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Post by Phil on Jun 13, 2015 22:49:38 GMT
I have always wanted to do a motorcycle adventure across the USA, I had read some trip reports on UKGSer about trips organised by Chris aka Sgt Bilco and they all give glowing reviews of the trips he organised, so in August 2014 I got in touch with him ( unchainedtours.com ) about his 2015 Coast to Coast tour, Starting in Norfolk Virginia and finishing at Santa Rosa California. This is a ride your own bike tour, were you ship your bike in a container to the USA, regular emails are sent advising you on the paperwork required to be sent to temporarily import your bike into the USA. 11th MayRode the bike to Pershore near Worcester to put the bike and my luggage into the container for shipping. The bikes were all very securely loaded. Photos by ChrisThe bikes arrived in Norfolk on the 8th June. Day 1 Thur 11th JuneDublin to Norfolk, Virginia.Today was a very long day travelling from Dublin to Norfolk, Virgina, 3 flights and some hanging around but all the flights were on time. Met up with another fellow traveler and room mate for the trip, Andrew, at the Norfolk airport. We decided to get a taxi to the Wingate Hotel in Virginia Beach where we would be staying for 2 nights at around 10-30pm and the hotel staff had been waiting for us to arrive,gave us a ballocking for getting a taxi and not phoning for the hotel courtesy bus, booked us into our room, then a member of staff drove us to the bar where the others on the trip where, which was only 200m from the hotel. Day 2 Fri 12th JuneToday we went to the shipping companies warehouse to pick up the bikes and back to the hotel to dump off our luggage, then went on a short run to get used to riding on the wrong side of the road. A scorcher of a day, went native and rode the bike without the motorbike jacket, thought to myself "I should have brought my Camelbac because I'm going to get dehydrated in this heat" Chris told me that there was an army surplus store just down the street, so went along and bought a pre enjoyed ex US Marine Corp Camelbac in as new condition for $19, took it back to the hotel room and poured some boiling water through it to kill off any potential nasties that might be lurking inside it. Day 3 Sat 13th JuneNorfolk to Kill Devil Hills, Virginia.We sort our stuff out, say farewell to the lovely staff at the hotel and have a group photo. Photo by ChrisA mighty fine looking and possibly the only blue & white Honda XL700 Transalp in North America in the background.We leave Virginia beach and heading for Kill Devil Hills, it's a scorcher of a day today again. I filled the Camelbac up with ice and some water and I'm glad I did, it was great riding along and having a drink of cold water to cool me down. A fuel stop gives us an opportunity to cool down. Photo by ChrisMe cooling down in the Beer Cave We stopped off at the Wright Brother museum for bit of a look around. Wright Brothers MuseumIt's amazing how in the space of 60 years from the first powered flight how aviation had advanced so much for the USA to conduct the first alleged moon landing. A few miles further on and we reached Kill Devil Hills and stopped in the John Yancey Inn a hotel on the seafront. A cute dated hotel on the seafront with a bar / restaurant across the road and a lovely beach. All along the seafront were other hotels/apartments
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Post by Phil on Jun 17, 2015 2:47:04 GMT
Day 4 Sun 14th June.Kill Devil Hills to Martinsville, Virginia.We leave Kill Devil hills and it seems we have hit an unseasonable heatwave and high 30's C and 100% humidity, Jeez it's warm, plenty of water drank today. A long day along mostly empty roads. The Transalp was running low on fuel ( only 17 litre tank, whilst the rest have 22+ litres )Andrew, Dave and Stuart followed me into a fuel station where I fill the bike and refill my Camelbac with ice and water. As we were standing about having a drink or ice cream, some locals came up to us, asked about the trip and asked if they could take some photos, well we thought it would have been a still photo but 2 of them wanted a video interview to put onto their Facebook page. Weird Then another guy comes up to us, asked where we were from, declared he didn't like Germans, we thought maybe his dislike of Germans was because of WW2 but no, it was because a German company took over the company were he worked and put a coloured man in as the boss, it took a bit of restraint not to laugh at this idiot. Got rained on the last half mile before the hotel. Stopped at the Hampton Inn, MartinsvilleThe hotel didn't have a restaurant