Coast to Coast and Daytona Bike Week

DAGSPROGRAM COAST TO COAST TUR MED DAYTONA BIKETOBERFEST – EASY RIDER

Dette er turen for de som liker og kjøre sykkel med mange opphevelser på veien.
Turen er totalt Ca 4300 km med 18 dager på sykkel og totalt 21 dagers tur.
En bikers drømmetur ..

Vi starter med Daytona Biketoberfest. Et motorsykkel treff med rundt 400000 personer.
Så krysser vi Usa fra Kyst til Kyst.
Vi kaller turen den ”Ultimate tur ”

Dag 1:
Ankomst Orlando. Vi møtes på hotellet i Orlando på kvelden og tar en gjennom gang av turen og trafikk regler , kjøre mønster etc .For det som har lyst på mat, kan vi organisere en middag på kvelden.
Tidlig kveld etter en lang flyreise .

Dag 2:
Orlando  til Daytona Ca 120 Km.
Vi drar tidlig til Eagle Riders der våre Harley står blanke og venter på oss for og starte Coast to Coast eventyret.
Etter og ha skrevet kontrakter og fått gjennomgang av sykkelen starter vi og kjøre mot Daytona og Biketober Fest.  Småveier ut av byen før vi tar for oss landeveien og 44 gjennom Seminole State Forest.
Vi kommer inn i Daytona Beach rundt kl 1500 og vi må jo cruise ned Main Street der selve Biketober Fest foregår.
Vi finner hotellet og vi er klar for 2 dager med biker fest.
Vi sjekker ut Biketober festen på kvelden.

Dag 3:
Fridag ”Denne dagen har dere fri til å gjøre hva dere vil.
For de som vil kjøre mer, setter vi opp en kjøre tur til Bruce Ross Meyer Harley foretning, som sier de er verdens største HD foretning. Vi sjekker ut livet her.
Videre til Iron Horse Saloon der vi møter masse andre bikere.
På kvelden tar vi oss en bedre middag og sjekker ut mer av Biketober Festen.

Dag 4:
Daytona til Perry  Ca 350 KM
Etter og ha ”festet” på Biketober Fest i 2 dager begynner vi på selve Coast To Coast turen . Vi kjører gjennom Ocala National Forest , så videre mot Dunnellon og highway 19.
Tar også turen innom Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing. Her får vi hele historien om Drag Racing.
Kommer oss til hotellet i Perry og tar oss en velfortjent dukkert i bassenget og en kald øl .

Day 5: Perry to Destin, approximately 377 km. We start early and ride towards the Gulf of Mexico, passing by the beautiful beaches and small villages along the coast. We make a stop at Edward Ball Wakulla Springs, so bring your swimwear. We ride through Levy Bay, Little Bay, and East Bay before reaching Destin with its many seafood restaurants. We’ll also spend the night here.

Day 6: Destin to New Orleans, approximately 440 km. We continue along the coastal road to Pensacola, then cross into the state of Alabama and the city of Mobile. Here, we’ll encounter some highway riding before crossing into Mississippi. We head back towards the coast, passing by Shepard State Park. We follow the coastal road until we cross into our third state of the day, Louisiana. From there, it’s a straight road to New Orleans and our hotel in the French Quarter. We’ll stay here for 2 nights and explore Bourbon Street with its vibrant nightlife.

Day 7: Free day in New Orleans. It’s a do-it-yourself day. The guide can provide suggestions. New Orleans has a lot to offer, such as a cruise on the Mississippi on a paddle steamer, etc.

Day 8: New Orleans to Abbeville, approximately 260 km. After an early breakfast, we get back on the bikes and ride towards the swamps of Louisiana. We make a stop in Des Allemands, where we take an “Airboat” tour into the swamps to see alligators and rich wildlife. Then we take small roads through Gibson, Morgan City, and Iberville before reaching Avery Island, home of the Tabasco Factory. The McIlhenny family has been producing hot sauce since 1868. We take a tour of the factory before heading straight to the hotel in Abbeville for a cold beer.

