tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59234260813033938492024-03-12T15:18:32.606-10:00Sailing S/V Bella MarinaJoin Octavia and Petter in their adventures sailing around the worldOctavia and Petter on S/V Bella Marinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17904504518799518201noreply@blogger.comBlogger158125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923426081303393849.post-62282664611439839812018-01-24T22:05:00.000-10:002018-01-24T22:09:44.137-10:00Cruising in the Hawaiian Islands<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At anchor in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu</td></tr>
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We've been living and sailing in Hawaii for more than a year now. Petter and I moved to Oahu in October 2016, after finishing up our jobs in San Francisco and taking a little <a href="http://svbellamarina.blogspot.com/2016/08/ride-to-east-day-1.html" target="_blank">cross-country motorcycle trip</a> from San Francisco, California to Alexandria, Virginia where we have family. We left the red Ducati Multistrada with his brother and flew back to San Francisco, then Hawaii.<br />
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Petter had already <a href="http://svbellamarina.blogspot.com/2015/10/finish-line.html" target="_blank">single handed</a> Bella Marina from San Francisco to <a href="http://www.koolinamarina.com/" target="_blank">Ko Olina</a>, Oahu the year before, and we re-joined our floating home in Paradise and got to work cleaning and organizing it. Most of our 'stuff' was moved back to the boat from the Sausalito apartment, minus some heavier winter clothes, riding gear and the yellow Ducati 999 which were left in our trailer, conveniently parked at our old apartment.<br />
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We got the opportunity to join dear friends from Seattle on Maui for Thanksgiving 2016, and decided to sail over instead of catching one of the easy inter-island flights. The trades were blowing hard and we had a rather bouncy sail over in 35 knots of wind and confused seas in the channel between Oahu and Molokai. Lesson 1 of sailing in Hawaii: the trades can be unpredictably strong at any times, the channels accelerate the winds and the waves, and the offshore sailing can be rougher than the idillic images of palm trees swaying in the gentle (leeward) breeze will suggest. The lesson was learned, and the 2017 Thanksgiving was spent on Big Island with the same friends after an easy 45 minute flight on Hawaiian Air.<br />
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Looking back at 2017, we spent most of our time building our new yacht tech company and shipping our yacht management product, <a href="https://quartermaster.me/" target="_blank">Quartermaster</a>. We're having a blast and truly enjoying combining our biggest passions, boating and technology. If you are a boater, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/app/quartermaster-yacht-management/id1228469441?ls=1&mt=8" target="_blank">check it out</a>, we think it's pretty awesome!<br />
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We also took some time to cruise around the Hawaiian islands, in particular Oahu, Maui, Lanai and Kauai. If I were to sum it up in a phrase, I would say cruising in Hawaii is challenging but rewarding.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sailing, reefed off Maui. The rainbow was for real.</td></tr>
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<!--StartFragment--><br />Challenging, due to the rough weather and offshore conditions everywhere you sail (see Lesson 1), difficult inter-island passages, a shortage of
comfortable anchorages and a lack of good boating facilities and services. The reality is that the majority of the anchorages are rolly because the Hawaiian islands have no fringing reef, and most good natural harbors, like Pearl Harbor are restricted by military activity. If you are lucky enough to pick a low swell day, the conditions can change at any moment, and on certain sides of the islands you have to keep an eye on the offshore buoys that announce the big North, North-West or South swells arriving, depending on the season. The islands are not yachtie friendly and most marinas are run down, bureaucracy rules, some harbors are too shallow to enter for a boat with our draft, boat yards are rare, expensive, and have a terrible reputation, and diesel is difficult to impossible to obtain if you are not on Oahu. There is one shining exception to this and it is our <a href="http://www.koolinamarina.com/" target="_blank">home marina of Ko Olina</a>, which offers all facilities us spoiled mainlanders from California are used to, at California super-prices of course.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Setting off on a challenging overnight passage from Oahu to Maui</td></tr>
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<br />On the rewarding side, the islands are insanely beautiful and often times you will find yourself in unspoiled anchorages in the lee of spectacular sea cliffs with no other boats in sight, anchored in clear turquoise water with turtles, dolphins and whales frolicking in the watery vicinity. There are many good snorkeling sites with great visibility and amazing sea life, especially in the less populated and touristy islands like Molokini, Lanai and Kauai. The turtles are making a comeback to the islands after being protected for years, and you will often see them in anchorages checking out your boat. </div>
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Or, how cool is it to just anchor off Waikiki, one of the most famous and beautiful beaches and surf spots in the world and watch the world go by?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset with Turtle because this is how we roll in Hawaii</td></tr>
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<br />The culture is awesome too, and I'm not talking about the commercialized Aloha that most tourists get. There is a gentleness and inclusiveness side of the true Aloha spirit that permeates most encounters here. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At anchor in one of our favorite local anchorages on Oahu, Poka'i Bay</td></tr>
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<br />One last positive thing is that all of this is under the umbrella of being in the US, without having to worry about passports (if you come from the US mainland, that is), immigration, boat papers, cell signal, access to boat parts, and the over-stocked stores. West Marine, Costco, Target, Ace Hardware, Starbucks, Whole Foods are within reach on Oahu, and even Amazon Prime ships here. <span style="font-size: 12pt;">It's a tropical Paradise, with all the conveniences of American availability. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">We are gearing up for a Puddle Jump to French Polynesia in April 2018 so we are double and triple appreciating all the conveniences of stocking up on Amazon and at Costco for the crossing. </span></div>
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More posts on Hawaiian favorite anchorages, adventure cruising on each island, weather and seasons coming up soon. Aloha! </div>
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<br />Octaviahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10020289707272362066noreply@blogger.comKo Olina Marina, Oahu, Hawaii21.3373493 -158.1096627-31.783166200000004 119.2731498 74.45786480000001 -75.4924752tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923426081303393849.post-66809929856939523272017-06-12T03:54:00.000-10:002017-06-12T03:54:15.666-10:00Ride to West - Day 8Arches<br />