or bar and because we were going to have an early start tomorrow the staff allowed us to order in food from a local restaurant whilst me and Andrew hopped onto our bikes and got some beer from a nearby garage. Day 5 Mon 15th JuneMartinsville to Townsend, Tennessee.Another long day but the run along the Blue Ridge Parkway was brilliant. Stopped at this little diner for a snack and a browse around. Stopped at this privately owned museum, the owner claims that everything is a runner. Stopped in the Riverstone Lodge in Townsend for 2 nights. Photo by ChrisNote the large beer cooler. Whilst most of the group stayed in the Riverstone Lodge, me and 2 others stayed in this Airstream camper, which belonged to Dan of GS Moto Rent next door to the hotel. Day 6 Tues 16th JuneA run over the Dragons Tail at Deals Gap What a road. We awake to another sunny warm day. Had breakfast in the restaurant beside the hotel. I thought it was strange to get my morning orange juice in a jam jar. A nice run from the hotel to the start of the Dragons Tail. And then !!! Wow Nice Africa Twin. The Tree Of Shame, bits of bikes that didn't make it to the end. Don't think these machines would need the side stand considering the width of the back tyre. Later, after riding some cracking roads we made our way back to the hotel, a stop at the local petrol station to fill up the bikes, I went into the shop to prepay for the fuel and seen on the counter they were selling inert hand grenades, what would you use one for ? A paper weight perhaps !!!! Returned to the fuel pumps just in time to see Andrew put the Green coloured fuel nozzle into his tank and stopped him ( green for diesel and black for petrol ). Back at the hotel Dan had cooked a lovely BBQ for us of smoked pulled pork ( which he had in the smoker for over 24 hours ), chicken, beans,coleslaw, water melon and chocolate brownies and we all sat by the river eating and drinking cold beer. Photo by ChrisThe LeaderAll the excitement got too much for RobAnd some flip flops that have washed up on the river bank. Later, next door at the hotel some guy put on entertainment singing some country music and doing requests, whilst we were sitting in rocking chairs and drinking a few cold beers.
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Post by Phil on Jul 13, 2015 21:44:50 GMT
Day 7 Wed 17th JuneTownsend to Lawrenceburgh, Tennessee.Yet another scorcher of a day. Stopped for a break close to this power station. Watched these ants for a while, one line carrying eggs to a new nest and the other line returning to the old nest to get an egg. Decided to put a stick along their route to see if they would go around it or move the stick Visited the Jack Daniels distillery in Lynchburg, interesting tour. Jack looks like a character from the Simpsons A really busy packing line. I noticed that this guy on the tour must of had a watery fart. Rode some lovely back roads through Tennessee. Stopped in a nice little old time diner for a break. Stopped in the Richland Inn in Lawrenceburgh. Went to refuel the bikes with Andrew and Dave, so we decided to check out the local Mc Donalds to see if it was different from the UK, well I can safely say "it's not." As we were fueling the bikes an impressive thunder storm was starting. Day 8 Thur 18th JuneLawrenceburgh to Pine Bluff, Oklahoma.Me, Andrew and Dave started off early today, nice and cool, to ride along the Natchez Trace Parkway, lots of animals out and about in the early morning sunshine. Went to Elvis's birthplace in Tupelo. Elvis's house when he was a lad. And this is a shit house similar to the one Elvis would have used when he was a boy. A few coach loads of Japanese tourists arrived so didn't bother paying the $25 for the official tour. Stopped for lunch in a drive in diner. Had a breakfast Burrito, interesting !!!!!! All good healthy food. We were expecting the waitress to come zipping out on a set of roller blades but we were disappointed. Cross the Mississippi River into Arkansas. A very large barge. It was shocking to see how some were living in tumble down wooden sheds and trailers. Photos by ChrisAbout 10 miles away from the Super 8 hotel in Pine Bluff, the sky became very dark a few large droplets of rain landed on my visor, so I pulled into the side of the road to put my waterproofs on, only managed to get the waterproof cover onto the tank bag, then WOOOSH, a deluge of rain came down for about 10 minutes so heavy you couldn't see to ride along the road, put the hazard lights on and waited for the rain to finish. By the time we got to the hotel we were almost dry again except the waterproof boots did a great job at keeping the water inside.
