A leisurely Starbucks breakfast was followed by a ride up Sulphur Mountain to the Gondola ride in very light snow which was all kinds of awesome. The views were spectacular and well worth going up in the gondola for a second time for us. It really did show how much the town has grown since our last visit. We were staggered by the number of people on the gondola considering it is so early in the holiday season. There are lots of young Aussies working there so good to say hi. We are told they can move around 650people an hour on the gondola, and I could believe that, and it is the largest twin cable gondola in Northern America and was the first one built.

Banff Canada –1,383m

Mount Kosciusko Australia – 2,228m

Traralgon Australia (hometown) – 60m

Highest elevation on our travels today – 2,281m at top of Gondola ride.

Specie view from our hotel this morning.

An around town view with Norm parked up waiting for the shopper.

Chilling at the Gondola before our ride.

A shot of the gondola ride from the ground.

And another.

View from the summit looking down over Banff.

And another further east.

And one from the Northern Lights café where we had a delicious lunch and watched the snow move in, only briefly.

And finally, the last one across the golf course and man does it have a heap of sand traps!

Today was 303kms surrounded by snow covered mountains in all directions and was one of WOW WOW and WOW and the bonus was we stayed dry throughout in spite of some very cold weather and threatening clouds and even a smattering of snow both on the road and as we parked at Lake Louise.

Some interesting facts: Elevation above sea level.  

Banff Canada –1,383m

Mount Kosciusko Australia – 2,228ms

Traralgon Australia (hometown) – 60m

Highest elevation on our travels today – 1,750m (1,600m at Lake Louise)

Our view at breakfast this morning.

An opportunity for a photo at one of many roadwork stops. Kept the bikes running for the heat from the exhausts and grip heaters.

Lake Louise carpark where parking was a premium.

And the lake complete with ice. Friends were here 2 weeks ago, and people were walking on the cracking ice!

And the Chateau Fairmont built in 1911 and undergoing a pretty huge refurbishment.

A view from the dining room to the lake.

Now in Banff and we still have rugged mountains everywhere even behind our hotel as you can see.

Lovely meal at a neighboring hotel and this was the foyer. Very nice.

Last nights' accommodation:

The Grizz Hotel Revelstoke.

A somewhat underwhelming view from outside was replaced with a tasteful refurbish inside. Furnishings and décor Asian inspired and very nicely done. Room comfortable and furnishings generous. We even had china cups and real glasses instead of paper and plastic we have experienced just about everywhere, and all the staff were helpful.  Light breakfast and parking included. A restaurant was attached, and a 5% discount applied when we showed our room key.

Our day started in sunshine, and we remained in fair weather for the most part with all sorts of black clouds and rainstorms in all sorts of directions around us. It finally caught up to us at our lunch stop with hail then rain and it was wet for most of the trip from there into Revelstoke. In spite of the cold the scenery was again awe inspiring starting with deep glacier scoured valleys with rock and sand debris left in layers and then a combination of incredibly steep mountainsides forested from top to bottom, seemingly vertical rock cliff faces plunging into water and yet trees and vegetation hanging on in precipitous places and green lush pastures and farmland in narrow bands alongside rivers and lakes. Impossible to take in and sawmills with delicious smelling timber and logs in the water beside them. How Canadian!

Some interesting facts: Elevation above sea level. 

Revelstoke Canada –480m

Mount Kosciusko Australia – 2,228m

Traralgon Australia (hometown) – 60m

Highest elevation on our travels today – 560m

Coffee stop at a motorcycle museum, but we had miles to cover so coffee only.

Signs of what was ahead, and even another golf resort under development, we saw many on our trip.

A quaint lunch stop where the hail then the rain finally caught up with us.

And in the opposite direction as it approached.

What else could I do? A work shot.

And another.

And our view from our hotel tonight.

Last nights' accommodation:

The Plaza Hotel Kamlooops.

A Lovely old period hotel with breakfast included in the ballroom no less! Comfortable accommodations though I started to panic on our way to our room seeing men’s and women’s bathrooms and thought I must have let one slip through without checking we had our own bathroom but phew we did. Pub on site and handy spot for dinner and parking beside for a minimal charge.

