back to the east...

Friday 15.th of October:

I woke up with quiet a hangover, but excited enough to jump on the bike and let the travel continue. After letting the terrible Los Angeles traffic behind me, passing Beverly Hills, I headed further on the coast of Malibu.

The weather was cloudy and it started to get really cold. So to my disappointment there were no beach babes to look at and the only silicon I saw was part of my sandwich's packaging. Even with pullover, two shirts and leather jacket it was still getting really cold wile riding the Harley. So I decided in Santa Monica to head east ... back to the desert. And believe it or not, within about 30 miles it got about 10 degrees warmer. In the middle of the Mojave desert, near the NASA rocket launch site I saw one of the most beautiful dawn in my entire life.

Finally I arrived at the ROUTE 66, but it was dark already, so I looked out for a motel and had my obligatory evening beer and got to sleep.

Saturday 16.th of October:

When I woke up this morning, I didn´t knew yet, that this would be the most exhausting day of the whole trip. But here I was: Austrian ... check; Harley.... check; Route 66... check. And I can tell you, riding a Harley Davidson Fatboy on this famous old school road is a feeling... hard to describe in words. Yea maybe one word would fit: It SUCKS. Really, I think this road has not been maintenanced since 20 years or longer. Full of road holes and cracks. I was just glad that my Harley was a rental bike and not my own ;)

This part of the road was actual in quiet good shape...

 So I got after a view miles on the route 66 back to the freeway which runs just a view meters parallel to the 66. I crossed the Colorado river again and just 350 miles later I was standing at the Grand Canyon. It´s so beautiful, like a painted picture. I was lucky enough to arrive there at dawn. But see for yourself.

Colorado River

Dawn at the Grand Canyon

It was dark when I came back from the view point and no (affordable motel) around. So I mounted the Fatboy again and drove back south towards flagstaff. It was really cold, I freezed and started shivering. To my bad there was a special event in the town Flagstaff, where I planned to get a motel room. Because of this event every single room was already in use, so I had no other joice as to go on. I warmed myself up at a near Subways and got back on the bike. The stone desert was in the south so it was just a matter of miles before it would be warmer again. And so it was... I arrived at 23:00 at our flat in Phoenix after about 600 miles drive this day. Exhausted but glad.

It was an amazing experience!

PS:

Oh before I forget, just for you to know, every time I started my engine a little piece of family was in my sight :)

I got this keyring pendant from my sister showing her an her son (my godson).

Welcome to Hollywood

It´s Thursday morning, I woke up pretty early about 6:30 am, to get to the Universal Studios in time. I had some miles to drive there on the Los Angeles freeway, and didn´t really know how bad the traffic situation in the morning was. I can tell you it´s horrible... 6 lanes in one direction... and still stop and go traffic. But I was riding a bike and it´s allowed in California to drive between the lines on motorcycles. At first it cost me quiet an effort to do this, but after some time I drove with 30 miles an hour between the driving lines, like have never done something different. It´s fast, it´s fun, but it´s also fucking dangerous, so I was glad to make it to the universal studios right 10 minutes before opening. I payed 15 Dollar for the parking and another 70 for the entrance and here I was: at the birthplace of great movies like "the White Shark", "Terminator" or "Apollo 13".

Original film set, be quiet they are filming... :)

the white shark, so close

Who remembers this House? Right, it´s one of the Desperate Housewifes houses in the Wisteria Lane.
(The flowers are fake, just made of plastic)

Nice view over LA- Hollywood.

They offered an awesome tour through different film sets, I saw flooding metro stations, wild west saloons, King Kong protecting our tour car from some dangerous skull island creatures and so on. I had an awesome ride in the Simpsons flight simulator, saw the Terminator protecting Sarah and John Conner in an awesome show. Through the jungle of Jurassic Park I was brought on boat and had afterwards a nice high speed roller coaster tour through the ancient ruins of the mummy´s realm. But there was one thing I was really looking forward: the Waterworld live stunt show. It´s a wide over the borders of California well known show. Twenty minutes of professional stunts, explosions and famous actors in a extra built arena. No worries I captured in on cam, so you guys can have a peek at it, when I´m back.