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Post by Phil on Jul 14, 2015 22:28:49 GMT
Day 9 Fri 19th JunePine Bluff to Sulphur, Oklahoma. The morning started off a bit damp but soon brightened up to be a scorcher day. Stopped in a quaint little diner in Mount Ida for breakfast. Service was a bit slow, but I don't think they are used to serving a large group. Photo by ChrisGot separated from the rest of the group and I was`running low on fuel, the first garage I tried was closed, the second on the sat nav had burnt down,the third was closed, I eventually had to stop and put the spare 5 litres I had in a container into the tank, when I was joined by Rob & Nicky, who went with me to the next petrol station in a town called Hodgen, to fill up and we then carried on along the highway 1 route in Arkansas over some mountains. At the start of the road there had been some construction barriers which had been pushed to the side of the road along with a "Road Closed" sign, so we carried on, wow, it was a brilliant roller coaster road with stunning scenery, then a few miles further on ............... The observant among you will will have noticed that I kept my mouth shut, Rob & Nicky were doing such a good job at bullshiting the Sheriff. Made our way to the Super 8 hotel in Sulphur, Oklahoma. Went to the Chinese restaurant next door to the hotel for the "eat all you can see" buffet, have to say that I over indulged and was feeling really bloated the rest of the night, although we did walk a few blocks down to an ice cream parlour to just finish off the evening. Day 10 Sat 20th June.Sulphur to Dalhart, Texas.Set off early, another hot day, a lot of long straight roads with the occasional curve. Had brunch in a diner in Altus close to a large USAF base, which was very popular with the locals. Arrived at the Best Western hotel, Dalhart. Dalhart is basically a stop on the rail road network, with a number of large grain silos. Had a meal in Hodies diner of hickory smoked brisket, potato salad, coleslaw and chilly beans with Texas toast ( the only choice on the menu was Brisket ). Day 11 Sun 21st June.Dalhart to Florence, Colorado.Left early to get the 80 miles of straight road done before the temperature got hotter. Noticed this as we were riding along. So we went to have a look at the extinct volcano and walked around the rim. Took the road to Folsom nearby, thinking it was where the prison was, but it was only a T junction with a small museum in a wooden shed, then some other cracking twisty roads to La Vita where we had a sandwich then another twisty road to Florance. Almost collided with Bambi and it's Ma when they jumped out of a ditch on the left side of the road and ran across the front of the bike, missed mummy by about 2m. Stopped in the Super 8 hotel, this hotel was built 20 years ago to accommodate visitors to the nearby Super Max state penitentiary, it has 3 prisons on one site, the super maximum security prison housed underground, a maximum security prison and a open prison. There is either a lot of crime in this area or they like to dump all the shit in one place, there is also 2 other prisons within 20 miles of Florence.
