Day One:

-Flew in and rented a Wrangler for the desert.
-Hung out at Rick and Heather’s catching up, crushing beers, listening to Rick fire up his bikes, and getting excited to be in the desert once again.
-Stuffed out faces on tacos because they don’t get any better outside of Mexico than SoCal.
– The bikes we will be taking are Ricks Yamaha’s LT1, RT2 (which he has basically turned into an MX), WR 426; and Heather’s Kawi KX100.

Day Two:
-Loaded up all four bikes and headed east to the high desert.
-After a quick stop over at our ultra modern Air BNB oasis in Yucca Valley, we loaded up in the Wrangler and went to Pappy and Harriet’s for the Rolling Heavy Van show and Desert Generator music fest.
-Checked out all the sick classic vans done to the nine. This is not helping the current van fever I have. Out here these things last and survive unlike back home where they just wither away.
-Pioneer Town is a rad mock old school western town w/ Pappy and Harriet’s bringing people in for music and BBQ.
-Had our faces shredded by some righteous riffing stoner and desert rock bands.

Day Three:
-After getting breakfast in Joshua Tree it was finally time for ripping.
-We headed to a place that Rick had brought Radke and I to on our Manifest Destiny trip; BLM lands outside of Landers, CA. The land here is wide open but has all kinds of riding options. A dirt choose-your-own-adventure. People come out here to ride everything. From bikes to ATV’s, side-by-sides, rock crawlers, etc… A lot of target practice is done out here too. A freedom that us east coast city dwellers don’t get to experience as often as we should.
-Heather’s friends Nina and Joni had joined us. All 3 lady’s riders  themselves and were as fast as us to get on the bikes and go.
-Rode all day till the sun became low in the Horizon then drove to another Air BNB in Big Bear. The girls weren’t hot on sleeping in the 40 degree weather it was to be. To be honest either were we plus a change of scenery is not a bad thing.

Desert dirt bike crew

A post shared by Ali Rae (@aliraesanderson) on Apr 9, 2017 at 12:47pm PDT

Day Four:
-Said goodbye to the ladies and the four of us dudes went to the Cactus Flats OHV lands about 20 minutes from the Air BNB.
-The staging area was basically a big warm up course that you can rip around on before hitting the trails. Yesterday was a wide open, go anywhere type of adventure but today was trail riding. The OHV lands out here are taken care of by the state. The first trail (Joshua) was a sick dirt loop full of whoops and berms. Takes about 5 minutes to ride the full loop. The 2nd trail we went on lasted for miles and started similar to Joshua then became a large long access road w/ terrain that alternated from hard pack to rock to soft sand. We got pretty far out but soon found another trail (Pinyon) that took us back to the staging area. Pinyon was the most difficult of the trails. All up hill and crazy rocky. It made the Bald Eagle trip look like a beginners course. The champion of Pinyon was Francione because he made it through the whole thing on the LT1. Once back in the staging area we had a few more beers and ripped there before packing up and heading back to LA. The ride back to LA (CA rte’s 18 to 330) were the best mountain twisites with overlooks and vistas that you just do not get here on the east coast. I would have done anything to get my KZ on those roads.

Day Five:
-Fly home.

Top 5 Posts

1. Manifest Destiny Trip: Easy choice. Epic multi week trip.

2. Norton Show and Camping: Always a great season opener.

3. Buzby Farm Day: Greg’s family farm rules. Wish I had that setup as a kid.

4. Maryland Trip: Great riding, food, and camping mixed some of the scariest riding trying to get through a monsoon rainstorm.

5. Reading Woods: Reading is always a good time. One of many trips to this spot we did the past year.

Top 5 Retarded Posts

1. Chinonthetank Ed: Who can forget about the lovable Ed fanboy and Ed refusing to acknowledge this post made it even better.

2. Gringo S Helmet Review: This cracked me up so much when I first saw it. Not sure why it’s funny but it is.

3. Yann Doppelganger: Watching Ed blatantly take photos of this guy was just awkward.

4. Motorcycle repair with Nate: The art of jankey motorcycle maintenance

5. Winning money from Ed is too easy: Fact – A bet against Ed pays out 100% of the time.

• After waking and checking out, I sat at Carolines waiting for the UPS man. Thankfully Dimecity and UPS came through around 1.
• Fueled up on coffee from an awesome shop next door called Flat Track Coffee. It’s a bike and coffee shop plus they got dirt bikes on display.
• Got my clutch cable installed and the bike back to 100%, then got amazing BBQ at Kerlin BBQ.
• After an afternoon siesta we went back out a crawled around East Austin bars with Caroline and her boyfriend, Preston. Music everywhere. I fucking love this town.

• Woke up hurting and solved the issue with breakfast tacos. Full Austin culinary trifecta met: BBQ, Chili, and Tacos.
• Said goodbye to our hosts and hit the road. The first 100 miles out of Austin was crazy foggy. It cleared up just in time for Houston. Riding through the Houston metro area was as fun as shoving red hot rail road spikes into my eye sockets. A feeling of relief hit when Houston was to our backs.
• Soon the swamps and bayous came into sight as we got off I-10.
• The road to our camp sight for the night wound directly along the Gulf coast and at one point had us on a ferry. Dolphins swimming in the waters.
• We set up camp at Rutherford Beach. Free camping is allowed directly on the beach. Not bad.
• Hunger hit so we rode into the town of Creole. I use the word town loosely. There’s 3 houses, a gas station, restaurant, and general store. Sadly the restaurant was closed. I was so looking forward to some Cajun food.
• The general store had Po Boys and beer so the problem was easily rectified.
• We went back to camp and drank our beers on a large drift wood log on the beach staring out at all the oil rigs. I counted 35 of them.
• The Stars came out and we chased constellations and galaxies until the mosquitoes ate us alive.

