesome ride. The first part from Grand Canyon to I180 jct was nice. I then made the decision to take the windy mountain pass road (which I rode on previously on my way to the Grand Canyon from Flagstaff) rather than continue on the freeway which looked like it would be mostly desert. Great move. Aside from the dropping temps, it was really a fun rode with amazing scenery going in this direction. Forrests, mountains with snow, and open valleys with ranch homes. I wish I had more opportunities to take pics but failed to stop. The problem with stopping is having to readjust to the bike when resuming. If you are in a groove it’s better to keep moving. It was one of those days where I felt truly lucky to be doing what I am doing and happy with where I am at in life. A big shout out to Whitney for giving me the best gift…freedom. I passed through Flagstaff which is an awesome little city, and continued on to Sedona using a the scenic rout 89A. Unreal views. At one point I had to corkscrew down the mountain. Here is a video I found of that particular part: https://youtu.be/Txc3w0mMpho. Arriving into Sedona was gorgeous. A very cool mix of red rocks, Deseret, and forestation. Wish I had more pics. Got to my hotel and of course the room wasn’t ready, so I went across the street and had pizza and beers. I decided that I am just going to chill by the pool for the rest of the day once I was able to get in the room. I finally got into the room around 2pm. I unloaded and then went to Safeway to pick up some more beer to drink by the pool. Did that for a while, then came back to nap and shower. Went to dinner at the hotel bar. Had a nice ribeye and met two very nice girls who were sitting next to me at the bar. They were old high school friends from Indianapolis who try to meet every so often since now one lives in Diego. We chatted for a while and I probably had one or two too many as I wanted to celebrate. I called it a night around 9pm, went back to the room and passed out.
Day 7
Sedona – mezcal – dead mans pass – long canyon trail
I woke up around 5 with a headache. First time I’ve been hungover on this trip. Laid in bed until about 9 and was in and out of sleep. Decided to pull myself out of bed to go to the grocery store to pick up Advil then head to the pool for some hydrotherapy. Got in the hot tub and laid by the pool for an hour or two. Went back to the room and threw on some hiking gear and forced myself to hop on the bike and head to a trail head. It was about 10 min up the road behind my hotel. Parked on the side of the road in gravel no less and started along the trail. I was looking for a cave called the “birthing cave”. I asked a group of people in front of a map if they knew where it was and they had no idea. I went down the mescal trail hoping to find it. About 15 min in I ran into a guy who must have been a local and informed me that I wanted the other path, but if I continue along here for another hour and a half it will loop around and get me to where I want to go. I took the long route. Glad I did. Incredibly beautiful. Up there with Zion. I came across two couples with one of the guys wearing a Penn State shirt. I suddenly shouted “We Are” and I think I freaked em out. A little further up a little boy told me to take the difficult path and not the extreme because there is no easy. I followed his advice. Then maybe 5 more minutes into the trek a family on mountain bikes went past. I asked if it was a good time because it seems very challenging. To which they replied “hell yea”. Not 10 seconds later the mom and little boy riding in a child seat went down. It did not look good. The kid was balling. I asked if there was anything I could do to help and she refused. I kept walking and thinking I knew it looked challenging. I soon found myself in my own challenging situation. As I got nearer to the cave I took an off trail path. I wound up in some steep gnarly terrain. Got nervous but made it through. Hung inside the cave for a few minutes. Headed down and made it back to the cycle. Drove back to the hotel and took another dip in the hot tub then laid down for 30 min. It was now time to say goodbye to my iron horse. I dropped it off at the eagle rider and felt the need to explain why I did so even though the guy didn’t ask or care. I walked to this awesome brewery in downtown Sedona had a few beers and dinner. Great day. On to Diego!
