Total KM = 712

Left San Diego at just before 8 am. Thought we might have issues with rush hour traffic but only noticed it slowing down close to downtown and again at the entrance to San Diego University. We both feel this is an area we could very comfortably live.

Nice warm morning that continued to get warmer until we saw a high of 34 C - a far cry from the minus 2 C last week. By noon we had our mesh jackets on and had gotten the gel vests out and activated. They are a saving grace - you get a bit wet but sure helps to keep cool.

We rode along the Mexican border for part of the way. You could see the fences/barricades to prevent vehicles from entering the desert from the interstate. Scenic ride through the desert. Stopped at Yuma for lunch - thought about our relatives who have winter places there. All sorts of cactus flowering - cholla, saguaro, ocotillo, prickly pear, etc. Very pretty to see. The phrase "lush desert" may sound like an oxymoron, but I think it applies to the southern Arizona desert.

Except for the copper strip mine just south of here it was a very scenic trip.

A longer day today but no place to stay in two of the small towns we went through so we are here in Globe, Arizona. Went out for a very good and cheap Mexican dinner - lots of Mexican people going into the restaurant so we knew it had to be good and it was. Some pretty cute little Mexican kids there too.

If you want to get a better view of the pictures we have been including in the blog just double click on them and they will enlarge, then press the back arrow to go back to the blog. If you do that you will have a better view of what we were seeing. For example, the one with the gull on the fence has a large family of sea lions (over a dozen) on the rocks below.

Tomorrow into New Mexico.

Total KM = 27 km plus Shank's mare

The disappointing change of plans had us feeling a little lost this morning as we waited for Raindancer to be ready. Walked over to the dealer just before lunch but still not ready so back to the hotel until it was. Is certainly nice to have our wheels back. There was a great surprise for us as when they pulled the front apart they found the key we had lost the first few days we owned the bike (back in 2005) while we were in Nova Scotia. We thought we had lost it in the long grass as it had flipped out of the ignition when Doug took the tank bag off. It has riden all these KM safely in its hiding place in the engine!

Made our way out Clairemont Mesa road to the AAA where they gave us every map we could possibly need - used the BCAA card so got it all at no cost.

Rode out to La Jolla. Lovely town (or should I say suburb of San Diego) right on the ocean. Went for a nice walk along the ocean watching sea lions, pelicans, and a variety of sea birds as well as people in sea kayaks and those scuba diving in the dive park.

Had a great seafood dinner at the "Crab Catcher" (halibut, prawns) sitting overlooking the ocean. Very enjoyable.

We both really like San Diego. The road system is very organized, not even appearing busy at rush hour. No Port Mann Bridge/Deerfoot Trail gridlocks. The vegetation is so like Hawaii with the palm trees, birds of paradise flowering and other tropical-type plants. The weather and temperatures have been moderate - no extremes. For the size of this city we have both found it very relaxing and have felt very safe.

Tomorrow sees us heading east. No firm plans yet, just heading east. We will keep our Houston flight plans as the cancellation insurance will not help us out there. That means we have three weeks to play our way across - stop when we like and make plans as we go. Now we have the maps that will make it a bit easier. We are both such planners I can't see we will just be nomads as we go but then you never know. We are looking forward to being on the road again.

Total KM = 0 - public transit and on foot only

After 35 years of dreaming about this trip (for Doug) and a winter of planning. . . today we learned of the following Government of Canada edict:
As of April 27 2009, travellers from Canada are recommended to postpone elective or non-essential travel to Mexico until further notice. This is, of course, due to the influenza epidemic in Central and Southern Mexico. If you check your map you will see that travel to Central America by motorcycle is not possible without entering Mexico. Initially our reaction was - we've come this far let's go anyway! However after further internet research (e.g. Air Transat, our Canadian Mexico holidayer "shuttle service" has cancelled all flights until June 1st), message from the infection control nurse at Norma's work, etc. and the possibility of being in Mexico under a full World Health Organization lockdown, we have cancelled the Mexican motorcycle insurance and reluctantly made the decision to not go. It is taking us a while to get our heads around it as we are both such planners (see plan "B" below). In a bit of an attempt to make up for this we had a Mexican dinner take out tonight - we had been holding off on having any Mexican food, saving it for our upcoming trip!