• The fog rolled in real heavy last night and visibility was terrible. As we made coffee on the beach we heard random noises running to us. Suddenly 2 wild corgis appeared. It was all fun and games till one pissed on my tent.
• The ride out was ominous and damp. LA-82 wound through bayous and along the coast. Soon the sun had cleared the mist and we hit highway. The rest of the ride to New Orleans was typical highway bullshit.
• Soon the Big Easy was in sight. Halloween in New Orleans!!!!!
• We scrambled to get costumes and worked with what we had. The end result was “Shitty Daft Punk”.
• We joined in the insanity that is Halloween in New Orleans and went off the wall. We met up with a friend who was in town and chaos ensued.

 

• Hurting badly this morning and were slow to leave the Hostel.
• Straight shot out I-10 to my grandfathers in Destin, FL.
• Stopped only to check out the NASA Infinity Science Center. Didn’t go in but they had a lot of great stuff to check out outside for free.
• Nothing great about the ride.
• Made it back to FL. Tomorrow we are going to decide if the Keys are a go.

• Slept forever but woke up and decided to hit the Keys versus coming home. We’re shooting for a 10k trip. Also decided to rent Jet Skis. Boatercycles!!! Too much fun.
• Grabbed fresh Gulf oysters after fun in the bay.
• Family time for the rest of the night.

• Headed FL-98 the entire ride. It got really interesting after Panama City. My grandfather referred to the area as “old Florida” and he’s right. Very chill and sleepy.
• Hit a small storm outside the campsite and waited it out at a gas station.
• Camp was at Manatee Springs State park. I had heard there were manatees there but were told by the staff we were too early.
• We didn’t find manatees but we did find tons of armadillos. It’s crazy how tame they are.
• When I scoped the site out yesterday I had no clue there was a swimming hole but was pleasantly surprised when we found it. Insanely blue water.
• After an evening swim we made dinner and just relaxed at camp.
• Just after eating, an armadillo came by and became my new best friend. Hopefully I did not contract leprosy.

 

• Some deers joined us for our morning coffee.
• Zig-zagged our way through central Florida. Nothing but awesome 2 lane country roads.
• Shorter than usual ride to our next camp at the Myakka River State Park. Luckily we snagged the last available site.
• Quickly set up the tents and went on the hunt for gators. Tried to get an airboat ride but the tours were done.
• Found tons of gators but as soon as you get close to them they slide in the water making it hard to snag a good pic.
• Rode the bikes through the park and hiked a trail to find more gators. They’re everywhere.
• Sat by the lake for sunset then headed back to camp.

   

• Up and on the road at the crack or dawn. Watching the sunrise from the bikes is a great experience until it’s in not b/c you can’t see shit.
• Another day of just ripping and not taking many pics from the bikes. The trip is coming to an end and we are feeling the need to stop less and snap pics.
• We hit rte 1 sooner then expected and were on Key Largo pretty quickly.
• Coincidentally we both burnt out our headlights at the same time. Weird.
• Camp is at John Pennekamp Coral National Forrest. The hardest decision today was to snorkel on the reef or kayak in the Mangroves. We went with reef b/c with all the coral bleaching who knows how long we will have coral reefs.
• We got on a boat with a shit ton of other tourists and headed out to sea. The waves got real choppy as it looked like we were headed to a storm. The reef was much farther out to sea then I expected.
• In the end we had an awesome time. Tons of fish to see but no sharks. The Barracuda were gigantic.
• Back on shore we changed and headed into town for Cuban food.
• Back at camp it rained on us as we chilled in our tents.

 

• Snorkeling and Cuban Sandwiches will knock a man out cold.
• Headed out rte 1 and had to get in rain gear until Marathon Key. Nothing but blue skies and aqua waters the whole way to Key West.
• Set up camp on Stock Key in a mixed use Campground. Not a terrible place put were sandwiched in with RV’s. Only one other option for camping here so we’ll take it.
• After camp was set up we rode into Key West and explored. Had to hit the Southernmost Point. Crazy to think just a few weeks ago I was staring at the Pacific in Big Sur.
• Strolled up Duvall St and got Key Lime Pie.
• Found a proper Hemingway Daquri and sat in a tropical courtyard soaking it all up as the realization that this run will soon be over.
• Walked up to sunset pier for the last sunset of this trip. After 35 years it still gets me every time that big ball of light and energy lowers behind the horizon. Going to miss catching all the sunrises and sunsets across this crazy big country of ours.
• Ripped the bikes back to camp and played a round of pool before realizing that we were hungry. Upon a recommendation we hit a local seafood spot for Key West Pink Shrimp and Conch Ceviche. I’m slowly turning this MC site into a food blog. Eat it bitches. Gotta get local foods when you can. Isn’t that a huge part of traveling?
• Properly full and drunk we stumbled back to camp. Last night in the tents.

