Day 1 – Alamo, CA to Big Sur, CA
Does This Luggage Make My Butt Look Big?
After days and hours spent packing and re-packing, we were finally ready to take off on the motos south. It was 3pm on Thursday and we didn’t know where we would end up. We had to stop by Mr. Metric in San Jose so we went south to there and then made our way over to HWY 1. I was beyond nervous for the busy drive and felt like throwing up the better part of the day. I had hardly ridden my motorcycle, and never before on a busy, 6 lane wide, interstate. I had never even ridden with luggage and now I had 80 pounds strapped to the ass of the moto. The interstates weren’t nearly as bad as I was thinking but a certain sense of relaxation came over me when we hit 2 lane roads.
We grabbed gas before heading down the 1 and it had gotten dark about 45 minutes prior to our stop. Two people warned us at the gas station of the dangers of Highway 1, especially at night. That didn’t help my nerves.
It was a dark night. We only knew how close the coast was when a distant lighthouse reflected onto the water. Every bridge we crossed we thought, “I bet this is gorgeous in the daylight.” We pulled into our camp site in Big Sur hoping that south of Big Sur was as pretty as the North. In the morning, a fellow camper assured otherwise. Our campsite was lovely. We made cheddar potato soup for dinner and went to bed. It felt so good to be on our way.
Day 2 – Big Sur, CA to Ojai, CA
Do You Think They’ll Notice I Put a Hole in Their Car?
After packing up camp in the morning, which was a longer process than we had thought, we left again not knowing where we’d end up. Although it may not have been as nice as the northern section, Highway 1 was incredible. So many amazing views and there was just something about the tall fuzzy grasses that flickered in the misty light on the hillsides.
I could taste the salt on my camelback mouthpiece.
We didn’t realize how slow we’d be until it felt like we’d been riding forever and had only gone 60 miles. There were a few times when we wondered if we’d ever make it to Mexico. We could’ve spent weeks exploring the coast.
We stopped in San Luis Obispo for pizza and some time to figure out where we were going. There was a campground on our route and so we pushed to get there. We found some fun two-lane roads to avoid some interstate cruising. After filling up on pizza and feeling good about the rest of our day’s route, we cruised back out to the bikes. I had to put mine on the center stand because, well it’s a long story, but my side stand just doesn’t work right on pavement. Tyson helped me get it on the center stand and so I felt it was only appropriate that I have him help me get it off too. He pushes me to be independent, which I appreciate, and assured me that I’d be fine. “Ok, sure” I thought to myself. Valuable lesson for the day: don’t park your bike on the center stand in gear (which I mean, I guess I knew this). As I went to get the bike off of the center stand, forgetting it was in gear, it fell forward as it normally would. It then, however, lost all momentum and came to a halting stop. It started to fall away from me and there was nothing I could do to save it. Yes it was one of those slow motion moments. My newly installed HDB hand guards just barely caught the lower part of the fender of the Saturn I had parked next to and punctured a bit of a hole. I was mortified. I should’ve taken a picture but I was ready to erase the moment from my mind. I left a note on the car with my phone number. In retrospect, I was very appreciative of the fact that I had randomly parked next to a Saturn in a place where 95% of the population drives BMWs and Mercedes.
We took off towards our next stop and enjoyed exploring parts of California we would of otherwise not known about. There were many places where the severity of the drought was overly obvious. I could almost feel the crunch of the dead grass beneath my feet.
Our #1 rule for the trip was to not get caught out in the dark. This was the second night of the trip and our second time breaking our #1 rule.
The campsite we stayed at was just outside Ojai, CA (Dennison Park) and was quaint, quiet, and overlooked the city lights. We took some photos, ate some top ramen, and went to bed. I couldn’t believe how tired I was.
Day 3 – Ojai, CA to Lake Skinner, CA
Why Won’t My Bike Start?
We knew this was going to be a long and tiring day as we had a few big, busy areas to get through. We woke up to an amazing sunrise and had a beautiful day lit view of the valley in which Ojai sits.
We found our way around the city of L.A. and were looking forward to the Angel’s Crest Highway, which had been recommended to us. We fueled up at the bottom of the highway and started chatting with some local riders. It turned out that half of the highway was closed for winter. We could’ve done part of it and then twisted through the hills but we decided to continue down the interstates as we’d rather spend the extra time in Mexico.
There was a bit of a back route from Hemet, CA to Tecate that looked like more fun than interstates. We took the wrong exit when we were close to Hemet and upon starting up again, my bike was completely dead. Luckily we were able to kick start it and continue on to Hemet which would have an auto parts store.
Once we got to Hemet we pulled my seat off and tried to figure out what the issue was. We were kind of at a stand still. We weren’t positive what the issue was, though we thought possibly a stator or voltage regulator. Not only would those parts cost $400, it would take about 4 days to get them. With the technology of the Internet, we were able to post the issue on ADV Rider to get some input from other riders. We were overly grateful for the help, advice, and giving nature of those on ADV Rider. Camped out in the McDonald’s parking lot in Hemet, we were trying to figure out a plan (this town definitely seemed to have a little bit of a drug problem and was ridden with some crazy people). Darkness was quickly approaching and we decided to find a campground close by and reevaluate the situation in the morning.
As we pulled into the campground we were excited. It looked empty, quiet, and peaceful. It was the absolute opposite of all of those words in every way. People didn’t come to this campsite to enjoy the silence of the great outdoors, they came to this campground to party and throw down. The noise wasn’t too bad until a group of teenagers rolled up and camped in the spot behind us. They lit up their table of drinking games with their vehicle’s high beams and consequently lit up our campsite. The inconsiderate people of the world are mind-boggling sometimes. Between their bumping stereo, bright lights, and earplugs, we finally got to sleep.
Day 4 – Lake Skinner, CA to El Hongo, Baja Mexico
I Guess the Stop Signs are Only a Suggestion…?
The 640 wasn’t having the same issues in the morning and we think it could’ve been a loose connection. I wasn’t too worried about it and we were too anxious to wait around and really figure out the issue so we went with it. We were off to the border.
It was amazing to me that we could fit all of our stuff on two motorcycles.
We explored the two lane roads of Southern California and it was so gorgeous. And oh yeah, we froze our asses off! It was cold at night and riding during the day. Mexico would be warm, right?
Suddenly our road came to a T and as I looked to my right, I saw a pie factory. I thought it was a dream! How could I not stop? We loaded up on pie and hot chocolate and then continued on. This was in Santa Ysabel, CA and seemed very much like the East Coast. Such a neat area.
Lake Cuyamaca, which is about 30 minutes from Santa Ysabel, is where we originally wanted to camp before my motorcycle was having an issue. We realized how gorgeous it was when we drove through and were bummed that we didn’t make it the night before. To sleep to the lapping of the lake would’ve been perfection coming from what we had come from.