Grand Junction, CO to Park City, UT (335 miles)<br />
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We woke up early to beat the heat. It was forecasted to be scorching hot in Moab, so we were trying to be past it by noon. The rear light was broken, so I wasted some time fixing it before we started our ride, but we were on the road just after 8.<br />
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After entering Utah, we saw a sign that said 40 miles to next service. Since we had little fuel left and was planning to off the interstate, we played it safe and backtracked into Colorado for a fuel station, adding another 50 miles to our ride and yet a little more delay.<br />
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As soon as we got off the interstate, the scenery turned into something from a western movie. It was stunning and we were happy that we took the less travelled road to Moab. We also checked out the Arches national park, for more stunning beauty.<br />
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By the time we got out of there it was past one and we still had a long way to go. We got back on the interstate to find a very windy and uncomfortable ride toward Salt Lake. At a stop for coffee, I ended up changing our rear break lights for the second time today. I think it gets so hot it burns out.<br />
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Finally, late afternoon, we arrive in gorgeous mountain scenery and Park City to have a celebratory drink and relax for a week with our long time friends from Seattle. So far, we've ridden 2600 miles, since our start in Virginia.<br />
<br />Petterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772672141673272324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923426081303393849.post-36228940669805383182017-06-10T12:37:00.000-10:002017-06-10T12:37:42.967-10:00Ride to West - Day 7Twisties<br />
Boulder, CO to Grand Junction, CO (256 miles)<br />
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We started the ride by taking the mountain road from Boulder and had a fantastic ride through twisty roads and beautiful scenery. When we arrived back on I-70, we were still riding in canyons with more beautiful scenery.<br />
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We stopped in Vail to get a taste of this well known ski resort. There was still patches of snow to be seen, even all the way down to the road and not just the mountain tops, but of course the roads were dry. It was chilly and we had all our gear on, but as we descended down from Vail it quickly got warmer.<br />
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Today was the most beautiful and interesting ride so far, but because the roads twisted back and forth we arrived quite tired. Our bodies are taking a toll from all the riding. We still got one more day to go and tomorrow is looking to be a really long one.Petterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772672141673272324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923426081303393849.post-36023111717465578362017-06-08T12:00:00.000-10:002017-06-08T12:00:22.636-10:00Ride to West - Day 6<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; line-height: normal;">
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Colby, KS to Boulder, CO (253 miles)</div>
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Determined to take advantage of being ahead of schedule, we got an early start. Rain was predicted in Boulder in the afternoon, so we were racing to get there before the rain.</div>
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It was much colder today, in fact, it was the coldest day so far. On our first gas stop, we geared up with liners and sweaters to try to stay warm. Besides being a bit cold, the ride went by fast and we arrived at the outskirts of Denver just a little after noon. By then, my phone had died. It's mounted on the bike as a GPS and I think moisture has gotten inside and it no longer wants to charge. I'm starting to long for a day without anything breaking.</div>
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When we got to Boulder, we stoped and got some food and a peek at the city. Boulder reminds of us Palo Alto. There's a awesome little road just outside that looks like a picturesque mountain road with streams and cabins, I think we'll be taking that tomorrow on our way out of Boulder.</div>
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Our hotel gave us an upgrade, so we enjoyed a really nice and relaxing evening in a king size bed watching South Park episodes on TV.</div>
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Petterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772672141673272324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923426081303393849.post-32919095941554410232017-06-08T05:50:00.002-10:002017-06-08T05:50:37.412-10:00Ride to West - Day 5New chain<br />
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I started the day, by getting some of my tools out in an attempt to tighten the chain. Of course, even though I did have tools for the job, the bolts wouldn’t budge. After several attempts, I ended up breaking my driver tool and I had to go to plan B.</div>
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So I Googled the closest Ducati service dealer. I got lucky. The only one in the entire state was only 20 minutes away, so our first stop for the day was Reno’s Powersports. My chain was so bad, they ended up putting on a new one. We were in and out in only 30 minutes. Awesome! With a new chain, the bike felt like it's brand new. I was ecstatic with how well it now rode and of course relieved that the gear box was fine.</div>
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Our goal was to reach Hays, but there was rain in the forecast, and we were in a hurry to get there before it started. We didn't want to get soaked like we did in St. Louis. As the ride went on, I spotted some clouds to the north and then some more to the south. Riding west we were lucky to dodge them, but our luck finally ran out. We stopped for coffee and decided that we couldn’t get past Hays without running into heavy rain. However, we might be able to get to Hays, before the rain arrived. We just made it. The raindrops were starting, as we pulled into Hays and we ended up heading to a diner for some dinner.</div>
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The rain was coming down hard, and it looked quite stormy, but we were dry inside having steaks. About an hour later it had just about stopped, so we decided to get back on the road for another 100 miles. Just around 9pm and sunset, we pulled into Colby and finally got a hotel.</div>
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Even with our late start, we put in 381 miles of riding, which puts us on track for being in Denver early afternoon tomorrow. Again trying to dodge some afternoon and evening rain forecasted in Denver.</div>
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Petterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772672141673272324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923426081303393849.post-73002358897916794282017-06-07T04:06:00.000-10:002017-06-07T04:06:18.122-10:00Ride to West - Day 4Breakage<br />
St. Louis, MO to Kansas City, MO (248 miles)<br />