Day 8
Sedona Airport Trail – San Diego
Took advantage of the early wake up this morning and went out for one last hike before my shuttle to the airport. Got out just before the sunrise and walked to the airport trail head which was a bout a half mile across the street from my hotel. Made my way through some neighborhoods and a pretty awesome little park before arriving at the trail head. I could definitely live in Sedona I thought to myself. Who wouldn’t like Southwest Steve? The trail twisted up tabletop mountain. I got to the top as the sun was rising over the horizon. I saw quite a few air balloons in the sky enjoying the sunrise views. It was amazing. This trail gave you sweeping vistas of the city of Sedona. Hiked back into town, and grabbed a table at Jose’s Cafe. Had a huge breakfast burrito. I went back to the hotel to shower and pack. John, a retired firefighter, loaded up my gear into his trunk and we were off to the airport. He was an ex biker, and we spent the majority of the 2 hr car ride talking about different trips he had taken and weather patterns. The airport in Phoenix was hot and I was regretting my travel outfit. I had a very uncomfortable plane ride although we were only in the air for an hour. Got to the car rental counter and chatted with a 21 year old clerk, who loves San Diego, about my trip and being old with two kids. He was laughing quite a bit about how ridiculous it all sounded. Threw my stuff in my new ride, a white mustang convertible, and drove to my hotel. As I got there, I kept getting texts from Josh to throw out the script and do something else, like fly to Jackson hole, or go to a resort in Mexico. Why was I in San Diego? He wasn’t wrong and it started giving me anxiety about not thinking this through a bit more. Was I wasting this opportunity on San Diego? Should I bail on Palm Springs and the rest of the Itinerary? I decided I wouldn’t because the effort and money involved wasn’t worth it. Needed to try and enjoy where I am. Oddly enough, being in a city made me feel more lonely than I have been the entire trip. I Just need to get out of the hotel room. I went out to explore and saw this cool little brewery called half door brewery. I sat down and chatted with a super nice bartender, which led to chatting with two other bar patrons who turned out to be owners of the Coronado Brewery in Coronado. They invited me out to take a tour of their place tomorrow and gave me some tips about what to see and do while I’m here. I settled up and headed over to Rustic Root. Had their firecracker shrimp and paperdelle bolognese. Gas Lamp district seems like a fun place. Went to bed not regretting coming to San Diego.
Day 9
La Jolla – Coronado – Little Italy
Woke up, showered and went out to grab a bite and a usb cord for my iPhone to connect to the car. Stopped in at cvs to get the latter and was surprised how much everything was under lock down. Had to ask the clerk to unlock a display case. On the way out I saw a homeless person muttering to himself and realized why. Another block down, the same. At one point I crossed the street and although this person was yelling at me I didn’t engage. I’ve had tons of practice from living in Philly. I was a little rusty because when this person started to follow me I got a little anxious. I picked up the pace, made a few turns and eventually arrived at the gas lamp breakfast company. Had an amazing sandwich while the chili peppers played over the speakers. Cali loves its peppers. Went back to the hotel and geared up for today’s hike. Had the valet bring the car around front. You can probably guess how much of a relief it is not to have a motorcycle. I would not have ventured out to La Jolla had I had it. Before departing the valet asks what hike I’m doing. I tell him the ho chi min trail. He rolls his eyes and tells me to be careful as it gets very gnarly. Bring a stick he says. He’s the second person who warns me how dangerous this hike is. I almost did angels landing… I got this. Parked the car and couldn’t find the trail head. I didn’t look very hard. I was better off taking the easy way down. I pulled into a public parking spot and made my way to the glideport cafe. This is a spot where people hang glide over the pacific. Very cool. Took the path down through the the rocks. Steep but manageable. I kept wondering how bad the other trail was. Got to the bottom and was greeted by a giant naked man on the beach. Blacks beach is a nude beach. And the people who actually go nude are the ones you don’t want to see. Outside the naked men, the views were incredible. Rocky cliffs and the Pacific Ocean. I took off my shoes and barefooted it about a mile north towards La Jolla cove. I walked past the exit point from the ho chi min trail. There were fire trucks and lifeguards everywhere. Someone apparently slipped and got seriously injured hiking down. I smiled. Would have been me for sure. I kept making my way down the beach and found an area that most of people steered clear of because of the rocks and tide. Found an a spot that had some big rocks that I could put my backpack on. Took a dip in the ocean. It was cold. Polar plunge. I returned to the rocks and sat down next to my bag to dry off. Honestly felt like I was exactly where I should be at the moment. After about an hour at the spot I started my way back. Walked about a mile back to my access point. Was harassed by a group of girls who just finished harassing a naked old guy. “Shake it for me papi!“ I didn’t. Climbed the steps and found the car. Back to the hotel, showered up and went off to find my friends from last night who own the Coronado brewery. I walk up to the hostess and say that I’d like a table and that I met the owners last night. Nothing. Maybe the most worthless thing I’ve ever said. They called me for my table an hour later. Had a few beers, bought a t-shirt, and took an Uber back to the hotel. Showered, relaxed, and then walked to little Italy for a nice Italian meal. It wasn’t. Not even close. I should have known better. The west cannot make a pollo limon. Stick to Mexican food out here.