Continuing on, we knew it was getting late so once we got to Interstate 8 we took the quickest and most direct route to the Tecate border crossing. We fueled up in Campo, CA and it wasn’t until Tyson asked if I was nervous for the border that I realized we were only 23 miles away. No turning back now! We were so close.
Last U.S. fill-up for a while
Highway 94 from Campo to Tecate was another mountainous, winding gem. We stopped for a quick photo as the light illuminated the region. We missed the turn for the border. Haha. Ok this time was really it, we turned around and caught the right road. We approached the border and followed the signs to cross. A green light signaled us into Mexico. Wait? That was it? No one even wanted to talk to us?
I knew from reading online that we needed Tourist Permits. We went around the block and parked. I made sure we were good to go and asked where I could get the permits. If you do this after you cross through on your bike, you simply have to walk around the crossing, cross back over the road, and walk into the office. The permits only cost $25 and I was able to sign for Tyson’s while he waited with the bikes. It was a very easy process and I could pay cash right there (I had read previously that you had to pay the bank and get it stamped from the bank, which is not always open, however I could just pay the guy who issued the permits).
With the permits in hand, we were in Mexico. We had no idea where we were heading and darkness was soon to approach. There was a campground I had read about in our Camping Baja book (thanks for this recommendation, I don’t know what we would’ve done without this book!) that wasn’t too far from Tecate on our route from El Hongo to Ojos Negros.
We had a hard time navigating our way out of Tecate. The main highway was closed and under construction so we kind of tried to work our way southeast. Within the first 5 minutes of driving in Mexico we got the message that we really had to be on our A game. Defensive driving 101. We came to a four-way stop and watched a person completely blow through their sign. Tyson said to me, “be very careful and watch yourself.” He had apparently forgotten right after warning me that we were in Mexico because we proceeded to go through the stop sign as another car was approaching. As the approaching car proceeded to blow through his stop sign, he honked in frustration that we pulled out. Ok, people here in Mexico don’t stop at stop signs. We made a thorough note of that one.
We finally found our way of town by accidentally getting on the toll road. We got nervous that maybe there wouldn’t be an exit for El Hongo. It was quick and easy, super cheap (32 pesos or about $2), and got us right to El Hongo. The guy at the tollbooth initially had no patience for my horrible Spanish but eventually I figured out how much I needed to pay him and he got us through.
There’s not much to the town of El Hongo, and to catch the dirt road that ends up in Ojos Negro, we turned right at the OXXO store and continued through town.
Our #1 rule for the trip was to not get caught out in the dark. Our #1 #1 rule for Mexico was to definitely not get caught out in the dark.
It was pitch dark as we headed out into the middle of nowhere northern Baja. Hacienda Santa Veronica wasn’t too far down the road and we’d hope to camp there for the night. Surprisingly enough, the signage for Santa Veronica was really good! It was definitely an interesting site to pull up to, especially at dark. It looked like a really nice resort that had been abandoned. It looked empty and closed, but I went into the dark-ish office and in broken Spanish tried to understand what the place was.
This was unfortunately a common scene throughout our trip. Pitch dark, looking at the map.
They had camping and the man working could tell I was a bit confused so gave me a grand tour. Tyson stayed outside with the bikes while I disappeared into the darkness with a man I could only halfway understand.
Behind the tennis courts towards the back of the property, camping was definitely different but seemed like a safe enough place to pitch a tent. There were bathrooms with running water and a bunch of working electrical outlets.
The man tried to convince me to pay $50 USD more and get a hotel room for the night (camping cost $10 USD per person). He showed me the rooms and they looked really nice. Tyson and I enjoy camping though, so we opted for the tennis courts.
I paid the camping fee, Tyson bought a coke for $0.80 and we jumped on the motos to wind our way to the back of the property. We started setting up camp and Tyson was set on making some Tortilla soup as a celebratory and appropriate first Mexican meal (Bear Creek Soups – just add water!). It started to drizzle as we finished getting the tent set up. Then it started to rain. We were wet and cold. Tyson made his soup outside the door of the tent. After eating, the rain sounded lighter so we ran outside to pee and stake down the tent. Not only was it raining it was blowing hard too. We were sure we would wake up wet. There were little streams running beneath our tent.
Had we known it was going to rain all night, we may have spent the extra $50 to be warm and dry all night. What confused us even more about this “5,000 acre rancho,” was the car alarm that continued to sound all night. It would ring for about 30 minutes, then go off for about 30 minutes. All night long. So yes here we are in the middle of nowhere and there is a car alarm keeping us up. Seemed strange enough. At times, the blowing wind and rain would drown out the sound of the alarm.
Day 5 – Hacienda Santa Veronica to La Bocana, Baja
Now We’re Cookin’ with Cowshit
We were finally asleep and just in such a short time we were awake again. We were freezing. We crossed our fingers that the rain would stop and just in that time it started hailing. Fortunately, our MSR tent had kept us totally dry all night long.
The front of Hacienda Santa Veronica
Our unconventional campground for the night
The view from the urinal
The inclement weather finally seemed to subside and with frozen hands and chilled feet, we packed up camp with hopes of finding warmer weather. Getting back on the dirt road from El Hongo to Ojos Negros was easy and the rain had made the road nice and tacky. I was surprised at how well marked the road was. We came to a Y but there was a sign for Ojos Negros, so it seemed nearly impossible to get lost on this road.
There was no other way to explain the feeling of cruising through the back roads of Mexico then fun. It seemed like a long time to get to Ojos Negros, but I was enjoying the views and the silence. We hardly saw anyone on the road. Once hitting the pavement at Ojos Negros (Mex 3), gas was just a few miles up the road. Here we also experienced our first military checkpoint. We rolled up curious and nervous but they waved us right through.
Our planned route caught the dirt road that is just to the east of the military checkpoint and gas station, however we realized that this was part of the Baja 1000. The signage made it seem as though if we took the road south we’d be running against pre-running traffic. We were advised not do this for obvious reasons so we decided to just head into Ensenada via Mex 3. The highway was actually gorgeous and mountainous and I was surprised by how few people were out on the roads. We dropped into Ensenada and were a bit overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle.
We filled with gas and hit the grocery store. I went into the store and bought hot dogs, buns, ketchup, two sodas, chips, and a 5L container of water. It only cost $5 USD. Crazy. We got out of Ensenada as quickly as we could. It was evident what we were after – silence and peace.
Our goal was a campground down a dirt road to the west of Santo Tomás. It was a little bit challenging finding the correct road. We thought the road was in the town of Santo Tomás, but it was actually 5-10 miles north of town. There was a sign for Punto Santo Tomás.