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Post by Phil on Jul 19, 2015 22:20:08 GMT
Day 12 Mon 22nd June.Florence to Salida, Colorado via Pikes Peak.Another scorching day, went via the Royal Gorge, lovely spot and very impressive bridge. As you rode across it, each plank creaked and the bridge moved, a strange feeling. Here's a nice view on the bridge. And a few photos of a very expensive looking Harley, complete with bitch whip and air suspension to raise and lower the bike. Time for a short break to top up the fuel tank and ourselves at this little garage. Then we get to the road that I had been dreaming of riding. There seems to be 12 foot of a difference between my GPS and the sign. Pikes Peak was a very frustrating ride, a ridiculously low speed limit,25 - 35 mph, rigidly enforced by the rangers, no overtaking slower traffic. Going up I was stuck behind a Harley Ferguson, being driven like a tractor, a Ducati Multistarda and some cars, got so frustrated I over took them all and the Ducati rider followed me, then when I got to the top the rider of the Ducati came over to me to thank me for doing the overtake because he didn't have the balls to overtake incase he got caught. It turned out he was one of the competitors in this weeks Pikes Peak Challenge, Mark from Houston, Texas, riding a 1972 Triumph Bonneville, he was the Japanese rider who was featured in the Guy Martin tv show. Some of the guys in the group had been stopped and cautioned. At the top I was starting to feel the effects of the high altitude, starting to feel a bit light headed, so I decided to go down the hill. The run down the hill again wasn't as bad, only got stuck behind 1 slow moving convoy, all you could smell was clutch plates and brake linings burning from the cars, for a good distance I freewheeled down the hill. The run to Salida was a good run, stopped at small diner/bar for a cold drink. Not very busy. Stopped in the Circle R Motel, an old style American motel, plenty of character. A bit strange to have the Hot Tub and decked patio area in the middle of the car park. They do like their big pickups. A bit of a drama happened outside the hotel, the police left someone at the hotel ( probably someone they wanted out of their custody before they died ) who later collapsed outside the hotel, so some of the guys performed CPR on him until the emergency services arrived. Later in the evening we all eventually met up in Wallbangers bar & grill, although we all arrived at different times and sat in small groups at various tables for a meal and some drinks, when the first group asked for their bill they discovered that the bar manager had combined all our food and drinks onto one bill and added 18% service charge. So after a hilarious long forensic analyses of the bill, the bill was split between all the various groups, minus the 18% service charge.
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Post by Phil on Aug 11, 2015 13:18:40 GMT
Day 13 Tue 23rd June Salida, Colorado. Day 2.Me and Andrew went for a run out on the bikes, we had intended to go to Aspen but I had spotted a sign pointing to the Cottonwood Pass so decided to take a run up the road to see what it was like. A good decision, lovely twisty road, good surface and little traffic and great scenery, at the top of the pass the tarmac ended and it became a dirt track for 12 miles, so decided to turn around and go down again (didn’t want to drop the bike at this stage of the trip ). At the top of the pass we were chatting to a couple when these 2 large RV's came trundling up the hill towing a very large trailer. We then took a run along the Independence Pass, a lot more traffic on this road, we just went to the top of the pass and decided to return to Salida. In the evening at the Circle R hotel Chris had prepared a BBQ, which was first class, but the evening was brought to a early end by very strong winds blowing. Day 14 Wed 24th June Salida to Silverton, ColoradoHad an early start, the temperature was a cool 11 degrees, the first part of the run along the 50 from Salida was a long straight stretch of road but then the road started to rise into the mountains and became more twisty,the temperature dropped lower, although it was a lovely sunny morning and it was great to see a group of Prairie Dogs standing to attention at the side of the road, all staring into the sun. We stopped in Gunnison for a hearty breakfast. After breakfast it was onto the 50 again which follows the Gunnison River to the Blue Mesa Reservoir. We turned off onto the 92, a lovely twisty road along the edge of a deep gorge of the Gunnison River. It was a popular road for Harley riders Running low on fuel we carried on along the 92 to the small town of Hotchkiss. Filled up the bikes and only just finished refueling when all the fuel pumps stopped working, "phew lucky" Rejoined the 50 at Delta and followed the road south to the town of Montrose to get onto the 550 to Silverton but just as we were leaving Montrose the sky was looking very black and there was heavy rain in the direction we were heading. Stopped at the UTE Tribe museum at Montrose to let the rain showers pass, a very interesting display. Chief Ouray And a link to some facts about him. Chief Ouray FactsHis wife ChipetaA couple of modern day Ute dudesThe road from Ouray to Silverton was outstanding, lots of curves with a sheer drop over the edge with no guard rail. Stopped at the Canyon View Motel , nice place with spacious rooms and great views. A aperitif before dinnerSome of the local wildlifeFor the evening meal we went to the Brown Bear Cafe which did very good food. But some of the group were not impressed by the 18% tip added to the bill, being charged more than the price on the menu for their meal and being charged for a beer they had already paid for at the bar, it would seem you need to scrutinise the bill in this place. Went for a stroll around the town and the place has retained an old western character, which was very nice and touristy. Went into a bar in town for a beer, the place had absolutely no atmosphere,a few locals playing pool, it just seemed like a hangout for a few mates, so we moved to another place across the street from the Shady Lady, now this was a much nicer place The Avalanche Brewing Company plenty of atmosphere and very friendly staff and really nice locally brewed beer.