• Awoke early enough to catch the sunrise from camp one last time. Still can’t believe this trip is almost over. Where did it go?
• Packed and headed back up rte 1. By the time we hit Marathon Key the weather turned and the rain gear was on until Tavernier. There the sun was out and we stuffed our faces on a proper Cuban breakfast.
• Just north of Key Largo, as we approached the mainland again, we got back into the rain gear just in time.
• We were soon properly introduced the the Florida super highway. Anywhere from 8 to 14 lanes of nothing but impending death. I saw the grim reaper and for me he is not the shadowy apparition of a hooded skeleton w/ his scythe but an elderly Asian man in a BMW speeding down a South Florida highway. Quick tip: the lines in the road are optional to follow. Feel free to weave in and out as you feel.
• Radke suggest we detour to the Thunderbird Swap Shop in Ft. Lauderdale. An insanely large Flea Market/Drive in w/ a gigantic arcade and Ferrari Museum. What a place. We wondered around for an hour or so forgetting about the death race happening out on I-95.
• Eventually we had to go for it and made it up 95 to Jensen Beach where Radke’s mom lived. She wouldn’t be home till later so we killed time in a bookstore. Eventually she was home and we went and crashed.

 

• Left Jensen Beach ASAP and rode to Sanford, FL to take the Auto Train to DC.
• The cost was $250 for one rider and bike. We had got them on the Amtrak site yesterday.
• They ask that you arrive with your vehicle between 11am-2pm. We pulled up at 11 on the dot and were first. What followed was a lot of waiting. At 12:30 they called to load all vehicles in line.
• Bikes loaded and more waiting. By 3 we were on the train and at 4 heading north. The train rules! So much room. The lounge car was open and we went straight there for beers. We got called for dinner in the dinner car and I have to say it wasn’t too bad.
• We sat in the lounge playing cards and working on this post tying to destract ourselves from the election.
• Last rip of the ride tomorrow and it will officially put us over 10,000 miles! We estimated 9k before leaving so we were a bit off.
• Around 11:30 we climbed back to our seats to sleep.

    

•  Rough sleep thanks to the couple fighting behind us. Assholes. Who wakes up at 12:30 to argue? With the train being mostly empty we just moved. Figured out a way to sleep in the chairs but if you got the cash get a sleeper.
• Woke up feeling like we were in a different universe.  From the scenery, to  the weather, and of course the election outcome.
• Train was only a half hour late arriving. We had the bike in about a half hours time after arrival and got in rain gear. Not excited at the homecoming run but looking forward to seeing my dog and friends.
• No time was wasted getting back to Philly. The rain came down harder and harder the closer we got to the city. Regardless we made it home.
• 45 days
• 10,000 miles
• 19 States

Saturday 10/22/16

• Got up early to head into the desert to ride dirt bikes with Rick.
• KZ1000’s are not made to ride deep into the desert but somehow I made it in. No drops!
• Absolutely nothing around for as far as the eye can see.
• Ricks buddy, Evan, had come up the day before and set up camp on BLM land.
• Ripped with Rick on his LT3 and him on his RT2.
• Explored the surrounding rocks at sunset.
• Shit got real weird at night. There is some sort of military base near by. We sat and watched planes do wild maneuvers and saw crazy flashes of light followed by loud booms. Some serious military activity near by.
• No rain fly tonight. Falling asleep staring at the Milky Way.

 

• The absolute perfect morning. Waking up seeing the sunrise behind the hills in every color imaginable.
• Made it back out the sand road w/o dropping the KZ. We were right next to the Integratron which was built by a guy who claims the plans were given to him by visitors from Venus and is capable of rejuvenation, anti-gravity, and time travel. I regret not going inside.
• Very short ride today as we wanna camp and explore Joshua Tree National Park.
• Stopped in the town of Joshua Tree for the best breakfast burrito we’ve had yet. Literally watched the Babes Ride Out (of town).
• At breakfast we met an old timer named Woody who has been riding for over 50 years. He’s got a sportster at home that has 175,000 miles on it and currently is on a month long trip to Mexico. Inspiration right there.
• Set up camp at the Hidden Valley Campground in Joshua Tree National Park. We set up right in an alcove against the large rocks. Great spot!
• Climbed rocks and went on hikes.
• Rain came in and we decided to take an afternoon siesta.
• The rain cleared and we headed into town to resupply. The ride back in the park was crazy dark and wild.
• Back at camp we had a fire mishap. We’ve taken to starting our fires the easy way, with gas. Let’s just say we now know what two gallons of gasoline looks like burning in a fire pit.

 

• Another surreal morning scene. Packed up and ran into 29 Palms for gas and a replacement gas can.
• Ran east on 62 through the Mojave. Barely a car in sight for 100 miles. May have had that cliché “motorcycle trip, find yourself” existential moment in this stretch of desert or maybe not.
• Hit Arizona and was not impressed for a very long time. The Saguaro’s standing mighty and tall was a diamond in the ruff of the scenery.
• Headed for the mountains. The plan is to get to Cottonwood to then make for Fossil Creek tomorrow.
• While in the desert, Evan had mentioned a road we were to hit; and hit it we did. AZ 89A north out of Prescott, AZ. Such an amazing mountain road that wound in the Prescott National Forest.
• We stumbled up Jerome, AZ and I fell in love with the town. It’s a classic old west town built into the mountain  revitalized with a lot of great restaurants and shops. We stuffed our faces on the best ribs I’ve had in a long time. Bobby D’s BBQ.
• We then shot down to Cottonwood and found some BLM land in the nick of time. Tents up as the sun hid itself behind the mountains.