We buzzed through the valley while the evening light illuminated the hills—patiently anticipating an ocean view around every bend. Not entirely sure where the campground was, we approached the little town of La Bocana and continued north up the coast. We clearly had gone too far, but the sunset was incredible and we got to embrace the secluded little town of Punto Santo Tomás. Heading back to La Bocana, it turned out that I overlooked the campground. The way it was described made it seem more established however it was the exact opposite. An old piece of board had some rules and the word acampar had faded in the sun. It was perfect. A meadow of grasses lined a little inlet of water and we could hear the waves crash in the distance.
I set up the tent while Tyson started a fire for our hot dogs. I have never seen him struggle with building a fire and of course the night we needed a fire to cook our dinner, he had a hell of a time getting one going. The wood was just too wet. After barely cooking our hot dogs, we started to get really cold. In desperation to warm up before heading to bed, we started dousing cow-pies in fuel and burning them. It worked. Finally we had heat.
A few cow pies later, we decided to get in bed. As I laid there in the tent I remember thinking, “this is what I’ve been waiting for.”
Day 6 – La Bocana to El Rosario
Does My Penis Look Swollen?
After an amazing night’s sleep, we woke up to another beautiful sunrise and waited for the warmth of the sun to crest over the surrounding hills. We encountered our first medical situation. Tyson had been having an itchy penis for the previous few days (not to my knowledge) and he got a little bit concerned after inspecting his parts in the morning. He decided to share his concern with me. “Does my penis look swollen,” he asked. One glance at his bright red, swollen, night crawler-esque penis and I knew that we needed to pull out our Adventure Medical Kits medical kit (this had us covered for most any scenario we could potentially run into). He proceeded to look in the medical book for “swollen penis syndrome” and to his demise didn’t find anything. Upon further inspection we found what we thought was a hole that something had evidently bitten into him. He took a bunch of Benadryl in hopes that the swelling would go down and the itching would subside.
Our first goal for the day was to find a dirt road that cut over the hills, through Rancho Viejo, and down into El Embarcadero. We packed up and headed back down the dirt road we had came in on. According to our maps, and the fact that the road was less than 10 miles from our campground, it didn’t seem like it would be too hard to find.
An hour later, after talking broken Spanish with farm workers, taking dead end roads, asking little kids that were hiding from us if we could pass through, and looking and re-looking at the map multiple times, we finally found the road! The most frustrating part was that we could see the road, we just couldn’t figure out how to get to it. It seemed like we needed to cut through a bean field, but the farm was fenced and the field workers stared as we traipsed around the farm on our motos.
So… Where the hell is this road?
Asking a local if he knew where we needed to be
This is definitely our turn… Not
Don’t mind us…
The road we wanted was literally right on the other side of the white fence.
At last we could see where the road started and from where we were, it looked gated. We left the farm and got back on the main road. The road wasn’t gated! The map was pretty inaccurate as it wanted us to cut through the farms. Evidently, the road is to the east of the two large farmsteads. I didn’t want to speak too soon, but the road was in amazing condition, so fun, and so beautiful.
We thought we were isolated and alone and in the middle of nowhere it made sense. Suddenly we rolled up to a ranch and three ranchers waved us over. With a nervous edge in his voice, Tyson said to me, “they don’t look happy.” “Time to really put my Spanish to the test,” I thought.
I wouldn’t say that they looked happy but they didn’t look like they wanted to kill us. After introducing ourselves and explaining to them where we were heading, they let their intimidating guard down a little bit. They asked what we were looking for and we said “Rancho Viejo.” “This is Rancho Viejo,” they exclaimed as they threw their arms up in excitement. Sweet. We were on the right road. I thanked them for the amazing condition of the road. Tyson said, “ask them if they want a candy bar.” A candy bar? We don’t even have a candy bars! They didn’t want food, they wanted money. I gave them a tip for helping us with directions and in our minds, not killing us or taking all that we had (as 75% of our friends in family in the U.S. thought we wouldn’t make it out alive).
The first time tipping my bike over and I couldn’t have asked for a better view!
There is a Y in the road at the top of the hill just past Rancho Viejo and according to our map, both roads will get you down to the same spot but the left road will do so more directly. We dropped onto another dirt road that would take us east for a little while, where we would then catch the Baja 1000 course to take us south into Ejido Erendira. From miles back we could see the dust of racers fizzle into the sky. Although it wasn’t too busy with racers pre-running, I definitely thought the course would be interesting. We were out there to take our time and enjoy the sights while the racers were out there to…well… race.
This was a fun dirt road for sure but the corners had been very rutted out from racers. The big bikes got sucked into the ruts too easily then had squirrelly minds of their own.
We finally dropped down to the coast and stopped for a quick break under some trees near the beach. We watched the water lap up on the sand and realized for the first time this trip, we were actually hot and sweating.
Continuing on, the views were just breathtaking. In town, we grabbed another dirt road that followed the coast south. Again, we were on the Baja course. It was a favorite moment of mine riding through fields of brussel sprouts that lined the coast. We had intentions to get off the course and head back east to Mex 1 at a cut off. We got a little bit confused by some race signage and so we had to continue on a dirt road south to the town of Colonet. Our map informed us that this route would be in deed a little bit harder than what we had been on, but we didn’t really have a choice. We definitely hit some hairy spots.
Not really sure what happened here
I would have been fine with the road but what scared me was the thought of falling on a blind corner and getting smoked by a trophy truck. We worked our way through the road, both mentally and physically, and though it was challenging, it was a fun accomplishment. There may or may not have been a few moments on this road when we wished we were on the dirt bikes.
Tyson just barely ran out of gas as we approached the edge of town. We were lucky to have full RotoPax! We filled up with gas and relaxed for a few minutes enjoying some cold drinks. There were some other dirt bikers at the gas station that came over and talked with us. They were excited for our trip and gave us some insight for further down the 1. They mentioned a great hotel in El Rosario, and since we didn’t really have an idea of where we would end up for the night, we set our sights on that.
It kind of felt good to be on pavement, but after about the first hour back on the road my body and mind were definitely ready to be sleeping in a nice bed after a hot shower.
I had a bit of a humbling experience as we approached the hills and curves just before El Rosario. It was evident to us that if you actually go the speed limit in Mexico, it is more likely that you will get plowed. The safest bet is to travel the speed everyone else is traveling. We were following a race chase truck and trailer. Suddenly we hit a very sharp curve and we were going way too fast. Tyson yelled to watch the curve. It all happened very quickly but in that instant I knew there was some type of moto god watching over us. It felt like too close of a call to running off the road and I pulled over to take a breather. I don’t like scaring the shit out of myself but it was a good reminder as to how inexperienced I am.