I stayed in  the park till 4:30 pm and I managed to see every show and took every ride you can and it was really worth it!

Here we are: Krusty Land - the Simpsons ride.

The boat ride through the Jurassic Park.

After a day full of fun and excitements, I mounted my Harley again towards Hollywood and surprisingly easy I found a cheap motel. After putting my luggage into my room and having a small pitstop at Subways (hadn´t have anything to eat the whole day), I drove to the walk of fame, tasting some Hollywood air.

I found some big names on the strip, did some shopping and met some weard people there. I got lost with some wanna be actors and it ended up to e a night full of beer and strangers :)

and the ride goes on

Wednesday October 13.th:

After waking up, with a terrible hangover I had time till 11. am before I had to check out of the hotel. Time enough to visit the USS Midway, an old aircraft carrier in the harbor of San Diego. It was a leading ship in several wars and now it´s a museum of naval warfare.

Me and the USS Midway in the background.

The small park was filled with this statues of sailor men.

You can´t see anything :(

In the engine room.

Schau die Feiakroft... wie schoaf

Inside a helicopter.

They voted for Arnold.... twice^^

But time is short, so I had to move on to the north, on the highway 101. So I drove next to the ocean till Los Angeles.

Don´t know what kind of building it was, but it looked amazing.

I found an abandoned beach, no one was out there, it was very peaceful.

Damn auto shot...

So I arrived at LA quiet late. Had no room and bought at KFC a whole menu just to get the key to the restroom.... it was so necessary. With some luck I found a motel, just grabed some beers for the good night sleep. Tomorrow´s gonna be a day full of fun in the Universal Studios Hollywood :)

Harley Davidson Roadtrip

Monday Oktober 11.th:

After getting the last instructions from the Harley dealer, I was ready to ride. Fully equipped with new bought biker boots and a knife, flashlight, ipod and first aid kit attached to my belt, I mounted the Harley Davidson Fatboy -  California here I come.

Last instructions from the Harley dealer.

And it is on!

So I left Phoenix heading to the west, where after about 200 miles the Colorado river crossed my way. If you are wondering, why my hair got so much volume, it´s because in Arizona you don´t have to wear a helmet while driving on a motorcycle ;)

Me at the Colorado river.

After I met some strangers at an old trailer park, I decided to head on for about 80 miles through the stone desert to reach Twentynine Palms. It was an amazing feeling, standing there, in the middle of nowhere about 40 miles in each directions nothing and shouting out loud, because there is no one who´ld hears it. After meditating a bit, I moved on an reached Twentynine Palms.

Me and my bike in the middle of nowhere.

My first motel room in Twentynine Palms

First day and already a bad ass sunburn.

Tuesday October 12.th:

I woke up early, excited to ride the bike further near the west coast. First stop on this day was Palm Springs. The Mecca of plastic surgery in America. At least I thought that, because you can find easily 5 to 6 different plastic surgery clinics in one street.

After leaving this oasis in the desert, I headed towards San Diego, where I had the first glimpse to the Pacific ocean.

Exhausted from the more than 280 miles drive this day, I found a motel in San Diego Downtown. It was small place, dirty and uncomfortable so it fitted perfect to the dirty, unwashed and wild beard growing Harley driver image. I also had to buy my first package of cigarettes in my life. It was necessary, because what kind of a Harley driver would I be, if I wouldn´t smoke Marlboro red.





After I got comfortable in my uncomfortable room, I went out to see the nightlife of San Diego. To tell the whole story, what happened there would be too much, so I tell you guys in person once :)

Scary the European Psychic...

 All in all I had a great night in San Diego and I woke up with a bad hangover the next day...