We very much enjoyed our visit to Hearst Castle. And it confirmed my long held belief that "Rich people are weird."
So after Hearst Castle, we begin a long ride all the way to LA, hoping to make it before dark.
We arrive in L.A. right at dusk, and are forced to navigate the city's notorious freeways to get to our Motel 6 by the airport. We manage to arrive safely!
Planes can be seen on their approaches right from our window.
The next day we take the hotel shuttle to the airport. We notice lots of cops and guys carrying around automatic weapons. Welcome to L.A.!
Time to say goodbye to my beautiful wife and amazing travel partner.
Now it's time to head home on the bike, solo.
With Allie gone, my original plan is to drive straight north out of L.A. to Lake Tahoe, then head east on Route 50.
But as I head north, I encounter super strong crosswinds which keep pushing me east, so I decide to turn east earlier and change my heading to Las Vegas. Back to the interstate!
I stop at a Walmart to stock up on supplies.
Check out the ginormous SUV. Harley rider.
With a fresh load of ramen, I head up Interstate 15 towards Las Vegas.
That's just the weirdest set of buildings ever.
One of the things that stuns me about this highway is how FAST it is. The speed limit goes all the way up to 80 mph! That's 129 kph. I settle in at 75 mph, and pass some people, but mostly get passed.
I check into a super seedy motel in the north end of the city a little after nightfall. It's actually better to arrive at night, as you can't see all the crack heads walking around so well.
Next morning I slather on the sunscreen and head down the strip for some good old sightseeing.
It's the land of spectacle, with mega hotels and over-the-top architecture.
Wynn Casino. I break the second rule of Las Vegas, which is "Thou shalt gamble, if only to place $20 on red." I don't spend a cent on gambling. What a stick-in-the-mud I am.
So after Hearst Castle, we begin a long ride all the way to LA, hoping to make it before dark.
We arrive in L.A. right at dusk, and are forced to navigate the city's notorious freeways to get to our Motel 6 by the airport. We manage to arrive safely!
Planes can be seen on their approaches right from our window.
The next day we take the hotel shuttle to the airport. We notice lots of cops and guys carrying around automatic weapons. Welcome to L.A.!
Time to say goodbye to my beautiful wife and amazing travel partner.
Now it's time to head home on the bike, solo.
With Allie gone, my original plan is to drive straight north out of L.A. to Lake Tahoe, then head east on Route 50.
But as I head north, I encounter super strong crosswinds which keep pushing me east, so I decide to turn east earlier and change my heading to Las Vegas. Back to the interstate!
I stop at a Walmart to stock up on supplies.
Check out the ginormous SUV. Harley rider.
With a fresh load of ramen, I head up Interstate 15 towards Las Vegas.
That's just the weirdest set of buildings ever.
One of the things that stuns me about this highway is how FAST it is. The speed limit goes all the way up to 80 mph! That's 129 kph. I settle in at 75 mph, and pass some people, but mostly get passed.
I check into a super seedy motel in the north end of the city a little after nightfall. It's actually better to arrive at night, as you can't see all the crack heads walking around so well.
Next morning I slather on the sunscreen and head down the strip for some good old sightseeing.
It's the land of spectacle, with mega hotels and over-the-top architecture.
Wynn Casino. I break the second rule of Las Vegas, which is "Thou shalt gamble, if only to place $20 on red." I don't spend a cent on gambling. What a stick-in-the-mud I am.