Within 20 minutes we were in El Rosario and Mama Espinoza’s had a room for us for $35 USD. This being our first hotel experience in Mexico, we couldn’t believe how cheap a hotel with hot showers, a comfy bed, and wifi was. We also had been recommended to eat at Mama Espinoza’s Restaurant.
There were a lot of racers at the hotel and it was fun to talk with some people and gain some more insight about what was to come. It was almost a two hour long process for us to eat at the restaurant as they were super busy. We were hungry, tired, and sore but didn’t want to eat soup so we couldn’t complain too much.
We had a quiet and amazing night’s sleep and I remember waking up in the middle of the night thinking “I’m sleeping so well I don’t want this night to end” and subsequently fell back into my deep slumber.
I was continually amazed at how we were able to fit all of our shit on our motos!
Day 7 – El Rosario to Bahía Asunción
Thank You Woody’s Wheel Works
Unable to coax a racer into taking us out in their race truck, we packed up the bikes and headed south on Hwy 1. We once again took off in the morning not knowing where we’d end up. The highway south of El Rosario was gorgeous and more so matched my vision of Baja than the other terrain we had traveled. Our planned route didn’t work because of fuel, but we decided we’d be able to get fuel in Cataviña (there is no fuel between El Rosario and Cataviña!) and then catch the racecourse to the coast again.
After fueling up from some drums in the back of a guy’s truck, we caught the course north of Cataviña. It was by far the sandiest road we had encountered and I got very nervous that I’d fall in a blind corner and get run over by a trophy truck. My vision of that became a partial reality as we pulled over to double check the map. We could hear the roar of a truck in the distance. Tyson was peeing and as the roar got closer he said, “holy shit do not turn around.” I didn’t turn around but I watched in my mirror as a truck appeared within an explosion of dust around the corner that was not far behind us. He luckily slowed down when he saw us. It was at that moment that Tyson finally agreed with me and decided maybe it was a bad idea to be on the racecourse. Luckily we were stopped just past a cutoff that would take us back to Cataviña.
Skipping the dirt section meant we would gain some ground on tar. What a beautiful section of road through the vast and open desert. That afternoon, we crossed into Baja Sur and it really felt like an accomplishment. We were both very hungry but every town we came to we would say no ok next town we will stop.
We stopped in Vizcaíno for fuel and decided to eat there too. We had a relaxing and big meal at Martita’s and thought it was 2 in the afternoon. Joke’s on us because we didn’t realize there was a time change and we were about 30 minutes away from dark when we finished eating (eating at restaurant’s in Mexico is not a quick ordeal). The only place to camp was in Bahía Asunción, which was about 2 hours west of Vizcaíno. I remember looking at the sun and thinking, “oh it’s still really high, we have plenty of time.” I then remember being on the motorcycle for all of about 20 minutes before it was completely and utterly dark. We thought the road out to Bahía Asunción would be partially paved and partially dirt but to our surprise it had recently been entirely paved. We didn’t really have a choice but to push on to the campground. The desert darkness is unlike any other darkness I’ve ever experienced.
There are about 467 reasons as to why it is a bad idea to ride your motorcycle in the dark in Mexico. I was about to be reminded of #36. Tyson’s idea of taking it slow and my idea of taking it slow was a little bit different. I glanced at my speedometer. So much for taking it slow, we were going 60 mph.
About 43 seconds after that thought process ran through my mind, my eyes were fixated on these full, beautiful bushes that had overgrown the side of the highway. Tyson swerved dramatically around them. Our communication had gone out in that same time so while Tyson was yelling, “go left,” I heard nothing.
Along this beautifully, newly, paved road there was somehow a large chunk of pavement missing. We’re talking a 5 foot by 5 foot by 5 inches deep chunk. I luckily stood up at the last second and let off the throttle. I have no idea how I did not come off the bike. Thanks moto gods. Now it made sense why both a) the bushes had overgrown the highway and b) Tyson swerved dramatically.
Reason #24 was down the road another hour, when the signs Zona de Dunas began to make sense. There was a huge sand dune covering our entire lane. I was ready to be laying in my sleeping bag and listening to the waves crash.
We could finally see the lights of Bahía Asunción in the distance and my dreams of lying down were becoming more of a reality. We fueled up and double-checked the directions to the campground. The campground was literally only 1 minute from the Pemex and super easy to find because of ample signage. The gringos camping were unimpressed with our entrance, as there was a little bit of sand that we had to throttle through. They gave us some info on the place and we set up our tent. It was only $10 USD for the night and we could hear the waves crash.
We made camp in record time as we were tired and ready to be laying in silence. My heart was ripped open a bit by a stray dog that came up to me as I was getting ready for bed. She was the sweetest creature just lookin’ for some love. Her left side was completely hairless and scabbed over. I felt so helpless. I fell asleep thinking of ways to bring an empty van down to Mexico, fill it with dogs, and get them back to the U.S.
Day 8 – Bahía Asunción to Scorpion Bay
La Arena
We woke up excited as we were getting back on the dirt for the day. We caught a dirt road just out of Bahía Asunción that followed the coast south to Punta Abreojos. The diversity of the peninsula amazed me everyday. The terrain was constantly changing as we skirted along the ocean. We came across areas of sand and mud as far as the eye could see and then bluffs that overlooked the coast.
Rolling through the fishing villages that hugged the coast was intriguing. Such a different way of life, one that is hard for someone like myself to imagine. Their boats bobbed in the water and looked the opposite of sea worthy. Dogs barked and chased after us and as quickly as we approached the town, we were out of it again. We were having so much fun.
We fueled up in Punta Abreojos where we caught the pavement to San Ignacio (In Mexico, the gas stations have attendants who do all the fueling for you).
Just before the turn to San Ignacio, next to the Pemex station, we grabbed lunch from a little old lady who made her living cooking for people out of a 20×12 building. There were holes in the walls and dust on the shelves. We ordered four carne asada burritos with beans and the drinks were cold.
The flour tortillas were amazing and the meat tasted fresh. There wasn’t much to the burritos, unlike in the U.S., but they were simple and delicious. She tried to charge us $6 USD for four burritos, two sodas, some water, and cookies. She was grateful for a generous tip and told us to “travel with the gods.”
We made our way through the town of San Ignacio, a bit of an oasis in the desert that borders a fresh water lagoon. It would have been a fun town to walk around and explore, but we were anxious to get on the road.
The dirt road was actually a paved road on the south end of town but we knew it would eventually turn to dirt. We made loose plans to camp in Scorpion Bay but there wasn’t much between San Ignacio and Scorpion Bay for camping so it was really our only option.
There were two routes to head south on, one was a dirt road through the open desert and the other was a road that meandered through tidal pools along the coast. From his route planning, Tyson had his mind set on riding the tidal pool road and it seemed more interesting.
