Monday, July 27th – Wednesday, July 29th 2015: Las Vegas – a very special experience

What I had planned from the beginning became true shortly after midday: highly visible from a distance more than 50km, in the middle of the desert, the mega fairytale city of Las Vegas. But before I went to "my" hotel, Suzy Blue finally got her well-earned “little service” done (change of oil and oil filter, cleaning of the air filter, etc.). Again a great family business with all kinds of motorcycle brands on offer. The "small service" was done right away (wow, great!) and not even an hour later - Suzy Blue's front has meanhwile the third sticker from a repair shop – the two of us finally stand in front of the Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas. This iconic hotel I allowed myself for 2 nights (thanks to a small but great “sponsoring” group at home). A cool room and of course the whole hotel complex full music star images, instruments and clothes. All day cool sound, along with the complete glitter-glimper slot machine world. The Hard Rock Hotel has "only" 670 rooms, which is a relatively small hotel, but with a huge pool area, a large event hall for concerts and shows and approximately 2800m2 casino area. Prices of the hotel rooms are actually quite passable but I quickly found out that the big money is brought anywhere else - and by far not only at the slot machines. A small bag of chips from the minibar $ 9, a deck chair by the pool area $ 15 and and and ... .. Anyway, I bought what I needed in the food shop opposite and because ice (probably the one exception) was always free to have and so I had cold drinks available at any time. The first afternoon I spent at the pool and later on hang around in the casino area. Honestly, for me it was shocking to see that people sit for hours in front of the same slot machines and simply throw their (mostly well hard-earned) money simply out the window. And I've seen the whole evening no one who was sitting there with a happy face! 

The next morning I did the typical “tourist-thing” and went on a hop on - hop off-bus to gain a basic understanding from Las Vegas. Oh how (wonderfully) decadent is there but everything: The windows from the Trump hotel actually gilded, an apartment in the middle of the Strip (only 2 buildings for residents) up to $ 3 millions. But still incredibly impressive, beautiful, all these replicas from the Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty, Pyramids with original hieroglyphs, etc. etc. etc.
Later, the whole way again but that time on foot and I bought me a ticket for the evening show, "the One", a quasi-tribute to Michael Jackson by Cirque du Soleil. What an idea; I'm a fan of both, so it  was clear anyway that I would like it. But the great artists, the fabulous artistic show - of course in addition to all of the famous songs of Michael Jackson - was totally overwhelming (mouth permanently-open-keeping) and the rather high entry price more than worth it. Then again by foot - but now of course in night lighting from Mandalay Bay (that has an approximately 9000m2 large saltwater reef!) along the Strip slowly towards the Hard Rock Hotel. A beer here, a margarita there .... I just had fun. Only now the first homeless can be seen. Of course there are not only rich people in Las Vegas, but I suspect that it is no coincidence that they are barely visible on the Strip - more on this later. In the hotel then I exactly once ventured to a slot machine. And what a surprise !!! I have not won anything ;-) But the mission was well-calculated and spiritually charged in advance as a "never to return" .... Yeah, I know, without believe in the win you will never win anything ... .blablabla ... Seriously, I win every day nowadays - simply no money :-)

Today then the change for one night in a cheap hostel to plan the rest of my days in the States a bit more detailed and again to wash all my clothes. In principle a good location as near downtown, clean, with pool and parking, everything ok. But then in an area where I would never ever go out alone in the night. Since I was already daytime accosted all the time for money. Poverty is just naturally present in Las Vegas - more easily on the edge. I do not feel really good about it, just to walk past. I know that many people simply cannot do nothing about their situation. The social and economic circumstances are here definitely a lot worse than back home in Switzerland.

Tomorrow then: by-by Las Vegas, the national parks call again for me - and therefor probably a few more days without any news from me.

AND: Should I not  be able to write in time: to all my Swiss folks: a happy, sunny National Day on August 1! I will for sure mount my extra from Switzerland brought Swiss flag on Suzy Bue on Saturday :-)

Sundy, July 27th - Monday, July 28th, 2015: Death Valley - nomen est omen

Yosemite Creek - Stovepipe Wells (Death Valley)

On Sunday morning - after a cold (4 ° C) night again – I pack things together in time and get onto the road, direction today is the Death Valley. Say goodby to that wonderful natinal park on the first 100km of the day.