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Post by Phil on Aug 13, 2015 11:46:39 GMT
Day 15 Thur 25th June.Silverton to Mexican Hat, Utah.Set off from Silverton at 7am,a lovely sunny morning but the temperature was a chilly 7 degrees, and made our way along the 550 through Durango to Mancos, a lovely sweeping road with some lovely scenery. Stopped in Mancos for some breakfast in a very nice bakery / cafe. Decided to have a low calorie breakfast. Spent a few hours exploring the Mesa Verde National Park . Continued on towards Mexican Hat, we sat at road works for 20 minutes, really nice scenery and the temperature had risen to 42 degrees. The bollard must have been modeled on this hill Made our way along some very straight Utah roads and had a look around Monument Valley, outstanding Scenery. Jaw dropping rock formations. Stopped for the night in Mexican Hat at the Hat Rock Inn Went for a meal in the Mexican Hat Lodge restaurant next door, where you could have a steak or a burger ( not much choice on the menu ) cooked on a swinging wire frame over an open fire by Navajo Indian, served up with beans, salad and Texas toast. Photos by Chris
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Post by Phil on Aug 14, 2015 15:11:11 GMT
Day 16 Fri 26th JuneMexican Hat to Bryce, Utah.Started out at 7am temperature was nice and cool, made our way along the Moki Dugway, a 3 mile gravel stretch of road, uphill with a number of switchbacks but with lovely rock formations. Stopped at the Natural Bridges National Monument, a lovely spot,getting to this place early made it feel like you were the only person on the planet, with eagles flying from the cliff edge hunting for food for their young and the chicks squawking in the distance. Just amazing, natures beauty and power. Rode along the 95 through Fry Canyon, The scenery in Utah was absolutely breathtaking, you could take a photo every few metres. Stopped at Blondies Diner in Hanksville for lunch and fuel, not much in this town. Rode along the 24 through Torrey then onto the 12 to Bryce, a great road to ride with plenty of twisties, temperature in the afternoon went up to 38 degrees. Stopped in the Bryce Canyon Pines MotelHad a very nice steak in the restaurant, which was very busy. Day 17 Sat 27th JuneBryce to Kanab Set off from Bryce at 7am, it was a bit cool at 11 degrees, traveled through the Red Canyon. The temperature rose a lot a few miles later, turning into another scorching hot day. Stopped at Kanab for some brunch in Houstons cafe, I went for the healthy option, a vegetable omelette with some toast, but came with lots of melted cheese, a real belly buster meal. They don't seem to go much on presentation in the USA, looks like someone barrrfed on my plate but it was tasty. Traveled from Kanab to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, less busy and crowded compared to the South rim, $25 to get in, which is valid for 7 days admission, cash is not accepted, card only. The road to the Grand Canyon was mostly a lovely twisty road, the first thing we spotted was Bison grazing near the road. The views of the canyon were stunning, just jaw dropping the scale of the place. Had a browse around the visitor centre, then stopped off in the bar / cafe for a cold drink, met Rob & Nicky. We returned to Kanab to the Rodeway Inn for the night. Later we went to a western themed restaurant for the evening meal where there was some pretty dire entertainment on. What made me laugh was the male singer was singing along to a backing track and you could see that he was pretending to be strumming the guitar along to the music, then when the type of music changed a few tracks later he changed to another fake guitar. The BBQ meal was quite nice, the downside was the bar closed at 10pm, so back to the hotel for an early night.