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After such a wet ride the day before, it was good to wake up to sunshine and dry roads. In fact, it was hotter than ever, predicted to reach 90 during the day. I prefer hot to cold, so not a problem. Sadly, my shoes didn't fare so well in the wet. They're old and are starting to come apart in the seams. At our first stop, I taped them together with Guerrilla tape. There! Permanently fixed!<br />
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It was a hot day of riding and we quickly became exhausted, so we pulled into a hotel early. After dropping the luggage, we rode to the closest grocery store to get some food. When coasting in first gear, I could hear an awful metal grinding noise coming from my bike. When starting the ride this morning, it felt like the bike slipped a little in first gear, so now I’m wondering if the gear box is done for. After inspecting the bike, I find that the chain is extremely loose.<br />
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I spent the rest of the evening on Google.<br />
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Petterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772672141673272324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923426081303393849.post-20841744884892750762017-06-06T17:37:00.000-10:002017-06-06T17:37:16.912-10:00Ride to West - Day 3Rain<br />
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The ride started out flat and uneventful. We passed by a gang of bikers riding Gold Wings and my rear end was feeling a little jealous. Sitting on a motorcycle is far less comfortable than riding in a car. We found a cute little diner just off the highway and stopped for lunch. As we were leaving the diner, we felt a few rain drops. We decided to go for it, hoping to get ahead of the rain, but no such luck. A few minutes after getting on the highway, it was starting to pour down heavily and we stopped under an overpass to put on the little extra gear we had.<br />
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After getting rather soaked for the next 30 minutes of riding, we finally got out of the rain, the warm air came back and we started to dry out. However, after another 60 miles, the rain was returning. Not wanting to get wet and cold again, we pulled into a Starbucks. The Starbucks was of no help, they had their AC set to 60. It was warmer outside under some awnings.<br />
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We waited for more than an hour, but the rain just didn't seem to wanna stop. There was no end to it, so we decided to power through to the end. We only had another 40 mins or so to the hotel we had already booked. Naturally, we got soaked and even got stuck in some traffic in St Louis. When we finally got to our hotel around 7 pm, they told us they didn't have any rooms ready. Seemed rather odd, but after waiting soaking wet for 30 mins, we finally got it sorted, got our keys and jumped in the shower to warm up.<br />
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Luckily, the hotel had a laundry machine, so we could dry all our wet clothes. Our sidebags are soft and 100% of all our clothes got soaked. By midnight, we had it all cleaned and dry ready for the next leg.Petterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772672141673272324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923426081303393849.post-41206853655019706232017-06-06T10:00:00.000-10:002017-06-06T10:00:33.829-10:00Ride to West - Day 2<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; line-height: normal;">
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Charleston, WV to Louisville, KY (246 miles)</div>
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Even though it should be a straight shot from Charleston to Louisville on I-64, I've gotten a little dependent on Internet to verify everything I do, so with no cel coverage we started our ride by finding the closest Starbucks. It was in a mall across the street, but the mall was not yet open. Luckily, we were able to get some free wifi just outside. Feels like a blast from the past, desperately trying to get online.</div>
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The ride though the eastern part of Kentucky was fantastic. Green trees, pastures and little lakes with nice new roads. A great start to our ride. Once we got to Louisville, we checked out the famous derby racetrack. We had to many horsepowers to be let onto the track, their limit was one. :). We also quickly stopped by the Ohio river to check out a statue of Clark and catching a quick glimpse at some big barges and cool bridges.</div>
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Even though the ride was a short one, we were exhausted, once we got to our hotel and went to bed early, so we could get ready for our next leg.</div>
Petterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772672141673272324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923426081303393849.post-44858663029744673742017-06-06T05:05:00.000-10:002017-06-06T05:05:01.510-10:00Ride to West - Day 1<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; line-height: normal;">
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Alexandria, VA to Charleston, WV (368 miles)</div>
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It's been a while, since I did a motorcycle ride to east. Lots of stuff has happened in between. For one, we left California and moved to Hawaii, but more about that later. For now, it's time to ride my Ducati Multistrada 1100 S back to San Francisco and complete the cross country journey. This time, Octavia is coming along for the trip, so the bike will be fully laden.</div>
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Motorcycle, riding gear, saddlebags and toolkits were all sitting waiting for us in Alexandria, so once we arrived by plane, we were ready to pick up where we left. Luckily, I did some good work on the bike before leaving it for the winter, so it fired right up and was ready to go. Thank you Petter from the past. I love it, when that guy does it right.</div>
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Our first day was a long day and we put in 360 miles, not arriving until late afternoon in Charleston, West Virginia. Our T-mobile phones were roaming on AT&T with a 50 MB limit, so we quickly felt like we left civilization, having no Internet for the first day. Still, we found our way. We played the song and it took us home. :). Gotta love West Virginia, with its beautiful roads through green lush woods.</div>
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Petterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772672141673272324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923426081303393849.post-24279640833510575812016-10-08T15:10:00.000-10:002016-10-08T15:10:07.573-10:00One year agoOn this day, one year ago, I departed with my boat Bella Marina for en epic solo crossing to Hawaii. Here's a quick little video of the departure.<br />
