America... Fuck ya!

Well, time came to spread our little wings and leave Canada, one of us for the first time. This did not start particularly smoothly. We left Vancouver in driving rain and an ugly cross wind. Hour long delay's getting to the border and then traveling "a person of interest," due to volunteering in Chicago all summer, caused further delays of well over an hour. From there we continued to Seattle along the number 5. The interstate was a bizarre experience. 3 to 5 lanes going each direction and so much development it felt as if you didn't leave the city. When we were sufficiently cold and/or wet we found the nearest Motel 6. We were later made aware that we happened to be in Olympia, Washington.

Moving on from poor weather, we got to the 101 highway just west of Olympia and rode it through Oregon. The Oregon Coast Highway traverses giant clear-cut logging operations and moves quickly into small fishing villages that dot the coast. Long winding roads through pine forest and along the Pacific give you the smells of surf mixed with pine. All in all a lovely way to make up for an altogether underwhelming first day in America.

After one more night in Oregon we reached California and I fell in love. Soon we were cruising through Redwood forests with trees on either side. We made a short stop to talk with Paul Bunyan, a creepy 50 foot statue that could wave wink and hold a conversation with you. He gave us the advice of taking some of the scenic routes to really see the forest. We figured that if you can't trust a 50 foot tall figure of legend, who can you trust. This eventually lead us to the Avenue of the Giants. A tight, beautiful road that meanders through the Redwood forests. After stopping to drive through a Redwood we made our way to Miranda for gas. In Miranda we met an old motorcycle racer who gave us directions to the northern most section of the Highway One, and what a highway it was. The Number One is easily the most beautiful, most intense and most fun ride I've ever had. Scraping pegs at 30 kph, hairpin turns tighter than an irish nun and long sweeping corners along ocean side cliffs. Incredible.

So far San Francisco has been incredible. We walked the span of the peninsula for crab and beer on fisherman's wharf and also spent a day touring Castro and Twin Peaks. Such a colourful city, both literally in the architecture and figuratively in the people. There is something about a man wearing nothing but a sailor hat and deck shoes that loudly says, " Welcome to the big city."

A couple more days in San Fran before we head towards Phoenix and then Mexico. Stay tuned!

Bray