Five members of the Bevan Motorcycles RAT Pack completed a 3000-mile tour of western USA during September and October 2009 - some pictures from their tour can be found in the photo gallery.
RATs on tour in USA
What started as an idea for Mr & Mrs RAT to treat themselves to motorbike tour in the USA to celebrate their Silver Wedding, turned out to be something rather different. Three other Pack Members asked to come, so eventually five Pack Members flew from Cardiff to Los Angeles to pick up four bikes for a 2-week, almost 3,000-mile tour around the deserts and canyons of western USA.
The route would take us east from L.A., through the San Bernadino National Forest and over the Jacinto Mountains to our first overnight stop at Palm Springs. The following day we looped through the Joshua Tree National Park, in temperatures above 100 deg F and on through the Mojave Desert to meet Route 66 at Amboy. We followed the Mother Road to the gambling town of Laughlin, where we stopped overnight at The Tropicana Express Casino & Hotel. The following morning, Sarah's bike wouldn't start (you need to treat it more gently Sarah!), so it was loaded onto the support vehicle trailer and Sarah climbed onto a pillion for the start of the day. We rode on to the old gold mining town of Oatman, still on Route 66, where we stopped for a short break. Inexplicably, Sarah's bike started easily on the trailer, so it was unloaded for her to continue the ride. We continued on Route 66 to Kingman " the heart of Historic Route 66", then through the Hualapai Indian Reservation to Seligman and then on to the Grand Canyon for our overnight stop.
The following morning was Mr RAT's birthday and so we took a helicopter ride into the Grand Canyon before setting off for Monument Valley, the classic Wild West landscape of stark sandstone buttes and forbidding pinnacles of rock poking out of an endless expanse of drifting red sands. With us all ready to roll out of the hotel car park, Sarah's bike again refused to start. Once more it was loaded onto the trailer and Sarah rode pillion with Mr RAT along the southern rim of the Grand Canyon to the various spectacular viewing spots. At one of these, Sarah's bike again started easily on the trailer and so was unloaded again to enable Sarah to ride on. We continued on to the Cameron Trading post for lunch and then rode on through Navajo country, along endless straight roads to Monument Valley. Only when we arrived at Monument Valley did we come to realize how much of our perception of the West has been shaped by this one spot. The statuesque rock formations towering majestically above the sandy desert floor, are indeed a humbling sight. That evening we stayed overnight at the small, one-horse town of Mexican Hat, where we enjoyed barbecued steaks in the "Swinging Grill" restaurant - the only one in town! I cannot think of a better way to spend a birthday!
After breakfast the following morning at the small cafe down the road, we prepared to leave for the days 300-mile ride to Bryce Canyon. But before we could set off, Sarah's bike again refused to start, so it was once again loaded onto the support trailer and Sarah rode pillion behind Mr RAT. This was probably just as well, because we turned off the asphalt and climbed for several miles up Moki Dugway, a steep dirt road with tight hairpin bends to get to a view point overlooking the Valley of the Gods.
The spectacular vista from high up on the steep mountainside revealed the various pinnacles of rock standing out of the desert floor, each one an Indian god. The rusting vehicle chassis which lay on the rocks beneath us were testament to those non-believers that had come this way before us. After soaking up the view, we rejoined the asphalt and rode on along Utah Route 95 to Fry Canyon where, during a brief stop, Sarahs bike once again started on the trailer, so it was unloaded and Sarah continued on her bike for the rest of the day. From this point we rode along fabulous road, through seemingly endless rock formations with amazing colours, through White Canyon and over the Colorado River before it pours into Lake Powell at the northern end of Glen Canyon and then on to a lunch stop for buffalo burgers at the small town of Hanksville (the bikes had been flat out at 108 mph on the long straight approach to Hanksville). The afternoon saw us ride on winding mountain roads up to 9,300 ft through the beautiful wooded Dixie National Forest, down again through Boulder, up again to 9,600 ft through the Escalante Mountains, where the Aspen trees were already turning to autumn shades of yellow, gold and orange, before finally riding along the Devils Backbone to the small town of Rubys Inn, near Bryce Canyon for our overnight stop. A steak and lobster dinner in the hotel restaurant was the perfect way to end a fabulous days riding.
The next morning we saddled up for an early ride into Bryce Canyon National Park. After overnight rain, the day dawned bright and sunny, but quite cold (Rubys Inn is at around 7,500 ft). The 18-mile-long road through the park affords outstanding views of the park and southern Utah scenery. From many of the viewpoints, you can see more than 100 miles on a clear day it was a really clear morning when we visited. Sunrise, Sunset, Inspiration and Bryce Points encircle Bryce Amphitheatre, the biggest natural amphitheatre in the park. The amphitheatre encloses hundreds of spectacular and beautiful pinnacles and fins of pink rock, known as hoodoos the result of millions of years of erosion.
