Farmington, New Mexico to San Diego, California

Yes, as per usual, here’s a video if you prefer not to read my dribble.



After hanging out with Ben Rainchild of Green Chili Adventure Gear in Dixon, New Mexico, I headed back west and stayed in the same little town I stayed in going east. I really needed the rest because not only was my right elbow bothering me (which it had since Newfoundland), not my left shoulder and knee were giving me troubles, too.



The next day was a “positioning” day up to central Utah, but I did ride through Glen Canyon on the way there and it was spectacular. However, I did dodge some mean black clouds for awhile before losing the battle and catching myself in a hail storm. The entire southern part of Utah is canyons, buttes, arches, and monuments.





After stopping for the night in Hanksville, Utah, I veered southwest toward Capital Reef and Grand Staircase-Escalante. Wow!







I camped near Bryce Canyon and the next morning headed off to see even more stunning scenery. For Bryce Canyon, you’re up on top looking down, like from 10,000 feet. It was a cold but beautiful morning.





Afterwards, I headed to Zion National Park, but this time you’re actually riding through the canyon. Just awesome! (I didn’t take any photos, so the video above does better justice).



After a couple of days in St. George catching up on admin (like laundry), I made my way over to Boulder City in Nevada. I stayed at the Boulder Dam Hotel, which has lots and lots of history, including building of the nearby Boulder (now Hoover) Dam. When the airlines opened up here, many famous people stayed here, including Bette Davis, the Vanderbilts, and Will Rogers.





I visited the dam (see video) and then took off to the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. Just more spectacular scenery. My jaw was hanging pretty low taking it all in.





The next two nights, I hung out in Sin City. One, just to take a break from riding, but also to rest my aching joints. Las Vegas is also a city that “never sleeps” and there is so much to see and do without ever seeing the inside of a casino.







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From Vegas, I took the route recommended by the National Park Service to Death Valley. This was the Old Spanish Trail and then Badwater Road, which leads right through the valley to Badwater Basin, the lowest point in the U. S. at 282 feet below sea level, and the point of the highest recorded temperature in the world – 134F!!





There I met Leor and Domer from Israel who had been touring the U. S. for the last month. Great guys.



The next two days were transit days and I stayed in Ridgecrest and then Visalia California. I was on my way back to Yosemite for the Horizons Unlimited meeting. I know I have mentioned this before, but if you want to immerse yourself in the culture of overlanding by motorcycle, this is the place to do it. Great people, great lectures and seminars, just great atmosphere.



Some new besties, Sarah and Ginamarie!



Lots and lots of motorcycles, everything from Urals to GSs.



From Yosemite, I headed west to the coast going through Monterey, where I attended the postgraduate school there back in the early 2000s. Not much had changed – Monterey was still as beautiful as ever.



That night, I stayed in Morro Bay. It’s a small fishing town with a huge rock in the middle of the bay called Morro Rock.



Next was a stopover with family in Redlands, California. Just a beautiful place with amazing sunsets.



And the next day I stopped in to see the folks at Riverside BMW for service. Best bunch of people ever! I chatted with Dan Schoo for a long while the bike was getting worked on.



These last couple of days I have been hanging out in San Diego finalizing all my preparations before entering Mexico. I cannot quite put my finger on it, but entering Mexico to me is different than hopping over to Canada. I am expecting a culture shift with great people, beautiful lands, and awesome food, but something about heading south makes me feel I really need to prepare for it.

So, yes, sure, there are some special preparations – like getting insurance (my U. S. policy doesn’t cover me there), getting Pesos (20 to 1 exchange at the moment), getting all my documentation in order for all the border crossing, letting my bank know I am heading south, and so on. I am sure it’ll work itself out just fine, but nonetheless I am putting a lot of thought into it.

So, that’s it for now. I am crossing the border tomorrow, September 30, 2016.

Lessons learned:

1. So, some bike issues have presented. I’m on my 3rd set of brake pads now and had to replace the rear rotor (I am at 50K miles now). Seemed excessive to me but have been told by three dealers now that it’s normal. I also blew out a seal on the steering damper. For heading south, I am taking spare pads and an oil filter. Overall, maintenance on the BMW has been the biggest part of my budget.

2. I mentioned this in the last post, but I have been doing exercises related to the repetitive motion problems I have been having with my elbow and shoulder. I suppose I can’t emphasize enough the importance of exercising, and perhaps more importantly, stretching, to keep the aches at bay. It really has helped me.