This is part of the ninth section of our around the world trip.
Complete Trip Overview & Map

Coming from the U.S.A. part 1
 

10/7/03 We have been to this area of the U.S.A. before, 12 years ago, in a rental motorhome, in winter and with our three children. The trails were then closed to us, now open it is great to walk many of them. Headed to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon past Page and the desert water retreat of the Lake Powell Dam. House boats trailing canoes, speedboats or jet ski's dotted the lake and its shores. The place was crowded like this whole region particularly the closer we get to California. We had walked to the base of the Grand Canyon from the South Rim, Christmas Day, on our last visit and looking down in the heat were content to spend just a few hours reliving the memory from the rim viewpoints.

11/7/03 It's over 300 km by road from the North to South Rim just a couple of kilometres away. Dropping down from the 2500m high plateau, crossing the canyon at Navajo Bridge before rising again at the South Rim to be confronted by the traffic jam of tourists. Peak season, parking lots are full, campgrounds full and as we left more vehicles poured in. A quick flashback of memory overlooking the trails down and up the canyon and we left the circus to others. Rejoined the famous route 66 west, found the town of Seligman with its now bypassed motels and grabbed a cheap air-conditioned one for the night. Out of the heat lazying before the movie channel.

12/7/03 We were forced out of the air conditioning by check out time. 40 Norwegians on Harleys, Chicago to Los Angeles, the whole of Route 66, on rental bikes and with a tour guide headed our way. A photo journalist being relocated to Los Angeles, picture recording the drive along the famous route for her magazine. We rode to Riverside Casino in Laughlin, in a hot valley, its only saving grace the river flowing from Hoover Dam in the north. Emilio Scotto's motorcycle, Honda Goldwing 1100, Black Princess, is here on display in the Classic Car Museum. He rode it around the world from 1985-1995, 735,000 km, visiting 232 countries and territories along the way. The motorcycle, restored to as original condition as possible after such a journey sits in pride of place amongst photo displays and maps of the journey. Headed for Lake Meade, behind the Hoover Dam to camp, 48 degrees (119 Fahrenheit) along the 150 km stretch. The motorcycle running so hot it stopped the oil leaks, expanding the metal, our clothes smelt like they had just come out of the clothes dryer and our brains singed under black helmets. The hottest I remember being in, let alone riding in.

13/7/03 Sweated all night in the tent at the lakeside campground before riding into Las Vegas and a cheap motel. Freemont St is where it all started 90 years ago, now it has grown to half a million people and the centre has moved to "The Strip". A three mile section of enormous casino hotels with fabulous buildings designed to draw in the unwary with money. The home of the scam, misleading advertising, deception and con artists. Yet a place that creates enormous wealth and glitter that attracts 20 million visitors a year to the gaming tables and shows with famous artists. Originally people came for the gambling, (opposite states as neighbours, Utah and the Mormons and Nevada as the sin capital,) then the shows and now the spectacle. Anything the U.S.A. doesn't have is created in the theme casinos, a half scale Eiffel Tower, a Venetian canal, the Great Pyramid, Caesar's Palace, rainforests are all here. You can see great shows and famous artists, if you have sufficient money, eat and drink your fill and of course blow endless money on the gaming tables. We visited the original section with some of the glitter gone and fringing with down and outs and rundown hotels.

14/7/03 With temperatures outside still running at 45 degrees, most of the day was in the motel with a long walk down "The Strip" later into the evening starting with Frontier, Treasure Island (pirate display), Mirage (erupting fiery volcano, dolphin pool and tiger display), Caesar's Palace (Roman theme), Bellagio (3 hectare lake of musical fountains), Paris (Eiffel tower), and others. The lights and glitter of this short strip would use more electricity than a large town.

15/7/03 We had been planning the next trip to be across Russia via Japan from Canada but were offered a cheap lift home to Australia for the motorcycle by joining up with the Australian group returning from the U.S.A. with their motorcycles after the 100th Anniversary. It seemed a logical way to finish this part of our travels. A loop of our own country for a year before heading out again to visit some more countries we haven't yet seen. A ride up and down "The Strip" finished our visit to Las Vegas.

16/7/03 Awoke at 5 am to cross Death Valley before it became too hot. At 60 metres below sea level the bottom of the valley is a dried up baked salt pan. Even at 8.30 in the morning the thermometer reached 48 degrees before we could ride out on its eastern side and on up into the Sierra Nevada's mountains. Trying to stay high and away from the heat we enjoyed a small mountain forest road before descending to freecamp alongside the Kern River.

