Another 1,000 miles down

Just before crossing the bridge from Astoria, Oregon to Ilwaco, Washington my odometer added another row of digits. I’m now over 10,000 miles for the year and 8,000 for the trip. The last thousand miles took me from Half Moon Bay up the coast of California and Oregon along some of the most beautiful roads I’ve ever traveled. From lush coastal redwood forests, the tallest tress on earth, to sandy beaches, to rocky hills, to secluded townships, the ride from the metropolitan San Francisco to the coastal wilderness will stay with me for a long time to come.

Another 1,000 miles down

I reached the 8,000 mile mark in Half Moon Bay, CA just on the other side of the San Francisco peninsula from Stanford. The last thousand miles were all covered in the state of California, mainly riding from the southern border up towards San Francisco along the Pacific Coast Highway, one of the best road in the states.

You can see my route by clicking here.

Another 1,000 miles down

(So I forgot to write about breaking the 7,000 mile marker)

I reached the 7,000 mile mark on the way to Coachella riding through the desert of southern California. This section of my trip took me from the middle of Utah, through several absolutely astounding national and state parks, a visit with Josh’s family in St George, a stop in Las Vegas for a new rear tire, and all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

Another 1,000 miles down

I’m over the 6,000 mile mark total, over 4,000 for this trip. It’s funny to think that the shortest distance across the US is is 2,200 miles (Jacksonville to LA on I10). With the same end points, I will have at least twice that when I get to LA. To understand this phenomenon better look at this track:
The last few days
(You can close the titles on the left by clicking the very small triangle in between the map and the list)
As you can see, I’m taking neither the fastest nor the shortest route; the extra time is totally worth it.

This thousand mile section took me from Santa Fe to the middle of Utah. These western mountain roads have been great. The scenery has been excellent and because it’s not the season, the traffic has been low. Since I left Santa Fe I’ve only ridden about 100 miles on the Interstate, the rest has been on the “scenic” routes from my atlas. Each color on the map shows a different segment of my ride (different days or gas breaks change the color). If you switch to hybrid view, you can get a small taste of some of the great formations. Look closely at the National Parks. You can even see the dirt road I rode in Capitol Reef National Park into a narrow canyon.

Another 1,000 miles down

I’ve now covered five thousand miles since January and I know for sure that this trip was the right move. Yesterday I rode 300 miles, 250 from Amarillo to Santa Fe and another 50 on a local’s tour of Santa Fe with my new friend Ira.

Something happened as I passed from the plains of Texas to the desert of New Mexico, as I crossed from central to mountain time, as the first snow-covered mountains appeared on the horizon. I’m not sure how to explain it but it felt like a homecoming to be back in the West.

Another 1,000 miles down

I’ve traveled 1,000 miles in the first week and been through GA, SC, NC, TN, AL, and am now in MS.

Here’s a quick recap: Davant Plantation was an excellent first stop to get refreshed and reorganized. The restaurant “California Dreamin’” in Columbia had an appropriate name for how I feel. Asheville had a great co-op organic food store. I can’t believe the Biltmore was a house, it was way bigger than the palaces I visited in Russia last summer. I got to revisit college life with a game of flip-cup (with cider not beer). The Decemberists in both Knoxville and Nashville rocked my socks off. Visiting the Banks provided another welcome respit. The Barber Motorsports Museum blew my mind with its enoumous collection of amazing motorcycles presented like toy cars would be in a display case. Almost running out of gas in rural Alabama in the dark with the temperature dropping below freezing was a good rush (after I had filled the tank).

Now I’m heading across Mississippi turning right in Louisiana and aiming for Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas, which was set aside as public land before Yellowstone, and could arguably be the first national park. I hear from Bil that some of the best mountain roads are in that area. I’m looking forward to confirming that.

2,000 Miles Down

On my ride back from Daytona I crossed the 2,000 mile mark. These two thousand miles are all from roads in Florida including a trip to the Keys, Amelia Island, and several rides to Daytona. You could say I’m starting to get my seat groove worn in and am ready to head for the sunset (after of course a few details on the home front).

If you’re interested in seeing my gas mileage you can check out my newly added Waypoint Journal where I can add stopping points with my blackberry. These are different from the ones from the tracking device because I include the odometer reading and gas information if applicable.
Waypoints