California Road Trip: June 16, 2011 (Part One)

Mileage Traveled:  587 km

Las Vegas, Nevada to Thousand Oaks, California

We woke up at 4 a.m. to prepare for a 5 a.m. departure from Las Vegas so that we could get through the desert before the heat got too intense...we knew that Baker would be 114 by noon.  As it was we made it to Barstow by 8 a.m.  We had our second breakfast at Peggy Sue’s Diner just outside Barstow.  It was a really interesting place with nostalgic paraphernalia throughout.  And the food was good and filling as well.

 

After Barstow we rode the old route 66 through Helendale, Oro Grande and Victorville.  There were many abandoned businesses along this section of Route 66.

 

After Victorville we headed west on the 18 and 138 to Highway 2 (Angeles Crest Highway) that weaves its way through the Angeles National Forest.  What a beautiful ride.  There was still some snow at the higher elevations.  There were also lots of riders on crotch rockets just racing along the roads...I wonder how many of them crash.  As we rode closer to La Canada Flintridge we saw quite a bit of evidence from the forest fires that raged through the area two years ago.

 

We left the beautiful sunshine on the Angeles Crest Highway into the fog and cold of Los Angeles.  

We headed south until we hit Sunset Boulevard and turned west toward the coast.  We rode past the stars on the sidewalk at Sunset and Vine. 

 

We stopped at Mel’s Diner for a massive lunch.

After lunch we cruised around Beverly Hills and looked at all the amazing homes.

 

Always cool riding along palm tree lined streets.