We started in the rain and added fog and freezing temperatures for good measure. Once my toes were fully wet and we climbed to our maximum altitude for the trip I felt as if it would be welcome if my toes just dropped off but thankfully, they didn’t, and the weather eventually improved. We have seen gob smacking mountains and cliffs plummeting into galloping rivers and literally log jams in the larger one’s incredible forests and mountainsides of rock. In one way it was disappointing to have so much of the mountains wrapped in fog, but it was probably safer that way as there was just way too much to take in as it was. We are truly blessed to be able to experience this firsthand and we even met another biker today, so we weren’t the only mad fools out on the road …. And we provided a fair bit of entertainment for the locals as we pulled into the hotel tonight. Phone was tucked safely away today so few pics.

Kamloops Canada –345m

Mount Kosciusko Australia – 2,228m

Traralgon Australia (hometown) – 60m

Highest elevation on our travels today – 1,682m and blisteringly cold!

Last night's view from our room, the fog had finally lifted, and we could see the snow.

And then this morning fog and rain, ah well.

Brief stretch stop after the worst of the cold and thanks to Norm who dug his phone out and this was the view one way. This is where trucks need to check brakes. This area requires all vehicles to fit winter tyres from October 1st to March 31st. We were pleased we had fitted new rear tyres in Portland.

And the other.

And soon after we came across a car stopped in the middle of a corner and WOW, we had a very big bear. 

Our lunch spot, the Hat Creek Ranch which was a welcome break. Norm and I stopped here on a previous trip, and I got a photo of a hummingbird attracted by a honey feeder. Not on the balcony today though it had gotten to be a more comfortable temperature and better roads from hereon in. Note a glimpse of blue sky and the angle of the flag. The wind heading in over the last half hour or so had been incredible and much the same as we headed off though not for long.

Last nights' accommodation:

Pinnacle Hotel Whistler.

A lovely place to stay with self-catering possible but again not interested. Couldn’t check in until 3pm which was a downer since the weather had seen to it that we couldn’t do any sightseeing on the way, and we had wet gear on and also with the bikes. But the hotel itself is lovely and welcoming.

A day that went from damp to very wet to damp and back again but at least we got to see some majestic views of the mountains islands and inlets wreathed in cloud before it fully descended. Just awesome! The fog here in Whistler seems to be sitting at the snow line so no mountains really visible. Rain is due at 9.30pm tonight so we will see what the morning brings … apart from wet weather which is expected but more pleasant where we are headed which is Kamloops, a new destination for us. Slim picking for photos as the phone has been tucked away.

Some interesting facts: Elevation above sea level. 

Whistler Canada –653m

Mount Kosciusko Australia – 2,228m

Traralgon Australia (hometown) – 60m

Highest elevation on our travels today – 672m

Something I have never seen before which I spied on our way to breakfast this morning

The mist was descending rapidly as we stopped for a coffee at a cute little post called the OS - Outpost Station. The coffee was lovely and we loved the smell of the western red cedar in the build and garden. It reminded us of our house many years ago in Minniedale Road. Good memories.

And we were welcomed with beautiful flower beds at the hotel.

Down in the carpark we were wringing out the water from our socks!

The Whistler village is whimsical, and this is a walking or strolling street.

And more of the same.

Snow in the distance.

And again, over the top of a grass covered roof.

Last nights' accommodation:

English Bay Hotel.

A 2-star hotel for a big price but warm and handy to plenty of restaurant options. Looked scary but was okay. Bed was comfortable and sheets clean, but floor hadn't been vacuumed, you could say attention to detail wasn't their strong point. There was parking onsite, but we were directed to a public park on the opposite corner for twice the price. Not impressed. Could have self-catered with a full kitchen but weren’t interested in that. No pic.

A grey damp day with some rain as we headed for the Swartz Bay Ferry from Victoria to Vancouver. The ferry was a much more professional and user friendly one than we had on the way onto the island which was good and then we struck roadworks off the ferry which made for an interesting ride in then we were too early to get into our hotel so had to settle for an ale to cure whatever ailed us. Seemed to work. Very few pics.

 All ready to go but wondering where the riders of the vehicles in the corner are ....