Day 9: Abbeville to Galveston, approximately 360 km. Today, we’ll ride through a mix of country roads, farmland, swamps, and coastal roads. We take Highway 82, “The Creole Nature Trail,” through Pelican Bay, Grand Chenier, and Cameron. Watch out for alligators on the road. In Cameron, we take our first boat ride of the day across Calcasieu Lake, where we might spot dolphins. We cross the border from Louisiana into Texas at Sabine Lake, where we have lunch. We head inland to Winnie and then back towards the coast on the Intracoastal Waterway, down to Port Bolivar, where we take the boat to Galveston (If it’s a weekend, there might be a long waiting time, so we might have to drive around). We have a hotel by the sea in Galveston and go out in the evening to enjoy some food and drinks. Those who want can also take a swim in the Gulf of Mexico.

Day 10: Galveston to San Antonio, approximately 430 km. We continue along the coastal road along the Gulf of Mexico to Freeport. Then we head inland for the rest of the day towards San Antonio. Now that we’re in Texas, there will be lots of farmland and ranches along the way. We ride through Cedar Land, Bay City, Edna, Cuero, and Smiley before arriving in San Antonio. San Antonio is well-known for its beautiful River Walk with many restaurants and bars, as well as “The Alamo” ruins where the Battle of the Alamo was fought in 1836, with Davy Crockett leading the charge. We’ll visit both places, of course.

Day 11: San Antonio to Del Rio, approximately 410 km Today we will ride on beautiful and winding motorcycle roads. We head towards the Texas Hill Country Trail, where we will ride the three roads known as “The Three Sisters” or “Twisted Sisters”. We will make several stops in places like Medina, Vanderpool, and Leakey, where we’ll have lunch at a biker bar called Bent Rim Grill. We will most likely meet other bikers on the road. We continue twisting our way to Camp Wood and Rocksprings before reaching Del Rio for the night. This city is located right on the Mexico border, so you can practically walk to Mexico. We’ll cool off in the pool with a cold beer and have dinner in the evening after a great day on the bike/car.

Day 12: Del Rio to Alpine, approximately 327 km Today, make sure to bring your passport as we will be driving along the Mexico border, and it’s possible we may be stopped and checked by Border Patrol once or twice. We will ride on Highway 90 all day through the Texas prairie. We’ll make a stop at Lake Amistad just outside Del Rio. In Comstock, we’ll find the Pecos River Bridge, which is the tallest bridge in Texas, and we can enjoy a great viewpoint and take some pictures. We continue to Langtry, where the infamous Judge Roy Bean caused trouble in the late 1800s. We’ll visit his saloon and museum. More prairie landscapes pass by as we ride through Gibson and Morgan City, and we’ll have lunch in Sanderson. The last stop will be the historic Gage Hotel in Marathon. Finally, we’ll reach Alpine, where we’ll relax at the hotel before enjoying a good dinner in the evening.

Day 13: Alpine to El Paso, approximately 371 km We start the day with beautiful motorcycle roads to Fort Davis and Fort Davis State Park. We’ll visit the McDonald Observatory (not related to McDonald’s hamburgers) and ride up to the top for a great view. We’ll continue on more beautiful roads towards Interstate 10. Once we reach Interstate 10, we’ll have to spend a lot of time on and off side roads and the interstate because there’s no other way to reach El Paso. We’ll enjoy lunch in Van Horn, where we’ll also set the clock back one hour, gaining an extra hour today. At Tomillo, we’ll return to the countryside, passing through sleepy little towns. If we didn’t know better, we could think we were in Mexico because there are many signs in Spanish. We’ll arrive relatively early at the hotel, so we can relax until we go to Texas Roadhouse in the evening for a proper steak dinner.