 

• A thunderstorm rolled in overnight and for about 2 hours we were convinced that we were going to die in our tents.
• The sky was clear and blue when we awoke. The original plan was to go to Fossil Creek Falls but after some research and word from Radke’s brother, we decided to go to another swimming hole. Word is the road to get to Fossil Creek is long and too rough for our bikes.
• We headed to Bull Pen which was much closer. The road back was 5 miles of hard pack and rocky terrain. Probably not meant for our bikes but we went for it anyways.
• We hiked back the desert a mile and were ready to quit a couple of times but kept going. Near an old supply zip line we found it. The Bull Pen swimming hole. What a fucking gem. A deep clear pool w/ a rope swing and red Rock cliffs to jump off of. We wasted no time in making ourselves at home and stayed longer than we should have.
• We headed east on AZ 260 and were not disappointed. The road shot up into green pine mountains and wound just enough to be fun but not too technical. The first chunk went through the Coconino National Forrest. Pure woods and roads. The smell was a punch to face of the most natural, piney, and woodsy scent. The best smelling road this ride so far. It, yet again, reminded me why I love riding motorcycles. I would never had that visceral experience in a car.
• The Coconino became the Tonto National Forest. By this point we were high on a ridge cresting the mountain. We stopped at a small general store for gas and talked with the owner. This section of AZ is the Rim Country. I need to come back here and spend some quality time. I fell in love with northern Arizona today.
• Pushing along 260 it became the Sitgreaves National Forest and all we could see were green mountains to the horizon.
• Finally we came into the town of Show Low then through the Fort Apache reservation. This is where it got real cold. and the road got real fun again. Lots of warning signs for elk crossing but thankfully no elk (mega-deer)  in sight.
• After exiting the reservation lands we now hit the Apache National Forest and dropped in altitude and warmed up some. The White Mountains loomed ahead.
• We didn’t take many pics as we spent to much time at the swimming hole and the sun was setting fast. The days are getting shorter on us and we are crossing a time zone.
• We jammed it to New Mexico and went through a town at 8000 plus feet of elevation. With my air leak issues, the KZ is running great at these heights.
• Finally we reached camp at the Head of the Ditch Campground in the Gila National Forest. Just in time to warm up by a fire or a hot bike.

 

A video posted by Brian Robert Radke (@brianrobertradke) on Oct 25, 2016 at 4:44pm PDT

• Woke up to below freezing temps. Headed into Luna, NM and hung out at the general store till the sun warmed up the world.
• NM 180 killed it coming out of the mountains. We spotted a sign for a ghost town and headed up a sketchy one lane, crumbling, twisting road. 9 miles in we ran into a road crew who are repairing the road and have 2 bridges out. No go. Bummer. We turned around and got back on 180.
• The mountains soon became cowboy country. Literally. Cowboys everywhere.
• After Silver City it was nothing but stupid long straight stretches of desert and it was now 90 degrees. Sucks for us because we are still dressed for the below freezing temps from this morning.
• We jammed I-10 to Las Cruces then crossed over to the missile capital of the country then through a border control checkpoint. Glad I’m a citizen or this trip would be over.We arrived at White Sands National Monument and promptly got a back country spot. We were excited until we realized it was a mile off the road. Carrying our gear back was a motherfucker.
• With camp secured, we did a cruise around the park look on the bikes. I feel like I am in Dune waiting to outrun a sand worm are any moment.
• We were able to catch the sunset from atop of a dune then went and made friends with our neighbors. They had sleds and we went night sledding. Sick.
• Stargazed till bed then stargazed some more in bed. No rainfly tonight.

A video posted by Brian Robert Radke (@brianrobertradke) on Oct 26, 2016 at 6:07pm PDT

Thursday 10/27/16

• Quietest place ever with such good sleep. Awoke before the sunrise and watched it come up over the Sacramento Mountains on top of the highest dune near us.
• Today is planned as a sacrificial day. My good friend Waldo has given me a belated birthday present and booked us a hotel room in Austin for us Friday. In order to make Austin in time we decided to ride as far as we could into Texas.
• We could have taken I-10 the whole way but fuck that. I routed us through Alamogordo and up into the Sacramento Mountains via the Lincoln National Forest. Absolutely worth the 30 extra minutes on the entire trip. It took us all the way into Artesia where we hit 285. We have already did this road. South of Carlsbad it becomes, what we call, Fury Road (see week 3)
• Fury road was crazy busy today with tankers and giant pickups. The sun was shining and the sky blue which gave a completely different atmosphere then the last rainy and dreary time we visited.
• We stopped for gas again at the weird no-mans gas pumps. I made a big fucking mistake. The pumps really aren’t labeled and as I filled up my tank I noticed the color of the gas was off. It hit me quickly that I just filled up the KZ with diesel. I won’t go into detail on what occurred next but after 15 minutes and ripping my tank off, I had the situation rectified. New name for the trip: Manifest Pollution.
• We took off and finally hit I-10 in Fort Stockton then did 200 miles to Junction, TX.
• Camp was at Schreiner Park. I found it on www.freecampsites.net that it was cool to camp in this park. We set up in the dark right on the South Llano river. We sat on a dock staring at the stars till it was time to pass out.
• All total we did 500 miles in 9 hours. Long day.