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Post by Phil on Aug 23, 2015 16:32:11 GMT
Day 18 Sun 28th JuneKanab to Boulder City, Nevada Left Kanab at 7am, the temperature was a nice 15 degrees, went through the Zion National park and nature has created another stunning landscape. And took a run up to Kalob Lake, some of the road was gravel but a lovely view when we got to the lake. We were entertained by a family launching this. Stopped in Hurricane for a snack in a lovely little cafe. Lovely views from the terrace. Then onto some lovely roads to the Hoover dam, boy it was hot, 45 degrees. The area was experiencing a drought and the water level was low. After Hoover dam we made our way to the hotel for the night, the El Rancho in Boulder City. After a shower and a cool down, it was into a nearby Mexican restaurant for something to eat. As I said earlier, they don't seem to be big on presentation of a meal but it was tasty. Colorado chilli beef. Day 19 Mon 29th JuneBoulder City to Bishop, California Up early this morning 5am to go to Death Valley before it got too hot, Andrew asked if I heard the commotion during the night, which i didn’t ( I had been wearing earplugs at night because of the noise of the air con switching on and off ), apparently there had been some arguing in a room above, then a gunshot and then the police arrived, never heard a thing. The temperature at that time was 30 degrees when we left. Stopped at Shoshone to top up the fuel, $5-30 a gallon ( most expensive yet ). Had some breakfast in the diner across the road. A nice old style diner, the waitress was a bit over whelmed to see a large group wanting breakfast because they normally would have 3 - 4 customers. A bit of effort with the presentation. The 178 Bad Water road through Death Valley via Bad Water was hot but it was a smashing road with a great surface and sweeping bends. 282 feet below sea level? [ Stop in the Furnace Creek visitor centre for a look around. Me and Dave went to the campsite bar and shop beside the visitor centre for a drink and get some bottled water. We separated from the group and had a good jaunt through the desert towards Scotty's Castle, a large hotel in the middle of nowhere with no guests but a great road. Almost running out of fuel in the town of Goldfield which was supposed to have 2 petrol stations but both closed down, I used the spare fuel in the can to get me to the next town 26 miles away in the town of Tonopah. Stopped for a burger in Burger King where we witnessed the staff trimming any over sized burger buns with a pastry cutter. On the road again and I could see a few of these in the distance We arrive at the Vagabond Inn in Bishop, a quick look around the car park and we couldn't see any other bikes, we couldn't have got there before the rest, so went into the reception and asked where the others were, there had been a mix up with the booking, the young woman working on the reception ( who wasn't too bright )said the others may gone to the hotel across the road, eventually found the others in the Best Western across the road. Myself, Dave, Ian and Stu decided to have dinner the KFC. So we went in, made our choices from the menu, went the counter and waited for ages because they served the drive through customers first. Stu ordered the 2 pieces of chicken meal, when he opened the box the look on his face was funny as. He went to the counter to complain that he ordered 2 pieces of chicken and only got 1, it was pointed out that the small chicken wing hiding under the large piece was technically the second piece of chicken, the conversation that followed was hilarious. Then Dave had ordered an extra portion of chilli beans and pulled chicken, which when he opened the container it only contained beans, they had run out of pulled chicken but didn't think he would notice, another hilarious rant ensued. I have to say it was the worst KFC meal I have ever eaten. So after the KFC disaster we went to the bowling alley where the others had went to eat ( I wish we had ) and had a few beers, then onto Rusty's bar further along the street. We had a good night.