Day 10
Diego – San Clemente – Palm Springs
Slept In a little today. Woke up around 7 and got my shit together. Bought a $5 coffee from the hotel bar as I waited for them to pull my car around. Today I was visiting an old friend in San Clemente. He was supposed to meet me in either Diego or Palm Springs but had to bail due to work. It was an hour north of Diego. Top down and tunes playing. I pulled off the freeway in an attempt to find the 101. I went through Encinitas. Really cool beach town. I had to make my way back to the freeway as I realized continuing on this path would add an hour at least to the trip. Arrived at Rock”s house a bit after 10. I checked out his beautiful house that sits about 2 min from the beach. We hopped in his golf cart and I got a first rate tour of the area. We went to some overlooks, saw the neighborhood, and ended up at the t street pier. Next we grabbed lunch at Nicks. I had a prime rib dip that was tasty. Went back to his place. Said goodbye to Claire and the kids and headed off to Palm Springs. It was a twisty ride through the mountains that dropped me off at a lake town called Elsinore. Pretty, but didn’t get why people lived there. Pulled into Palm Springs and checked in. Very hip and trendy hotel. The pool scene was out of Miami. Took a dip and relaxed for a while. Went to dinner at a Place called FARM. Got a horrible table for one right in the middle of everything. First time dining alone that I’ve felt like a spectacle. Food was great though. Scallops and lamb. Goodnight.
Day 11
Palm Springs – South Lyken / Toquitz Canyon trails
Woke up at 3am. Waited an hour to catch up with work and the kids. Fell back asleep for an about 45 minutes. Decided to get an early start to the hiking as the desert gets hot quick. Walked about an hour south of my hotel to the trail head. It was steep and narrow. And it seemed endless, as the views didn’t change much and the terrain seemed to be on repeat. I was fully exposed to the sun. I started sweating profusely and applied liberal amounts of sunscreen which intensified the sweating. I made it about a mile up the mountain when someone older gentlemen wanted to pass me. “Excuse me do you mind if I pass?” Ok. “Do you have a mask?” This really irritated me. I get he was older and probably at risk but it was in the middle of an open air trail in the desert. I was huffing and puffing and the last thing I wanted to do was put on a mask mid hike. I kept that all in and simply said fine. I let him pass. He stopped me twice more to warn me of the desert sun and thought I should probably turn back. “Are you sure you have enough water?” Dude I’m fine. I must have looked like a newb because he was definitely concerned for my well being. I wanted to throw him off the cliff. He finally turned back to descend and left me on my own to climb on in peace. His words of cation took a toll on me. After angrier half mile I rounded the spine and had a nice little vista of the waterfall way down below. I decided to press on but wasn’t confident in my decision. Not really sure whether it was the repetitiveness of the landscape or the hot sun beating down on me but I was feeling lightheaded and dizzy. I listened to my gut and turned back before the summit. The descent was much easier and I felt fine. Since I didn’t go the full way I wanted to get a closer look at the waterfall down below. This was a tourist attraction with a visitor center and whatnot. I paid my $13 to gain access to the hike that would me get me there. It was worth it. Beautiful hike through a riverbed with blooming foliage. And shade. Made it to the waterfall. There were many people there taking off their shoes to get in the river trying to capture the perfect photo. I left. Took the opposite riverbank trail back and thoroughly enjoyed it. I exited the attraction and made my way back to the main road to hike back to the hotel. All in all 6.5 miles and 1200 ft of elevation. I earned a beer and a nice lunch. Had some quesadillas and pilsners at the pool. Sat there for another hour and then went back to the room for a nap. Woke up and felt like I was over