 

Friday 10/28/16

• Might not have been a great idea to have slept in a town park. Pickup trucks drove through all night rolling coal and drunks hung around till 3 am. Somehow we slept.
• At 6:30 we were up and out. As we pulled out of the park my clutch cable snapped. Fuck. That was my spare. I put the old frayed one in (about 10 strands left on it) then rode to a truck stop and hustled to find new ones. Thankfully dimecity cycles had 2 in stock. I had them overnighted with Saturday delivery to my friends house in Austin.
• We took off for Austin and I power shifted the KZ the entire way. Things got hairy the closer to town we got but that clutch cable held on for those times that I needed first gear the whole way to my friend, Caroline’s.
• After dropping off gear at her place we went to the Hyatt to check in to the room Waldo got us. We got necessary beers and hit the pool then grabbed much needed showers. For the record, it’s been a week since we last showered. Nice.
• Headed out for a bowl of real Texas chili. You heathens can keep your beans.
• Took some time off our feet before exploring East Austin bars and actually stayed up past 9pm.

• Woke up and soon realized I lost my debit card. Fuck.
• Ran all over town retracing my steps but no luck.
• Went to Ryan’s to finish maintenance on the bikes and hang out. It was great to see him and catch up. Overall I had to straighten out my idle issues, oil change, clean and wax my chain, & replace my clutch cable as it had begun to fray.
• Radke got a new rear tire.
• We ripped with Ryan (who is still killing it on his Goldwing, the raddest Goldwing) to a real seedy dive bar for a couple of drinks.
• We said farewell to Ryan then did more sinful Vegas shit. No absolution in sight.

 

• Recovery.

 

• Couldn’t wait to get the fuck outta Vegas. I highly enjoyed seeing Ryan and working on my bike. The strip club in North Vegas was fun and so was Fremont St but the strip can burn in the manufactured hell that it is. I could go on and on but in other news the sky is blue.
• The plan after today was to go to Yosemite then San Fran but the weather in Yosemite is highs in the 50’s and lows in the 20’s. Fuck that. Route changed. Half Dome is going nowhere and now I have an excuse to fly to San Fran some other time.
• At the tip of our buddy Luke we made the destination Kernville, CA which will be a nice middle point to Big Sur.
• We left Vegas and hit the desert, rolling through the Red Rock Canyon area.
• Within the hour we hit Death Valley. What an awesome place. 90 miles to get through the park and it’s outer worldly. Starting at 4000 ft above sea level and dropping to -190. The heat was not bad especially while on the bikes. The road was full of whoops and twisties. Awesome mountains and dunes for miles.
• Got to see living coyotes finally.
• Outside the park Eagle Eye Radke spotted and abandoned silver mine off the road. We shot straight to it. I have wanted to explore an abandoned mine for a long time.
• We hiked to the back of the mine. It wasn’t too deep but still ruled.
• Ran through more desert and soon spotted the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I have waited years to see these mountains and they did not disappoint.
• Headed alongside the Sierras in a southerly direction but soon turned in on 178 west and had our minds blown. Crazy winding roads into the Mountains surrounded by desert, filled with Joshua Trees and farmland.
• Pulled into Frandys Campground in Kernville and was greeted by the campground manager Stanley. What a rad guy. Originally an old LA dude, he retired up here and is living with his awesome dog Frandy. This dude rips around the campground on a 6 wheeled ATV riding side saddle. A character for sure. One of many characters we have met.
• We were a week late for the Biltwell Kernville Kampout but got the whole campground to ourselves.
• Stuffed our faces at the local brewery.
• Went back to camp and set a fire with free wood from Stanley.
• Today did not suck.

 

• Woke to a chilly but beautiful morning and had a conversation with Stanley before getting food.
• Headed out 178 west some more and soon had our faces melted by the best road since Deals Gap – The Kern Canyon. What a ride! This road had everything you could ever want. We took no pictures because we were having too much fun on the road but I’m sure you can google it if you want. Better yet just go ride it. Officially “carved” my first Canyon in Cali.
• Emerged into the Bakersfield area and cut across the Central Valley.
• Went through an area called Oildale that had more oil pumps in one spot then we saw in the entirety of Texas. The thick heavy smell of fresh crude everywhere.
• Brian “Ansel Adams” Radke was so focused on making the Pacific that we averaged 90 mph to get there with no picture stops. Which is unusual for him.
• Outside of Paso Robles the road got mountainous and interesting again as we wound through so many vineyards.
• Soon we crested a hill and saw the Pacific. We stopped to get pics and reflect. At this point we have finally achieved true Manifest Destiny.
• Hopped on rte 1 and stopped in Cambria, CA to eat and get ready to ride the PCH. At first it was tame then it got crazy. It is everything everyone says it is. That is until you get stuck behind a mini van.
• I lost it with Radke for a second because he passed on a double yellow turn and I was pretty fucking close to hitting a truck coming the opposite way when I followed for the overtake. Heart pounding dumb moves.
• We rolled 70 miles north to camp in Big Sur.
• On the way north we stopped at McWay Falls. Another scene I’ve wanted to see for years.
• Stayed at a private camp b/c all state and national were full but it was worth it. Our site had a stream running through the middle of it with a bridge to a sleeping sight completely surrounded by Redwoods.