After a 2-hour ride around the park, we returned to the hotel to load up the luggage and prepare for our 250-mile ride to Las Vegas. Mr RAT had a theory that Sarahs bike may have had a dirty fuel filter (Sarah had necessarily gone onto reserve towards the start of the trip) and that with the bike standing on its sidestand overnight, this may have led to sediment in the tank settling on the fuel filter. So, before trying to start the bike that morning, it was given a vigorous shake (the Shadow Shake) eureka, the bike started with the first touch of the starter button. This was to become the daily starting routine for Sarahs bike and it worked each time.
We set off through Red Canyon, before turning south on Rote 89 through Hatch, Long Valley Junction, Glendale, Orderville and Mont Carmel, where we headed west on Route 9. This took us on a fabulous switchback ride through Zion National Park, reputed to be the most beautiful rock formations anywhere on earth. The multi-coloured mountains of mostly sedimentary and shale rock, the switchback road, the tunnel through part of the mountain and the Zion River itself certainly combined to reinforce that view! There was certainly plenty to talk about as we rolled into Springdale for lunch at Wildcat Willies. By mid afternoon, we joined Interstate 15 near St George and rode south west, in fairly close formation, to Las Vegas.
We were to spend a free day in Las Vegas the next day, and Mrs RATs eldest son and his fianc had travelled from Australia to get married that day! To complete the reunion, Mr RATs eldest son and his wife flew in from Canada for the occasion. So, the arrival evening in Las Vegas became a fairly liquid affair and good use was made of the extra hour gained by the change to West Coast Time. The following morning, the RATs decided to explore The Strip Las Vegas Boulevard and Faye (who had been to Vegas before) was appointed tour leader for the day to make sure that we visited all the theme hotels, tall buildings and other must-see attractions.
We walked our feet off throughout the day, finally reaching the top of the Stratosphere Tower at the far end of The Strip, where one can get a birds-eye view of the city and begin to appreciate its incongruous setting in the Nevada desert. We caught the bus back along The Strip to our hotel, where we freshened up and then all headed off to the wedding and afterwards to the wedding breakfast in the Voodoo Bar on the 51st floor of the Hotel Rio.
The following morning, it was business as usual as we made an early start for our 350-mile ride, through Death Valley to Mammoth Lakes. We headed along Route 160 for the first 50 miles, stopping at a service station next to brothel in Pahrump (brothels are legal in Nevada, but it brings a whole new meaning to the term service station). From there we took Route 178 into and across Death Valley, the hottest, driest, lowest point in the USA. This is a superlative desert of streaming sand dunes, snow capped mountains, multi-coloured rock layers, water-fluted canyons and three million acres of stone wilderness a place of legend and a place of trial. The temperature change from the top of the mountain ranges that surround Death Valley, down to the valley floor at nearly 300 feet below sea-level, is dramatic.
We stopped at the Visitor Centre for lunch in the shade, before riding on through Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells, Panamint Springs, Lone Pine and on to Bishop for a welcome stop at the Dutch Bakery for wonderful cakes and coffee. Warm clothing was required for the final 45-mile ride over the Sierra Nevada Mountains to Mammoth Mountain and our hotel at around 11,000 ft., where we arrived just as darkness fell. An Indian meal and a bottle of wine in the hotel dining room finished off another grand day.
The next morning dawned sunny and bright, but fortunately not as cold as the freezing temperatures that had been forecasted. We set off at 9.30 a.m. and rode to Lee Vining to fuel up the bikes and then over the 9,945 ft Tioga Pass to the entrance of the Yosemite National Park. This must rate as the mother of all National Parks and raises expectations to dizzying heights once you are there, it does not disappoint. Towering granite rocks, waterfalls, clear lakes and rivers, giant sequoia trees, animals and the very purest of air it is indeed a magical place. At one point we stopped the bikes to walk about a mile into the woods to see the giant sequoia trees; after walking about half-a-mile, we rounded a corner of the track to see a brown bear foraging in the undergrowth, not more than 25 metres from us!
Instead of thinking about how we might get out of there before the bear saw us, we all went for our cameras to get a picture of the creature! Fortunately, it sidled off into the forest and so we continued on our way to see the giant sequoias, nevertheless keeping a watchful eye open for any of his friends or family! Martin did some tree-hugging once we found the trees, before we returned to the bikes and continued down to Yosemite Village for lunch. The actual village in the valley floor has little to recommend it it is the only area of commercialism in the entire park and so is full of cars and visitors.
After a pic-nic lunch, we decided to ride about 20 miles to Glacier Point at an elevation of nearly 9,000 ft, where it is possible to get a spectacular vista of the park. Unfortunately, we heard that there were road-works en-route and an element of graded dirt road would be encountered. Undeterred, we set off for Glacier Point and were rewarded with a most spectacular ride up the mountain and an even more spectacular vista of Yosemite Village and the surrounding Park from the top. It was well worth the effort!
Unfortunately Sarah was running low on fuel and so turned back once it became evident that the detour would be in the order of 40 miles we would meet her on the way back.
As the sun dropped behind the mountains it started to get quite cold, so we headed down the mountain and out of the park, looking for our hotel at El Portal. On the way we saw Sarah on the side of the road, asking directions from a couple in a parked car we waved enthusiastically as we rode past and Sarah must have broken off her conversation in mid sentence because, within a minute or so, she was back on the end of our group of bikes, heading for the hotel!
