THE END - Cambridge, Massachusetts

I don't know where to start because this is my last post which will conclude our 6 week motorcycle road trip. After a bit less than 5,000 Miles I feel content and ready to sell my bike and move on to my next adventure. I never thought I would actually fulfil one of my childhood dreams, and to do it in a seamless and smooth way.

San Francisco is one of those cities you can spend a year living in and still not know right from left. However you can visit for one day and feel right at home. We were very fortunate to have close family to stay with, and friends that opened their house for us too. The week in San Francisco was great, we got to see all the touristy sites like Lumbard street and pier 39, and except for the coolish weather it was a perfect time to walk around. Dovid met up with us in Oakland, where we stayed at his close friend's house, and spent the time planning the logistics of ending our road trip. Even though our initial plan was to continue to the East coast with the motorcycles, we all agreed unanimously that ending it in Cali would be our best option. I do have to mention that Dovid made a huge effort and took of work especially to go on this road trip, and even though we had our ups and downs we are all extremely glad we made this adventure fun, exciting and unforgettable.

Our home base for the week was in Morgan Hill with Daphna and Peter. Staying with them wasn't only comfortable but almost necessary due to the fact that Peter helped us tremendously with our motorcycle issues and made our life easier than expected. They both made endless amount of time to accommodate us and make us feel right at home, and their 2 little pugs helped out too. Even though Morgan Hill is around 70 miles south of the city we still found plenty of things to do and we're very happy to have amazing hosts. They should be coming to Israel in October so I am looking forward to seeing them back at home as well.

"If you worried about falling off the bike, you'd never get on." Lance Armstrong

When I used to work in Vail, Colorado Uri and I were on the phone at least once a day. Our conversations were sometimes short and at times lasted for hours. I always believe in having very few close friends and having one that served side by side with me back in the army made our friendship even stronger. Honestly, and we both agree on this, I couldn't ask for a better partner for this motorcycle trip and that being said I am so glad we made it happen. There were days years ago in 2010 when Uri and I used to sit on our lunch break in the army and talk about our life's dream which was to cross America on a motorcycle. Many people have done it so why can't we? Then, we both were in very different worlds, even from each other. When I finished training I was sent off to commanders school down south, and Uri in the other hand was moved to a different section in our mother unit. At that period there were times where we didn't speak to each other all week, but I remember every time I finished the intense week on base I used to meet up with him in downtown Jerusalem, even if it was just for one beer. There is a word in Hebrew which I couldn't find the exact definition in English, "Or-ga-ni-ut", which was used endlessly in the army. The best definition I found translated it as "Integral", a complete unit; a whole. Essentially the meaning of the word means operation of a group of people together in any environment with least amount of misunderstandings and the highest amount of coherency. On our voyage we both noticed the our level of "Organiut" is the highest it can ever be, and would joke that a married couple could learn a lot from us. 

 

In order to tour the city we decided to stay with a close friend of Dovid's in Oakland, as I stated above. They were very kind and nice and we enjoyed our stay there too very much. Oakland is located east of SF and right on the other side of the Bay bridge. Having a close place to sleep for the night made it possible for us to ride into the city after or before rush hour, and spend time absorbing the whole scene there. I wouldn't state this as a failure, but we didn't get to see the Golden Gate bridge due to various reasons. The more cities we saw on our tour, attractions and activities in them became more banal. Uri always used to say half jokingly as we were riding through a new city, "another city.. high risers and people going to work - nothing different from the last".

I am writing this last post sitting in a small coffee shop in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It took us 36 days to get from East to West, but less than 12 hours from the Pacific to Atlantic. We landed yesterday in Logan airport on a flight from San Francisco and have been trying to keep our spirits up. I will spend the rest of my last month on the States working with Uri and when the time comes fly back to my little country. And like all bikers greet each other on the road, I'm gonna conclude with The Wave - Peace. 

DAY 35/36 - Big Sur, CA - Morgan Hill, CA - San Francisco, CA

I did as instructed by Isabel the housekeeper and arrived at a secret garden on the side of Route one near Big Sur. We entered the steep downhill driveway and drove down to the front of the house. It was so foggy and wet that it felt like someone cranked up the humidifier in the whole area. We were all alone there and felt extremely special to have the opportunity to sleep on our very own cliff on the Pacific Ocean. We pitched our tents on the grass in the exterior garden, and walked down the narrow pebble path to see the view. It was just stunning! I felt like I was in heaven. Below us the waves were hitting the rocky cliff in such intensity that it felt as though they would cause an earthquake. In the distance we could hear the sea lions crying out to each other and tried to figure out where they were laying. I turned around to see the house and was impressed by the newish design it had. It was all made out of wood and glass and gave an illusion of a small hovel, but as you got closer you could see it was quite large. Uri and I are so grateful for all of Rick's help in finding new and exciting places to stay at on our voyage, and are pleased to meet these kind people too.

It was a cold night but our sub-zero degree sleeping bags did the job. We packed our gear, locked the gate behind us and headed out into the cloudy mountains of Big Sur. As I was riding through the misty terrain it seemed as though it would clear up any minute, but it didn't. This is typical weather for the coastal area at this time of year, and I understand that in the winter, on the contrary, it clears up. We stopped at a tiny gas station on the top of the hill and were shocked to see the price of gasoline, $5.99, which is the most I have ever paid on our trip. The double espresso at the small coffee shop gave us both a boost of energy and we continued on the beautiful scenic road. On our way we saw plenty of bikers and they all had the courtesy to wave us hello. It also is common to see cyclists biking from San Francisco to LA which is considered one of the more difficult rides, but most scenic of them all.