17/7/03 California has a strong Latino influence and as we rode along the orange grove and stone fruit valley we hardly saw a European American amongst the fruit pickers. It was the same as we searched for a vacant camp spot in the Sequoia National parks, mostly full, the millions of workers and families, some escaping the heat for the mountains, camping, an economical holiday.

18/7/03 The world's largest volume single trunk tree is here. (Americans love categorizing, particularly world's this or that). Named General Sherman, 2500 years old. Sequoia don't stop growing but reach a height and grow bigger in girth. It's enormous smaller brothers and sisters dot the forest with trails wandering between. Eventually these giants fall down, unable to hold their own weight. One fallen tree was used for 30 years as the house of a backwoodsman, grazing cows in nearby meadows and living in the tree's hollowed out interior. You can drive through another one, fallen across the road, a 2.5 metre high hole cut through. We walked a couple of trails seeing deer, and a black bear scouring the forest floor for grubs in the dead timbers. We were also glad to be in the cooler, although people noisy mountains away from the heat of Las Vegas.

19/7/03 Saturday night and all campgrounds are fully booked, $US 20.00, for a plot of land, toilet, table and fire grate, no showers. We up-camped and travelled through the Sequoia Forest onto Kings Canyon National Park, visitors here mainly fishing in King River. The loggers were in the national forests 150 years ago, taking everything, Sequoias included, and one meadow is crowded with partially burnt enormous stumps, a testament to man's misconception the world has endless resources. For some unknown reason the loggers left the largest diameter sequoia known to ever have existed, standing alone, others of its kind gone. We free camped in the forest, away rom the noisy expensive campgrounds listening to the silent sunset.

20/7/03 Packing up camp, riding 200 km, grocery shopping, camp cooking, walking 8 km through forest trails and re-camping in another spot can make us older people weary by nightfall. Moved from Sequoia to Yosemite National Park to the viewpoints overlooking the magnificent glacial valley 1200 metres below. Granite spires and hanging valley waterfalls in the distance. Camped on the cool mountain plateau.

21/7/03 Yosemite gets 4 million visitors, mostly in summer, mostly down in the valley where the recreational aspects of the park can be undertaken. Unlike other National Parks in the world many American ones allow all forms of recreation from horse riding, canoeing, rafting, fishing and rock climbing. While this allows greater scope of use it also encourages more participants and has greater impact than just allowing walking and hiking. Pollution from the vehicles is also a concern. We walked a trail with hundreds of others in the valley before getting back into a quiet camp in the mountains.

22/7/03 It seems the more you pay for something here, the better it must be. If it costs nothing it's seen as being worth nothing. Expensive bottled water will be sold in shops next to a free water fountain of cool water from an underground mountain spring in the National Parks. A litre of milk is much cheaper than Gatorade or Coca Cola. The expensive campgrounds are full and noisy but the cheaper ones in more remote areas are quiet, their campers preferring to enjoy the outdoor experience to campground partying. Out of the National Park and along another great mountain road winding almost all the way to South Lake Tahoe keeping in the cool air. The miles/kilometres just seem to slide away in the U.S.A. with excellent roads and little traffic off the main arteries. It's a joy to sit on the motorcycle and just cruise through the countryside. Met up with more local and international motorcycle rental travellers. All on Harley-Davidsons, it seems California and Nevada's roads attract people from around the world to cruise.

23-24/7/03 South Lake Tahoe City sits on the California - Nevada border. The Nevada side has casinos fringing the line and the California side is swamped with hotels, most halve their prices midweek raking in the money from weekend gamblers. The original attraction, the lake, taking second fiddle in summer and people ski in winter. The seeming perfect year round holiday destination. We rested here for two days before heading to San Francisco.

25/7/03 A 5 am start and four hours later we are in the cold San Francisco. Fog blows in across the bay in summer keeping this city at a steady 20 degrees most days. Dave Barr was the first person to ride a Harley-Davidson around the world, a 1972 Shovel model, 83000 miles (134000km), on six continents, between 1990 and 1994. His feat even more special as he had lost both legs in a land mine explosion in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) some years earlier. His metal prosthetic legs still allow him to walk and operate a conventional motorcycle but he says the  effort  required to do anything is at least double. A mutual respect between us brought us together today with exploits and stories from around the world. It takes people who have had similar experiences whatever the field to really appreciate other's adventures. Dave along with us had been invited by Chris Beattie to welcome the 350 Australians with their over 200 motorcycles to the U.S.A. They are the first group of 500 who will be coming across to tour the States and end up at the 100th anniversary of production of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle, in Milwaukee at the end of August. The jet lagged group dribbled through the hotel foyer all afternoon and it was uncanny to hear so many Aussie accents in one place overseas.

