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San Francisco - Los Angeles - Las Vegas - Grand Canyon - Bryce Canyon - Zion Park - Death Valley - LAX
Welcome to our Radl-tour!
May 13th - June 5th 2009
We are 2 bicyclists, doing the Hwy 1 South: San Francisco - Los Angeles and biking the parks
Starting: May 13th 2009.
Return: June 5th 2009
Participants:
Heide, age 46, gardener on vacation
Iris, age 64, retired
Bicycle Tour San Francisco - Los Angeles
Distance: Total 1.000 Kilometers
and the Big Canyon Circle by car & bicycle
Review of the bike tour San Francisco - LA
The author of this review: Iris from Austria - retired
This tour is recommandes for trained bikers!
Do not attempt to repeat this tour without any training.
We like to thank all the helping hands and supporters all kind.
And, I like to thank all the American people who shared our ride. We met open and friendly people. An extremely good landscape, and rather safe riding conditions. Good weather. And most important: mainly tail wind.
Here are the details:
13. 05. 2009
1. day (travel day - fly-in by BA)
Arrival: Wednesday 13. 05. 2008
we will travel by Samtrans bus to Motel 6 SFO airport / South San Francisco
see:
Motel 6 San Francisco Airport >> #4171
US 101/Bayshore Freeway at South Airport Boulevard
111 Mitchell Avenue
South San Francisco, CA 94080
(650)877-0770
As we arrive at the hotel round 15:30, there is a little chance to travel by bus to the city… for a first sightseeing walk (biking…)
By Bus (Samtrans 292) to SFO. Bus carries the bike. Visit at Pacific bicycle.
Some rides: Total Kilometers: 20
14. 05. 2009
2. day: San Francisco Sightseeing tour
Details: the usual downtown programe (Embacadero, Fishermans Wharf, Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito, Mill Valley, back via Golden Gate Park/Botanic garden)
Hotel: Motel 6, like the day before!
rides: Total Kilometers: 100
15. 05. 2009
3. day: we start the biking tour.
Early morning train Caltrain to Santa Clara. Heading to Saratoga.
Climb over the Saratoga gap road to Skyline Boulevard, on HW 9, via Big Basin Redwood Park to Santa Cruz.
Via big basin (Redwoods) and a small lunch at Boulder city. We pass Santa Cruz, and follow Hwy 1 (Castorville, Moss Landing). Behind Moss Landing, the bikeway starts and leads us to city of Marina.
Hotel: Motel 6
See:
Motel 6 Monterey - Marina >> #1026
SR 1/Cabrillo Highway at Reservation Road, 100 Reservation Road, Marina, CA 93933, (831)384-1000
rides: Total Kilometers: 155
16. 05. 2009
4. day, Marina – Monterey – Big Sur – Posts – San Simeon
Hotel Motel 6
See:
Motel 6 San Simeon - Hearst Castle Area >> #1212
SR 1/Cabrillo Highway at Vista del Mar
9070 Castillo Drive
San Simeon, CA 934
rides: Total Kilometers: 160
17. 05. 2009
5. day: San Simeon – Morro Bay - San Louis Obispo – Pismo Beach
Distance: 120 Kilometers
We stay at Lionel Johnston, Brisa Ct. 284, Pismo Beach.
Evening: Lionel has driven us to Paso Robels wine festival.
rides: Total Kilometers: 85
18. 05. 2009
5. day: local ride:
Pismo Beach to Lopez Lake via Arroyio Grande. Back via Price Canyon road.
To Avila Hot Springs.
night at Lionel`s home.
rides: Total Kilometers: 70
19. 05. 2009
6. day:
we leave from Lionel`s home at Pismo Beach.
Heading for Guatemala via Halcion, Orcut (stop at the pastery shop for Strawberries. As the shop has been closed we went to a nearby market), via Santa Maria to Foxencanyonroad, we followed the route to Santa Ynez valley and had a wonderful night at Solvang. A little Danish city.
night: Hamlet Motel Solvang
rides: Total Kilometers: 140
20. 05. 2009
7. day:
Solvang to Hollywood via Ventura and San Marcos Pass
Solvang, Santa Ynez valley, San Marcos Pass (height round 800 meters), downhill to Santa Barbara, later to Ventura. Before ariving Ventura, we had a little race with another female race biker. Very hard to follow because of our paniers; but we won. Catched the train to Los Angelas Union Station. Train followed the Simi valley. At LA we went with the red line directely to Hollywood Motel 6.
night: Motel 6 Hollywood
rides: Total Kilometers: 150
21. 05. 2009
8. day:
a rest day
we went via red line to the Universal studios. We just did the City Walk; not the Studio tour.