We made the mistake of getting off of the tidal pool road and taking a sandy cutoff. It was here that we discovered we are far from good riders in the sand. It took us about an hour to go a ¼ of a mile. I would fall, and then Tyson would come help me get my bike. Then he would fall and I would help him get his bike up. It was upwards of 80 degrees and sunny. We were sweating, pissed, and ready to be relaxing at camp listening to the waves crash in.
We finally got back on the tidal pool road. “Ok, no more getting off this road!” Five minutes later we were faced with another Y. We took the left fork. Within seconds we were in deep sand and I had already lost control of my bike and fell again. Tyson was a bit further ahead than I was and we decided to turn around. Turning around in the deep sand… how do I explain this other than nearly impossible (for us). Now we were really getting upset.
We always thought it sucked digging a snowmobile out of the snow in the winter. Well, digging a 600-pound motorcycle out of the sand when it is unbearably hot was even worse. At least when you are digging a snowmobile out you can shed layers. We could not cool down.
The worst part about all of this was that we set ourselves back two hours. We still had a pretty good distance between where we were and Scorpion Bay. Our goal was to get back on the main road before dark. It felt like we weren’t getting anywhere.
We finally got on the cutoff road that lead us back to the North road into Scorpion bay. Of course, we couldn’t get through the last little bit of sand without any issues. Tyson found himself off the road a little bit and so we worked to get his bike turned back towards the road. The family that lived back off this road, in the middle of nowhere, approached us in their 1996 Nissan Pathfinder.
I asked how far we were from Scorpion Bay. He said about 40 minutes. By the time we hit the north road it was completely dark. It was a rocky road covered in washboards. Another bout of darkness that had been unlike anything I’d ever experienced. Once again we were ever grateful for our Baja Designs lights. I couldn’t imagine how challenging our trip would’ve been without them.
We kept pushing forward, our bodies sore and exhausted. The road suddenly slumped down into a gully and all we could see was a bluff on the other side of a river and a vast array of round, smooth river rocks. We had no idea where the road went. Our lights finally caught the other side of the crossing, where water had dripped onto the sand from the previous vehicle that crossed.
There was no way to tell how deep the river was and the darkness didn’t help with our perception. Tyson went first and made it through, his feet touching down only a few times in the water.
He decided it was best that he get my moto across. I walked through the river and continued the ride with sopping wet socks. We were moving slowly but we were moving and knew that we would eventually get there. The road was rocky and rough and I cringed every time a rock bounced up and banged against my bike.
We finally made it into San Juanico and stopped at a little tienda for some food and cold drinks. We were so worked. We bought cupcakes, cookies, chips, and sodas. The Scorpion Bay campground was all the way through town and while there weren’t any signs in town, there was a big sign at the turn.
We basically drove straight down the road until we hit the water and made camp there. There were lights in the distance from boats anchored in the bay and our little bluff excited us for the morning view. We were beyond tired.
Day 9 – Scorpion Bay to Bahía de Concepción (Mulegé)
Camping on the Bluff
We woke up to the most beautiful view and everything glowed in the early morning light. Surfers stirred in their camps, as this was the third or fourth day without waves. By 8 am, the gentle light of the sun had turned into a scorching heat and we were sweating. The goal was to have a bit of a short day of riding and head nearly straight east to reach the east coast.
Instead of riding pavement a round about way to catch the east coast, we had been recommended a road that cuts over from La Purísma. The road had been described as “a super easy road that people take cars over.” Once headed up the road, it donned on us that basing the difficultly level of a road to what a Mexican will or will not drive a car over is not an accurate representation or scale. Mexicans will literally drive any vehicle over any road and they will do so as a normal, everyday, way of life.
This could have been interesting at night…
The oasis that is La Purísma
While the road from La Purísma was slow going, it was gorgeous. Goats weaved in and out of the road and cacti grew tall and scattered the landscape. Four to five hours later, we popped out on Mex 1.
We lost the GoPro off the paint shaker… I couldn’t believe I realized it and we went back and found it.
Where the dirt road pops out on to MEX 1, looking west
Looking North towards Mulegé. This view was breathtaking!
We were told that as soon as we arrived in the Bay of Conception, grab the first camping spot you can find. Playa La Perla (just south of seemingly popular Requeson Beach was empty and so we stopped there). A man and his kids lived on a little hill overlooking the camping area and so we stopped and asked if we could camp. He said we could for 100 Pesos (about $6 USD) so we paid him and set up camp in a beautiful little bay. We really wanted a cold soda with dinner so we both got on Tyson’s bike and went down the highway a few miles to a bar. This was my first time riding on the back of Tyson’s motorcycle and I didn’t enjoy it at all. It was so scary! I was definitely glad to be on my own motorcycle. We made some ramen for dinner, relaxed by a fire, and then went to bed under the bright moon.
One of our favorite campsites of the entire trip
Day 10 – Bahía Concepción to Vizcaíno
Are you Crop Duster?
We had a relaxing morning and this was by far the most gorgeous campsite of the trip so far. Green and lush mountains towered above the Sea of Cortez and the morning light hit the tops of the hills and slowly worked its way down. We had been go go going the whole trip so we took a few moments to just sit in the sun and enjoy the view.
It was crazy that we were already heading north now but we were excited to explore the east coast. Mulegé was about 45 minutes from our campground and this was by far one of my favorite stretches of highway. The beaches were serene and beautiful, although there were a lot of gringos in the area! Understandably so, with sweeping sea views and white sandy beaches. It was a very valuable piece of information that we got to camp at the first campground we came to. The closer we got to Mulegé, the busier the campgrounds got.
We were pushing it with fuel and Tyson took advantage of a pull off to fill up from the RotoPax. It was a tough ride into Mulegé, as all I wanted to do was stare at the amazing views but had to stay focused on the road.
We filled up on the south end of Mulegé and continued into town where we needed to grab some cash and water. As we pulled into the town (it was kind of confusing to get into the town center) we immediately found ourselves going the wrong way on a one-way street. A car that had been following us caught us at the stop sign. All of a sudden I hear “are you crop duster?” Turns out, Tim or PrincessJamaica from ADVrider, just happened to see us riding and followed us into town. He told us to follow him and he lead us to a spot in town where we could fill up with water and there was an ATM around the corner.
It was so fun running into him and he was very generous, offering us a place to stay for the night. We told him we had just camped down the road and we were trying to cover some ground north. Most importantly, he gave us an amazing taco recommendation in Santa Rosalía. We definitely want to come back through and spend a night with you, Tim!
We paid $2 USD to fill all of our water receptacles, got some cash from the ATM, and bought some amazing homemade sweets from a bakery a few doors down from where we were parked.
