Gone Riden
grab some fuel before riding into Vegas
02

8 Nov 2001 – 14 Nov 2001

USA

Los Angeles - Death Valley - Las Vegas - San Diego

Trip distance2,893 kmWeek 02 of 32

The modern week-by-week edition

LA
to San Diego.

Finally got the bikes and gear sorted, so we kicked off the trip at last. Left LA for Death Valley and saw our first dirt. Then it was Vegas, baby, and a visit to Hoover Dam. From there we picked up Route 66, got more dirt through Joshua National Park, and rolled on to San Diego.

Goneriden

This week’s route

Los Angeles - Death Valley - Las Vegas - San Diego

  1. 1Los Angeles
  2. 2Death Valley
  3. 3Las Vegas
  4. 4Joshua Tree National Park
  5. 5San Diego
Week 02 routeUSARegional context
1Los Angeles2Death Valley3Las Vegas4Joshua Tree National Park5San Diego

Approximate route using modern roads · OpenStreetMap contributors · route via OSRM

Memorable moment

Memorable moment.

Kicking the footy in the gas station of a small town partway across the Californian desert, for nourishment we ducked into the shop for a powerade and snickers.

An elderly couple, seeing our dietary intake was not as it should be for fit young biking men, invited us in for some chilli("the best around"). Stuffing us full of chilli, burgers, fries ("be sure to break em up in bitty pieces into the top of your chilli boys") and sodas we swapped currency issues for grandkid stories and local heartaches.

Upon departure the possibility of them trying to turn us into missionaries was discussed as being their aim. Why did they let us leave so quickly???? Surely we were suitable candidates????

Thanks to Ray and Scottie, good chilli.

Original Week 2 account

Pictures of the week

Three moments from the road

Excuse me, could you please get down from there and get me a drink....um, sorry, forget I said that
You're right, Ray & Scottie, that chilli is good, you really do have to use those fries to dig them last beans out.
Route 66
Quote of the week

Lets go to see a man about a win - Martin

Those gators down there in Florida are meaner 'n shit - Redneck on the way to Vegas

This is what the truckers use to keep them awake - gas station attendant between Vegas and Needles

Competition

Who could set off the metal detector at the Hoover Dam Tourist Centre the most consecutive times

Winner: Boxy, 5 times then the guard gave up.

Highlight

The very tasteful 'Showgirls of Magic' performance. Honourable mention to the bar staff at Coyote Ugly (see pic above)

Risk activity

Getting drunk for free at a Vegas Roulette table, running out of money and gambling away our bikesRisk factor3/10

Lowlight

Missing the Fiddling Championships at Furnace Creek and the chance to camp with the 1500 elderly couples in their RV's

Road tally

Nearly 29 frost-bitten goneriden fingers in the mountains outside San Diego when the temperature suddenly dropped.

Week 02 photo diary

The week, in event order

The mosaic follows the numbered sequence in date-and-time order. Select any image for its full-screen view and comment.

Three in a room - we are ready
Quick chat with locals, Boxy telling stories about Karoonda, SA (his home town)
Last stop at bike shop, new helmets, gloves, goggles. That it lets go
Checking the packing
Left late again -> heading towards Death Valley
Getting a route sorted.
That looks nasty - might skip the morning swim
Into Death Valley ... Jamie, you go first
grab some fuel before riding into Vegas
View from our hotel window - there's no point going back there, folks, we cleaned up.....and left
Excuse me, could you please get down from there and get me a drink....um, sorry, forget I said that
Jamie and Boxy - talking vacuums at Hover Dam
Hover Dam, no need to for a wash, look how clean we are
Writing Goneriden on the road edge. There was lots of other messages as well
Route 66
You're right, Ray & Scottie, that chilli is good, you really do have to use those fries to dig them last beans out.
Joshua tree - we found one
They are everywhere - taking a back road through the park
Boxy and Jamie finding children’s shoes and bullets in the desert
Someone was having some target practice out here
No, that's not going to hold much water
Temperature dropping as we ride towards San Diego
It's definitely getting chilly
The service station attendant sold us these - "it's what the truckers use to stay awake"
Writing up our website with our impressive tech ;-)
I thought we had left England