being alone and over this lifestyle. Contemplated staying in the room. Instead I went back to the pool, it was free happy hour after all. Enjoyed the sun and pool for another two hours. I struggle with being still and relaxing. Went back to the room and again contemplated not going out for dinner. Room service sounded fine. But a dog was relentlessly barking. To the point I left and went to an Italian place next to my hotel. I’ve decided this is the end of the line for the blog. I usually write them at my tables for one at night as it gives me a way to occupy my time. I’m hoping that when I arrive in LA tomorrow I will once again be around good friends and family for the rest of the trip. And will no longer need to kill an hour on my phone while onlookers think I’m a food critic taking notes (or that’s the story I tell myself).
EPILOUGE
Palm Springs -> LA (Manhattan Beach, El Segundo) -> Pismo Beach (Santa Barbra, San Louis Obismo) -> Monterey (Morrow Bay, Carmel by the Sea) -> San Francisco -> Sonoma (Napa)
It’s been 12 days since my last entry. I feel as though I do need to try and recap as much as I can remember form the last half of my trip or at least until we left for Sonoma. Sonoma was more of a normal friends/family trip and not all that diverse or interesting. Just bouncing from vineyard to vineyard to restaurant where we had a tone of food/wine/ and laughs. Right now I am sitting on a flight back to Philadelphia and have plenty of time to kill. I am in good spirits and very much look forward to seeing my family, my dog, and my extended work family. The excitement level rivals the feeling pre-trip. I am certainly ready to return, and now know that 3 weeks away from real life is too long. Hopefully the itch to be a traveling nomad has been satisfied moving forward. I think one of the major takeaways from this trip, aside from not being a long distance motorcycle man, is that I no longer have this feeling of missing out. No more “could I have been” thoughts (at least for now). Among all the places people, and lifestyles observed, I really feel happy to be right where I am. On to the recap….
LA
Day 12
I arrived in LA around noon after a cold trip from Palm Springs. My good friend Jamie who I pretty much lived with all through dental school, greeted me at the door. I walked inside to meet his 5mo old son Nash and say hello to his awesome wife Sharnaz. He gave me a tour of his beautiful recently remodeled home. I reunited with Lincoln, Jamie’s 12 year old Aussie, who I haven’t seen since spending the first 2 years of his life together in Philly. He recognized me I think, as he sort of whimpered. We next headed out for a bite and some brews in his neighborhood of El Segundo. We walked into town and went to a place called Slice and a Beer, and had an awesome pizza and some good IPA’s. Next stop was El Segundo Brewery where we continued to drink some beers. I had been trying to score t-shirts at different breweries along the way as sort of a souvenir, and this was a perfect place to score one. I asked Jamie to grab me one as he walked up to get another round. He came back with XL. I said “yo man, I’m a large.” “Uh..I am a large” he replied. He is definitely more fit than I am and had a good argument. I took the shirt to a bartender and asked if I could exchange for another size. “What size do you have?” I have an XL and need a large, I said. “Dude..I wear a Large” he said as if driving home a point that Jamie made previously. Like come on man, you should know that you are an XL…you are only fooling yourself. No larges, so I ended up taking the XL with me and told Jamie we are going to ask Shar when we get back what size she thinks I am. I’d put on a fashion show if need be. When we got back it was decided that the XL was a little big and the L was a little snug. I was a L plus….so basically I look terrible in everything. Jamie cooked up some awesome bbq chicken sliders for dinner and we enjoyed some nice scotch. They also went out fo their way to make me feel special by making me a confetti birthday cake. They sang, I blew out the candles and we called it a night.
