USA, May 2016 − Travels − Captain Tom

USA, May 2016

We did it again. Another time for five friends to ride some of America's dream routes. Another amazing adventure and a lot of long lasting memories.

This time part of the gang were Steven, me, Rick, Paul and Kevin. The longest journey to it was on me and Paul is - as I am in Germany - the road captain. He planned the routes, organized the hotels and the bike rental.

In total we did almost 2,700 miles in 9 riding days North and East of San Francisco. We made it into Oregon and almost into Nevada and we had extreme Elevations up to 9900 ft.

Find here an overview of the routes taken.

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1 The journey to SF

This time the flight went via Istanbul. There are many interesting things to see.

Take off in Berlin into gray skies

Bosporus Bridge connects Europe and Asia

Norwegian Skerry

Glaciers in Greenland

A Volcano in the US

The new Apple campus in Mountain View

2 Arriving

After almost 20 hours travelling I do my first walk through the town.

Cable Car

Lombard Street

Coit Tower

Sea Lion colony on Pier 39

Nice evening mood ...

... with view to Alcatraz ...

... and Golden Gate Bridge

3 Sightseeing

The following day is sightseeing day. Before breakfast I have a look at Golden Gate Bridge

The I do the Alcatraz tour. I booked it in particular for the view to the skyline and to Golden Gate Bridge. The history of the island does not touch me that much. Approaching Alcatraz

Golden Gate Bridge in the background

A prison museum

View to the skyline

Golden Gate Bridge

View from the cruise ship

You get to Coit tower via endles stair steps up a very steep hill or by bus. I climbed the stairs.

Downtown San Francisco

Alcatraz

Golden Gate Bridge

Lombard Street

At noon we went to Golden Gate Bridge. An impressive and beautiful construction

View from the bridge

Afterwards the group does the paperwork at Dubbelju

Dinner

Visiting the sea lions

And then the technial preparations start. Here they try to connect intercoms to each other

4 Riding day #1

We go to Eureka north of San Francisco.

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First we go over Golden Gate Bridge ...

Then we follow Highway 1 along Pacific coast in northern direction
The five red bikes are impressive

Stop at the Pacific coast

We also ride through a Redwood forest

Dinner together

5 Riding day #2

We learn about the roads. You do not go to a particular place here but you simply ride a road. It can take hours and last for more than 100 miles with turns and turns and turns. Just beautiful.

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Stop in a small village

Lunch

Scenery

6 Riding day #3

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Planned route starts with Highway 299 ...

Then the roads get smaller and smaller until it becomes hard offroad riding

We find this gas pump in a village. The counter is being read by means of a binocular from the General Store.

Roads get better and wider during the day.

We go on Highway 36 through a Redwood forest in the evening.

7 Riding day #4

We follow Klamath river up north into Oregon. We return along the Pacific coast

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Paul and Tom in the morning

Waiting at a road construction site

Lunch in Oregon

Back to California

We go through a Redwood forest on an easy to ride unpaved road

Stop at Pacific coast

Dinner with oysters

8 Riding day #5

We ride Highway 36 almost all day long. Our destination is Chico where the temperature is very high.

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Flat land in between

Lunch break

Promising

It is very hot in Chico. The thermometer shows 102 F.

We have an appointment with local Andy in Sierra Nevada brewery.

A beer

The group

Dinner with Andy

9 Riding day #6

We leave Chico and go to Markleeville close to Lake Tahoe

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Reminder of a different time

Flat hot scenery

Oroville Dam is made of earth and higher than Hoover Dam

A bridge spans over the reservoir

Tom chases Steven

Another dam is Bullards Bar Dam

Lunch

Nice roads

Gold Lake

This road goes north and south at the same time

Road works

With a pilot car

Lake Tahoe

10 Riding day #7

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Preparations for the ride over Sonora pass

Breakfast is available at Ali's Cafe

and made by Ali

Sonora pass is a great road to ride and provides stunning views

Lunch after a long ride through hot valleys

We return via Carson-Pass

Kevin and I proceed to Lake Tahoe

Police is everywhere

Beer waits for us at the hotel

Later on we have a very good dinner in the restaurant across the street

11 Riding day #8

Tioga pass is the entry to Yosemite National Park. Due to high temperatures in the valleys we decide just to go up the pass and then to return. Hence we do not ride a loop.

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Before Tioga we go over Monitor pass.