Mulegé seemed like a really cool town and wasn’t crawling with tourists. We got back on the road with tacos on our minds. In Santa Rosalía, we found the restaurant that Tim recommended and it was by far the best food we had had. There were carne asada, pork, and chorizo tacos. My mouth waters now as I write about them, packed with queso, meat, fresh quacamole, and salsa. The flour tortillas of Mexico melt in your mouth. Tortillas at home just won’t be the same.
The view from our table at Tacos el Paisano
With super full stomachs, we continued on. Santa Rosalía was an industrial town along the water. The highway followed the coast through town then jetted off into the mountainous desert. We figured we would get a hotel in Vizcaíno, as there wasn’t really a campground to hit that would set us right for the following day. We arrived early to Vizcaíno and we were both not really ready to just quit at 4:30 in the afternoon.
We had two options. The first was heading off on dirt roads that could potentially take hours and getting to Bay of L.A. in the dark. Our other option was to quit early, get a hotel room, and get an early start for Bay of L.A. It was so unlike us but we decided to quit early and get a room. Hotel del Sol looked nice to us and ended up being above and beyond what we were expecting. In the center of Vizcaíno, it has a gated parking lot, was extremely clean, and only cost $24 USD. It felt nice to sit outside on the porch and relax while the sun set. After long, hot showers we called it a night.
Day 11 – Vizcaíno to Bay of L.A.
Did You Hear that Helicopter?
We got an early start and our intentions were to get to the Bay of L.A. entirely on dirt. There’s a road that cuts east about 10 miles north of Vizcaíno towards El Arco. From El Arco, there’s a dirt road that continues out to the coast.
We broke another Gopro mount on the 640 and lost the camera again. We were lucky this time too and found it!
The cutoff road up to El Arco was deep sand and I knew it would only get worse. I decided we should turn around and take the less direct but supposedly in better shape road towards El Arco. It would be hard to go to Baja with a set schedule and plan, that is for sure. Adapting to situations while traveling is all part of the adventure.
After we got turned around, we were cruising back towards the main road and Tyson had a fall in the sand. His leg got caught under his bike while his body continued to fall to the ground. He tweaked the hell out of his knee and I thought he was seriously injured. I jumped off my bike and lifted his off of him.
I was obviously a little frustrated. Loved finding the GoPro captures of these moments.
And here we are a few minutes later checking out the map trying to figure out a different route.
It was a scary moment. What would I do if he hurt himself and couldn’t ride? All these questions started stirring in my mind. He walked it off, decided that he was fine, and we cautiously worked our way towards the road. He stopped when we hit the road and I knew that he was in pain.
We took a bit of a rest and came up with a new game plan. Instead of taking dirt to Bay of L.A., we would jump back on Mex 1 for a little while and cut over by way of the San Borja Mission. It wasn’t as much dirt as the previous plan but we had more confidence in that decision.
As we went to start up and head back towards Mex 1 my bike wouldn’t start. My battery/electrical issue was creeping back around. I took off my seat to check the connections and they were all tight. There wasn’t much we could do in the middle of nowhere so we buttoned her back up and kickstarted her. Lucky for that kickstart!
The turn off for the Mission was signed just before the town of Rosarito but we kind of weaved our way through the town looking for the correct road. We just needed to stay straight. Once we were a few miles outside of town, there was ample signage the rest of the road leading us to the San Borja Mission.
For me, this was another amazing and beautiful road. I wanted to go very slow and admire every cactus. There were some very neat plants and landscapes that will be hard to forget. It was a bit rough and rocky in places, as well as sandy in sections. We were able to make it without too much trouble and while the Mission was historically rich and an enjoyable sight to see, the terrain we traveled through to get there is what made it worth it for me.
Those damn ruts will suck you in every time
We were slightly disappointed when we pulled up to the mission and it had a chain link fence surrounding it. Within 30 seconds of us being there, a lady walked out from her casita and opened not only the gate to the fence but the door to the mission. We were able to explore the inside. It was beautiful and crazy to see what people had built in 1759 by hand.
Interesting stairs to climb in moto boots!
The road from the Mission to the highway to the Bay of L.A. took us a little over an hour but we were going slow because I was tired and sore. Initially, our plan was to quickly get to the Bay of L.A. and have a little bit of a relaxing afternoon. We got there an hour before dark and went to a restaurant for dinner before finding a place to camp. Everything in Baja seemed to take much longer than we expected.
We enjoyed a simple dinner on a covered porch where we were able to watch cars drive by and stray dogs wait for food scraps. I wished I had a place for all the dogs on my motorcycle.
For a while, we were the only ones in the restaurant until 3 other gringos showed up (I refer to other white people as gringos and am aware that I myself am also a gringo). Super friendly and curious about our trip, they struck up some conversation with us. We talked about our trip and what we were doing and we were equally as curious about where they had come from (they hopped out of the back of a polica truck).
“Did you hear that helicopter?” Chris asked. Yeah, actually we did. Chris, Brian, and Adam had shown up to the Bay of L.A. by helicopter for a little vacation after they had raced a section of the Baja 1000. It was so awesome to hear their stories of the race and sounded like an absolute blast.
Tyson has always been interested in flying helicopters so of course had many questions for them. We ended up talking at dinner for an hour and then told them we were looking for a place to camp. The hotel that they were staying at had plenty of camping and they even invited us to shower in their hotel room.
Instead of cruising around in the dark looking for a place to camp, we just decided to head to their hotel and pitch a tent there. Guillermo’s was a very nice place with a restaurant, large and clean rooms, and a nice enough camping area.
Chris, Brian, and Adam were all going out fishing the next morning and invited us along. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Along with fishing, we were told that the whale sharks were still in the bay and that we would be able to swim with them too. We fell asleep excited for the morning.
Day 12 – Bay of L.A. to Alfonsina’s
So is it a whale or is it a shark?
We didn’t have an amazing night’s sleep, as we were camping on the beach right next to the town’s boat launch. As it turned out, Mexicans fish and launch their boats through all hours of the night. We were up early for a nice sunrise and the boat was ready for us around 7:30.
Not knowing what to expect, it was just refreshing and fun to be out on the water seeing things we would not see from the motos. We decided we would fish before swimming with the whale sharks. Believe it or not, this was the first time I put my bikini on. We had so much fun with the three we had just met, and they were generous to invite us out with them.
Being quite the amateur fisherman, I had no idea that you had to first catch your bait. That was a chore in it of itself! Suddenly we spotted some dolphins in the same cove that we were in. We kept crossing paths with them. Tyson and I were standing on the bow of the boat when all of a sudden two dolphins swam right by the boat. It was amazing to see them so closely.
We finally caught enough bait to head out to the deep sea to find some yellowtail. We all had a go at catching a fish and I think we ended up with 4 in total. This was unlike any fishing I had ever done. First of all, it was extremely challenging physically! I could barely real in the fish I caught and needed help from the guys. Once I got it in the boat, it was so hard to hold for a photo. It ended up on the boat floor multiple times and I was left with some small battle wounds on my hand. I definitely had a newfound respect for fishermen and women.
