Tuesday 14th May - Ready for the off - again!

Well, almost back on the road again. I’ve had a great time in San Diego, resting, enjoying old friends and meeting new people.  I guess though that doesn’t make for the most exciting blog and for that I apologise.

I though am getting excited again having just been out on the bike - again clean and shiny - for the first time for a few days to get fuel and pick up my newly soled riding boots.

Guess I should have checked them before I set off but to be fair they have had a bit rougher treatment than I envisaged. Anyway, as good as new now thanks to Sam’s Shoe and Boot Repair – in El Cajon. Sam’s long gone apparently and I’m assuming it was Tom Grosse who did such an amazing job – if it wasn’t I apologise to whoever – it is great workmanship.

 

As I start to get my things together I’m going over the amazing things I’ve seen so far – didn’t tell you did I, but I did see Elvis again and it was a bit of a shock – he is now obviously in his dotage but I didn’t expect the electric scooter….

 

And then there was the elk near the hotel at the Grand Canyon….

 

the craziness of Vegas

Could have saved Dave a heap of money!

and arriving in San Diego...

  

Thinking too that it is funny about greener grass isn’t it? Sitting in a cloudy, rainy UK it is easy to imagine the idyllic lifestyle of those in California – and it is beautiful believe me. But that is looking at it from a very privileged visitor’s point of view.  Living, working raising a family here is different, it is probably more outdoor orientated because of the weather and it certainly is less formal in all aspects than doing similar in the UK. 

It is though far more draining. HAVING to do those things in the heat and dryness – it’s cooled down now to a bearable 30°C (86°F) – is far different to having nothing to do but enjoy a vacation here.

Just getting out of a car in the vast supermarket car parks and having that heat bounce off the concrete at you saps your core.

Then, if you are of a nervous disposition there is a need before any activity to consider all the things that want to maim, seriously injure or kill you. Fires, Black Widows, Coyotes, Rattle snakes – oh I know I exaggerate but if you are looking after kids, not all that much.

Anyway, I’m leaving San Diego now, taking with me fond memories, fresh coffee just roasted and ground by Gary himself, a clean bike and those newly soled riding boots.

From Lee and Gary’s I have a slow – necessitated by staying with Gary and his trailer (for that read caravan in UK) – as we drive up to Pismo Beach just north of LA.

Gary’s trailer is  a 1967 Aristocrat which he has lovingly and totally refurbished inside and out.

I’ll get better pictures when it’s in its natural habitat in the State Park but you get a general impression of my shared “home” for the next 3 nights – as I said, he’s a very good friend.

We hope to meet up with Helen and Mark – friends from my home village on holiday over here. Will be good to share a beer – or three – and a barbeque with them.

Watch this space ...

 

Monday 13th May - San Diego Bay.

A day of leisure today - went down to Shoreline Park on Shelter Island to build up the tan!

The photo's make it look windier than it was initially but as the day progressed and the wind decided I'd had a long enough break you could see why the trees had taken in that shape.

Wonderful spot with lots of Naval action to watch...

O n the way back called in for a Mexican..

although the competition was fierce...

Did though find out who was responsible for any discomfort this trip!!

Sunday May 12th San Diego

Had to go and spend the day with the family of my wonderful hosts Lee and Gary.  Forced to sit in the sun by the pool drinking beer and having hamburgers and hotdogs - hey, I need to take the rough with the smooth!

If you think it was a peaceful relaxing day just throw in 3 great kids aged 13, 11 and 7, a horse, a new balance beam and you will realise what a burden it must have been.

Saturday 11th May Hard at work in San Diego

A good productive day.

Pretended to help Gary finish the beam..

cleaned and checked the bike....

Before ......

After ....

And then went out for lovely meal at with friends.

This life on the road is so hard!

Friday 10th May - New Skills!

Spent the early part of the day "relaxing" with Gary making a balance beam for his grand-daughter Maddie.

Then went out to a Western Day with Gary and Lee to see all the grand-daughters dance.

Ended day with beer, wine and "Mamma Mia!"

Thursday 9th May LA to San Diego

Woke up this morning – in San Clemente apparently. Looked out and found I was in a room above a charming flower filled court yard with the bike nestled safely next to the roses!

 

Had a great breakfast, dropped down to the sea only a quarter of a mile away – if you felt sorry for me when in that parched desolate desert (what, not even a little) then this makes up for it

 

 

 

 

- and then set off to continue my ride south to dear friends Lee and Gary in San Diego. 

However – on realising that I was only 7 miles from a beautiful 1776 mission at San Juan Capistrano I doubled back – seems to be a habit of mine, seem to go too far and then have to go back – usually to apologise!

The mission though is worth it, one of 21 built along the Californian coast by Catholic Franciscan priests. I always thought the distance between them was as far as a man could travel on a donkey in a day but I may have made that up.

The gardens were a beautiful mass of colour – and a mass of not so beautiful school kids and amazingly patient teachers – and in the quiet spots, sitting in the by now glorious sunshine I could find real peace. Swallows return here to nest here every March and they were flying around but I was more interested in the humming birds, the first I had seen on this trip. They were though very elusive and flitted into the shrubs and away again so fast that I couldn’t really focus my eyes in them let alone a camera.

 

After spending some time there and then having a Italian sausage sandwich and fries across the road I was ready for the run down the coast to San Diego.

Stopped at a view point on the way and chatted with the guy who owned this bike – no not a Harley, a Honda so he obviously a wise man – and he was so proud he rode it “and he was 62 you know” – yeah, know the feeling!