After a good nights sleep and a decent breakfast, we were ready to face the day and look forward to the 200-mile ride to San Francisco, where we would enjoy a free day the following day. We rode up to Mariposa, where we stopped to refuel the bikes. Whilst there, some Americans pulled in on three Triumphs a 1050 Tiger, a 955 Tiger and a Thruxton. We went over to talk to them and it transpired that they had been hoping to ride through Yosemite National Park, but the Tioga Pass had been closed because of snow! How lucky were we? We had come over that pass the previous day in bright, but cold sunshine! The guy on the Thruxton had an Ace Cafe sticker on his bike, which he had obtained from the internet we explained the origins of the cafe racer cult and the part played by the Ace Cafe Im sure I could have sold him my Ace Cafe bandana for a huge profit afterwards!
We rode on in the sunshine along a fabulous winding road over Mount Bullion and down into Coulterville, an old 1850s gold mining town, which looked almost the same as it had in its hey-day. The riding up until lunch time had been on superb, winding roads, but after lunch we joined the busy Interstate 4 into San Francisco, after stopping off at Sausalito for delicious cakes and coffee at an Italian cafe near the marina.
We rode over Richmond Bridge, past San Quentin Prison with its infamous Death Row, and then over the Golden Gate Bridge into down-town San Francisco and our hotel on Fishermans Wharf.
We were just in time for the daily free wine-tasting in the hotels reception area, before ending the day with a luxury meal at a restaurant on Pier 39, with hundreds of sea-lions bedded down for the night on the floating wooden walkways on the water outside. Magical.
The following day, it was Sarahs turn for a reunion. She was meeting a friend whom she had not seen for many years and they were going to catch up on old times over a meal in Sausalito. Meanwhile, the other RATs bought a daily travel card to ride the trams, cable cars, street cars, trains and buses around San Francisco. We visited Golden Gate Park, and lunched al-fresco near the marina, watching sea lions swimming nearby and pelicans diving for their lunch. After another session at the hotels daily wine-tasting, we all set off for an evening meal at Aliotas Restaurant.
After the desert and canyon riding of the previous week and a half, we were now about to head south down the Pacific coast of California on Highway 1. We left the hotel to ride the famous zig-zag section of Lombard Street, before riding to high ground above the city for a final photo opportunity. The day was so clear that we could see Richmond Bridge in the distance, Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge and Alcatraz Island, apparently this is an unusual occurrence. We continued on Highway One through Half Moon Bay and past Pigeon Point Lighthouse, to a lunch stop at davenport. The afternoon ride took us through Santa Cruz to our hotel at Monterey, with its historic Cannery row. We arrived early enough for people to spend some free time before dinner. Some went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which is located in a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row, some people relaxed around the hotel swimming pool and a couple of riders rode to the nearby Laguna Seca race circuit on the off-chance that they might get in to see the circuit, Their luck was in and they were able to walk around the circuit to get a first-hand impression of the notorious Corkscrew; moreover, the circuit souvenir shop was open, so they were able to get mementos of their visit. The evening meal on Fishermans Wharf was a splendid way to end the day.
The following morning we rode through the very attractive town of Monterey and the historic Cannery Row, before heading along Ocean View, where the rich and famous have their houses with fabulous views of the Pacific Ocean. We continued to Carmel and once back on Highway 1, we continued south through Big Sur, that awesomely beautiful 90-mile stretch of rugged and beautiful coastline between Carmel and San Simeon. At San Simeon, we stopped to admire a colony of elephant seal cubs lazing on the beach, apparently oblivious to our presence, before riding the final stretch to our hotel at Pismo Beach.
On the final morning of the tour, we set off early along Highway 101 to Santa Maria, where we cut inland to enjoy the great back roads and scenery around the wine producing regions. We stopped for coffee in the delightful old wooden town of Los Olivos, where every other building offered wine-tasting. In the garden of the coffee shop, the owner was cooking many large joints of beef on a large barbecue, over oak logs, for use in the store. The beef needed to cook for two-and-a-half hours over the fire the aroma was just mouth-watering.
After the coffee stop, we visited the gates to the late Michael Jacksons Never Land Ranch, before continuing on to Santa Barbara for lunch at the end of Stern Wharf. Whilst sitting in the warm sunshine, eating the freshest clam chowder ever, we watched a sea otter swimming off the end of the pier and the now familiar sight of pelicans diving for their lunch. We rode on after lunch, through Santa Monica, back to Los Angeles, where we returned the hire bikes and headed back to the hotel.
The five Pack members stayed on in California for a further three days three spent their free days relaxing at Long Beach, whilst Mr & Mrs RAT rode out to Yucca Valley, on the edge of the Mojave Desert to visit Mr RATs older brother whom they had not seen for 20 years. He and his son both own motorbikes, so after barbecuing under the star lit desert night sky, we spent time riding together through the San Bernardino Mountains.
The flight back home was uneventful and all the luggage arrived at the right place at the right time. This had undoubtedly been the holiday of a lifetime the question now is where do we go next time?
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