Ahh Help!
Hooked
Tyson didn’t need nearly as much assistance
After catching enough fish to feed a small village, we donated our bait to some fellow fisherman and took off in search of whale sharks. On the way to find the sharks, we even caught a glimpse of a humpback whale from a distance. I loved seeing all the sea life!
The whale sharks were surprisingly easy to find. Gliding gracefully through the water, their size was masked by their gentle movements. Their white spots seemed surreal.
Brian and Adam jumped in the water first and we followed with the boat. We only had two masks and one set of fins and it seemed nearly impossible to keep up with the sharks without fins. Even observing them from the boat was pretty extraordinary.
Then it was my turn! I jumped in and swam as fast as I could toward one of the sharks. It was cold at first but I was too busy thinking about the shark that I didn’t even realize it. I loved just watching them glide through the water. So huge yet so gentle. Sea lions flipped and frolicked beneath me. What an experience.
It felt amazing to be in the sun and the water and off the motos for a morning. When we got back on land, the restaurant at Guillermo’s agreed to make some ceviche and grilled fish from one of the yellowtails we had caught. We gave the rest of the fish to our skipper and he was ecstatic to feed his family with it.
Chris and Brian had suggested Alfonsina’s as a next stop from the Bay of L.A. and at less than four hours away, it would be doable in the afternoon after fishing. While we waited for our fish to cook we packed the motos up. It wasn’t until 3 that we left to head north.
It seemed like a pretty short ride from the Bay of L.A. to the road that cut through Coco’s Corner and on to Gonzaga Bay perhaps from being off the motos for the better part of the day. The road through Coco’s Corner was in very good shape, especially for just have the race pass through. We felt as though they were getting ready to pave the road and just 10 miles north of Coco’s Corner, the road was paved.
We got to Alfonsina’s in just about 3 hours, but had stopped for some photos and took it slow once it got dark. We didn’t really know what to expect at Alfonsina’s but thought for sure they would have an area to pitch a tent. Unfortunately they didn’t allow camping. I was ready to not be searching for a campground in the dark and so I decided we should just get a room. It was a bit of a mistake on my part.
Alfonsina’s is picturesque as it is just yards from the water in a beautiful and quiet bay. We should’ve gone on to find a place to camp (although the book didn’t have many recommendations for the area) because they charged us $80 USD for a room. It was a nice enough room that overlooked the bay but parking was super far which is kind of annoying when you’re on a motorcycle and have to bring 90% of your luggage in with you.
Our shower for some reason did not work and there were a ton of gringos partying in the restaurant below our room being insanely loud and annoying. We prefer quiet, empty campgrounds.
If you have money to spend, are looking for a decent place to sleep, and for a place to party, I would suggest Alfonsina’s. If you are looking for solitude and stars, I would search out a different place to camp in the area (beautiful area).
Day 13 – Alfonsina’s (Gonzaga Bay) to San Felipe
What is a Campo?
We awoke before the sun. Bird’s danced along the water and distant boats swayed with the sea. We didn’t think our Mexico trip would be complete without a sunrise walk along the beach so we set out. The sand was cold on our bare feet and we were ready to be warmed by the sun. The dark bay suddenly exploded with hues of gold and orange.
Goodbye Chris, Adam, and Brian!
Once back from our little walk, we enjoyed the sun on the deck in front of our room. We had a relatively short day ahead of us on the motos and our intentions were to relax on the beach once getting to San Felipe. Unfortunately most of our off-road riding was over, but the views from Gonzaga Bay to San Felipe were breathtaking.
Cheers to not becoming a shrine on the side of a Mexican highway like my mother thought.
We were quite excited for San Felipe, maybe because of what we’d heard or read or made up in our minds. Upon arriving we quickly understood that San Felipe was a watering hole for tourists who want to be in “Mexico” without much of an effort to travel into or through Mexico. We grabbed lunch, gas, and some groceries. A quick drive-by of the campgrounds just north of town and we knew we needed to keep riding.
The next day we were bound for the border and we were going to go the same way we came down, the dirt road from El Hongo to Ojos Negros. Unfortunately, there were not many or any campgrounds we knew about between the start of that dirt road and San Felipe.
We found Pete’s Camp, which is about 10 miles north of San Felipe. It was at this time we were familiarized with “Campos.” Campos are basically communities of gringos along the beach. They build nice houses and live amongst other white people. There are security guards and a local bar where they can go to listen to American music.
Some of them have campgrounds and at Pete’s Camp, there is a nice campground on the beach with palapas, bathrooms, and super close access to the water (unless, we learned, it becomes low tide). We were very hesitant at first, as the palapas were spaced apart by about 3 feet. We were sick of being surrounded by other people but didn’t have much of an option.
For only $15 for the night, we decided to spend the rest of the day relaxing on the beach and would get an early start in the morning for the border. Tyson finally got to set up the hammock he had packed all these miles.
We here also for the first time had the chance to experience the extreme changes that come with low tide. We looked forward to sleeping with the water near by, but by the time we had the tent set up, the sea was a ¼ of a mile further back. “Maybe it will come back soon,” we both thought.
We walked along the beach enjoying the last moments of sunlight and then later walked through the Campo as the moon appeared. We had had a big lunch so we weren’t overly hungry for dinner but we decided to visit the restaurant at Pete’s Camp and share some fajitas.
One thing that we continually enjoyed throughout our trip was going to sleep early (7:30/8:00) and waking up before the sun. Camping without distractions, computers, cellphones, social media, it’s good for the soul.
Day 14 – San Felipe, Baja to Lake Cuyamaca, CA
I Think I’m Going To Shit my Pants
Tyson had a bit of an unfortunate wake up call in the morning as something did not sit well with his stomach. We planned on getting an early start, but stayed close to the bathroom for about 5 hours. We really couldn’t believe that we had gone the whole trip without having any stomach issues, but Mexico didn’t want to let us go on this one. So lucky again that we had come prepared with the medical kit. Tyson ate enough Imodium to feed a small family and I was certain he wouldn’t poop for at least a week.
I’ll spare the details on the morning, but we leisurely packed up and when he felt secure, we headed on our way. We toured north towards Mexicali then took Mex 3 west towards Ensenada. Amazingly enough, we had had pretty impeccable weather throughout our entire time in Baja (although it was kind of cold in northern Baja on the way down). Most days were filled with sunshine and the sky vacant of clouds.
Sea-less sunrise
This day was different and although it wasn’t raining, rain clouds meandered in the distance. Heading north we could see that the weather cleared and with our vents zipped we were eager for the sunshine we knew so well. Heading west on Mex 3 was another beautiful stretch of highway surrounded by high desert mountains. Our hands gripped our grips a little tighter when the wind started blowing at about 30 mph.
