Joshua Tree to Vegas

Well I turned up to San Diego Triumph without an appointment but they repaired my brake lines, thanks Danny and Tim. While I was there I got chatting to a couple of guys who had ridden from San Diego to Ushuaia (the bottom of South America). They said that riding through Chile took along time and there is a lot of nothing, but it is a crazy and friendly place! (So similar to the trans-Siberian after Irkutsk). I'd love to ride from Columbia down to Chile someday.

Left San Diego and headed to Joshua Tree via the San Bernadino National forest. Tremendous twisty roads and wonderful views. Nice as the forest is, nothing quite prepares you for Joshua Tree. Probably one of the most stunning places I have ever seen. Camped the night in a place called Jumbo rocks amidst the trees - absolutely beautiful. Rode the long way out and made my way to Vegas via the Mojave Desert (and route 66). This was my first experience of riding through the desert after coming down the coast - fantastic.

It's roughly 20 years since I have been to Vegas and it has expanded massively in that time. Last time the strip had hotels, but there wasn't much behind the strip. (I stayed at the Frontier hotel which had a classic Vegas hotel). Now it is massively built out either side of the strip with hotels on top of each other. To be honest, after Joshua Tree the Vegas attractions seem tawdry and banal.

However I'll be heading to the Grand Canyon tomorrow and then start the long drag across through New Mexico and Texas to get to Florida.