Around the World 2008...

My trip started with an Application for a US Visa as my stay was going to be longer than 3 months. I also applied for an Electronic Australian Passport as it is supposed to make things easierI followed the very detailed instructions on the US Visa web page, jumped through all the hoops and everything worked out, they finished up giving me a 5 year multiple entry visa. This will save me having to go through this expensive ($350) and time consuming (2 months) process again within the next 5 years.

City of Angels
Though the city of Los Angeles, California is the second largest metropolitan area in the United States at almost 18 million souls, it is a relatively young city, not founded until the mid nineteenth century.
And there is more here........
Los Angeles History

After Los Angeles the Grand Canyon and the Mountains of Arizona were a breath of Fresh Air
Left LA early, it took 110 kms to get out of Greater LA and for traffic to become less frantic. After that it was a geat ride becoming colder as the road climbed up from sea level to the stratosphere.
I stayed in Flagstaff, a very nice town and also very cold being at 2,200m this was to be expected. It was -4c (yes that is a minus in front of the 4) the first morning I woke up there.

This must be the best country in Arizona
Sedona and Cottonwood are small towns south of Flagstaff at a lower elevation and the road descends quite steeply through the hills. Lots of campgrounds alongside the river in this wooded area and some shacks built by the river as well, very picturesque.
Once out of the mountains the landscape turned red with some stark rock formations set against a very blue sky.
Quite a lot of traffic along this road, lots of bikes, all mammoth cruisers which sounded like Harleys and some Goldwings.

"Las Vegas Blvd" as the sign says or a short stretch of it is what makes LAS VEGAS

Rode along Interstate 40 and then onto Route 93 to Las Vegas via the Hoover Dam. Easy ride with some excitement approaching the Hoover Dam, Police were stopping all vehicles in both directions going over the Dam especially RV's, Vans and Trucks, they waved me through (missed again) so I could not ask what was going on, probably because my bike is not capable of carrying enough fertiliser to be worthy of their attention.

More Las Vegas and and I did not see all of it....The MGM lobby, huge.

Slots a Million

Real Lion

I think they change the lions every day

Death Valley - Weird and Wonderful and not a blade of grass in sight.Rode through Death Valley from Las Vegas via Shoshone.
Actually rode through the valley twice because I misjudged my fuel stops and went back for fuel when I did not have to.
Beautiful contrasts, desert below and snow on the mountains above, rocks of many colours, very warm especially in riding gear, I finished the day happy but completely dehydrated.
Great ride winding two lane back roads wth whoops and some in poor condition, up and over mountain passes and back down through the valleys.

Big Trees, Big Mountains, Rivers, Snow and Ice, warm in the SunIt is difficult to find words to describe these places, feel good wilderness

Sequoia, Kings Canyon and all the way to Cedar Grove

In 3D

Misadventure followed by Yosemite ValleyPorterville to Merced

Merced to Yosemite Valley

In 3D

San Francisco Old and the New all mixed upThe weather changed again, rain for the first hour out of Merced towards the coast Salinas and Monterrey.
Stopped at Laguna Seca Raceway, Home of the US MotoGP, rode around the outside, very hilly, lots of ups and downs.
Carried on to Pebble Beach, Private Road, Motorcycles not allowed which at $9.25 for 17 miles may not have been a bad thing.
Back onto Highway 1 and San Francisco, a city of contrasts and many tourists.

Be Good, this is not a nice place.

Alcatraz Island, I booked a ticket on the ferry in advance by phone, this is the most popular attraction here and booking is recommended.

Its a 15 minute ride on the ferry to the island, cool (13c) and windy.

Golden Gate Bridge

Biking the Bridge, what they should really call it is Splitting you in Half on the BridgeI believed the ad's and decided to Bike the Bridge, the man said "One or two small hills, really small hills on the way, liar.
Two hours uphill and another hour coming back, soaked in sweat, panting, cramps and a near death experience but worth it in the end, great views and I Biked the Bridge (next time I am Tour Bussing the Bridge)

San Francisco from the Bridge

Last day in San Francisco, the nicest city so farI took a street car to Castro, the Gay District, just another street, some same sex couples holding hands. This was fairly common in other areas as well, Gay Marriages are now legal in California.

Colourful Flags mark the area

The Castro Theatre, google it for more info

A lake surrounded by mountains another natural wonder
Lake Tahoe is the result of a basin formed by land sinking between two faults

(according to the FAQ) and it is not a volcanic crater.

About 2 million years ago lava flowing from Mount Pluto formed a barrier across

the basin's outlet.

It is 35km long, 19km wide, 115km around, 501m deep and it is 1897m above

sea level.

Half the lake is in California and the other half in Nevada

San Francisco to Lake Tahoe, I lost my way in the maze of freeways around

A Fairy Tale setting but the reality on a bike was Freezing, Foggy, and Wet,
I left Lake Tahoe early, great ride through the mountains, no traffic, overcast and cold with the altitude between 1200 (4000') and 1800m (6000') until I got to Chester which is at the base of the Lassen Park.
It started to drizzle so I stopped to waterproof myself further and fill up with fuel and give my rear end a break.
The road started to ascend steadily and kept ascending and it got colder and the roads got wetter and more winding and then the fog joined in to add to the excitement.

Out of the rain and fog appears Mount St. Helen'sAfter the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, etc., I thought this would just be another big rock
but this mountain tops the lot.
I picked up a bug (cough, cold, flu) in San Francisco, it started to make itself felt
at Lake Tahoe and kept getting worse plus the weather after Redding decided to
join in and really make me feel miserable.

Seattle - 55 days of sunshine a year, 310 days of overcast and drizzle
say no moreShort ride 2.5 hours from Kelso to Seattle, cold and wet and dodging trucks
on the Interstate all the way.

Kelso to Seattle

In 3D

Canada - Mountains, Trees, Rivers and Wide Open SpacesMy last day in Seattle I visited the Space Needle built in 1962, good views.

And if you use your imagination you can see anything you want.

Mountains, Rivers, Trees, Lakes, and last but not least the ever present Rain.Alaska Highway was built by the US Army, considered one of the
Wonders of the World.

Fort Nelson to Whitehorse blue skies for the first 6 hours and
not so blue for the next 4.

Lots of wildlife, I saw a deer first, then some Moose, then Mountain Goats (twice),
Rabbit, Squirrel, Beaver, Black Bear, Buffalo and calves (twice), only managed to
get pic’s of the goats and buffalo the others were too shy

Fairbanks, Alaska - freezing, overcast and raining, the forecast was for more of
the same so I decided to make a non-stop run for warmer latitudes and some
sunshine.
I left Fairbanks in a drizzle which lasted most of the day, the road was like a roller
coaster and roadworks delayed me at least an hour with numerous dirt sections.
The sun came out when I arrived in Haines Junction, a one street town with a
million dollar view and a really good Village Bakery.