 

• Waking up to a babbling brook and surrounded by redwoods is a great feeling.
• Hit the PCH southward and grabbed some pics.
• Stopped to check out Elephant Seals just chilling on the beach. Saw zebras at the Hearst Castle ranch too.
• Got a tip from some guys to head to Morro Bay to see Sea Otters. Took off like bats outta hell and saw them. Just floating in the bay chilling.
• Grabbed a lunch of fish tacos, and fish and chips by the ocean.
• The ride to LA wasn’t too interesting save for a stretch called 154 that took us through the Los Padres National Park and dumped us in Santa Barbara.
• We decided to make straight for Rick and Heather’s place instead of going a long way via 1.
• In Santa Barbara we hit traffic, and for the first time since entering California we finally got to lane split legally. Radke was pumped on this and took off.
• What felt like a long, dry, hot ride finally ended as we pulled into Rick and Heathers.
• Rick greeted us w/ cold beers and we relaxed in the backyard. Good to see old friends.

 

• Got up and had breakfast with Heather then saw her off for Babes Ride Out. Speaking of Babes Ride Out, somehow we were one week early for Barber Vintage Days. One week late for the Biltwell Kernville Kampout and perfectly on time for Babes Ride Out. God damn it.
• Rode to a cycle tire place to get a new rear for myself. Wear bars are showing after 7000 miles on the tire. Still a little meat on it but our thought was get it now in LA while it’s easy instead of bum fuck Texas on the way back east.
• Still having idle issues where at stops my idle can be at 2-2.5k until I pull up and forward on the carbs. It’s leading to thing my insulators are weak and shot. Thanks to Ryan’s advice I have wire tied the carbs to the frame to try and keep them positioned right. Did the work at the tire spot while waiting for my KZ to get on the lift.
• Shot the shit w/ old timers and a highway cop while putting back tall boys of Banquet. The cop was into the KZ big time. He had 3 in his day.
• Took forever to get the tire on. Remember friends that that a new tire is slick for the first 100 miles. Another dude must have forgot that and dumped his bike on the way out of the shop.
• Took Radke to get In-N-Out Burger for his first time. Had to go there because duh, it’s fucking awesome. I inhaled 2 animal style double-double’s and have renamed this trip Manifest Gluttony.
• Luke met me at Ricks and we went for a 60 mile ride on the LA crest. Doing that at sunset set the ride over the top. Rides like that with friends is what its all about. Also broke in that new rear tire real well.
• Came back and had beers at Ricks while he rebuilt his RT oil pump.
• Life is good.

Saturday 10/8/16

• Originally planned to leave Fort Stockton and head straight to Roswell but the storm front sat right above everywhere we were headed.
• Decided to go to Carlsbad caverns and wait out the storm
• The road there was again long and straight but with all the oil pumps, fracking burnoff towers, the sand, and solitude; the whole scene felt post apocalyptic. Mad Max like. Riding a KZ helps with image.
• Saw a dead coyote on the road then shortly there after a road runner. I guess real life does imitate art.
• Gassed up at an unattended trucker gas station In the middle of nowhere and then the rain came.
• Got to Carlsbad caverns and explored the cave to dry off.
• Holy shit the cave is huge. 800 ft down there are even restrooms, gift shop, and a cafeteria. You can even get out of the via an elevator. America!
• Rode into Carlsbad and sat by an oddly green river then decided to head out to Roswell anyways.
• 10 miles outside of Carlsbad the sun came out and things got rad.
• Wide stretches of desert and lonely back roads.
• Set up camp at Bottomless Lake State Park.
• Some raccoons came to visit. Aggressive fuckers.

• Thunderstorms rolled in overnight and soaked everything.
• Did not get abducted.
• Moved our gear to a nearby pavilion to wait out the storm.
• When the rain moved on, we went into Roswell for food.
• Roswell was not impressive.
• Headed north on 285 and shot a straight line for 90 miles with no exits or side roads.
• Got a tip from a friend to hit up hot springs north or Las Vegas, NM.
• After stopping for gas we headed northeast and rode into the worst storm either of us have ever ridden in. Sheets of water fell as lightening struck the desert all around us. It makes the Memorial Day run this year seem like a drizzle.
• Radke’s bike stared shorting out with all the water falling from the sky. To keep it running he had to keep it rev’ed as high as possible which meant 80mph through the storm. Luckily the road was straight and there were no cars.
• Finally we beat the front as we came into the mountains.
• Found the hot springs but they were literally 3 small bathtubs and full of people so we choose to shoot for Santa Fe.
• Rolling into Santa Fe we hit another front dropping walls of water in the distance. We decided after such a rough day to hole up in another motel instead of the campground we had planned to go to.
• As we got into our room the skies opened yet again.
• I find it ironic that we headed to the desert to stay dry and warm but the entire time we’ve been in the desert we have been cold and wet.

• When we awoke we saw that the rain is finally gone and nothing but blue skies for awhile. All thanks to the 2 wheeled gods for smiling upon us. However it’s freezing here in Santa Fe.
• Rode in town to check out Santa Fe and had breakfast tacos.
• Once out of Santa Fe we hit NM 96 and were blown away. Mountain roads with the gnarliest scenery. Could stay here forever riding around.
• Rode to Four Corners Monument and saw the Rockies poking their heads up in the distance.
• The route to Four Corners was insane. It’s hard to put the scenery into words. Everything is epic.
• Stood in four states at once.
• Finally got to eat Navajo Tacos. Been on my culinary to try list forever.
• We headed towards Cortez, Colorado. I was antsy to get there for special reasons.
• We got supplies and took a tip from a local to head up into BLM land in the local mountains to camp.
• Found a killer campsite on public lands and made camp. Surrounded by pines and aspens.
• As night rolled in, a strange howling came from the woods. We assumed it was coyotes and hoped it was not wolves. Either way it scared the shit out of us. Bed was soon to come.