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<br />Petterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772672141673272324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923426081303393849.post-3212388979908542742016-09-11T16:05:00.001-10:002016-09-11T16:28:38.301-10:00Ride to East - Day 11<div>Oil</div><div>Greenville, SC to Alexandria, VA (490 miles)</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--pVqc1otra8/V9YQXAqZ5iI/AAAAAAAEEnc/3A8zjTKuVRA/s640/blogger-image--1293119309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--pVqc1otra8/V9YQXAqZ5iI/AAAAAAAEEnc/3A8zjTKuVRA/s640/blogger-image--1293119309.jpg"></a></div></div></div></div><div><br></div><div>There's nothing like a little engine problem to put a damper on your day after riding 2,500 miles out of 3,000. Yesterday was a big riding day and I was determined not to let it go to waste. Focused on the finish line, I woke up early and was on the road by 8 am. I only had 7 hours to go, the finish line was in sight.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FjY2AmWVxJY/V9YPGo3GlCI/AAAAAAAEEnI/pjErtio2WMo/s640/blogger-image-1258193480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FjY2AmWVxJY/V9YPGo3GlCI/AAAAAAAEEnI/pjErtio2WMo/s640/blogger-image-1258193480.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>On my first fuel stop, I got the bad news. An engine hose had broken on the Ducati, and oil was now spraying the top of my engine. Luckily, I never leave home without zip ties. I did my best to zip tie the hose to the engine. I rode on for a few miles, nervously hoping the engine would continue to run. I pulled into the first rest stop to survey my quick fix. Not great, but the idea seemed solid, so I pulled off my gear and went to work on improving it.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QI37qcIUAm0/V9YSKpevrOI/AAAAAAAEEn4/eQMQeizikYY/s640/blogger-image--1631571829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QI37qcIUAm0/V9YSKpevrOI/AAAAAAAEEn4/eQMQeizikYY/s640/blogger-image--1631571829.jpg"></a></div></div></div><div><br></div><div>After a little more sweat and burnt fingers (motorcycle engines get hot, so does oil), I finally had a better zip tie fix. I rode for another 50 miles, before pulling over to check that the zip ties were holding. It looked surprisingly solid, I could get on with my ride. I didn't stop until lunch and kept my lunch short. By the time I had less than an hour to go, I was so exhausted I had to pull into a Starbucks for some ice coffee and to cool down.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MJ8F299v4bc/V9YSJy3xcoI/AAAAAAAEEn0/_hkDxg9P9Xc/s640/blogger-image-300734606.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MJ8F299v4bc/V9YSJy3xcoI/AAAAAAAEEn0/_hkDxg9P9Xc/s640/blogger-image-300734606.jpg"></a></div></div></div><div><br></div><div>Naturally, I ran into traffic on my sprint the the finish, but nothing could stop me now. I was so close, I could coast to the finish line. Around 6 pm, I rolled into my brother's driveway, just in time to surprise my nephew for his birthday. Mission accomplished!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hP5KnSfQw9I/V9YQ3e-qupI/AAAAAAAEEnk/QD1qO3ufbqE/s640/blogger-image--200992867.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hP5KnSfQw9I/V9YQ3e-qupI/AAAAAAAEEnk/QD1qO3ufbqE/s640/blogger-image--200992867.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>Petter on his Ducati Multistrada 1100S</div>Petterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772672141673272324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923426081303393849.post-37833039361884392522016-09-09T20:23:00.001-10:002016-09-10T07:51:57.347-10:00Ride to East - Day 10<div>More miles</div><div>New Orleans, LA to Greenville, SC (619 miles)</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aFVdXFD_v1A/V9RIO7GUNoI/AAAAAAAEEmc/Fo6L3fsz3V0/s640/blogger-image-1962602148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aFVdXFD_v1A/V9RIO7GUNoI/AAAAAAAEEmc/Fo6L3fsz3V0/s640/blogger-image-1962602148.jpg"></a></div></div></div><div><br></div><div>I started the day determined to put some miles behind me and make it as far as Atlanta. Didn't help that I got a late start. It was 10:30 by the time I got on the highway. But, I was fully charged with a "continental" breakfast (possibly the worst I've ever had ironically in a city famous for food) so I quickly put in a few hours of riding before needing more coffee. As I crossed into Alabama, I got Siri to play me the Lynyrd Skynyrd. As he sings "where the skies are so blue" I notice they are not all blue and I could feel the impending rain as the air gets colder. Yet again I get lucky, as I receive just a few drops of rain, before blasting past it. It seems I left New Orleans in the nick of time.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-odbcF60ahGM/V9RGpFUU_NI/AAAAAAAEEmQ/Ldlgs7YIopU/s640/blogger-image--337904508.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-odbcF60ahGM/V9RGpFUU_NI/AAAAAAAEEmQ/Ldlgs7YIopU/s640/blogger-image--337904508.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Later in the day, I stopped for a Five Guys burger, one of my favorites. I made the mistake of having a whopper two days ago and won't be making that mistake again. I was only a few hours from Atlanta and might just be able to make it before sunset, but when I entered the route on my phone, my arrival time was an hour off. Damn, Atlanta is in another time zone. While I'm getting some fuel, a quick inspection shows that my tail light is broken, so I'm off to the closest auto parts store to get a replacement.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vqPewNSEy44/V9RGlTyqfcI/AAAAAAAEEmI/YSipYJJEknU/s640/blogger-image--1568279888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vqPewNSEy44/V9RGlTyqfcI/AAAAAAAEEmI/YSipYJJEknU/s640/blogger-image--1568279888.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>It's almost 10 pm by the time I make it to Atlanta, but I'm on a roll. Might as well put another 100 miles in. I finally call it a night just after midnight and 619 miles. A new best leaving me with less than 500 miles to the finish line.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hA5R-p8XKYE/V9RGqzhTBII/AAAAAAAEEmU/vHAYMik80LY/s640/blogger-image--627446139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hA5R-p8XKYE/V9RGqzhTBII/AAAAAAAEEmU/vHAYMik80LY/s640/blogger-image--627446139.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>Petter on his Ducati Multistrada 1100S</div>Petterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772672141673272324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923426081303393849.post-82875835864653042762016-09-09T07:56:00.001-10:002016-09-09T08:07:41.570-10:00Ride to East - Day 9<div>Beignets</div><div>Alexandria, LA to New Orleans (214 miles)</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NV7kjLN3O9g/V9L6G-7eLdI/AAAAAAAEElk/CQIa_hBqZLg/s640/blogger-image-365619173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NV7kjLN3O9g/V9L6G-7eLdI/AAAAAAAEElk/CQIa_hBqZLg/s640/blogger-image-365619173.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>The ride to New Orleans was short and easy. Once I got to Baton Rouge it was also one of the most interesting in terms of scenery (at least for a while), riding on bridges crossing rivers, swamps and lakes. I arrived around noon with lots of time for some R&R.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--x8hh7LsYv8/V9L6IOdbXSI/AAAAAAAEElo/m710tFMZ86Y/s640/blogger-image--1524899172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--x8hh7LsYv8/V9L6IOdbXSI/AAAAAAAEElo/m710tFMZ86Y/s640/blogger-image--1524899172.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>I headed straight for Cafe du Monde. They're famous for their beignets. I had 6. Later I checked in at a quintessential French Quarter hotel, where I immediately took the opportunity to cool off I the pool. Then it was off to party at the famous Bourbon Street. It was just a Thursday, but Bourbon Street was a happening place, I can't even imagine what this place would be like during Mardi Gras. Live music, streets crawling with people and lots and lots of alcohol. This place is more dangerous than Las Vegas. Rain and thunderstorms are forecasted for the weekend, so tomorrow I'm pointing back north. With my detour here, I've now got 1,100 miles to go. Time to cover some miles.