 Smooth passage and lovely views from the ferry and also below.

The blue building is our hotel amongst a lot of variable architecture.

Some weird sculptures with a weird Australian making a face at them.

6 ships lined up I guess to unload tomorrow.

And along the waterfront and an interesting way to green your building ....

Last 2 nights' accommodation:

James Bay Inn.

A delightful period hotel complete with pub and Art Deco restaurant on site. No elevators or luggage trolley but lucky we were on the 2^nd floor (the 1^st one at home) and not the 6^th … not that there was a 6^th. Lovely comfortable bed and hot shower and all the staff are terrifically friendly. They do the hospitality thing well. A lovely feel all round. Well done!

A leisurely start to the day with the young’uns heading off to the Butchart Gardens and Norm and I rode around town for a bit looking at the specie architecture and gardens. I’m finding it hard to get my head around gardens we grew up with full of rhododendron trees and things I’ve identified as high-altitude gardens on the seashore. Feels very bizarre, beautiful but bizarre. Even more bizarre is seeing deer freely feeding on front lawns and the size of some of the driftwood along the shore many feet above high tide level speaks of some ferocious wave activity at some stage. Would be an awesome sight but I’m happy to miss it.

The pictures can tell the story.

The Legislature building X 3.

Mmm parked in restricted parking area which was empty and Norm stayed with the bikes while I walked to take photos and when I got back there were 3 Police vans around him. Trouble maker!!

It felt like a big day today with cold then wet weather for most of the day plus roadworks ad extra concentration required. Saw sooo much more beautiful conifer forest and awesome scenery, hard to take it all in and then a ferry ride across from the USA to Canada. The hotel was a welcome find and it was good to warm up and not have to leave.

The pictures tell as much of the story as we could manage.

Last nights' accommodation:

Travelodge.

Dated old accommodation with many maintenance issues unattended but handy to the Space Needle which was the purpose of the exercise, and the view is from the Space Needle. Surprisingly comfortable bed in the hotel, not the needle.

Felt like a big day today even though it wasn’t really. A fair bit of rural type roads and highways and some awesome bridges along the way including the longest bridge in North America so lots of beautiful conifer forests and the las hour or so neatly all freeway so felt stiff and sore by the time wee got in. Not a lot of stops for photos so have relied on the pillions again.

Below a couple of shots of a quirky bar where we had happy hour at last night on our way to dinner.

And a view from the Grill and the bar where we had a beautiful meal which was a generous size and good value. Well done Portland Grill.

Getting all the gear packed away before leaving the bike shopafter being greeted with ‘you guys are  legends around here’ a bit embarrassing, and a bit of fun. Thanks to all the team at:

Bob Lamphere’s Beaverton Motorcycles

10380 SW Cascade Avenue, Tigard OR 97223

0011 + 15003 684 6600

One from the bikes including one as we stopped at roadworks onto the longest bridge as above. Very opportune. On the road then into Seattle.

Last 2 nights accommodation:

Royal Sonesta.

Beautiful old building built in 1912 and maintained immaculately. A comfortable space to retreat to even if rooms were small, they felt luxurious. Gathered us in beautifully. Comfortable bed, heating good, shower hot and awesome sitting room. Shame there was no restaurant. Happy our bikes were at the bike shop because parking was $52.00USD per night.

Sleep in today followed by a haircut and a quiet day off recuperating. We found a delightful little boulangerie for our breakfast and lunch with delicious food and coffee and will return for breakfast tomorrow before we head off. We are off to the Portland City Grill for dinner on the 30^th floor of the US Bank building. Great view and hopefully great meal as well.

A lovely building not far from our breakfast spot this morning.

A very Portland street drinking fountain.

One of the lovely buildings as I was searching for a hairdresser this morning.

And another.

I have a bit of a thing for doors, and this reminded me of a previous trip which ended up somewhat a pilgrimage as we traced the Oregon Trail from St Louis to Portland City.

And a very intricate one at a bank building.

Back to the hotel and this is the entry. Magnificent leadlight and beveled glass doors.

And the sitting room.

And again.

And a view from the Portland City Grill. Not sure if we will get a nighttime view or not, if so, I will add it. You can see rain in the background which came and went throughout the day. Tomorrow is supposed to be much more dry ... we will see.