Day 13
I woke up and worked a little. Jamie and I then took Lincoln for a walk into town to grab breakfast and coffee. I had a nice little bagel California style with onions, avocado, ham, and cream cheese. We hung at their place for a bit and I folded my washed laundry. We then head out to check out the Manhattan and Hermosa beach pier. Unbelievable how much money the residents of these towns have. Seems as if everyone is on permanent vacation. It was a Wednesday morning but the pier and boardwalks were packed. What do these people do that they can just live the life of leisure all the time? It’s hard to get a sense of LA. This is the second time I have been there and it was starting to materialize for me. I stayed in the Venice, Santa Monica area the last time and it felt so foreign. Manhattan Beach and Hermosa had more of a beach town feel for me. LA is so big, and each pocket has its own micro culture that is so different from one another. Not as cohesive as say Philadelphia or other major cities I’ve been to that have a distinct personality as a whole. We grabbed lunch on the pier in Hermosa Beach at a place I can’t remember. We had awesome Bahn mi and brisket sandwiches. I got a text from my brother saying he’s arrived at the hotel. I dropped off Jamie, threw my gear in the car, and went to meet Dave at the hotel. It was 5 min from Jamie’s house. I arrived at the hotel as my bother was checking in at the lobby. “That was intense” was the first thing he said. I belly laughed because I could feel his pain. I can’t tell you how good it felt to watch and hear someone else go through the miserableness that is long distance motorcycling…although he only had driven 8 minutes from the airport. I bought some bubbly to celebrate his first trip. We settled into the room, threw on some trunks and went to the pool. “Hold up sir… do you have a reservation?” We looked at each other with disgust. “There isn’t anyone out there.” I said. They let us go out after signing in, but only for an hour as there was another reservation for the pool. It felt great to have my brother there with me. Like Jamie, he was another sign of my old life that I had left behind two weeks prior. We went back, showered up, and took an Uber to the Manhattan pier for some cocktails and a sunset. Missed the sunset because it was obstructed. Jamie met us there for a cocktail, and then we continued on to our dinner spot, fishing with dynamite. We had a great dinner…we shared a ton of laughs, a seafood tower, and I had an ahi tuna dish as my main.
Pismo Beach
Day 14
An ongoing joke between Dave and I quickly became “You excited to ride today/tomorrow?” Or…”You have to take the first leg tomorrow, I can’t do it.” Again I can’t explain in words how much it made me laugh to know how much it sucked for him. “No way, kemosabe” I would respond every time. He did his first true motorcycle ride from LA to Santa Barbara with me trailing in my convertible mustang behind him for the majority of the trip. Malibu, and just beyond were incredible, and I was jealous I didn’t have a bike. But there were more times I was thankful I didn’t. We stopped and got a few pics along the way. We decided, with the help of Jamie, that our break spot would be Santa Barbra. We exited the highway, and tried to navigate the town. We finally found some parking near the fisherman’s wharf. It was a gorgeous town. White stucco buildings with Spanish red tile roofs. We had lunch at a Mexican restaurant overlooking the wharf. Honestly the best tacos I have had and probably will have. Shrimp and filet tips. After lunch we walked around town trying to get a feel for the place. It is very much a popular tourist destination because every street had at least a brewery, winery, or restaurant. And often times a combination of all three. We stopped at a brewery and had a beer before we hit the road. I really liked Santa Barbara and will have to keep it in mind for a fun adult trip down the road. We had about another hour and a half to reach Pismo. Dave was dreading the last leg. At this point it was a toss up between taking a more scenic route along the ocean or just getting there. The tide was turning to just getting there. We arrived at the hotel around 4pm and had some celebratory beers in the pool area. The hot tub was fenced off with caution tape due to COVID. California was taking it very seriously. Showered up and then went to Guisppies Italian ristorante for dinner. Sat at the bar and we were served by some fun bartenders. They told us to head to a bar in town, which turned out to be closed. I am normally the Debbie downer between the two of us and could have easily called it a night. We instead took an Uber 15 min out of town to the only bar open in spite of COVID. It was a locals only place. Dave and I have on jeans, flip flops, and puffer vests. Too many strikes. For the first half of our time there we were almost laughed out of the bar. We were picked on for our styling choices, and Dave and I both agreed that maybe flip flops and jeans should be retired….but we stand by the puffer jackets. They evenuqtlly came around and felt bad about the way the treated us out of towers, and started buying us shots. We made it home and woke up feeling terrible.