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Db6wchjqqp4/V9L6FrkSmUI/AAAAAAAEElg/2J9B3-_SFzc/s640/blogger-image--2005957837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Db6wchjqqp4/V9L6FrkSmUI/AAAAAAAEElg/2J9B3-_SFzc/s640/blogger-image--2005957837.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>Petter on his Ducati Multistrada 1100S</div>Petterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772672141673272324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923426081303393849.post-37654255035924786172016-09-07T17:45:00.001-10:002016-09-07T17:51:27.043-10:00Ride to East - Day 8<div>Alexandria</div><div>Dallas, TX to Alexandria, LA (299 miles)</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-02Mnx3uTilI/V9DflvhaWaI/AAAAAAAEEk8/489ib1ZgSOA/s640/blogger-image--1444956427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-02Mnx3uTilI/V9DflvhaWaI/AAAAAAAEEk8/489ib1ZgSOA/s640/blogger-image--1444956427.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>No, this is not my final destination. Alexandria, VA is, not Alexandria, LA. Wouldn't be the first time a name has been reused in the US. I passed through Santa Rosa, New Mexico, but I'm more familiar with Santa Rosa, California. And I think there's a second Las Vegas in New Mexico as well. If your GPS took you to that one instead, I'm thinking you might be a little bit disappointed. In any case, fitting that I'm in Alexandria, now that I have exactly 1000 miles to go after covering about 2000.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OUV9ZTwf4t4/V9DfnRIa-II/AAAAAAAEElA/DYMBxiie2s8/s640/blogger-image--452423048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OUV9ZTwf4t4/V9DfnRIa-II/AAAAAAAEElA/DYMBxiie2s8/s640/blogger-image--452423048.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Today's ride was rather uneventful. I was exhausted from yesterday, and slept in until 10 am, didn't get on the road until noon. That required some catching up, so I rode the rest of the day with only a single break for coffee and was able to cover 300 miles in 6 hours. I actually made it to my destination before sunset. I even had time for a quick jump in the pool, which was much needed as Louisiana is both hot and humid. I'm definitively in the southern states now. Tomorrow, I'll hopefully get an early start and make it to New Orleans for some famous beignets, before turning back north.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1uqpeWJZzIw/V9Dfjlx1hwI/AAAAAAAEEk4/4SQYZIE_rUc/s640/blogger-image-1525151689.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1uqpeWJZzIw/V9Dfjlx1hwI/AAAAAAAEEk4/4SQYZIE_rUc/s640/blogger-image-1525151689.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Petter on his Ducati Multistrada 1100S</div>Petterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772672141673272324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923426081303393849.post-82779238863422901522016-09-06T18:35:00.001-10:002016-09-06T19:01:06.430-10:00Ride to East - Day 7<div>Texas</div><div>Amarillo, TX to Dallas, TX (362 miles)</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3mvkJRrSB7s/V8-dDuBH7dI/AAAAAAAEEEk/kkbIGkMjwUM/s640/blogger-image-80246900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3mvkJRrSB7s/V8-dDuBH7dI/AAAAAAAEEEk/kkbIGkMjwUM/s640/blogger-image-80246900.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>I was expecting oil fields, but instead I got cows, green fields and windmills. At first glance, Texas looks greener than Oregon. Since I was so close to Oklahoma, I took the opportunity to swing by on a detour. Just as green. Ran by a town that had more empty run down buildings than occupied ones. Looked like a ghost town, except someone lived there. I was hoping the next town over would have some coffee. The only thing I could find was a McDonalds. Yikes. Well, 15 minutes later, I was out of Oklahoma and back on the road to Dallas.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kqJZYApaMtI/V8-dBuSr5gI/AAAAAAAEEEg/7DtDjpqC12w/s640/blogger-image-334134732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kqJZYApaMtI/V8-dBuSr5gI/AAAAAAAEEEg/7DtDjpqC12w/s640/blogger-image-334134732.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>On the way, I stoped in Wichita Falls. Thought I would look for a good place to eat, but it turned out to be difficult and it's a big enough city that I didn't want to waste my afternoon riding around in the heat. Instead I did a quick cool down at a Starbucks (you only find these rare shops in the cities), and hoped to find a place down the road. Yelp sent me to a place that was closed (second time, thanks Yelp), but on that same detour I ran by the Armadillo Grill. They had burgers. What else can a man want, when in the middle of nowhere.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YDrDajgEzUo/V8-dFQzY2lI/AAAAAAAEEEo/sRpauQHoVGg/s640/blogger-image--179742127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YDrDajgEzUo/V8-dFQzY2lI/AAAAAAAEEEo/sRpauQHoVGg/s640/blogger-image--179742127.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>After that, it was time for Dallas. My butt was tired of sitting and I was eager to get there. So was every Texan on the road. Holy crap, these guys aren't afraid to step on it. I was in a race with pickup trucks and trailers. Anyway, I went from simple country roads to full fledged metropolis in a blink of an eye. I checked into a place Hotel Tonight ranks as "hip". And hip it is. It's like I'm back in San Francisco. They even have a pool on the roof with a view of downtown. Dallas looks like the Las Vegas of the East. :)</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IndCfdURUlQ/V8-c_4xuIQI/AAAAAAAEEEc/pjaeMWEWRaI/s640/blogger-image-577552034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IndCfdURUlQ/V8-c_4xuIQI/AAAAAAAEEEc/pjaeMWEWRaI/s640/blogger-image-577552034.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>Petter on his Ducati Multistrada 1100S</div>Petterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772672141673272324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923426081303393849.post-78583712108285828822016-09-06T04:56:00.000-10:002016-09-06T05:01:37.455-10:00Ride to East - Day 6<div>Miles</div><div>Winslow, AZ to Amarillo, TX (574 miles)</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YHH28Ei9apE/V87XrrQV5vI/AAAAAAAEEEA/iv5bFPk282M/s640/blogger-image--150072526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YHH28Ei9apE/V87XrrQV5vI/AAAAAAAEEEA/iv5bFPk282M/s640/blogger-image--150072526.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Today was all about the miles. Without my passenger, the bike was now lighter and I even "stole" my wife's pillow for a cushion. No excuses. I left around 9 in the morning and headed for Albuquerque. With only a short stop for a cup of coffee, I was there mid day around 4. I was starving and also needed some new gear and lube for the bike. I got myself a juicy California burger before heading for Cycle Gear. I wasted a good hour, before needing coffee, so I think I wasted another hour charging myself and my helmet at Starbucks (the last one on I-40, I have yet to see another).