As for today, we had a leisurely morning complete with buffet breakfast, walked up to the BMW dealer to check on the progress of the motorcyle then got on the bus to Balboa Park Natural History Museum and saw the "Body Worlds" exhibit. It is a wonderful exhibit of real human bodies that people have donated for this exhibit. The bodies are plastisized and positioned to show all. Fascinating. After our time there we wandered around the rest of the museum saw the fabulous Moreton Bay fig tree (see attached image) then crossed over to the huge, beautiful rose and cactus gardens.

When we got back to pick up the motorcycle we discovered it was not ready and will not be ready until around 11 tomorrow so we have decided to stay here another night. Not a huge inconvenience, especially given the above events, and we are both really enjoying San Diego. We are going to to the waterfront for a seafood dinner tomorrow night as a treat after our vacation disappointment.

Plan "B" - well, we don't really have one.

Being GPSless we will go to the AAA office tomorrow and pick up some new maps. At this time we are thinking of heading east into the desert and will see where we go from there. May try to take in a ML baseball game or two. Our flight plans from Houston may also change but we will see.

Total KM = 1.5 for Raindancer and lots for us via public transit and Shank's mare (on foot)


Overcast morning with the weather man predicting it would burn off by noon - which it did. Rode Raindancer to the BMW dealer and checked him in for a two day servicing. From there we walked to the transit station and got on the bus to Balboa Park and the world famous San Diego Zoo. We had checked the transit web site and copied the travel info - three transfers which we diligently wrote down - but the bus driver told us how to do it in one transfer so we were at the Zoo in no time, after getting off the interstate express bus that dropped us downtown.

Started our zoo visit with a bus tour that gave us a good idea of what we wanted a closer look at and how to get there. Got some great pictures of the new giraffe calf - only 10 days old, the elephant with his foot through the fence as one handler fed him; another worked on his foot and the panda reclining, eating bamboo shoots. They have set up a panda research center and are very active in the breeding program. They do sonograms when they suspect a pregnancy. The panda lets them shave her belly and do the sonogram as long as she is fed a red apple! They apparently have great success with all their breeding programs as they pay special attention to creating "closer to natural" approach and individual diets. They even supply other zoos with food items they can grow here. We saw an example of this where they were packaging up folage for the rhinocerus at the Cincinnati zoo - who until they started this program were unsuccessful in their breeding attempts. Perhaps the highlight of the zoo experience was a graphic demonstration of the food chain as one of the ubiquitous mallard duck families was in the flamingo pond which also happened to be occupied by a great blue heron. We watched as a cute fuzzy duckling was abducted and, still wiggling, was transformed into heron lunch much to the consternation of many zoogoers. We heard that the duckling population had dropped from 15 to 11 that morning.

Ended up with the same bus driver taking us part way back. Have found everyone very friendly and helpful.


Had a call from the service department and will find out tomorrow if they will need to keep Raindancer another day as there is one more item that needs servicing and not sure if the part will be available tomorrow or not. We are hopeful as it will mean another day in San Diego if not.

Total Km = 538

The sun gods have been shining on us trying to make up for last summer's Alaska trip!

Temperatures were perfect for riding - low to mid 20's. We continued south on Hwy 99 through Bakersfield then into the Mojave desert. Joshua trees festooned the landscape. These gargoylean species of yucca are pollinated by moths who lay their eggs in the flowers. When the eggs hatch the larvae have both bed and breakfast in the fruit. Pretty good deal for everybody. OK, enough biology.

We then were reintroduced to Southern California's freeway sytem for the rest of the day - no other good option to San Diego. Pretty hectic with at least six lanes in both directions in some places. It's like everyone goes crazy when they "see the green flag". We stuck close to (or too close to?) the speed limit of 70 mph and were left standing in many cases. Lots of state troopers out and every one we saw had someone pulled over - not us though.

Lots of motorcycles out today -such a lovely day those city folks were probably all escaping into what they would view as a country ride - they need to all come up our way but then we really wouldn't be too happy with all that traffic.

We had no problem finding the BMW dealer (will need that tomorrow) and our hotel. We will settle in here for the next three nights while Raindancer has a servicing. It is an easy walk to the dealer and the city bus terminal from here so we will have access to transport to see some of the sights of San Diego.

Total KM = 423

A beautiful sunny California day. There are no easy, more rural, alternative routes down through central California, so it was freeway (Hwy 99) travel all day. But there were some interesting sights, like the vineyards and orchards. Saw more motorcycles out today as well. Also the usual assortment of friendly California freeway riders. Not sure if it is the B.C. plates or what, but we are getting lots of smiles and waves from passing car inhabitants. The other day in the snow they may have just been laughing at us?