26/7/03 The motorcycles had been crated in used Harley-Davidson crates from all over Australia, freighted to Sydney and shipped to San Francisco where a team of Aussies had been flown in to reassemble them and ensure they were ready to ride. All sounds simple but the logistics a nightmare particularly when customs change their document requirements at the last minute. We were asked to assist in fuelling and moving the motorcycles readying them for their owners. Dave Barr powered the hand pump, Kay the nozzle and I helped move the motorcycles through. Another team delivered them and yet another started them and checked they were running properly, recharging batteries etc. At about 2 minutes a bike it took all day but almost all bikes were ready by 5 pm. Tired and exhausted we returned to the hotel and shared stories over a beer with the others who had done a day tour of San Francisco.

27/7/03 A Harley rider without a motorcycle for up to two months goes through withdrawal symptoms and when reunited it's worse than two lovers after a similar separation. Buses ferried the riders from the hotel with their gear and by 11 am all were loaded and ready to ride. Despite the tenseness and anxiety of not knowing if your bike was there or damaged things ran pretty smoothly. The police stopped traffic and escorted the 200+ motorcycles through the city and had blocked off all traffic across one side of the Golden Gate Bridge, shrouded in thick fog, and then across the San Raphael Bridge before leaving us to our own devices to head for Arlen Ness's welcoming party. Some motorcycles ran short of petrol to be topped up by the sweep car, others took the wrong road but all eventually arrived. Arlen Ness's new workshop and showroom put on a free lunch, tee-shirt and live band plus a facility tour, all designed around his magnificently sculptured motorcycles. Dave Barr and us lead a group of about 30 motorcycles down to Big Sur for the official welcoming, most camping, a great dinner and live band. Dave gave a safety talk as well as some tips on touring the U.S.A. and managed a few book sales. Unfortunately this was a bit late for one rider who only 2 km's short of Big Sur was riding on the wrong side of the road, hit a car head on. Bruised but nothing broken, except the motorcycle, a difficult start to the trip.

28/7/03 Bikes started moving out around 6 am, anxious to get going on their individual trips, most reuniting in Sturgis in about 10 days time. Dave, who slept on the floor of our cabin after a mix up of accommodations, left early with some friends. We headed north a bit later following the coast road in cold patchy fog to Monterey, back to San Francisco, back across the Golden Gate Bridge, still on the coast, camping a couple of hours north. This whole coast is beautiful but at this time of year gets the cold ocean fog rolling in almost all day. Great for those escaping the heat just inland but bloody cold on a motorcycle and dampish. Happy to be on our own again we spent a tired quiet evening.

29/7/03 A cold damp start riding the coastal edge north. This underpopulated beautiful coastline seems to have been forgotten by the massive cities just inland or to the south. Old wooden buildings restored or maintained in quaint fishing towns inhabited by drop outs from hippy 60's to tattoo and body piercing today finding a quiet place. Fishermen flock to headlands or take boats offshore. We rode through having another deadline to the north. Camped in the "Avenue of the Giants" a redwood forest, the tallest tree in the world.

30/7/03 The redwoods used to cover this entire region of the coastal hinterland but were extensively logged until the middle of the last century. There are many groves of regrowth timbers but only few areas of old growth, the trees taking 500 years to maturity and living often to 2000 years of age. A couple of highway 101 detours along the old coastal highway pass between many of the giants, some forcing the road around their girth weaving a winding path. A short day of visitors centres in the forests, lunch on a foggy beach  and to camp in the Millcreek Campground surrounded by new growth redwoods and old growth stumps.

31/7/03 Eric and Gail Haws had put out an open invitation to visit their welcoming for Riccardo Rocco, an Ecuadorian touring North America. Eric and Gail are long time international motorcycle travellers who we first met in Australia in 1996 just before starting our trip. They have three BMW motorcycles stationed around the world and pop in to ride one or the other every couple of months returning home to Oregon for a similar time in between. Weather, air fare costs and interests dictate where they will ride next. Today we rode the interstate to their riverside 15 acres (7 hectares) of wooded land and comfortable home. We were a day early, hoping to catch up on their latest exploits and stories.

1/8/03 It's a small world for touring motorcyclists where many will ride long distances to be with others of similar experiences. Probably there are less than a couple of hundred touring long distance at any one time and less than a few hundreds who loosely keep in touch after their tour. Herbert Roelandt, a Belgian arrived in the evening with his sister. Herbert we first met five years ago, he has mainly toured Russia, his favourite, but has also been to the USA and the other Americas many times. He also rides BMW's and travels for about three months of the year, moving long distances, he likes to ride. After a bit of work on the motorcycle and catching up on chores we sat by the river eating blackberries and drinking wine.