Day 15
It was a good thing this was a day free of travel. Riding a bike hungover would be horrible. Instead we decided to pay for our sins by going on a moderately difficult hike close by. We hiked up the mountain that rose along the coast of Pismo Beach. Got to the top of an 800 ft climb for some amazing views. There were cliff side ocean views atop a green hill with yellow and purple flowers blooming amongst the green. We were joined by an Australian native, and his dog boomer, that decided to move here about 10 years ago; and arriving separately a 70 year old adventurer carrying a hiking cane that had a lot to share. They talked about Australia (as they had both lived there), and then the 70 year old talked about how he closed down the bicentennial in Australia with a fire dancing show. Strange. Before we made our way down, we were warned to be careful of the rattlesnakes. The Aussie recommended we tread heavy to scare off any too close to the trail. We made the decent and headed back to the hotel for some pool time before lunch. We parked next to a BBQ joint and were overtaken by the smell from the pit. I pressured Dave into following our nose and we sat down at Brad’s restaurant. It wasn’t the best move as it turned out to be more of a diner than anything. We got a ton of bbq and had some pretty damn good clam chowder. We made our way down to the to the pier and regretted not eating at some of the waterfront spots. Next stop was a winery on the other side of the mountains recommended by the Aussie who we met earlier. We stopped at Talley Vineyards, walked up to the hostess and asked for a table. She annoyingly explained to us that they were completely booked. And thanked us for coming as she walked away to purposefully not field another question or remark from either of us. When God shuts one door he/she opens another. We pivoted and called another nearby winery. Malene. Turns out they were happy to accept us. We drove there and were so taken back by the scenery. It was nestled in the green mountains and had a large lawn area where two air streams sat on opposite ends. This particular winery specialized in Rose. Im not one to think of rose as something I drink, but I really enjoyed this wine. We spent about an hour or two tasting the wine and conversing with the host. She gave us a recommendation to visit San Louis Obispo for dinner, as apparently no one eats out in Pismo. We did just that. We originally set out for a steakhouse called anchor and something, but got turned away because they were at capacity. They sent us to their sister restaurant, an Italian place, that was part of the next door hotel. We waited for our table in the lobby. This was another time it was hard not to feel less than. San Louis Obispo is home to California Polytechnical and a ton of well to do people. This is a bustling town close to Palo Alto and Silicon Valley. It reminded me of West Chester on steroids. There is definitely an overwhelming sense in California that you don’t belong or shouldn’t be there. We sat at our table, ordered dinner and a bottle of wine at the same time. The waiter came over to apologize the wine was taking so long. They served us our steaks, and I was pissed they still hadn’t served us our wine. Waiting tables 101 – serve the drinks before the dinner. We were halfway through our meal when the waiter finally arrived with the bootle. We had been waiting for over 30 min. I stopped him and sent the bottle back clearly upset. I said it was ridiculous, to which he replied they have an extensive wine list and it can be difficult to find certain bottles. To which I thought, get a better freaking system. There are plenty of steakhouses with extensive wine lists that don’t make their patrons suffer through a 30 min wait period. The manager comped us a couple beers and we settled up. We wandered past some college bars with lines of college kids out front. We decided it was in our best interest to just go home….had to ride the motorcycle tomorrow…well not me.
