Woooowwwwww.... what a first day! :)

We didn't do many miles today, only about 170, but we are all knackered. It was about 38 degrees in LA and we were sitting in slow-moving traffic for probably 3 hours... poor old Ted-Ted was dripping wet. He may actually go home lighter than when he started... :)

We didn't set off from Santa Monica till about 1230 today as Dave and Ted had to pick up their bikes and head back to thge hotel to pack them while I fitted the power cable for the GPS to my bike.

Oncxe we finally got going we made our way out of LA through Hollywood, Pasdena, San Bernadino and we arrived at Barstow after sunset about 730 tonight. The desert we are riding through, and sunset over it was absolutely amazing. There are a few photos of the countryside we were going through somewhere on this site.

Its still so hot here at 10 at night that we rode to dinner in just T-shirts :)

Dinner was a bit crazy... we went to a bowling alley / bar, but it turns out that it was a karaoke bar too and everyone, even REALLY bad singers were giving it a go. AND it was piped into the car-park. Weird. Just like Barstow...

Barstow is like some town off the movie Cars... the town that time forgot. One long main street lined with motels and car repair places and fast food... and thats prettyu much it. We can't figure out what anyone does out here in the desert.

Today was great in many ways though (sounds like I am whinging above...)... todsay we managed to cleat LA (eventually) and get out into the high desert, and it is jaw-dropping. The roads that we are riding have "Rt 66" painted on them so you know you're on the right track. :)

Highlights of today: actually getting onto the first bit of road that has "Rt 66" painted on it, getting into the desert, some great roads up where we crossed the San Andreas fault line (without realising it... doh), finding a motel and having the first beer on the road. :)) (the room we are in is funny... 3 queen beds!)

A lot more desert riding to come! Tomorrow is the meteor crater at Amboy, the ghost town of Bagdad, the historic town of Goffs, and then into Vegas Baby! :))