2/8/03 Roccardo Rocco had arrived late yesterday evening. An Ecuadorian who helps people travel his country and travels the world promoting peace on his motorcycle journeys. Glen Hegstaad, famous for being captured by Colombian Rebels on his South American motorcycle trip, and Grant and Susan Johnson of Horizons Unlimited arrived later along with others who have travelled or were interested in travelling. A tight bunch of 25 listened to three slide show  presentations interspersed with wine and watermelon down by the river and dinner on the deck. Eric and Gail put on the whole show, feeding and wining the arrivees at their own expense and had bodies on beds and the floor all over their house plus some tents in the garden.

3/8/03 People started drifting away after breakfast, continuing on their travels or returning to sedentary life. We learnt, as always, some new pointers how others travel differently from us and for different reasons. Some with a cause, some for sponsorship, others to write a book, all like us hopefully just out there enjoying the experience of travelling by motorcycle. We stretched our welcome, staying another day, recovering, having really enjoyed meeting up with our peers before another quick ride, over to Sturgis, starting tomorrow.

4/8/03 Eric and Gail Haws' place is our first crossover point. Where over 2 years ago we left to head north to the top of the North American continent, then south to the bottom of South America and now back. We left there early this morning heading straight into roadworks. I guess if a road lasts 20 years we can expect 5% of it to be worked on as we pass. Still with 800 km travelled any small delay seems endless. Earplugs in for the  freeways and a sore bum 11 hours later when we stopped east of Boise.

5/8/03 Another 800 km and like yesterday part interstate, part smaller roads. Circled around the bottom of Yellowstone National Park through the Grand Tetons and to Jackson Hole. Finishing in a small hotel in Riverton.

6/8/03 We have been seeing a few motorcycles along the way but numbers increased throughout the day until when we needed petrol there was a queue of 40 motorcycles waiting to refuel just outside Spearfish. Fully loaded with a few days of groceries we entered Sturgis's route 34, the main activities street. Lined with everything motorcycle and other things to sell. Glencoe Camp Ground is where the "Heavy Duty" group of Aussies were booked in. Not having reservations, US $125.00 each, we talked out way in. Whether you stay, camping, one night or the whole week the price is the same. The different motorcycle plus smooth talk had us inside the grounds with an opportunity to use a second-hand wrist band of someone who was leaving. They had situated the Aussies in one area, close to the evening parade of motorcycles with riders flashing different parts of their unclad bodies yet central to facilities. Stories flew of different experiences getting here. Someone had their motorcycle stolen in Los Angeles, a short trip, a dropped motorcycle on the highway, a wrenched ankle, scams and rip offs, and great times with friendly Americans, great roads and scenery. We cooked dinner, one of the only stoves we saw. Many were already planning to discard tents when they leave Sturgis, preferring to stay in motels, small groups sharing the cost of one room. Moving quicker than us and trying to see as much of the country as possible, having little time to cook or camp.

7/8/03 Harley-Davidson and HOG have their display in Rapid City, 30 miles from Sturgis where we used the free bike wash detailing for motorcycles. Using all the myriad of H-D cleaning products the motorcycle came out, using our elbow grease, good enough, well we thought so, to be entered in the "ride in show", which is what we did. Lined up with a dozen immaculate "dressers" in one of the seventeen categories, the judges must have felt sorry for the bike and gave us third prize or an honourable mention, a mantelpiece souvenir. Willie G Davidson was handing out the prizes and even had enough time to sign a copy of the latest HOG Tales Magazine with the latest article of our trip. HOG had a welcome centre with snacks and a place for us to rest in air-conditioning away from the constant roar of the HD's we have been hearing since arriving yesterday. The evening flash of flesh back at the Glencoe campground, and headed tonight by the Aussies, was again the meeting place for an evening drink. We are camped in the bike and camping area but there are many more people in the car and motorhome area having trailered in their motorcycles. Unlike Australia where we ride to the event then do little riding whilst there, then ride home, here most trailer the bikes in, but do many day rides to the surrounding hills whilst here and trailer home. The average age, over 50, and big distances people travel, adds to the reasoning to trailer their motorcycles.