</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NybQ5AxrqjQ/V87XniujlOI/AAAAAAAEEDw/CnGc7WXcRfY/s640/blogger-image--1611090331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-NybQ5AxrqjQ/V87XniujlOI/AAAAAAAEEDw/CnGc7WXcRfY/s640/blogger-image--1611090331.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>Albuquerque could have been my final stop for the day, but with thunderstorms forecasted for tomorrow in Amarillo, I was determined to get ahead of the weather. I wasn't sure if I could make it all the way, but I could at least make it to Santa Rosa. I had right to be concerned about the weather. On my way to Santa Rosa, I barely missed two or three thunderstorms. I could see them tracking North, but I only got a few drops, literarily, as I passed between two of them. Santa Rosa was quite green and pretty. Daylight was fading and my taillight wasn't working, so at my refuel stop I had to waste even more time changing the bulb. Luckily I had a spare.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QC6ux5v6p1k/V87XqErbkMI/AAAAAAAEED4/aLCI4NpEX_0/s640/blogger-image-444901792.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QC6ux5v6p1k/V87XqErbkMI/AAAAAAAEED4/aLCI4NpEX_0/s640/blogger-image-444901792.jpg"></a></div></div></div></div><div><br></div><div>I needed another recharge, so I got dinner and some black tar that passed for coffee, while researching my options using the restaurant's wifi (haven't had proper cell coverage, since Oakland). Lots of cheap hotels in Santa Rosa, it was tempting to stay. But, only two and a half hours to Amarillo. If I could make it, I will have a shot at making it to Dallas next and maybe even New Orleans before the weekend (weather looks good Wed-Fri). I decided to go for it. I'd be there before 11 pm.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0sUEhB09UK0/V87Xow88n_I/AAAAAAAEED0/2AtDw3GHWI8/s640/blogger-image-1905711789.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0sUEhB09UK0/V87Xow88n_I/AAAAAAAEED0/2AtDw3GHWI8/s640/blogger-image-1905711789.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>Riding at night wasn't so bad, had it not been for the winds. It required me to stop and gear up with everything I had, but the coffee and some music kept me focused. I finally arrived half an hour after midnight. Wait, what? Oh right, I just crossed two time zones in a single day of riding. Wow! No wonder time was slipping away from me. I put down 574 miles today, a new record.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2zjhlPwr1VQ/V87Xqx-Bf2I/AAAAAAAEED8/uaFhfEBl4yI/s640/blogger-image-856913756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2zjhlPwr1VQ/V87Xqx-Bf2I/AAAAAAAEED8/uaFhfEBl4yI/s640/blogger-image-856913756.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>Petter on his Ducati Multistrada 1100S</div>Petterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772672141673272324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923426081303393849.post-86288761989119768502016-09-04T18:21:00.001-10:002016-09-04T18:46:26.631-10:00Ride to East - Day 5<div>Grand Canyon</div><div>Page, AZ to Winslow, AZ (272 miles)</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TT4O7BmDunk/V8z1gDBTnQI/AAAAAAAEECw/1lFsTKpf7sQ/s640/blogger-image-841704216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TT4O7BmDunk/V8z1gDBTnQI/AAAAAAAEECw/1lFsTKpf7sQ/s640/blogger-image-841704216.jpg"></a></div></div></div><br></div><div>Continuing from Lake Powell, we got an early start and headed straight for Grand Canyon National Park. The road was nice and straight and on our way, we got some good short previews of what's to come. We made good time and entered the park before noon. We headed straight for the first point for a spectacular view of the canyon. Next we headed over to Park Village for a slightly different spectacular view.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ejdj8eKh1-U/V8z4DQ484XI/AAAAAAAEEDE/nA8pCoBcfHQ/s640/blogger-image-2122366873.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ejdj8eKh1-U/V8z4DQ484XI/AAAAAAAEEDE/nA8pCoBcfHQ/s640/blogger-image-2122366873.jpg"></a></div></div></div><br></div><div>We had a schedule to follow, so we left the park and headed for Flagstaff. On our way out, we noticed a rather long line of cars waiting to enter the park. It seems we had timed our visit well and dodged a bullet. Grand Canyon was both windy and chilly and the ride to Flagstaff was no different. We had geared up with the clothes we had with, but we prepared for the desert, not the mountains. Nothing to do but deal with the chill and turn on the heated handlebars for a little relief.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-f6X6Hi3vuUE/V8z1hTVtTlI/AAAAAAAEEC0/f1vQEJX-oA0/s640/blogger-image--470006863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-f6X6Hi3vuUE/V8z1hTVtTlI/AAAAAAAEEC0/f1vQEJX-oA0/s640/blogger-image--470006863.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Flagstaff was luckily a bit warmer and it helped to get some warm food. It's a very cute little town with lots of dining and bar options. Also, famous Route 66 runs through here, so I picked up a sticker. After food and some coffee it was time for Octavia to fly out. She's heading back to California for work, but might join me later on the trip. Flagstaff has a pretty small airport, making it pretty easy to drop her off on the bike and re-pack some of our gear.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zcjk6Gnz0o4/V8z4Em91xTI/AAAAAAAEEDI/TBtLXc7NpmU/s640/blogger-image-1722839070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zcjk6Gnz0o4/V8z4Em91xTI/AAAAAAAEEDI/TBtLXc7NpmU/s640/blogger-image-1722839070.jpg"></a></div></div></div><br></div><div>After saying our goodbyes, I headed for Winslow. Flagstaff hotels were fully booked for the Labor Day weekend and the closest I could find was an hour east. Tomorrow, I continue straight east as I'm eager to put down some miles toward my target. However, I'm keeping an eye on the weather. Could, be trouble.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JHz7wK0NZoE/V8z1fENlBCI/AAAAAAAEECs/42kUvSn2x7A/s640/blogger-image--690977196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JHz7wK0NZoE/V8z1fENlBCI/AAAAAAAEECs/42kUvSn2x7A/s640/blogger-image--690977196.jpg"></a></div></div></div><div><br></div><div>Petter on his Ducati Multistrada 1100S</div>Petterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772672141673272324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923426081303393849.post-70022016762478059242016-09-03T19:23:00.000-10:002016-09-03T20:07:17.070-10:00Ride to East - Day 4<div>Zion</div><div>Las Vegas, NV to Page, AZ (281 miles)</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uaSVo8RdicY/V8uz1tKjPbI/AAAAAAAEEBU/H7fUa43XZUY/s640/blogger-image--1117771003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uaSVo8RdicY/V8uz1tKjPbI/AAAAAAAEEBU/H7fUa43XZUY/s640/blogger-image--1117771003.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>After a surreal stay in Vegas (my lips are sealed) it was time to get back on the road again. After leaving the strip, we headed North and found ourself in the familiar desert surroundings we arrived in. Only a few hours into our ride, this changed drastically as we entered Utah and we got to enjoy some nice big canyons.