A 3 day, 1500 mile trip through California, Arizona, Utah and a little bit of Colorado. Main themes : Brutal heat in Arizona, Navajo Nation and the Indian lifestyle, high deserts of Utah. I've wanted to live a lonely-ish lifestyle in the high desert plateaus ever since I first saw them in eastern Oregon. I like the flat landscape with the sagebrush and short trees, the magnificent big sky and the all encompassing silence. I can only imagine how wonderful the cloudless night sky would look. Someday.. I'll find a cabin to live out there in those pretty places, grow my own food, watch the distant thunderstorms at day, the milky-way at night, relish the silence, hack on the Linux kernel (and maybe even get paid for it) ...The Life! Lots of the ride took me through desert areas within Navajo nation (the largest semi-autonomous Indian reservation in western US) with its own cops and laws. I saw them giving out speeding tickets inside monument valley area - I barely escaped - the guy I let overtake me got caught. Anyway, here are some pics from the road.

                     Anza borrego desert in California 

   Sand dunes in Sahara ..err Imperial Sand dunes in California 

Four corners - The point where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet 

 Check out the year Bluff was established. Must've been an old Indian
 trading post 

                           Monument Valley 

                 A little bit of reality check en route 

 US-89 through southern Utah. US-89 through Wyoming is a real pretty ride
 and after this trip, I've concluded that US-89 was created to be 
 The scenic road

 Somewhere on the way to Zion national park. Turned around after I noticed 
 they wanted $25 to just ride through the park. Must be the economy.. 

 A view through my bedroom window. Nice, eh? 
 Gotta love living in northern San Diego. We got it all  - The weather, 
 the ocean, the beaches, the mountains, the desert.. did I mention the 
 weather? and everything else God intended man to enjoy :-) 

CA 1 Pacific Coast Highway

Lexus LS400
V8 power :-)

A week long road trip across California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona and back. Rode for two days with Joy dutta and Priti and was the lone wolf for the rest of the trip. Nevada and its high lonely deserts definitely cast its magic on me. Montana looked lovely, although I couldnt ride much there. Wyoming was pretty and peaceful. Owning a ranch out there must be fun. erm.. not in winter maybe.. Utah was much prettier than I thought it would be. US 89 from Yellowstone through Tetons and down south beside the mountains is a great ride.
A long ride is almost like life. At the end of it, you just wish you had taken it easier, taken more breaks, enjoyed companionship, stayed for an extra day at that lovely campground instead of buzzing fast from one point to the other trying to see it all and getting on time.

About 2750 mi and 6 days.
The route

Check out Joy's blog and pics
Priti - the pillion rider on Joy's bike took some nice on-the-move shots. Check it out pics by Priti
She got a cool pic of me riding too. yay Moi






Merced River near Yosemite. Pretty river.


The sleek ST.


smooooth roads.


Climbing upto Tioga pass.


ok.. I forget the name. But a pretty blue lake. Someone just swam right across it while we were there.


All that sparkles aint diamonds baybe


Lake just before Tioga pass.


Lotsa silver mined outta NV. So silver state. Funny how the golden state and silver state are next to each other.


No one cares if you park the bike in the middle of the highway and take silly pics. erm.. there aint anyone there to care anyway.


In these deserts, one thing of beauty to the biker is the road itself.. I love camping in the desert


US 361 through Nevada is definitely lonelier than the loneliest highway US50. We saw 7 cars in 60 miles. Yep, I counted.


One dollar notes up the ceiling. The bar at middlegate, NV is an interesting place to be in. Check it out if ya pass by..


Around the old pony express route. It is amazing how those men on horseback covered about 2000 mi in 10 days or less. And through these unforgiving deserts of Nevada.


Campground at bob scotts near Austin, NV. The best campground in the trip.. and Free. I'm lovin NV.


That sure looks lonely.. doesnt it


Ok. I admit I have a thing for state borders..


Craters of the Moon, Idaho. weird place to be.. and hot. met a couple from canada who was camping out in the no-shade heat for a week doing voluntary service. some people..


Arco, Idaho. First town to be nuclear powered in the US. The kinda place where you just pass through. I stayed overnight though. I forgot to find out why there are huge numbers on that mountain...


Was this Idaho or Nevada.. I forget.


aint this Alfalfa? seen it all along one road in Idaho


Rain in the distance. Idaho


Montana montana montana! Couldn't spend much time in the state though.. Next time, Montana and Wyoming in more detail.


Inside yellowstone


Yellowstone again


The other end of the lake had a hot water spring. I bet this side was pretty cold.


This is that other end..


coyote or wolf? anyway, he was peacefully stalking some small animal with no care for the tons of tourists clicking pics.


american wild bison. didnt even bother to turn around to face the camera. I need my $20 park fee refunded.


scary dude


guess.. ? yep, the old faithful. dealing with the tons of tourists in the park is pretty tiring. There were about.. hmm.. atleast 500 people to watch this geyser go off. Hopefully first and last visit to yellowstone.


It rained.. a lot.. oh and see mom, the continental divide!


Grand tetons. A much better experience than yellowstone.


A pretty ride along these mountains. The only prettier mountain side ride was the US 395 going south from Reno. Sierra Nevadas are amazing.


Domestic bison in Wyoming.


That is where I stayed in Wyoming after riding late night with little light, through rain and frequent wild animals crossing the small road. Decided not to push luck any further and got in here. Wolfs den at the star valley ranch in wyoming. Nice place. A tad bit on the expensive side.


US 89 through Wyoming. Wonderful experience. The best road in the entire trip. Will try do the whole length someday


I got fascinated by rain clouds in the trip...


I got a shot of this huge rain cloud right overhead and got drenched the next minute. People in cars were giving me a funny look. Hey, rain clouds can be pretty too..


Utah.. and is that the ad for a mormon church? Wait.. a Harley ministry? Imagine priests on harleys. hah..


Rains showed lotsa love in the trip. Always giving me company in the last 2 days. I didn't mind it though. The ST didn't for sure.


Red rock canyon, UT


More red..


Bryce canyon, UT. Pretty impressive.


Jump already! Okay. not part of the trip.. but glider port in San diego. Fun place to hang out.


Birds over the pacific.


That is what I wanna do. Somehow hang gliding is more appealing to me than para gliding.


Tandem flight. $150 for about 30 minutes in air.

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