We were on a bit of a mission today to get to Portland early afternoon to cheek our bikes in for a service and to beat the rain coming in from the coast. We got the bikes in but missed out on beating the rain. We dropped our pillions off at the hotel but got drenched on the way back to the bike shop. Ah well, you get that. No pic stops today, only for fuel, coffee or a quick stretch which was a shame as we travelled through beautiful coastal country then forest and then heaps of intensive horticulture before we encountered suburbia.

A shot of the marina from Mal last night.

And again, a shot of Newport, a little quirky ...and there was a lot of quirky.

My view from our room, a reminder of why I love Portland which is a lovely leafy city and proud of all their parks which are open and welcoming to the public.

A shot of our room, even with all our stuff distributed it is a lovely room. Probably the nicest we have had.

And again.

Last nights' accommodation:

Newport Days Inn by Wyndham

Budget property but very nicely refurbished. Comes with parking and a light breakfast included. No restaurant but a short walk to dinner, literally next door to a Chinese restaurant which was delicious.

A bit bigger day today so left a bit earlier and kept pedaling and the surroundings were a feast for the senses sweeping between magnificent conifer forests then down onto blustery beaches either sandy or strewn with massive great rocks reaching for the skies and then back to forest. Really travelling on the wrong side of the road to get to scenic lookouts without running into other travelers so very few stops other than fuel food and stretching and that was in built up areas so not much to show for our efforts in the photo department, just our memories. Aaaahhh!

The setting sun over the Pacific Ocean as we returned from dinner last night.

Lunch in the attractive little seaside Village of Florence.

And the spot on the water where we enjoyed clam chowder and fish’n’chips.

And another fine example of so much of the infrastructure we love. This was the bridge to get to Florence.

We have loved lots of the awesome bridges we have seen today and this one at Newport is a fine example. Exactly 1km across! And there are many millions of dollars floating around in the Marina in the shadow of the bridge but that would have involved a 500m walk onto the bridge and 500m back so that wasn't happening. Impressive even if you aren’t into boats or sailing.

And a quirky little building on the waterfront. I am intrigued with a lot of the cladding options used.

Last nights' accommodation:

Gold Beach Inn

Dated budget property but starting refurbishment and the room was comfortable and included parking and a light breakfast. No restaurant but a short walk to dinner. A hot tub was available though no one took up the offer. Might have been something to do with the icy wind surrounding us. No pic.

A late start and short day today which was a lot easier on bikes and bodies than yesterday though we encountered strong winds again as we headed into Gold Beach. Will let the pictures tell the story even though they do not do justice to what we have seen.

Back to the Giant Redwoods typical of what we see with this random carparking. The tree in the middle behind had several strong trunks heading to the skies. We have noticed that many large ones have at least one shoot off and this seems to take over when the main one dies or falls. Ingenious.

Looking down the road just doesn’t express the grandeur. Some of the trees in this forest are 6 Storeys higher than the Statue of Liberty! Seriously! I am not making this up! 

Ferns are everywhere on the forest floor and clinging to any damp surface that has managed to accumulate a little bit of soil.

Truly an experience of travelling through a great Cathedral and progressing from one part of it to another. All that is missing is the smell of incense though the conifers make up for that.

We love how the Americans do ‘big infrastructure so well. This is an example on our way this morning. It just seems routine to keep the travelling streamlined.

And the view behind and already the ocean is getting a bit rough.

Our lunch spot at Crescent City where we had a delicious cup of clam chowder followed by fish’n’chips. Yummy.

We looked out over sunbaking sea lions to the Battery Point Lighthouse built in 1856.

And at the suggestion of a local we found the Crescent Bay overlook which was lovely. The ocean was rough, so mist and spray make it difficult to see the rim of the Harbor.

And in the opposite direction.

Last night's accommodation:

Days Inn by Wyndham.

Comfortable room with parking and a light breakfast included. No restaurant but a short walk to dinner and friendly helpful host. No pic.