Monterey
Day 16
We left Pismo around 8:30am. It was a chilly morning so Dave had to use the heat liners under his jacket and motorcycle pants. We routed our NAV to Morrow Bay which is just over a mountain northwest of SLO. This was a must see according to our Aussie friend we met yesterday. It only took about 20 min to reach our destination. We found a cool little Mexican breakfast spot sitting along the water’s edge. Morrow bay was an interesting place. There was a huge rock that divided the bay and the pacific ocean. There was a town along the bay, but felt a bit more local and rural than most of the places we have been so far. I ordered the chiliqueles, and dave had the chorizo breakfast burrito. They were huge, and we didn’t leave a bite behind. We quickly visited the park area where the giant rock was located. Dave was not too happy about this stop because it was an all gravel parking lot and was extended his time on his hog. Our next stop was a winery about an hour north of Paso Robles, so about a 2 hour leg. Dave was anxious about this, and offered to switch many times. I passed. Making our way inland (Due to the PCH being closed) we went up this cool mountain pass where we saw a lake at the top. Making our way back down we had to traverse a super windy road. There were like 15 miles of switchbacks. At the end I stopped the car to ask Dave how he was, and he looked over shook his head and said laughingly “That was intense!” Better him than me, I giggled. We took another pit stop close to the vineyard we were searching for. Looked for a bathroom and were denied everywhere we went. It was a farming town, mainly occupied by Spanish speaking people. We decided to continue onward to the vineyard which was only 20 min away. Wrath winery was located in Soledad California, and had big sweeping views of farmland to the east, and a range of green mountains to the west. A different feel then where we were in Pismo. The wine was awesome, and as it turns out it is a go to place for one of Dave’s friends who live in Carmel. I was feeling confident that the next leg didn’t involve any twisties, or stretches of highway so I offered to take the bike for 30 minutes or so. Dave was happy to give it up. I put on the gear and we headed out. It honestly was fun. Bikes are a lot of fun when you know you don’t have to be on one very long. We stopped just before the 101 to exchange vehicles. Dave suited up and we headed out. I was in front and happy to be back in the car. I kept dave in view using my rearview mirror. I saw him suddenly break and then lost sight of him. I panicked and pulled over to the shoulder as soon as I could. I called his phone, and he answered. He said he thinks he left his phone on the back of my car and saw it fly off. He stopped to search, and I said I would circle back to help. I exited the highway and picked him up on the shoulder. We again made another big loop back to see if we could find it. I put on my hazards and inched along the shoulder looking for the phone. We finally saw it. It was at the apex of a painted white triangle at an exit from the highway. I pulled beyond the exit and Dave got out to retrieve the phone. I was more worried about a car hitting Dave at this point, then I have been worried about him crashing the motorcycle the whole trip. He picked up the shattered phone and got back in the car. It was in a million pieces. Good thing he got it though. Once we got to Monterey, there was an Apple store 10 min away. The genius there said had he not gotten it, it would have been a different story. They covered it under his apple care plan and it only cost him $100 for a brand new phone. Kind of amazing that within an hour of destroying his phone, Dave was back up and running. We hit the rooftop hot tub with a bottle of wine to celebrate the drive and the phone. Met some Russians celebrating a birthday. Next we showered and took an Uber into Carmel by the Sea. We both felt we should have stayed there two nights as opposed to Pismo. Really were not able to get a good feel of the city because we arrived at 4pm and had to leave early the next morning. We had a great meal at a greek place, despite a very stinky waiter, like really smelly. We cruised the town for a night cap, and stopped at one bar who served us a beer and told us where to go next. We ended up at a local/college bar. Met a group of Polytech students and they guessed what we did for a living. They said i look like a teacher. Had a fun night chatting it up with everyone in the bar. Except at one point I got into an argument with someone who was graduating as a doctor of naturopathy (fake doctor). She was telling people the reason why she didn’t get vaccinated is because she knows too much about the science, and couldn’t put it into laymen’s terms. Essentially, all of us who got vaccinated or believe in the science are ignorant, and had we known we she knows we would maybe think otherwise. I laced into her. Then felt guilty because she was young and clearly brainwashed by the program. When it was time to come home there was a shortage of Ubers. We panicked but eventually got one home 30 min after the bar closed.