Day 14: El Paso to Tombstone, approximately 450 km We’ll be back on country roads along the Mexico border, so have your passports ready. We may encounter one or three Border Patrol officers on ATVs, keeping an eye out for anyone trying to cross the border illegally. We’ll make a stop in Columbus for coffee. Today, we’ll ride through some long stretches of plains, but it’s fascinating. In Hachita, we’ll realize we’re really far off the beaten path. We’ll pass through Animas and Rodeo before reaching Douglas, where we’ll have lunch. From there, we’ll head to Bisbee, and that’s where the fantastic motorcycle roads through the Bisbee Mountains begin again. This will be a welcome change after the long stretches of plains earlier in the day. Finally, we’ll arrive in the famous cowboy town of Tombstone, known for Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and its many gunfights. Tombstone almost looks the same as it did 130 years ago. We’ll explore the town and, of course, have dinner at one of the saloons before spending the night.

Day 15: Tombstone to Tucson, approximately 260 km Another beautiful day on the road as today we’ll ride up to Mt Lemmon, reaching an elevation of 2,700 meters. First, we’ll ride to the small town of Sonita for a coffee break. Then we’ll head to Vail, where we’ll check the fuel on our bikes and put on some extra layers since the temperature can drop significantly as we start on the fantastic motorcycle roads, enjoying the views and beautiful nature on our way up to Mt Lemmon. The construction of Mt Lemmon Highway began in 1933 but wasn’t completed until 1950. It’s an enjoyable road of approximately 85 km round trip that will leave a lasting impression. We’ll stop at the top and have lunch at the Sawmill Restaurant. On the way up and down, we’ll make several stops at the many viewpoints along the road. In the afternoon, we’ll arrive at the hotel in Tucson, where we’ll have a beer and let all the impressions of the day sink in.

Day 16: Tucson to Yuma, approximately 410 km We start the day by riding through Saguaro National Park and Gates Pass on beautiful motorcycle roads. There are plenty of cacti growing here, so have your cameras ready. We’ll make several stops along the way. We’ll pass through the towns of Marana, Red Rock, Eloy, and Maricopa before reaching Gila Bend for lunch. We’ll ride on Old US Highway 80 as much as possible towards Yuma, where we’ll spend the night.

Day 17: Yuma to San Diego, approximately 285 km We cross the border into California and ride through the desert in Imperial County. Our first stop is Calexico, right on the Mexico border. We’ll take Highway 98 to Old Highway 80 and visit the Desert View Tower, where we’ll climb up the tower and enjoy the view. We’ll continue on Old Highway 80, which was the first highway in the US to have a paved surface from coast to coast. In Jacumba, we’ll have lunch, and then the fantastic motorcycle roads begin again, almost all the way to San Diego. We’ll enjoy the ride through small villages and stop for coffee at Barret Junction Cafe. Finally, we’ll ride straight into San Diego, where we’ll stay for two days.

Day 18: San Diego – Rest day Today is all about relaxing. We’ll plan a trip to downtown San Diego, where we can visit the Top Gun Bar Kansas City Barbeque. We can also take a look at the Maritime Museum of San Diego and the USS Midway. For those who want to, you can spend the day at Sea World. And, of course, we must visit Old Town with its many shops and restaurants.

Day 19: San Diego to Los Angeles, approximately 210 km The last day of motorcycle riding has arrived, and we’ll finish it by riding the famous “Highway 1,” the Pacific Coast Highway. There are many coastal towns along the way, and we’ll pass through most of them, such as Oceanside, Dana Point, and Laguna Beach, where we’ll have lunch. We’ll continue to Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, and Hermosa Beach, making several stops along the way. Finally, we’ll return the Harley and celebrate the fact that we’ve crossed the entire USA. Not many people can boast about that. The total distance covered is approximately 4,300 km, but it will be more with the extra riding we do along the route.

Day 20: Santa Monica and Venice Beach. We’ll head down to Santa Monica and Venice Beach and enjoy the whole day with food, drinks, and perhaps a swim in the Pacific Ocean. In the evening, we’ll have a farewell dinner and congratulate ourselves on a great trip.

Day 21: Return journey.