We headed out on Highway # 1 which was an awesome ride but it became clear if we could only average the speed we were doing we would run out of daylight hours to get to our destination and headed for Highway # 101 which was also an awesome ride with lots of sweeping corners through awesome countryside including a lot of great Californian Redwoods along the way, not to mention heaps of circling eagles which have kept us company all through our trip thus far. Just loving seeing them circle above us everywhere.

 View over our shoulder as we headed for dinner last night.

Our breakfast spot wasn’t open when expected this morning so wine biccies and cheese was looking good across the road but no we ride .00 so we had to wait another hour. The store is pretty typical of lots in the local neighborhoods.

Norm, me and Graham and Lyn heading across the Golden Gate Bridge with most of the top of it still lost in sea mist.

And at the base of it once we were across.

The Chandelier drive through tree complete with annoying tourists who wouldn’t go away and were asking to be run over. Grrr.

A brief diversion to walk through the Avenue of the Giants. Awesome!

And a Fallen giant with Lyn to give perspective.

And again, but with 6 foot plus Graham.

Dinner tonight at a local Brewery and this is the quirky, somewhat freaky self-closing weight on the entrance door.

Last 2 nights' accommodation:

Columbus Inn.

Comfortable and spacious room. Lovely heating. Includes parking right in the heart of things like Fisherman’s Wharf, Cable cars, Lombard Street and more. Helpful friendly staff.

A kick back day for Norm and I and a lot of exploring for the others who visited Alcatraz as we have previously. I will let the pictures tell the story.

Saw quite a few of these driverless cabs / ubers, very freaky.

Lunch at Fisherman’s Wharf at Capurros open since 1946 and the food was lovely and building quirky.

And this pic took my eye among many historical ones with a big sail ship in the Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge still under construction.

A shot across to the Golden Gate Bridge which we will head out over tomorrow.

The starting point for the Cable cars we travelled on for quite a while this afternoon. We enjoyed it.

Loved this shop sign across from the Cable Cars. Apt name for a bike shop in my humble opinion.

And the rest are views of San Francisco streets, mostly from our Cable car trip then down Lombard Street (the zig zag street).

 A view out to Alcatraz as we climbed the hill.

 Lombard Street at the bottom of the descent.

A very speccie garden on the way back to the hotel designed by a renowned horticulturalist. 

A more kick back day today following Highway # 1and a lot of traffic getting into San Francisco and some very steep roads, but it is San Francisco after all and finally arrived just off the cable car route and close to Fisherman’s Wharf. Had dinner at a combination Irish Pub / Indian Restaurant …. Very quirky but at least we didn’t have to shout over other patrons.

Pigeon Point lighthouse. Very rundown but looks like it is finally having some time and money spent on it. A shame, it looked good on our 2019  visit.

Some cars at Pigeon Point ... not sure if they are a permanent fixture or what but quirky.

And a view along the coast from the point. Easy to see why there was a lighthouse on the point.

As we came into San Francisco and we started to see 'all the little boxes on the hillside, little boxed made of ticky tacky, little box's all the same'. You have to be old to be familiar with this!

The view from our hotel window. Will show you more tomorrow.

Last nights' accommodation:

The Arbor Inn.

Comfortable stay in a very pretty setting. Spacious room with good heating which was good because it was chilly. Nice and quiet back from the road and friendly gracious hosts.

We had a bit later start today as we all had a few things to take care of but didn’t have all that big a day planned. And that changed when we got well up Highway #1 and discovered it was closed with no detour available and had to backtrack a good distance before heading inland then north again. Ah well, you get that sometimes. We started our journey travelling through the food bowl of America with multiple orchards and fields of vegetables and that was ultimately replaced by massive oil fields. What a contrast!

Barely out of Bakersfield and we found ourselves in an oilfield and this is where it began.

 The oil field continues .... for over 30kms!

And a fire ahead which grew as we progressed. Glad we turned off before we got to it and that the wind was in our favor.

And a quick shot of the elephant seals before we headed south in search of an alternate route.

Heading for Highway # 101.

And again.

And again.

Last nights' accommodation:

Best Western Plus Hill House.

Comfortable stay with a spacious room. Included parking then added a $10.00 breakfast each which was good value. Lots of access point to the property, all padlocked as there appears to be a big homeless problem. Staff friendly and helpful. A short walk for dinner. No pic.