Later, we went down downtown LA to check the Greyhound station and possibilites for a bus ride to Las Vegas.
night: Motel 6 Hollywood
rides: Total Kilometers: 40
22. 05. 2009
9. day:
Los Angelas to Las Vegas (some downtown rides at LA in the morning)
Greyhound made it happen to loos one of our bikes.
A very nervous situation. Phone calls to Greyhound at least every 3 hours.
We went to the Tropicana Casino for the evening buffet.
night: Motel 6 Las Vegas, Tropicana Ave.
rides: Total Kilometers: 20
23. 05. 2009
10. day:
morning: Las Vegas stripe walk
noon: we booked a car by Avis (as we still miss the 2nd bike, lost by Greyhound)
afternoon: by car to Hoover dam.
Greyhound still says: "we have no information about your bike"!
Nevertheless there came in a phone call from the Motel 6 reception: "a Greyhound messenger has arrived with your bike".
The hard times are over.
But now: we have a ca and 2 bicycles.
The car could it carry, so we decided to do the Grand circle via Grand Canyon.
night: Motel 6 Las Vegas, Tropicana Ave.
rides: Total Kilometers: 0
24. 05. 2009
11. day:
By car: Las Vegas to Kingman and Williams to Grand Canyon North rim.
A long visit and walk in the park.
Later we went directely to Page via "the Gap". a wonderful rock in the road which has been cut whilst construction of the road.
night: Motel 6 Page.
rides: Total Kilometers: 0
25. 05. 2009
12. day:
Page
in the morning: Antilope Canyon
lunch time: riding down to the dam and visitor center.
afternoon: A little bicycle tour, heading for "the Gap".
night: Motel 6 Page.
rides: Total Kilometers: 65
26. 05. 2009
13. day:
Page
By car to the old Navaho bridge. Visiting Lee`s ferry. Walk in the Little Colorado.
People say: that`s the east end of Grand Canyon. Back via the vista point horseshoe bend.
night: Motel 6 Page.
rides: Total Kilometers: 0
27. 05. 2009
14. day:
Page , Navaho bridge by bicycle. Via Marble Canyon and Jacob`n s lake to Grand Canyon North rim by car.
night: Motel at Ordereville.
rides: Total Kilometers: 85
28. 05. 2009
15. day:
Ordereville to Red Canyon by car. As they have constructed a wonderful bike lane to Bryce Canyon we have changed to bicycle.
All rides to and in the Bryce park by bicycle. The road in the park ends at "rainbow view". Elevation: 2.850 meters.
night: at Purple Sage Motel at Panguich
rides: Total Kilometers: 110
29. 05. 2009
16. day:
Punguin to Kodachrome Basin Park.
We decided to do the hike to Sentinell trail and Shakespierre arch.
night: at Motel 8 at Hurricane
rides: Total Kilometers: 0
30. 05. 2009
17. day:
morning: Hurricane via Virgin to Zion Park.
We did all the way up to the tunnel by bicycle and did a ride in the valley.
afternoon: Hurricane to Cedar city by car.
night: at Motel 6 at Cedar city
rides: Total Kilometers: 86
31. 05. 2009
18. day:
Morning: car ride to Las Vegas via St. George, Longdale, Overton (Lake Mead back road).
Afternoon: by bicycle to Hoover dam via Bolder city.
night: at Motel 6 Tropicana at Las Vegas
rides: Total Kilometers: 36
01. 06. 2009
19. day:
Morning: we tried to go by car to the Skywalk.
But we have given up, as the Skywalk is too much expensive. And the road to the Skywalk is a gravel road.
Instead of Skywalk, we had a good swin at Pierres ferry in the Lake Mead.
A wonderful place. Very warm water.
night: at Motel 6 Tropicana at Las Vegas
rides: Total Kilometers: 0
02. 06. 2009
19. day:
leaving Las Vegas.
Morning: we went by car to Death Valley via Badwater.
Then we went over by car the Walker pass, heading for Isabella.
night: at Kern Motel at Isabella
rides: Total Kilometers: 0
03. 06. 2009
20. day:
by bicycle: Isabella - Walker Pass - Isabella.
By car: Isabella - Mohave via Kern creek Canyon and Bakersfield
night: at Motel 6 at Mohave (Hwy 14)
rides: Total Kilometers: 0
04. 06. 2009
20. day:
by car from Mohave to LAX on Hwy 14
our plane leaves 17:35.
Before: return car at Avis
rides: Total Kilometers: 0
05. 06. 2009
21. day:
we are back home.
Arriving Vienna airport 17:50.
rides: Total Kilometers: 0
THANK YOU !
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