And again hast o learn something „by the hard way“: Never postpone photos but always make them immediately! Had spotted some great spots the first late-afternoon, which I then decided to make pictures with my departure (as again the same way). No way!! - what shows delightful colors in the late afternooon comes completely different in the early morning mist. Not worth one picture. What a shame. But well, you know, „woman“ learns during a lifetime ;-)

 

Incredibly fast the landscape changes, just as fast as I get from 2500 down to 500 m elevation. And just as quickly the temperature changes. It is getting warmer and warmer. The guide at the Visitors Center for Death Valley's suggests me to take the campground at the very beginning of the valley, with all further down I would « grilled like a chicken ». We will see, I am not beeing put off that fast and start driving into the „Valley of Death".

Incredibly dramatically how everything changes completely, a new world opens up. And now it is really warm ;-) additional, first the partial winding road makes it impossible to marvel at the landscape too much and secondly there is all the time blowing a fairly strong crosswind which increases the otherwise already high temperature. Now even me is opening the sleeve zippers and the jacket a little and let the usual scarf buff away - wasps that could sting me in the neck will not be around here anyway. However, gloves and everything else of my motorbike gear remain unchanged. Not only for safety reasons but also because I would quickly get a whopping sunburn on my hands. Now I know, why all the Harley riders have so incredibly suntanned arms ;-)

The prevailing before noon forests, granite formations and blue lakes give way to yellow, orange and red tones. Instead of smooth rocks the mountains are jagged and now seem endless. Everything seems frozen, dead - omen est nomen - the valley takes its name quite actually. Around a third of Switzerland in squaremeters and just simply stones, rocks, desert - an endless seeming largeness – absolutely impressive.

 

 

In Stovepipe Wells - which is on sea level - I decide that it's enough for today. The lady at the reception makes me point out that it is not advisable to camp at that high temperatures (the campground itself is officially closed, only the RV section is open). I mean that this is not a problem if people even can run through Death Valley's for more than 130 Miles (there is actually a race takeing place 2days later!!). At night the temperature comes down from the 43 ° C to bearable 30 ° C. For the Americans unbearable, but hey, they know only air-conditioned rooms.

I set my tent up completely alone on the campground, drink as much as never before in life (as an exception even me has a murderly excessive thirst) and put me in the half-open tent, gazing at the stars in the pitch-black night.

At sunrise I pack up as I prefer to drive through the rest of the Death Valley in the more tolerable morning.

Really a special feeling; no traffic at all for more than 100km, and I am well aware that it would be really stupid to have a breakdown here. No shadow far and wide and only about every half hour with luck even a car. This really comes  very close to the name of my german blog: „pilgrim (with engine) ;-)

           

Thursday, July 23rd – Saturday, July 25th 2015: Yosemite Nationalpark – and no bears far and wide

Without any further delays I take the shortest way directly to Yomesite National Park. That was the plan – but: all of a sudden a car from the Highway Patrol with all the flashing lights on appears behind me! I go a bitt o the side, meaning to let him pass. What he doese but only to get me stopped. OH MY GOD!! What did I wrong? The officer walks towards me, looking at my motorcyce and at my plate and says: „you have been reported driving too slowly!!! Häääää??? I quite soon realised that he did not mean me; some minutes ago there have been about five cars in frot of me and at the front a little motorcycle that could defenitely not keep tha maximum speed. So I guess that one of the annoied car drivers called the highway patrol. But before the reached us the little motorcycle had taken a side street and therefor I was the only motorcycle far and wide. It seemed to complicated to explain (and I was absolutely not sure if he would believe me that story). So I just apologised and said that I probably forgot about the speed because oft he beauty oft he landscape. He smiled and said: „ok, but please speed up now“. That is definitely something no other policeman ever said to me J

 

Shortly after lunchtime I reache the entrance oft he park and see that all campgrounds are already full. Oh no! What shall I do now? I just give it a try and ask the man at the „campground reservations desk“. Fortunately only te campgrounds in Yosemite Valley are all full. The ones outside are still available: first comes, first serves. So I drive immediately on and take – stupid as I am – the wrong road and get into Yosemite Valley. It is beautiful no question: Half Dome, El Capitan, the waterfall. But it is absolutely overcrowded and I jsut drive through. Luckily I find a perfect campground : Yosemite Creek, again one with just the necessities : a table, a fire ring, commin toilets, wazer out of the river and important in these park, a foodlocker to store the food safely and not to attract te bears.