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-csakIqmC6OE/V8uztSDuFLI/AAAAAAAEEBQ/fxc_54VyHv8/s640/blogger-image-571115724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-csakIqmC6OE/V8uztSDuFLI/AAAAAAAEEBQ/fxc_54VyHv8/s640/blogger-image-571115724.jpg"></a></div></div></div><div><br></div><div>Soon after, we entered Zion National Park. Zion had absolute amazing views and some sweet curvy roads, although a little busy on this Labor Day weekend. Just as we got through the park, we ran into some rain. We weren’t quite prepared for wetness, so we pulled into a a cafe by the road to have some warm pie to warm us up. Utah rocks!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rhR9gRi7QOI/V8u194GnPwI/AAAAAAAEEBk/7s5NtYX39O4/s640/blogger-image-340214436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rhR9gRi7QOI/V8u194GnPwI/AAAAAAAEEBk/7s5NtYX39O4/s640/blogger-image-340214436.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WuWljQJjkAY/V8u5bgXU-WI/AAAAAAAEECE/caMptUhH_jo/s640/blogger-image-1320293047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WuWljQJjkAY/V8u5bgXU-WI/AAAAAAAEECE/caMptUhH_jo/s640/blogger-image-1320293047.jpg"></a></div></div></div></div><div><br></div><div>We got back on the road again, only to have even more rain soaking our new dry clothes, but we powered through it and eventually made it to Lake Powell. We pulled into a vista to take in a spectacular view of the lake, a dam and surrounding mountains. After dropping our bags at our hotel, we did a short hike to Horseshoe bend for yet another jaw-dropping view. Today was all about spectacular views. Tomorrow, we’ll get even more of this, as we head for the Grand Canyon.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CM-ZC-_zI-4/V8u2BI6jweI/AAAAAAAEEBo/e2fGwzEoBL4/s640/blogger-image--890904183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CM-ZC-_zI-4/V8u2BI6jweI/AAAAAAAEEBo/e2fGwzEoBL4/s640/blogger-image--890904183.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>Petter on his Ducati Multistrada 1100S</div>Petterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772672141673272324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923426081303393849.post-39448186836218910072016-09-02T05:34:00.001-10:002016-09-02T21:02:32.294-10:00Ride to East - Day 3<div>Vegas</div><div><br></div><div>What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br><div><br></div></div>Petterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772672141673272324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923426081303393849.post-66492821893248818902016-09-01T08:10:00.001-10:002016-09-01T09:40:27.705-10:00Ride to East - Day 2<div>Death Valley</div><div>Mammoth Lakes, CA to Las Vegas, NV (314 miles)</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DSyr-KAO3gI/V8h3-46VxUI/AAAAAAAED_w/7TUPuknrUkE/s640/blogger-image-1455881266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DSyr-KAO3gI/V8h3-46VxUI/AAAAAAAED_w/7TUPuknrUkE/s640/blogger-image-1455881266.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Mammoth Lakes is at almost 8,000 feet elevation, so our ride started out a little chilly as we headed down highway 395. It was absolutely beautiful with wide open plains surrounded by mountains. Not at all what I expected from Death Valley. We stopped at a bakery in Bishop, less than an hour into our ride to get coffee and shed some gear as the weather quickly got hotter as we descended down the valley.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1buzaJewVlc/V8iDFBaV7eI/AAAAAAAEEAc/60uOnbw2caw/s640/blogger-image--1362079474.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1buzaJewVlc/V8iDFBaV7eI/AAAAAAAEEAc/60uOnbw2caw/s640/blogger-image--1362079474.jpg"></a></div></span></div><div><br></div><div>Highway 395 was a double-lane straight road, but that quickly changed as we took CA-168 to cross over to Nevada and highway 95. In 60 seconds, we went from wide roads to tiny canyon roads without a divider. No service for 56 miles! Turns out, there was no service at 56 miles either. The scenery changed from canyon twisty desert roads to just straight desert road and scorching heat. Finally, after 207 miles since our last refuel, we made it to Beatty just in time before the tank was empty. 207 miles is my longest one-tank ride on this bike ever. My average miles per gallon was 48.4, also a new record (despite all the twisty roads and hill climbing early on).</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hEP_saS7T0o/V8iDCVVgmEI/AAAAAAAEEAQ/Mm2QA1gW4zw/s640/blogger-image--785761818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hEP_saS7T0o/V8iDCVVgmEI/AAAAAAAEEAQ/Mm2QA1gW4zw/s640/blogger-image--785761818.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>In Beatty, we took a long and well deserved break and even got ice cream. A big contrast from 100 miles earlier. Even more of a contrast, later that day we arrived in Las Vegas. A big city in the middle of the desert, where people come to play and bask in exuberance and excess. Today has got to be one of the most interesting rides I’ve ever done. We finished the day with drinks and a meal at the Harley Davidson Cafe on the Las Vegas strip.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TIJcLiQIF9w/V8iDBVcWMpI/AAAAAAAEEAM/S_9aP8bYO-c/s640/blogger-image--79108197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TIJcLiQIF9w/V8iDBVcWMpI/AAAAAAAEEAM/S_9aP8bYO-c/s640/blogger-image--79108197.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ns-QDlM1_qQ/V8iDIOGBUfI/AAAAAAAEEAo/NBEarLy7Log/s640/blogger-image--1680372149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ns-QDlM1_qQ/V8iDIOGBUfI/AAAAAAAEEAo/NBEarLy7Log/s640/blogger-image--1680372149.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-heVg6Vp7uBc/V8iDGIkk9LI/AAAAAAAEEAg/jxyZ-nJJfgg/s640/blogger-image-474883249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-heVg6Vp7uBc/V8iDGIkk9LI/AAAAAAAEEAg/jxyZ-nJJfgg/s640/blogger-image-474883249.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IQmEt0AXiGU/V8iDHKvlG_I/AAAAAAAEEAk/k6_K6XK-Xsg/s640/blogger-image--1319940421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IQmEt0AXiGU/V8iDHKvlG_I/AAAAAAAEEAk/k6_K6XK-Xsg/s640/blogger-image--1319940421.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kG-Rap70ZJI/V8iDDbfBdaI/AAAAAAAEEAU/FLE0dyW8N7Q/s640/blogger-image-1800491176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kG-Rap70ZJI/V8iDDbfBdaI/AAAAAAAEEAU/FLE0dyW8N7Q/s640/blogger-image-1800491176.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vfsiL2gZ3nI/V8iDKQOgrJI/AAAAAAAEEAw/Ga3bJL2RF5Q/s640/blogger-image-1889981109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vfsiL2gZ3nI/V8iDKQOgrJI/AAAAAAAEEAw/Ga3bJL2RF5Q/s640/blogger-image-1889981109.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--MZEsFnBCJ4/V8iDEPLxQJI/AAAAAAAEEAY/ywL1HRip79E/s640/blogger-image--611232012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--MZEsFnBCJ4/V8iDEPLxQJI/AAAAAAAEEAY/ywL1HRip79E/s640/blogger-image--611232012.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pgAX_2nHjfw/V8iDJfQCfXI/AAAAAAAEEAs/nPw0UJBNWA0/s640/blogger-image-923203817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pgAX_2nHjfw/V8iDJfQCfXI/AAAAAAAEEAs/nPw0UJBNWA0/s640/blogger-image-923203817.jpg"></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div></div><div>Petter on his Ducati Multistrada 1100S</div>Petterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772672141673272324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923426081303393849.post-55239364771079579982016-08-30T20:35:00.001-10:002016-08-30T20:47:33.638-10:00Ride to East - Day 1<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Yosemite </span><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Sausalito, CA to Mammoth Lakes, CA (275 miles)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HmRoAH8X9_I/V8Z6p9cAsTI/AAAAAAAED_M/AEIp6mvrULo/s640/blogger-image--970566038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HmRoAH8X9_I/V8Z6p9cAsTI/AAAAAAAED_M/AEIp6mvrULo/s640/blogger-image--970566038.