Continuing on, we unfortunately hit a chilly rainstorm. The northern part of Baja that we were heading into was socked in. We were just hoping that it wouldn’t start snowing.
We were cold and frustrated and the day we spent digging our motorcycles out of the sand, sweating our asses off, continued to replay in our minds. We had expended all of our resources for warm clothes.
We finally reached the Pemex near Ojos Negros and were weary of our decision to head north on a dirt, semi-mountainous road (we really thought there could be potential for snow). Just as Tyson said he wished someone was around that we could ask, 6 guys pulled up on dirt bikes. They had just come from El Hongo and said the road was fine.
It continued to drizzle but eventually the weather seemed to clear up enough. We stopped at the same place where we had on the way down and had a quick snack. Suddenly we heard something in the silence of the hills. It sounded like a bell of some sort and was definitely coming towards us.
Forty goats suddenly appeared around the corner and their masters (two twin collies) hesitated. The goats stopped as the collies proceeded to examine us. Their floppy ears twitched in the wind while they waited for the go ahead. The collies were happy and friendly and came up for a quick pet. After a little bit of attention, they were on their way again.
We continued on and had hoped that we could cross the border before it got dark. It was incredible the different views we experienced on the same road, just heading the opposite direction. It’s amazing what you miss when you can only simply focus on what’s in front of you. I thought riding the same road back would feel redundant but it was just the contrary.
We jumped on the Mex 2D (2D is the toll road where as Mex 2 is just the highway) and were in Tecate in a quick 20 minutes. We stopped at one more Pemex to use the last of our Pesos. Finding the border was surprisingly easier than we had thought, as there was ample signage. Not knowing at the time that motorcycles are aloud to ride up to the front of the line, we waited in line to cross the border for 20 minutes. There was so much to look at as the evening light turned to golden hues.
We finally made it across the border and the actual process was a lot easier than we expected. They didn’t want to search or look at anything, we simply showed our passports, answered some questions and were on our way.
If felt good to be back in the U.S. We were comfortable again and there was a homey sense of security that emanated over me. While riding 600 miles through California still posed risks for us at motorcyclists, we knew that most people would acknowledge a stop sign when we came to one.
After crossing the border, our new goal became getting to the campsite at Lake Cuyamaca to camp for the night. There were probably some campsites closer to the border than this, however we had been through there and knew it was a beautiful place to spend a night.
We were still very cold at this point, and California didn’t get any warmer. Tyson pulled over more than once to warm his hands with his exhaust (he didn’t have heated grips, I did). Lake Cuyamaca is about 20 minutes from the small town of Descanso and we stopped there to find something to eat.
We went into one of the two stores along Hwy 79. The nicest lady was running the store and we asked her about the restaurant across the street. She had good things to say about it so we decided to go there for dinner. While we wanted a decent meal, we were more motivated to thaw out a little bit and were very unmotivated to go set up and proceedingly sleep in a cold tent.
The food was amazing. It could have been the fact that we hadn’t eaten anything other than Mexican food and soup the last two weeks but whatever the cause, it was a delicious meal. Once we finally prepared ourselves to brave the cold again, we took off for our 20-minute journey north to the lake.
The wind seemed to be blowing and so we agreed against a campsite directly on the lake. We found a sheltered campground just down the road. Once off the motos we realized that it wasn’t really as cold as we had in our heads but it was still cold and our fingers and toes were frozen.
It’s hard for me to be really cold on a motorcycle but it’s even harder for me to realize that I’m not going to warm up from being really cold. That was the case this night and I was layered up and balled up in my sleeping bag trying to feel warm. The warmth never came to me and I continued to freeze all night. Camping is way more fun when it’s warm out.
Day 15 – Lake Cuyamaca to Alamo, CA
I Can’t Feel My Hands
We woke up early, eager to put some more layers on and get on the road. We didn’t really have a plan to get back to Alamo, but I opted for the interstates in one day rather than scenic routes in two days. I was mostly tired of being cold but I was also getting tired of being on the motorcycle (yeah, I’ll admit it) and felt that I wasn’t being as attentive and vigilant as I needed to be.
As we began to pack, it started to snow. I couldn’t believe it. “We are going to be caught in a snowstorm in California on our motorcycles,” I thought. The snow stopped falling but the temps started to. It was going to be a long day. Unfortunately, we tried to convince ourselves that it would eventually warm up. It never really did. I mean, it did a little bit but not enough to make a difference on a motorcycle.
“OK wtf else do I have in here that will keep me warm?”
Our long day seemingly got longer and it felt as though we were hardly chipping away at our 500-mile feat. The cold temperatures didn’t help and as soon as I started thinking about how much I missed Hank, minutes turned to hours.
I-5 was a very long and straight stretch of road but I loved riding through the orchards, trying to guess the crops or the fruits on the trees. Mileage signs were torcher and simply reminded us every 4 minutes how much riding we had in front of us. I sound bitter and ungrateful in my explanation but would’ve enjoyed the day if it wasn’t so damn cold.
Every time we stopped we had to drag ourselves to the bikes to get going again. It didn’t help that Tyson’s sister in Alamo has a hot tub and that’s all we proceeded to think about (and seeing Hank of course). I remember how dark it suddenly got and wondered where the almost-full moon was. Ten minutes later I glanced to the east and saw the massive and orange moon arising from the horizon. I felt like it was one last little gesture to prove the moto gods were up there.
I was so humbled by the experience that we had and the ways in which I felt like I had learned. A motorcycle will teach you a lot about yourself. I found myself thinking a lot about the ways in which riding a motorcycle allows one to so closely connect with the world. This came to me in the best and worst ways. I was able to admire vegetation of the ground we covered in ways that wouldn’t be possible in a car or truck. I could also see the eyes of the dead dogs along the road that we came across (not many but enough to make my heart ache). There is no better way to describe it than being so closely connected. The smells, the temperature changes, things that one would never think about while road tripping in a car.
I began to think about how these days we are so overcome and devoted to technology and social media. There was no choice on a motorcycle to be absolutely present in every way for every mile. Presence has slipped away from many of us these days, and I was glad to experience a time when I had no choice but to be entirely present with my surroundings and myself. There is a lot of beauty in the world to explore and admire and while I’m grateful we can share this beauty through technology and social media, it is a real pleasure to experience raw adventure. I’m humbled by this experience and beyond excited for the next trip on my moto.
Baja: The Beginning – Adventure Rig
September 25, 2016 at 7:36 pm[…] Our Baja Story […]
Von Allen
October 15, 2017 at 12:25 pmI thought your article was well-written I found myself immersed in the adventure of it love dirt biking