The GPS on Uri's Yamaha took us to Dunn street on Morgan hill and we ate lunch while I was waiting for a reply from Daphna for their address in Morgan Hill. Daphna and Peter had inspired me before and while I was on the motorcycle trip, and as bikers themselves gave me tips on how to do it correctly. I received the address in a txt and was happy it was only a 5 minute ride from our location. As we took a left onto their street I saw Peter waiving to us to pull straight into the open garage door right next to his YZF 1. He welcomed both of us with a warm smile and made us feel at home before I even unclipped my helmet. Peter has been riding since he was 9 years old and had a lot of useful knowledge to share with us.

After the short visit with Daphna and Peter we unpacked our gear in their house because we were invited to stay, in Daphna's words, for as long as we want. We were very happy and gracious on the warm and loving hospitality they had to offer. It was getting late so instead of going into San Fran we changed our plan and got some snacks and rode up to Uvas canyon and sat on the lake to see the moon rise. We relaxed on the shore and talked about this and that. Our whole bike trip has had ups and downs, and I always enjoy sitting in the outdoors and forgetting about all the logistics and small details of life, and just letting my mind settle. It got dark so we took the ride back slowly and carefully so as not to have an accident. We slept the night at Daphna's house which was on soft cushioned beds that made it feel like I was at home.

At noon we left the house in Morgan Hill and drove through the light traffic into San Francisco. The entrance into the peninsula was gorgeous. Water from either side and both of us cruising into the most hilly city in the United States. We drove in a walked around chinatown and wondered how people get around on the nearly vertical roads without tumbling down. After lunch we sat at a local bar near Mission district with Uri's close freind. Later on I left the two and drove to Berkeley to spend the Shabbat with the Alper's and Uri stayed in town with his friend. As of now I am very excited to see more of this amazing city and am so grateful we made it to our final destination.

DAY 33/34 - Los Angeles, CA - Pismo Beach, CA - Big Sur, California

We said our thank yous and goodbyes to our hosts in the Valley and headed on the 405 towards the 101 north. The traffic wasn't too bad but it did require some maneuvering between cars on the freeway. California is one of the only states where it is totally legal to swerve in between traffic with a motorcycle, it isn't the safest thing but does get you to your destination faster. As we drove north the breeze got a little colder and we stopped to put on our jackets.

As we climbed up in altitude on the PCH we entered this majestic land in the world I have never seen. The clouds were so low I can almost reach up and touch them. The road was narrow and windy and on the west I can see the Pacific ocean and on the east, green trees and small hills scattered like a large puzzle. It looked as if God was trying to create a painting and used methods from every period in history. With colors ranging from olive green to maroon red, I felt blinded as I excelled on my 800cc bike up the paved road. I tried to put the scene into words in my head, while I was riding, but the task was extremely difficult. I have seen gorgeous scenic views on my travels, but this has exceeded them all. It became very misty and smoggy further up the highway, and it was difficult to see more than 30 ft ahead. The clouds descended upon the land and for the first time in my life I was riding inside them, and I wasn't in an airplane.

My mouth dropped for seconds at a time as I gazed out west at the ocean to see a scenic view which I have never experienced before. Huge waves hit the rocky cliff and created mist which climbed a hundred feet high. Sea lions laying on their back walling at each other as if they too, were excited at nature's doings. And to complete the picture, a thin white line of clouds lay right above the ocean horizon and created an image you only see when you fly high up in the air. I expected it to rain, but it didn't, the air was very wet and the 60 degree weather gave me goose bumps the whole way up.

Beni recommended for us to visit Hearst Castle when we drive up on the 101, so when I saw the sign for it I motioned to Uri to take a right up to the entrance. We parked in the parking lot and we're one of many who came to see the magnificent architectural mansion. We ate a quick lunch and I bought a ticket to go see the house on the hill top. Uri stayed behind to rest a bit and watched the Imax explanation of Randolph Hearst's life. On the 15 minute bus ride to the top of the hill I listened to the explanation of the history of the ranch, and enjoyed the ride in the chushined bus seat. I joined a tour of the mansion and learned all about the architect, Julia Morgan, who in 1919 took upon herself this huge project with the son Willi. Hearst the father made all of his fortune in the mining industry, at the beginning in gold then silver. Willi inherited the land on the west coast and decided his life dream was to build a humongous mansion where he as a kid grew up. Even after 28 years of construction there still were parts of the house that weren't finished, but that didn't stop Willi to show off his wealth and invite guests from all over the continent. As the years past and Hearst died, his kids were eager to sell the house, but had no luck. The State of California ended up gaining ownership of the mansion, and as of today use all the admission revenue for the upkeep of the whole operation. It definitely is a beautiful mansion and we both were glad to stop there for a short visit.

We continued on our way on highway 1 and tired to enjoy the amazing ride even though it got really cold. I made plans to stay the night in Big Sur with a contact Rick had given me more than a month ago. I spoke to the housekeeper, Isabel, and made the necessary arrangements.

Our motorcycle trip is coming to an end and we both are considering on selling our bikes in San Francisco and concluding this wonderful journey. We have been discussing the logistics of the whole matter and plan on finalizing it by the end of this week. Even though there is a feeling that very soon we both are going back to our normal life, we still are happy and excited for every new adventure there is on the road. Tonight should be another one, so off I go to see what is waiting at this house on the cliff of Big Sur.