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  • California Dreamin'
  • ben
    Free Member

    Off to a conference in San Diego in May and have managed to tag a week’s holiday on the end.

    So, I’m thinking road trip, ideally on a motorbike with some off road potential… But where?

    I have a full week. Potentially with my flights back, I could start in San Diego and finish in San Fran but I’m sure this would significantly hike up the rental fees, so likely will do a round trip starting and finishing in San Diego.

    Thinking about options like doing a week’s tour of California including a hop over to Vegas & Grand Canyon, Death Valley, etc. Mexico and the Baja peninsula is also very tempting too.

    What’s the deal with wild camping? Completely frowned upon/illegal or doable?

    Any suggestions of unmissable roads would be welcomed. I’d rather rent something so I could include some dirt riding but as it’s quite last minute may end up having to stay on the roads.

    ben
    Free Member

    Cock, wrong forum – mods could you move please…

    scaredypants
    Full Member

    so many tourists do highway 1 between LA & SF and drop their vehicle at the other end that I doubt there’s any premium for that bit (certainly true for cars but I suppose an offroad-capable bike is a bit more niche)

    the distances you mention are big – I’d have thought especially on a bike that’s not a tourer

    There are some nice roads round the big bear / arrowhead area and I bet loads of other places. No idea of where may be unmissable – they’re all a bit meh in a 8 seat van 🙁

    irc
    Full Member

    If you go as far as the Grand Canyon it’s worth looking at some of the Utah roads north of the Grand Canyon. From Route 89 into Zion National Park.

    But any of the back roads between the Grand Canyon and Arches Np will be good.

    ben
    Free Member

    Cheers both, someone else has suggested Zion too.

    geetee1972
    Free Member

    San Diego is a wonderful place so in addition to doing the road trip, there are other things to do in that area as well if you can fit them in around the conference.

    Balboa Park is amazing, filled with fabulous buildings and museums. The San Diego Zoo is also in the park and is well worth a visit if you have time.

    If you can take a day trip to Tijuana, then that’s quite an experience also. You can take the trolley cart down to the border from downtown SD; a visit during the day and pushing into the evening would be good, but if you only spent an evening there then that would still be quite an experience (maybe get some colleagues to go with you; it’s a great place to party have dinner etc).

    The harbour parade is lovely for an evening stroll and the seafood restaurants are fabulous.

    Not sure when the whale watching season is but you can take boat tours to do this around Point Lomas. That would be quite an experience.

    I’ve not been to either the Grand Canyon or Zion, but my parents never stop banging on about how much they prefered Zion to the Grand Canyon. It’s less popular and less spoiled as a result according to people who’ve been to both.

    Palm Springs is lovely if you head up the cable car and spend some time in the designated wilderness up there. Not sure how best to do that as it’s proper out there, Bear Grylls territory, but the scenery is heart stoppingly beautiful.

    Anza Borrego National Park is also heart stopingly beautiful and close to SD. You can do it there and back in a day and still have an amazing drive over, especially if you pass through the little town of Julian, which is apple pie and ice cream soda mixed with wild west gold mining town. Quite a place although a little chinzy.

    Something else you MUST do. Head up the coast a little to somewhere like La Jolla or Del Mar and try to hire some fins and a boogie board and go boogie boarding in the ocean just as the sun goes down. One of my most memorable experiences was doing just this with my uncle, in January (and even then I didn’t needa wetsuit!) as the sun was dipping down over the Pacific Ocean.

    If I could live anywhere in the world, where I would still have to work as well as live, it would be SD.

    whyrd
    Free Member

    I did San Diego to Vegas last November. Went via Julian (which has excellent apple pie) and then over the mountains into Palm Springs. Checkout the ‘aerial tramway’ – great views at sunset. From there went through Joshua Tree and the Mojave desert, past Roy’ s in Amboy which is quite famous and via Kelso. Then on to the main highway in to Vegas. Scenery is a bit barren but utterly unlike anything in the UK – just huge open space.

    rone
    Full Member

    Done a fair bit of motorbike touring (europe), and car touring in Western USA.

    Thing that strikes me is how hot you’d be!

    It’s an amazing landscape, and betters my last month trip to New Zealand.

    ben
    Free Member

    Thanks Geetee – that’s really helpful.

    I currently live in Singapore Rone, so well used to riding in the heat – it is hard work though.

    tonyg2003
    Full Member

    I’ve been to San Diego lots of times, it’s one of my favourite US cities and I’d agree with the comments above, especially about living there. For a week I’d do some days around SD and head inland to Palm Springs (a bit hot now – I was their 3 weeks ago – and a bit boring in town if you don’t play golf) then further inland to death valley or a national park. In a week I wouldn’t bother trying to drive to SF.

    geetee1972
    Free Member

    In a week I wouldn’t bother trying to drive to SF.

    I’d second that.

    Also, have you not thought about trying to do some mountain biking while you’re there?

    One of my all time top five days on a bike was a monster of a ride I did with a random guy I got hooked up with (who was also one of THE most talented mountain bike riders I’ve ever met – Steve Gordenker) who took me on a 50km/3000m loop around Noble Canyon and the Indian Trails.

    Seriously the most amazing ride I think I’ve ever done on an MTB, you can’t even begin to put it into words. If you wanted to do this I would introduce you. I only met him the once and haven’t been in touch but he’s that nice a guy that he would remember immediately and he loves showing people around because he loves the place so much it gives him the chance to see it through new eyes.

    Pigface
    Free Member

    Go to Glen Helen Mx track not far from San Diego, check out the dunes at Glamis.

    I wouldn’t go into Mexico and doubt if the hire company will let you.

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