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.

DAY 32 - Los Angeles, CA

LA has everything. This is my first time to the west coast and it exceeded my expectations. First of all I didn't know how many Israelis live in the metropolitan, and was shocked to hear that there are more than 100 thousand. We are staying with an Israeli who has been living here for years and know a lot about the large community here. It is very interesting to learn about this whole situation, but in the other hand hard to comprehend how many people want and are eager to leave Israel for the life here in the States.

We left for town before noon right after rush hour, and enjoyed the beautiful ride on Topanga road south towards the beach. On the way down I noticed my speedometer wasn't working and my auto cancel for my signal lights stopped working too, odd. It wasn't an issue that delayed us but I will have to fix it very soon. Luckily traffic was very light and we got all the way to our first destination, Venice beach. The beach is known for it's unique aspects, like shops and interesting people which we noticed right away. We parked our bikes and spent an hour or so just absorbing the whole scene. It was nice that even on a Monday afternoon the place was hopping, and we got to experience it the correct way. There were people on roller blades, segways, bicycles and more, the whole boardwalk was full of a large crowd. Music everywhere and men and women in all colors and races. We weren't the only tourists there and when we sat down to eat we noticed the price for food was according the the crowd, expensive. The weather was perfect and I had a great time on the shore. It is odd to think about the fact that on the other side of the Pacific Russia and China reside.

Our next stop was Beverly Hills. I have heard a lot about the area and as we got closer all what i've heard was right. It is an extremely wealthy city and people are not ashamed to show it. We parked on Rodeo drive and walked around the expensive and posh stores. They had every designer out there, from Louis Vuitton to Gucci and Ralph Lauren. There even was this one designer, Bijan, that you need to have an appointment just to enter the store. I walked around and took some pictures. We got back on our bikes and headed back to beat the traffic. On our way back we stopped for an early dinner at the Aroma cafe. I felt like I was back at home, we ordered Hummus and pita and I drank an ice coffee like we have back at home.

I feel there is a lot more to do in LA but we sure did a lot in less than 12 hours. If I ever return to the west I would be interested in seeing Hollywood and the whole scene there and tour downtown too. Tomorrow we will head north on the PCH, highway 1, which is known to be a perfect ride for bikers.