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Post by Phil on Aug 23, 2015 18:44:04 GMT
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Post by Phil on Dec 5, 2015 23:57:33 GMT
Day 21 Wed 1st JulyOakhurst to 3 Rivers, California.Breakfast at the hotel was a very basic continental breakfast but what I can't understand is why such a lovely hotel ( and not a cheap one ) insists on using plastic cutlery and plates and those awful polystyrene cups, which I hate drinking out off. A 7am start, it was overcast and mild, me and Andrew took some back roads towards the Kings Canyon and Sequoia national parks . We stopped at a fruit stall for some cherries. Andrew went to have a chat with some locals. The ground around the shop was covered in these. What are they ? As we get to Kings Canyon National Park it starts to rain. When riding along an added hazard in this place was pine cones laying on the road, if your front wheel hits one it gives you bit of a fright. Riding along and we see this cuddly creature about 50m away at the side of the road. We then go and have a look at the giant redwood trees in Sequoia National Park. And meet the General. The root system of these trees look interesting. As we leave the national park the rain stops and the sun dries out the road, a cracking twisty road to the Sierra Lodge in Three Rivers. Me, Andrew, Dave and Ian were to share the Bridal Suite. Th others decided to ride their bikes to the next town a few miles away to get an evening meal but Stu and Ian had asked the hotel owner if there was somewhere nearby to get a meal, he made a phone call and said a car would pick us up in 30 minutes, then this arrived, driven by Glen the owner of the Gateway Hotel and Restaurant and he would take us back to the hotel for free. Glen had bought the limo to pick up and drop off customers so that they wouldn't drink and drive. We had a lovely meal at the Gateway Hotel and had to endure along with his bar staff, a viewing of a reality tv program that the hotel featured in ( which he regularly shows ), were the previous staff had been ripping Glen off when he went home at night. They set up hidden cameras and caught the staff having parties with their mates in the hotel and stealing his food and drink and using his limo to take them home.
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Post by Phil on Dec 13, 2015 20:10:47 GMT
Day 22 Thur 2nd July3 Rivers to Hollister, California. We leave 3 Rivers and headed towards our next stop in Hollister. About an hour or later we stop at a small family run diner for some breakfast. I decide to have the fried eggs and sausage but what appeared was a heart attack on a plate. Although I did get a small slice of melon and some orange juice. First part of the route was long straight roads through flat farmland with acres of strawberries and citrus bushes. But the road after Coolinga to Hollister was a lovely twisty road with very little traffic. Stopped at the Hollister Inn. The thought of going home in 2 days time has Dave in a thoughtful mood There’s a bike festival in town this weekend and the place is full of Harley’s and Indian motorbikes. The evening is spent walking around the trade stalls, lots of leather and tassels, gleaming motorbikes. Day 23 Fri 3rd JulyHollister to Santa Rosa, California.Left Hollister in the cool of the early morning, fog hanging over the area, as bikers were starting to arrive for the Bike Festival. We traveled along some good twisty narrow roads and stopped for breakfast at Alice's Restaurant, lots of expensive cars and some lovely old motorbikes. The drive through San Francisco was a nightmare, total gridlock, stifling heat, ended up doing a lot of filtering to get across the Golden Gate Bridge, which was shrouded in fog but was able to get a bit of a view of the bridge from the viewing points on the surrounding hills. The route to Santa Rosa was the 101, which was fine at the start then became one long traffic jam, with miles of filtering required. Arrived at the Hillside Inn . Later we all went to the Cattleman’s Restaurant for the last supper and a few beers. A wee bit of effort on the food presentation in this place. Dave is under a bit of pressure with this meal. We all had a great last night together Day 24 Sat 4th JulySanta Rosa, California Took the bikes to Santa Rosa BMW which is where the bikes will be loaded into the container by Chris on Tuesday. Had a look around the showroom and this lovely baby was waiting to be picked up by its new owner. Got the taxi back to the hotel and said farewell to the guys who were going home today. Went for a walk around the area, the place was dead considering it was the 4th of July, there was a bit of entertainment and a BBQ in the local shopping mall. In the evening the few who were left went into the centre of Santa Rosa, again not much happening but we did see some pimped up cars being shown off by their proud owners. Day 25 Sun 5th JulyGot the hotel owner to get me a taxi to the bus stop for the San Francisco airport express bus, which got me to the airport by 12 noon so a few hours to hang about the airport. The Aer Lingus flight to Dublin left on time and it was a very uneventful journey. A last view of the USA. Day 26 Mon 6th JulyArrived in Dublin to a howling gale and it was pissing down, ah well a great welcome home.
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Post by Phil on Dec 14, 2015 12:36:41 GMT
A smashing trip, well organised and made with a great group of people.
My total mileage for this trip 6458 miles
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