San Francisco
Day 17
We woke up tired and not looking forward to the drive to San Francisco. We got our stuff together and grabbed some breakfast at a coffee shop attached to the hotel. Sat in the hotel square overlooking the harbor to eat and have one last look before we said goodbye to our short stay in Monterey. We decided that there would be no pit stops along the way and we hoped to make it to San Fran by noon. Dave had to drop off his bike at the Eaglerider location in San Francisco by 1. Again, I was very happy not to have a motorcycle on this leg of the journey. There were fast four lane twisties through a dense redwood forrest that I was even nervous to drive in my Mustang. I would have thrown in up inside my helmet. Dave did great though, and we made it to the eaglerider unscathed. The trip wouldn’t be complete without one last freak out. We pulled behind the building and the metal garage door was sealed. We looked on Google and it said the location was permanently closed. Are you kidding me Eaglerider???!!! They fucked us again! Turns out they were open, and all we had to do was go into their main entrance around the block in the front of the building. We checked out and said goodbye to the cycle. That night I was to stay with one of my best friends Anthony and his soon to be wife Savita in their awesome high rise apartment overlooking San Francisco. We met in the garage of the building where I had my car parked overnight. Dave had a flight to catch at 9pm so we had the rest of the day to sightsee and bar hop in order to get Dave ready to pass out on his red eye flight home. Our first stop was a nice little brunch spot called sweet bread. They were packed so we had to wait a while. Once we sat down we were sold by the waitress on bottomless mimosas that they stopped serving in 45 minutes. We made sure the waitress knew we wanted our money’s worth. She came through. We must have had 3-4 mimosas each within that time. Our next stop was the harbor overlooking the Golden Gate bridge at Dave’s request. Got a couple prize photos of that and Alcatraz, and then went to find a bar in a neighboring part of town. Had a cocktail and chatted for a while. At this point it was late afternoon, and it was decided to head back to their apartment, grab beers, and head to the rooftop to enjoy the scenery. The views were amazing, but the wind was bad. We moved everything inside to this awesome common space and played some pool. We eventually went back to their apartment ordered some excellent sushi, and then wished Dave safe travels. I was sad to see him go. Savita retired shortly after, and Antony and I chatted for a bit more before calling it a night.
Day 18
I woke up early and decided that I would leave for a hike before I checked into my hotel around noon. Savita and Anthony had to work today so I was once again on my own. At the suggestion of Anthony, I drove to Land’s End park on the northwest part of the peninsula. Took a brisk, relatively flat hike through the park. It was cold and foggy. You could feel the moisture in the fog. It was a good thing Whitney and I decided to get out of San Francisco tomorrow rather than spend an extra day there. The city was a shadow of itself from when I visited close to a decade ago. Covid had shut so much down, and there had been a mass exodus of its citizens so it felt strange to be there. After the hike, I made my way to the hotel. I checked in and thought that I would take this time to catch up on work and just relax in the room. Whitney would arrive in 4 hours. I did make a quick stop at an in and out burger knock off called super duper burgers for lunch. Went back to the room and waited for Whitney to arrive. I met her in the lobby around 7pm. I was nervous before going to get her, because i was afraid I had forgotten how to be a husband. We picked up right where we left off though, and it was so good to have her there with me. We went and met Anthony for dinner at 54 mint, which was an Italian place. Had some great pastas, conversation, and then said our goodbyes. I promised whit we would hike the redwood forests the next day before we went to Napa for our wine tasting vacation.
