Califoria (USA): The Pacific Coast Highway (PCH)

Well, what can I say about the PCH that hasn't already been said? It is just a fantastic ride from top to bottom. The PCH plays a role in hundreds of movies, dozens of motorcycle and convertible automobile commercials, and many many TV shows, it is fair to say that the PCH has been seen on most every TV set in the world.  With its long runs of road carved into the side of mountains, architecturally significant bridges, small hamlets to stop an refuel the bike and the rider, with little traffic, when not on fire, the PCH is the quintessential coastal roadway.  In short, the PCH needs to be traversed by every rider, at least once in their lifetime.  In my opinion, and sorry Jeremy Clarkson, but the Transfăgărășan Highway (aka Ceausescu Folley), in Romania, is not the best road in the world to run, it is the Pacific Coast Highway, and yes, I have run them both (see earlier blog post).   

I entered the PCH a bit north of Los Angeles near Ventura California, and Ran it all the way north to Dillon Beach, about 50 miles north San Francisco.  Along the way I passed throuugh tons of canyons, villages, beach fronts, and hundreds of miles of turny, twisty, die if you overshoot the turn, road roadway.  It was allot of fun. 

Leg Distance: 523 mi (844 km)

Total Distance Traveled by Motorcycle: 48,723 mi (78,585 km)

Countries/Territories Visited: USA, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, USA, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Gibraltar, France, Monaco, Italy, Vatican City, San Marino, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Transnistria, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Greece, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, China (for 20 seconds), India, Nepal, Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Timor-Leste. Australia, USA

Australia to USA: Shipping and Hawaii

My time in Australia has come to an end and now it is time to head to the USA for the last leg of the trip. As one might expect, the hardest part about moving continents is shipping the bike.  The first choice is by air, rather than by boat.  The reasons for this are multi-fold, it is: quicker, more reliable, more easily tracked and claimed and believe it or not, it is cheaper than shipping by boat.  There is a very good shipper in Australia that arranges everything, crating (which is the first time of the trip), delivery to the airport, the actual flight, and delivery to the air cargo facility at the destination.  The only service I had to perform was dropping the bike at the BMW dealership in Sydney, clearing the paperwork at customs (Australia and USA) and reassembling the motorcycle on the dock in the USA, which took me about three hours to perform.  Total cost for the shipment was $1,700.  

Assembling in the United Airlines Air Cargo Warehouse

Half Assembled

When it came to getting myself across the Pacific, it was quite a bit cheaper.  I found an Air Hawaii flight for $400.  I looked for the longest possible connection, in this case 24 hours, and spent the time in Hawaii.  I rented myself a little scooter and cruised around the main island checking out the sights. 

Hawaii

Back in the USA

Almost There....

Australia - Sydney

There are few road riding experiences that are as breathtaking as coming over the Sydney Harbor Bridge and looking over at the iconic Sydney Opera House to one side and the beautiful surrounding harbor. It is just a phenomenal feeling. Sydney really is a special city.





I passed through Sydney and on to a little beach town called Manley Beach. It is a beautiful bohemian little town that is only three blocks wide.  To the east is the ocean and to the west is Sydney Harbor, and it lies just a 20 minute ferry ride to downtown Sydney, so it is perfectly located.   The better part is that Manley Beach is home to a very good friend of mine.  We met in Afghanistan during his deployment and my tenure there. I was in charge in the planning of the Air Base and he was in charge of mine and un-exploded ordinance disposal, so spent quite a bit of time together and became fast friends.  I am staying with him while here and it has been a very nice part of the trip.  One of the very nice parts of working and living outside the USA for the past decade is that some of my best friends are sprinkled throughout the world.  



I will be shipping the bike from Sydney to California.  I have met with the shipper and he is calculating the price of shipping.  More to come.   



Leg Distance: 637 mi (1,028 km)

Total Distance Traveled by Motorcycle: 48,200 mi (77,741 km)

Countries/Territories Visited: USA, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, USA, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Gibraltar, France, Monaco, Italy, Vatican City, San Marino, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Transnistria, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Greece, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, China (for 20 seconds), India, Nepal, Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Timor-Leste. Australia