day 33 - reno, nv - marina, ca

(really I just call monterey my home...)

home! I made it! I cannot even believe it. Yesterday, after some hemming and hewing over which shop I should take the bike to, I decided to just try my luck - see if the chain lube would hold my chain until I got over the hill and down the coast. It was over a hundred degress, like the rest of the trip - I'm not sure why I thought it would be cooler... oh well. But, I kept cool yet again by soaking my shirt in water, and keeping a water bottle handy to resoak after the shirt got dry - I hope none of the motorists behind me were complaining, because it really just feels rude when someone decides to fling windshield cleaner inadvertently at you... at least they are shielded in their cars.

I80 - I love this road...

After a few phone calls with dad, we decided on a place to meet up - a cantina just past gilroy. From 80, I took 680... just before SF, 680 meets up with 101 around San Jose, and when it does there is a lot of traffic - but! in California, lane splitting is legal! This made me glad I had already shipped home my saddle bags, because I was able to just zip my way back into moving traffic. Even in second and third gear though, my bike was overheating - agh so many things to worry about with my bike!

Then after a little more traffic in morgan hill, I deviated from dad's directions to get to 152 west to a cantina - I arrived way before dad... which usually happens when he tries to take traffic into account (but I guess lane splitting not into account) - but I was glad he was there. He rode with me over the pass (I was a little buzzed I admit - and again say to myself that I shouldn't do things like that ever again - but I probably will...) and we met up with Al, just for a bit - then Al just went home. All this time, the area has been like a hive for all kinds of motorcycles - but a lovely increase in sport bikes - tasty treats! Haha meanwhile, here's my bike limping along just hoping to hop over into the fog, into Marina. When the cold fog hit my bare arms, I felt relief... I was in a familiar place, I was just a few miles away, not even a discernible distance on the map. And my bike was showing no signs of giving up yet. At each corner and street in Marina, I let out a yell! I'm home!

Through the Golden Hills of CA with Dad leading me home

We pulled into the house, to find a gang of friendly folks that Lee had invited to our house for moto GP weekend, all from Arizona. I called mom to find that she was out shopping for groceries for dinner. Lee had already arrived the night before, and would be back again along with some passes for motoGP weekend! My stuff was all inside my house, the cat was happy to see me. And all will be well again with the bike very soon!

Welcome to the familiar fog of Marina, CA!

I hope you all enjoyed this trip. And I found out that my mom was not worried at all - just as I had suspected : )

I won't be posting anymore probably - except to add more pictures, and another link to the finished timelapsed video.

Be back in Bmore probably in September!