The road down tot he campground is 7 kilometers long, partly gravel, partly just bumpy paved. What a fun for my Suzy Blue. After setting up the tent I drive to the next store (40km one way) to get some food and drinks for the next three days. So I can drive the same road another 2x, passing several slow driving 4x4 Pickups J

The night is frosty cold (about 4°C) but no wonder, I sleep on an elevation of 2400MüM!

 Go on the trail down to Yosemite Valley, passing te waterfalls: appr. 15km walking and 1300meters of elevation. The trail is not easy to keep on, sometimes you have to read the tracks of other hikers for not getting lost. And that would defenitely a bad thing in ths area with bears and mountain lions around. They are just welcome as long as in a distance for a nice picture

The landscape of Yosemite Nationalpark is absolutely beautiful : all these impressing granit mountains, the waterfalls, the pines that growe in the most impossible places. But I do not write more, let the pictures tell you about it !!

         
                             

Halfway I meet Alex, a young American who normally works at the park entrance and his free days spends with hiking the trail within the park. We walk the rest of the way down together and it is really interesting what he can tell me about the park. I reach Yosemite Valley just in time to buy a drink and then catch the us back tot he campground – or as near as the bus drives.

As I am prepared now tot he cold night I am already looking froward to cook a nice hot soup and a tea. But my camping stove does not work at all and so I just can eat another sandwich and a lukewarm Coke. OK, no problem – with all my „merino's“ on, I crawl into the sleeping bag – nice and cosy warm!

But now the „programm“ fort he next day is clear: clean the camping stove, check Suzy Blue, plan the next few days and enjoy the sun.  

               

Monday, July 20th – Wednesday, July 22nd: California‘s Highways and versatile San Francisco

Neskowin – Eureka – San Francisco

Hard to believe but I already reached the fourth State on my way south: California

Most of the time on Hwy. 101 I drive right through the sensational Redwoods, along the incredibly huge and very old Sequioa’s : up to 100m in hight, 6 meters in diameter and some more than 2000 years old. Absolutely breathtaking and I think about what these trees have seen, experienced (cold, heat, storms, stupid tourists) and suffered. To stand at the basement and look up into the treetop…. gives you a new understanding for dimensions. How small and fragile are we human beings in comparison!

     

Soon I leave Hwy. 101 and drive down to the famous Hwy. No.1 J

This part, the section along the coast (again quite cool with clouds and mist) as well as the part back to Hwy.101 a bit later (that would be Hwy. 20) is simply the best that you can expect driving a motorcycle : Kurve um Kurve with a (for me perfect) speed around 100kmh, almost no traffic – and the few that is on the road takes the next turn-out as soon as they realise the motorcycle behind and let you pass. And always a breathtaking scenery: either the coast or the redwoods. Finally I got rid of

the nippels on the side of my tyres ;-)

As I had planned to drive right through to San Francisco I go back to Hwy. 101, although quite some traffic the nearer th city no problems at all. And all of a sudden, one last curve and I am driving with my Suzy Blue over the Golden Gate Bridge. What a feeling, I am completely overwhelmed – hard to describe but an absolut great feeling!!

I found my hostel quite easily (thanks to the clear structure of the streets). My hostel was really a great spot to stay (a formely hotel and with all amenities you just could think of) but I also realised quite soon why it was that pricy: trash and garbage everywhere and many homeless people getting ready for the sleep on the street. I was really happy to be able to park my motorcycle in a guarded parking.

The next day I visited – together with a young Swiss guy I had met in the bar oft he hostel – all the famous „hotspots“ of San Francisco: Fishermen’s Wharf, Pier 39, Hardrock Cafe, Lombard-Street

and of course driving the cable cars up and down, always hanging on the outside. What a fun !

Unfortunately the weather still not good for a nice picture of the Golden Gate Bridge.

It was a great day – and still: I realise that I am defenitely not made for the city. I already look forward to the time that I will spend in the National Parks. 

 

 

The next day I listen to the Swiss guy's advice and leave the city at sunset. And hey, now I finally get the chance to make some nice pictures oft he Golden Gate Bridge – and meet by the way three Siwss PIlotes from Switzerland which are three days in San Francisco and hired Harelys fort he time. What a surprise fort hem to see a Motorcycle with registration plates from Luzern J