• Chilly but great night. First time in this trip that we awoke to everything being dry.
• Colorado is an amazing state. I will always come back.
• Headed out early and was in Moab by noon.
• The scenery coming into Moab is unreal. The mesas, cliffs, canyons, and towers all reaching high in crazy reds.
• Shot up 128 (you must ride this road) to get a camp spot along the Colorado river but found all sites full. I was pissed b/c it’s a Tuesday. WTF??? Thanks to being angry and impatient to find a camp spot, I ended up losing my footing in the gravel in a lot and dropped the KZ. Nothing scratched or damaged but goes to prove that there’s no need to lose your cool because mistakes are made then.
• We finally found a spot at Moonflower Canyon. While it’s not on the river it is fucking epic. Red sand canyon full of trees. Plus there are old petroglyphs here too. Magic.
• Set up camp and got food then checked out dirt bike rental prices. Not cheap. Shy of $300 for 5 hours per bike. This includes tax/gear/insurance/gas. Can’t ride w/o the proper gear and insurance. We decided it wasn’t worth the cost. Plenty of other stuff to do here.
• Rode up to Canyonlands National Park. 313 takes you there to the top of a huge mesa. 313 is a sick road.
• Got into the park for free and hit the Mesa Arch.
• Wanted to do the Grand Overlook but a rain cloud scared us off the mesa.
• No wolves or coyotes to scare the shit out of us tonight. Just the red walls of the canyon and stars.

• Great view of stars to wake up in the middle of the night too.
• After eating we rode back out 128 to Castle Valley. A local named Linda tipped us off to some dinosaur tracks and the 8 year olds in us got hype.
• The ride up to the tracks was a rough twisty road and the tracks were on top of these crazy high cliffs. Found the tracks and stood on the cliffs edge.
• We left and did the La Sal mountain loop. What a fucking road! Very challenging to say the least. Had to dodge potholes, gravel, cow shit, and other vehicles on an unmarked failing road full or sweepers and switchbacks. The view as you gain altitude was unreal. The ride took around an hour and a half.
• After we were exhausted and knew a swim was in order.
• Our campground neighbor tipped us off to a swimming hole in Mill Creek Canyon.
• It was a interesting hike back the canyon. A half hour later through Slick rock, green oasis’s, desert landscape, and 3 river crossings we made it to the hole. Awesome waterfall in a decent sized hole.
• The water was coldest water we have been in yet.
• After feeling refreshed we hiked out and got burgers and shakes at a local drive in called Milts stop-n-eat.
• Back at camp Radke did the chimney climb.
• We walked to the end of the canyon to check out the pond and watched a bat feed.
• Made a fire and passed out. Solid day.

   

• Said goodbye to Moab. Not an easy thing to do.
• Blasted to Salt Lake. The first half was just a barren straight shot on rte 6 then it went into the mountains and got wicked. Not too many pics of the ride as we were focused on getting to Salt Lake.
• I-15 from Provo to SLC was awful except for the HOV lanes that motorcycles could ride in. The entire 50 miles is one large strip mall. All we see are strip malls here.
• Got to the cemetery and I paid respects to my brother. The main goal and half way point is now reached.
• Rode to Antelope Island out on the Great Salt Lake to camp and checked out the roaming bison. Saw Antelope too. Tons of bugs here. Our visors became slaughter houses.
• The camp sight we were assigned sucked donkey dick. They put us w/ RV’s and on top of the bathrooms so we found another one (called Ladyfinger btw) and set up right next to the shore of the lake.
• It’s very eerie here. The water is dead still and everything feels like another planet.

• Very mild night. Woke up a few times to listen to the songs the coyotes were singing. The morning was 60 degrees. We’re feeling good b/c we hit a warm window in SLC.
• Took off like bats outta hell as we are not fans of the SLC area. South of Provo we headed back into the mountains via rte 89
• It got crazy cold for an hour then warmed up.
• 89 is a great road that winds through mountains and farmland valleys that took us the whole way to Zion.
• We decided to camp outside Zion as the parks campgrounds were full. The girl at the reception told us of some spots we shouldn’t take the bikes too as there is deep sand. We should have listened to her. As we went that direction not even half a second after I saw radke get loose I was down and a leg pinned under my bike. That’s 3 times I have dropped the KZ. I am averaging one a week. Still no damage.
• Set up camp and had the saddest dinner ever.
• Soaked up some wifi time at the camp trading post and then returned to disconnection at our site for a fire.

 

• Cold morning outside Zion. We waited till the sun was fully up to move.
• Got into Zion for free. Otherwise it costs $25 for MC’s. While Zion is an awesome ride it’s not long at all. There’s a really cool tunnel and a bunch of switchbacks but if you’re just riding through than $25 is a bit much.
• Rode I-15 towards Vegas. The Arizona stretch was some of the funnest interstate stretches I have ever done. Winding through mountains at 80mph is what 2 wheels is all about. 
• The Nevada stretch was the complete opposite. Flat, dry, boring desert with crosswinds the strongest we have faced on the trip.
• Got into Vegas but it took forever to get to our hotel b/c I-15 got shutdown so all highway traffic diverted through the city. To make matters worse my idle was at 2.5K and would not come any lower so I shut the bike off at every red-light.
• Finally made it to the hotel and had issues checking in. Stress levels through the fucking roof. We had to carry all of our gear way to far. Both of us were on edge.
• I split to see our buddy Ryan and to get a jump start on all the shit I gotta do to the KZ. Tore off the carbs and cleaned them then reinstalled. Put speedo cable on. Everything seems ok now.
• Met Radke back at the strip and we just wandered around there and Fremont st.