 

Arrived at Lee and Gary’s and after a very warm welcome, with lots of hugs, from Lee too, I soon had a cold Newcastle Brown in my hand.  Life is good!

Got a week’s break now before I drive up to Pismo Beach with Gary for a couple of days and then on to Seattle.

Chance to get the me and the bike washed, my laundry done properly and my boots re-soled – I thought I had worm them out on the rough terrain but thinking about it it was probably on the carpet of that very nice country kitchen café I stopped at – the carpet was toxic I’m sure.

 

 

Wednesday 8th May - Have Done it!

As I write this I really am quite excited. I’m sitting in a “coffee Bean” on Santa Monica Boulevard Beverley Hills and have about 5 miles to do to get to the end of Route 66 – yes will have done all of it.  BUT I hear you say “Why not get on and finish it then?”  Well, the traffic won’t let me. It’s now 4.40 pm and it’s at a standstill. |I can filter a bit but the temperature has now gone right up and the bike is so hot it isn’t worth it – so a regular Americano and a Lemon and Poppy Seed Muffin won out.

I didn’t intend to get this far today and the day didn’t start well. I was quite tired last night, did nearly 300 miles and missed calling in at Victorville where the California Route 66 Museum is. So as it was only 7 miles back I decided to drop back and see that. Lovely drive back but the museum was closed – oh hum!

So turn round and go west young man again – to San Bernardino some  35 miles on through the Cajon Pass. I know the Rustyplough list of superlatives is the biggest – another one – but I hadn’t expected that drive through/over the pass – WOW!  Talk about shouting into your crash helmet. It’s a slow pull up but when you crest at the pass at 4000ft the world drops away,  Two majestic sweeps of  tarmac, concrete whatever – the  east and west carriageways take different routes –the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountains all around and so many  rail lines that it looked like a model railway set. It was cloudy and at that elevation, cold – about 12°C but at last the bike was on roads it was made for and enjoy it I did!  

The road followed the valley side until San Bernardino and although I needed to swing west from there directly to the coast I wanted to call in and see the 1928 California Theatre where a lot of old movie stars started.

 

I had studied the route across LA from San Bernardino to the end of 66 at the coast many times in many different books and it all seemed terrible complicated – one even saying that the ride could take a day so I had resigned myself to staying somewhere on the way.  However once I got onto the Old Route it was really easy with great signs both on the side and on elaborate brick surfaces on the road. Each town, although blurring into one another seemed to want to acknowledge and celebrate its place on the route.

 

 

The wasn't all main road like that though, sometimes it closed in and went past old individual homes...

 

I stopped at some of the sights I had read about but some were a bit difficult to get to or traffic/positioning made it a bit dicey so into the memory bank they went.

My first main stop was at the Wigwam Motel where I spent a good 20 minutes talking to the part owner.

 

I was tempted to stay there the night and finish in the morning but he was good enough to suggest it was a hit far out and that I should get much nearer before calling it a day.  So on I went and right along Foothills Boulevard towards Santa Monica.

The ride was magical and as the clouds cleared and the sun shone through I kinda got the urge to see the sunset on the Pacific and metaphorically therefore on my 66 Odyssey.

When I wasn’t rolling or filtering there was always someone willing to chat through their window. Talked to a young couple in a 1969 Beetle that hadn’t so much been restored as lovingly maintained and then by contrast the driver of this transporter which I managed to snap from the bike

 

                                        yes, it’s a Lamborghini – what else would it be -  it was Beverley Hills.

As I drove along the Hollywood sign came into view on the hills to my right

 

 

            and then I was in Beverly Hills proper.  A bit of a place of contrasts at that moment. As I stopped to take a photo of the sign

 

 

 

this guy was on the grass where I parked. 

 

 I don’t know if he was content or not, he certainly did not want any money but I can bet he didn’t have much.

Contrast that with this piece of “art” near him , which you were asked not to limb on!

 

 

 How much had the good burgers of Beverley Hills paid for that?  Who was it said the definition of Art is what you can get away with! (No it wasn’t Andy Warhol – he pinched it!)

Parked in Beverley Hills - just because I could ...

Anyway, as the miles clicked away to Santa Monica Beach and Route 66’s end the traffic got heavier and heavier and the temperature climbed so, here I am.  One coffee and a muffin later I’m thinking of going out and finishing.

Got back into the traffic flow and it was moving a little faster, saw why a little later when I stopped by one of the traffic officers controlling a major junction. Amazing how she could manage the chaos, totally ignoring the lights and still find time to chat with me.

Then, I crested a rise and saw the Pacific Ocean! I could have – ok, I did – cried!

I had done it, ridden my dream! Looking at the clock tower it was almost dead on 6pm.

 

3265 Miles on the Route, nearly 4000 in all.

Parked in the street and went looking for the “End of Route 66” sign which appeared to be missing.  I wandered down on to the pier

 and there it was – so off to pick up the bike for the obligatory photos. Ian, the guy from the kiosk obliged.

. 

 

 

 

Then left the hurly burly of the pier and went down to the beach for some quiet reflection – soaked it all up for a couple of hours watching the sun go down.  Won’t go on.

Was getting dark and colder by the time I decided I’d better get on the road and find somewhere to sleep. Hit Highway 1 South to San Diego. Pulled off the highway an hour later, didn’t honestly know where I was, found a hotel with a guy that not only had a room but said he had a great place to park my bike. Was too tired to take that in so just put it where he said and went to bed. Wow, what a place I woke up to.