We are stopped at Tulare (north of Bakersfield). Went for a nice long walk along palm-lined streets among the tile roofed buildings, typical of Southern California towns - one and a half hours worth of walking. Had planned on a shorter walk but got stuck walking and walking and walking trying to find a grocery store. We are in a very nice residential area so knew there had to be one somewhere. Passed two that were closed down and then found ourselves in a huge outlet mall. Did eventually find a grocery store and are just now enjoying lovely California strawberries - $1.50 for a pound! Oh, yeah - saw fields of them with workers picking as well.

Will probably make a little later start tomorrow and we will need to plan our approach into San Diego later this evening.

Total KM = 420

Got a late start this morning as we waited for it to warm up a little in Klamath Falls, Oregon. It was - 2C and got up to a balmy 4C by the time we got on the road. Needless to say we had on our rain gear and electrics to keep toasty and it worked. At least at the start of the ride we had blue sky with minimal clouds.

As we got closer to Weed, California going through the two passes on Hwy 97 - low and behold there was snow! It wasn't on the road but was all around us with some even coming out of the sky. But we knew it would be better when we hit California's famous Interstate 5. Sure. . .we quickly realized we were following a major spring snowstorm. It was looking pretty ominous so we decided to stop for an early lunch at Mt. Shasta Village - making it a leisurely break (we would wait this one out!) having warm soup, tea and just spending some time. The cars in the village were covered in snow.

After lunch the sun came out so we ventured onwards. Stayed on the interstate to Red Bluff then onto Hwy 99 for a scenic ride through the walnut orchards (doesn't take us long to get "interstated out").

Have made an early stop at Yuba City, California as the Sacramento area weekend traffic was starting to get a bit heavy. This will put us in good stead for arriving in San Diego on Sunday.

Total KM = 563

Woke to beautiful sunny day - not a cloud in the sky - but pretty cool (scratch that, insert "cold"). We were grateful for the heated seats, grips, electric vests and hand warmers! Temperature averaged 6 to 7 C all day with gusty winds most of the afternoon. Rode through the Columbia River gorge - world famous for wind surfing - too cool for that today though.

Headed south on Hwy 97 expecting to find a gas station at one of the many little towns we went through. No luck. There are a few for sale though, if anyone is interested. Was getting a bit tight as we coasted down every hill and braced for the uphills with our fingers crossed but managed to make it into Madras.

The hills around the Columbia River gorge are porcupined with power generating windmills. It gave Doug a good feeling since this is defunct Hanford Nuclear Power Station country.

One point of interest during the ride was this "shoe tree" There must be a local story around it. You probably can't tell clearly by the photo but every possible branch holds a pair of shoes!

We are spending the night in Klamath Falls, Oregon and will continue on into Northern California tomorrow morning -tomorrow afternoon if it snows here as it sure feels cold enough to! They are predicting a low of 27F.

PS Re: yesterday's blog entry - Jose did know his stuff - Yummmmm!

Total KM today = 582
Left at 8 am under cloudy skies but no rain which was great. A little cool but warmed up nicely as we rode. Range of temperatures from 3.5 C to 26.5 C. Nice friendly female border guard - hope that has set the stage for things to come!
Had lunch Medical lake - just outside of Spokane. Got very windy later in the afternoon as we approached the Columbia R. region of southern Wash.
Are in Boardman Oregon for the night (just south of the Tricities, Washington area). Boardman has a large Mexican population, no doubt working in the agricultural industry in the area. So we are having "in room" mexican shrimp tortillas prepared by Jose, the local supermarket butcher! The checkout girl says Jose knows his stuff! She started to speak to another teller in Spanish. I think we are in trouble - neither of us caught a single word.

Our motorcycle vacation begins tomorrow. Everything is organized and ready to pack. The rule: "if we forgot it we probably don't need it and if we do we will buy one on the road" applies as usual.

We have not sent out an itinerary as the most accurate way to follow our progress is by viewing these blog posts, ideally a new one each day or thereabouts. The only firm dates we have are Apr. 26-28 in San Diego and May 18th in Houston.

Hopefully, unlike our past three trips, we will not start out in the rain!

Bon voyage to us!