We’ll be in Vegas till Tuesday morning then onto Death Valley.

Sunday 9/25/16

• Jake and I woke up shaking off our hangovers after a great send off weekend at the Psychedelic Living Room.
• We met Radke on the PA turnpike and jammed out to 81 then headed south to Front Royal.
• Taking Skyline drive was awesome at first but soon the fog became thick.
• Met a Polish rider who shipped his bike here from Poland and was on the last days of a 12k mile USA trip. Inspiration right there.
• Camp was set up 80 miles down Skyline at the Loft Mountain Campground as the day was getting shorter and the fog thicker.
• Rad cliffs on Loft Mountain but the fog obscured the view.
• Went to sleep dry.

Monday 9/26/16

• Woke up soaking wet in a cloud. Everything drench to the core. Natures Happy Birthday to me, I guess?
• Got in rain suits and left the mountains to get gas and food in Elkton, VA.
• Back in the mountains the fog was thick and treacherous. Fucking terrifying is more like it, as you could barely see anything.
• Skyline turned into the Blue Ridge Parkway. We did 50 miles and had few small breaks from the fog.
• We left for the lowlands to get gas. I was over the fog at this point.
• Jammed down 81 past Roanoke and got soaked again. This time from rain.
• Left 81 and took back roads eventually back on the Blue Ridge.
• Camped at Willville Motorcycle Campground in Meadows of Dan, VA. Cool place. Biker only campground w/ a giant pavilion that gave us shelter from the rain.
• Splurged for the bunks to dry off and met some cool riders on their own unique trips.
• Drank too many IPA’s and passed out.

Tuesday 9/27/16

• Woke up to more rain but it soon relaxed.
• On the way out we found VA rte 666 and sold our souls.
• By Hillsville, VA the sun came out and the rain gear went away.
• Crossed into NC and took NC rte 16. Great road.
• Soon into Tennessee and through the Smokies.
• Took a detour around Watauga Lake before going into Johnson City, TN.
• Stayed with the most lovely Bonnie Kaye Whitfield and Wythe. Thanks Ben!
• Hung our soaked gear to dry, got gourmet tacos in town and then drank buds in the backyard until it was time to pass out.

Wednesday 9/28/16

• Said our goodbyes to Bonnie an Wythe then got a hearty Waffle House breakfast.
• Rode parallel w/ the Smokies then cut over to Maryville, NC for some damn good BBQ.
• Took the Foothills Parkway to rte 129 and headed south.
• Made it through Deals Gap. 318 turns in 11 miles. Holy Fuck. What a ride. We kept the rubber down. Can’t say that for all the riders we saw.
• Camped at sickest campground ever. Cheoah Point on Lake Santeetlah in the Nantahala National Forrest. Site 17. Right on the waters edge.
• With the sun still high we took a swim. Even found a nice rock to jump off of.
• Watched the sunset then the Milky Way come out.Fells good to see stars again.
• After passing out Radke freaked out b/c he thought something was attacking his tent. Pretty sure nothing was there.

Thursday 9/29/16

• The perfect morning at the perfect campsite. We considered staying one more night but knew we had to move on.
• More sick roads. The roads here are made for two wheels.
• Stopped at Fontana Dam. Thanks for that tip Tom.
• Rode the Blue Ridge Parkway from Cherokee, NC all the way to Asheville. Nothing but blue skies and intense views. Best yet, no traffic on the parkway.
• Dropped our shit off at an Air BNB in West Asheville then went downtown for food.
• Wandered around aimlessly being hassled by homeless hippies.
• Randomly found a motorcycle repair shop that has a bar in the back called Moto Vicious. Stop here if you are ever in Asheville. Everyone was fucking awesome.

 

Friday 9/30/16

• Said goodbye to Jake. We really wish he could have came for the whole thing. Miss that dude already.
• Had breakfast then took off through more North Carolina Mountain roads. The best roads.
• Came into Georgia and the roads mellowed out.
• Took a detour to Tallulah Falls.
• Got bored of rte 23 and took back roads into Gainsville, GA. This livened up the ride.
• Stayed w/ a close friends parents that live right on Lake Lanier. Got to garage the bikes for a night.
• Jake made it home safe. We were amazed he did the whole ride from Asheville to PHL in one shot, in the rain none-the-less. Iron Man.

Saturday 10/1/16

• Got up early had Waffle House (probably will be a common theme) and jammed out I-20 to Birmingham, AL.
• Made great time for the Barber Motorsports Vintage Museum (see my previous post).
• The original plan was to camp in Birmingham but being inspired by Jake’s Iron Ass ride yesterday, we rode all the way to Fort Walton Beach, FL to stay w/ my grandfather.
• Alabama highways suck. In fact the state wasn’t fun one bit until we took 331 south all the way to Florida.
• Brian sprung an oil leak that was getting his back tire wet. Awesome.
• The roads were flat but the scenery was good and barely any cars in sight.
• Rolled in to Florida and set out for a couple of days off. Beach and relaxation before we head to New Orleans.

If you wanna follow the trip in live time, find Radke and I on Instagram:

@natemking

@brianrobertradke

follow Jake too

@jprichter