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">So we decided to quit our jobs and move to Hawaii. Not the first time we've done something crazy, but for now let's focus on the current adventure. As part of our move from California, I can't possibly pass up on my dream to ride my Ducati from coast to coast, west to east. This is why this morning, right after returning the keys to our apartment, I picked up Octavia from work and started my trip due east. I've got a whole month to do this, so no rush. I expect it to take about two weeks and hope to see some good sites along the route.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Today was all about ditching the amazing city of San Francisco and it's beautiful Golden Gate Bridge in favor of the spectacular remote mountains in Yosemite National Park. We had beautiful weather along the route. Plenty of sun and heat, just a bit chilly at the top, 9000 feet up. My favorite part was the twisty roads at the beginning of Yosemite. About 8 miles of absolute motorcycle bliss. At the end of Yosemite, we merged on to highway 395 and got a taste of what I think we might see a lot of tomorrow. Big empty straight roads in large desert valleys. We got ourself a nice little motel room in Mammoth Lakes and had a most excellent burger and a few Mai Tais. Yes, you don't need to be on a beach to have these. Tomorrow we take on Death Valley, but now we need to rest.</div><div><br></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Petter on his Ducati Multistrada 1100S</div></div>Petterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772672141673272324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923426081303393849.post-30893544502404363862015-12-29T21:18:00.001-10:002015-12-29T21:18:40.059-10:00Overnight passage to Maui<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-or3tN91TFuU/VoOFTlTo3nI/AAAAAAAECxI/8TmwyCFCZMk/s640/blogger-image--1743525407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-or3tN91TFuU/VoOFTlTo3nI/AAAAAAAECxI/8TmwyCFCZMk/s640/blogger-image--1743525407.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">After a few stressful days of stitching the boat together after breakages from the epic passage to the Hawaiian Islands, Bella Marina is finally on her way to Maui to explore some of the anchorages there and enjoy some fun in the sun.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The rod kicker has been reattached to the mast and both headsail and furler repaired. More on that later. For now I'm enjoying a quiet overnight passage from Oahu to the channel between Molokai and Lanai and then straight to Maui, probably landing somewhere around Lahaina.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Around me downstairs I'm surrounded by red lights giving flashbacks of my trip here. God it's good to be sailing again! We have friends from France joining us for this trip and they're taking the first shift. I'll be up in a few hours just in time for the rounding of Molokai.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Stay tuned for more on our Maui adventures.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div>Petterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772672141673272324noreply@blogger.comHawaiian Islands (null)21.213524 -157.782008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923426081303393849.post-36266376176108519772015-10-24T10:31:00.000-10:002015-10-24T20:38:00.597-10:00Finish line<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LJiO-l-jV1g/Vix4yOY0F0I/AAAAAAAECwM/BiTbj3FkEGU/s1600/image1-780598.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LJiO-l-jV1g/Vix4yOY0F0I/AAAAAAAECwM/BiTbj3FkEGU/s320/image1-780598.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6209470790488037186" /></a></p>At 22:30 Pacific Time October 24th 2015 I finally rounded south of Diamond Head on Oahu marking the end of my passage from San Francisco to Honolulu. My final destination is Ko-Olina Marina, just west of Honolulu and I should get there just before midnight Hawaiian time. For now, I'm just a regular boater as I pass by Waikiki Beach with its massive array of hotels. There are no more ocean swells, the area is littered with life. Passenger boats, coast guard helicopters and even planes coming out of HLN. I have cell phone coverage and Internet. This last day at sea surely had been amazing. I've seen three of the Hawaiian islands, had some great fun flying my spinnaker and watched a spectacular sunset as I was heading towards Diamond Head. The rest of the trip surely has been remarkable as well and is one that I'll never forget. 16 and a half days at sea with only myself and my vessel to keep me alive, moving towards my goal. I'll never look at the sea again without remembering
<br> this trip. It's made a lasting impression on my soul.
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<br>Captain Petter on S/V Bella MarinaPetterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772672141673272324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923426081303393849.post-37499042957676405012015-10-24T05:57:00.000-10:002015-10-24T16:18:03.019-10:00Day 17: Land<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3SKfFTWcSms/Viw72_Y_B8I/AAAAAAAECv8/1gozXOUdpXY/s1600/image1-783019.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3SKfFTWcSms/Viw72_Y_B8I/AAAAAAAECv8/1gozXOUdpXY/s320/image1-783019.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6209403802152273858" /></a></p>I woke up this morning to the sight of land. Maui and Molokai barely visible in the distance. As the day progressed, the land became bigger. Today was a sunny day and I finally got to set my spinnaker shortly after Oahu and Diamond Head became visible in the far distance. Now I'm just racing towards the finish line, hoping to make it there before dark.
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<br>Captain Petter on S/V Bella MarinaPetterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772672141673272324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5923426081303393849.post-64369146723376813892015-10-23T14:23:00.000-10:002015-10-23T21:33:24.038-10:00Day 16: More rain, more movies<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6LkpBRn0e18/Vis0RFdabQI/AAAAAAAECvs/g1HY7gDRBb8/s1600/image1-704039.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6LkpBRn0e18/Vis0RFdabQI/AAAAAAAECvs/g1HY7gDRBb8/s320/image1-704039.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6209113979388325122" /></a></p>Another day of rain, little wind and not much chance to play with the spinnaker. I spent most of my day inside a muggy boat watching movies. Good thing I brought my entire collection. On the plus side, motoring is a lot more predictable than wind and a lot more directional. My current speed of 6 knots should actually put me at my destination Saturday evening, several hours ahead of scheduled. Yeah for diesel. If I'm lucky, I'll just make it to Waikiki for sunset. After that, I'll still have another 5 hours to Ko-Olina Marina, but the entrance is pretty straight forward and shouldn't be a problem in the dark. So basically, I'll make landfall right around midnight.
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<br>Captain Petter on S/V Bella MarinaPetterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772672141673272324noreply@blogger.com