8/8/03 The tough biker image of a large male in leathers and jeans riding a powerful hunk of iron between his loins seems to all disappear when faced in the open shower house displaying white pasty flesh and rolls upon rolls of cellulite back and front. An event to be had after breakfast, probably enough to turn  you off bacon and eggs for a day. Main Street is closed to everything but motorcycles which are parked either side and two deep down the middle for about six blocks. Food and motorcycle accessories shops, open for less than two weeks of the year, are packed with some of the half million riders who come to Sturgis each year. The event is in slow wind down, the first weekend being the busiest, and merchandise is starting to be heavily discounted. Our campground hosts the Miss Sturgis competition. Basically a seductive walk along the catwalk with participants, dressed but barely, and moving to music titillatingly erotic. Across the road at the "Full Throttle Saloon" later in the evening "Branscombe Richmond and Renegade Posse", performed at the 4 acre (1.7 hectare) outdoor bar. More than a band, a show, finishing the evening early in the next morning.

9/8/03 The campground is now half empty, people riding home this weekend. Many leaving food, alcohol, chairs and even tents behind in the grounds. Their motorcycles will be readied for the winter and the interest soon onto riding snow mobiles, camping next year too far away in this throw away economy. Streams of enormous motorhomes towing trailered motorcycles taking home many of the 15,000 people who stayed at Glencoe this year. The whole event one of "showiness". The biggest most expensive motorhomes, largest motorcycle engine, fastest bike on the stationary drags, shiniest best paint job. Riders parading their bikes up and down check the competition. Bragging rights for having been to Sturgis every year for the last 10 or 20. It's all a fest to let everyone stand out from the crowd for a few minutes in this conformist world where getting one's own attention needs is difficult. Many left sporting new tattoos, some left memories, their tits in many photo albums, their antics captured on home video's. Some remain in hospital and about seven a year die in bike accidents. Despite the enormous numbers and alcohol we saw no incidents of violence and police and security were low key.

10/8/03 We left with thousands of others packing roads in all directions. Many riders choosing to ride out of town loading bikes onto trailers an hour or two down the road. We regretted having arrived late to the event and could have stayed a few more days. Because it is spread out, 100 km radius, there are many good rides and other venues out of town. Headed south to a small town to catch up on sleep and to enjoy a bit of time to ourselves.

11/8/03 South to Cheyenne to visit Rocky, who we had met two years earlier in Alaska. Rocky is a keen photographer and we needed a new camera. A scan of magazines and surfing the net had a digital plan for our needs. Digital camera, two memory cards, a portable hard drive back up and with the lap top and spare battery a double back up unit in case one failed. It was, as always, just the cost. A day to think needed. Rocky is also a keen rider and thinking of a long overseas trip but as is often the case the "other half" either doesn't want to go or worse doesn't want the spouse to go. A side to our visit might have been to encourage his wife, Lillian, to the benefits of travelling.

12/8/03 We bit the bullet and ordered everything on the camera wish list, launching us into the 21st digital century, to be delivered at another friend's place in a week's time. A bit confusing for the security conscious in America. Ordering from Wyoming, using an Australian credit card and goods to be delivered in Ohio proved a little suspicious but not an insurmountable problem. Rocky and Lillian took us to their small property about 60 km west of Cheyenne, a wooded granite region amongst the rolling grassland prairies. A small creek, waterfall and large granite boulders gave a national park feel to the property. Beaver dammed the creek upstream and deer grazed the meadows. We ate elk steaks (hunted, shot and butchered by Rocky) over the open grill and sipped rum, sleeping the night in their motorhome.

13/8/03 Up early and almost 900 km east, all on the interstate I-80, strong sidewind and not much of a ride, cheap hotel in Council Bluff, Iowa.

14/8/03 Up early again and 650 km to Rockford, Illinois, quick travelling between meeting people and starting to wind down, thinking ahead to heading back to Australia next month. Camped in a state park.

15/8/03 Christine Adamavich, HOG Tales magazine editor, had arranged for our "Harley Events Package" plus a Townsville Chapter HOG flag, so we could ride in the 100th Anniversary Parade on the 30th of August. We rode to Milwaukee to collect the above and in the foyer of the Harley head quarters was the 1903, number 1, first produced motorcycle by the company, now 100 years old, and as gleaming in it's restoration as the day it was made. An oil change at Wal Mart. Buy their oils, borrow an oil pan and they dispose of the old oil after a car park oil change. Rockford Kegel HD is hosting a dealer party on the 26th of August, part of the ride home event, expecting 20,000 motorcycles on their way to Milwaukee. They weren't too busy preparing to take us to dinner, part of the local HOG chapter's dinner ride to a Friday night fish restaurant. Treated as celebrities, we still find being asked to sign copies of the magazine articles a surprise, it's not really us.
 
 

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