It is hard to believe, but our motorcycle tour through Southern California is over!

Another great riding day took us along the famous Route 66 to Oatman. Here time has stood still, Billy, the Kid, could come around a corner anytime.

After a great lunch (hamburger) we passed Hoover Dam, before we finally returned to Las Vegas!

Our thanks to everybody, it was a pleasure to ride with all of you - hopefully we meet again somewhere. And of course a special thanks to those that rode with me for the second time: John, Mike, Ron, Jörg and Keith!

This morning had a pleasant surprise for us: a clear blue sky! Not uncommon in the desert, but a welcome sight after yesterdays cold front. It was still a little cool today - perfect weather to visit Joshua Tree National Park.

And now we are enjoying the view upon London Bridge... fortunately that had been moved, brick by brick, to Lake Havasu, Arizona!

Mr. Hammond, we need to talk! We found out today that it actually does rain in Southern California.

The morning had sunshine for us, as we visited the Cabrillo monument at Point Loma. But as soon as we had left San Diego behind us, the clouds rolled in and became a lot cooler and a bit wetter. Nevertheless we had a great time on the twisty backroads between San Diego and Palm Springs, where we are spending the night.

Rest day! The only problem is: who wants to rest in a beautiful town like San Diego?

While Jörg, Keith, Ziv and Steve went for a ride in the hills surrounding the town, the rest of the group decided to go sight-seeing. The USS Midway aircraft carrier, the Gaslamp Quarter, Little Italy and of course the famous Old Town were on the schedule! And of course there was enough time for a little shopping!

What a day! Twisty roads, beautiful scenery and finally one of California's most beautiful cities - what else could you wish for?

We left Big Bear and immediately entered one of the best roads in the area, Hwy 38. About 100 turns later, we were rewarded with great apple pies in the midst of huge apple orchards!

The next stop for food was even more memorable - great views over Lake Elsinore and a restaurant run by one person: quite an experience!

The afternoon had a special treat for us: San Diego, our home for the next two days. The Pacific and thousands of palm trees make this town special - tomorrow we will explore it in detail!

After a long ride through the desert, we have now reached a completely different area. We have climbed from 200ft below to 7000ft above sea level in one day, leaving the desert behind us. The first real twisties brought us up to Big Bear Lake, a beautiful lake near Los Angeles! The temperature has dropped 50% - now it's down to 19C!

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Let's go west! The Southern California Motorcycle Tour has left Las Vegas and has reached California - our first night will be spent in the famous Death Valley. Fortunately the weather gods are on our side, the temperature is a modest 37C/97F!

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