We had an early start this morning to try and get through Death Valley before the temperature got too extreme for both the bikes and the travelers. We kept at it and managed well with multiple stretch / rest / hydration stops and the changing scenery was really incredible. The differing terrain was amazing and even though the valley is a truly inhospitable place there is an awesome force about it. Once the elevation started to climb out of the valley we came across some dense grasses and wildflowers which were beautiful. I think they were the same flowers we saw at Horseshoe Bend a few days ago so will try and find a pic I took of them. Was too hot to stop. Rather than sticking to Interstates from the valley we climbed up and over a range and ultimately found Lake Isabella and then just loved the winding road from there alongside a galloping waterway amongst, through and over incredible rocks into Bakersfield. Really was a treat and not what we had expected. Thanks, Mal, for a couple of shots from the back of the bike and also Lyn on break.

Some interesting facts: Elevation above sea level. 

Bakersfield USA –123m

Mount Kosciusko Australia – 2,228m

Traralgon Australia (hometown) – 60m

Highest elevation on our travels today – 1,611m

Lowest elevation on our travels today – minus 77m in Death Valley of course

Heading into Death Valley. (We got stuck behind a dodderer for a bit who was oblivious to others) Thankfully he pulled off soon after and was a bit shocked there was anyone behind him. Go figure!

Dropping down to the valley floor.

Heading out and into higher altitudes.

Break time.

The river as we descended from Lake Isabella. Where it was most spectacular galloping over and around massive rocks was also where the road was most windy so difficult to get a hot from the pillion seat.

Last 3 night’s Accommodation.

The LINQ Hotel.

Comfortable accommodation if you can ignore all the noise and activity of accessing it through a Casino. Literally in the heart of everything so if you want to explore the place, this is the place to be and the rate was reasonable. No laundry! To quote the Bellhop “no one comes to Vegas to do their washing” …. except 6 Aussies on motorbikes of course. Comfortable bed and bathroom, just a hike to or from anywhere in the hotel and not hard to get lost.

Not impressed that the 5-story garage did not have a working elevator and the taped sign on the door was old and tatty so no commitment to repair there. So much for all the disabled parking slots near the nonworking elevator entrances, not to mention all the other users.

Quiet recovery day, catch up with the blog and basically not do very much at all. Norm is doing some more route planning for the days ahead and will make some decisions with the rest of the group tonight. Will just add a couple of Las Vegas pics below. This is our 3^rd time here and our last. An experience one has to say, and it has become increasingly more chaotic and loud each trip, not our scene at all. We have decided the only way to come back was how we did it the 1^st time with a chauffeured limousine complete with personal guide and nothing to have to find for ourselves so cannot see that happening. A big thankyou to Daimler Chrysler who were our hosts the first time after I was awarded the Inaugural National Road Transport Woman of the Year in 1997, and we took the trip in 1998 …. A very different town then!

A few shots from around town.

Out on the street behind our hotel.

The humble fish'n'chips have arrive from the UK.

A very quirky shop I know KB would love.

A little bit of the older themed Las Vegas.

The Bellagio sound and light fountain. An incredible spectacle.

The roof / ceiling in the new Fremont Street. The rear of our hotel fronts onto what was the old Fremont Street. The display is constantly changing.

Self-explanatory. bars on every corner / street.

The days ride was our last day experiencing Route 66 and one of contrasts and different experiences, geography, roads, people and sights, All kinds of wow again. The pictures tell the story.

Some interesting facts: Elevation above sea level. 

Las Vegas USA –620m

Mount Kosciusko Australia – 2,228m

Traralgon Australia (hometown) – 60m

Highest elevation on our travels today – 1,142m

First up Oatman, bypassed very long ago for good reason with steep grades and winding roads between it and Kingman. It has maintained the look and feel of an old western town complete with a gunfight in the main street at noon each day and Burrows, descendants of the released mine burrows wandering (and owning) all the streets and roads around the town.

Then the Wayside stop (cool Springs) between Oatman and Kingman at the end of the 191 bends on 8 miles of road known as the sidewinder among other names.

And then onto Kingman.

Lunch at a cute Diner in Kingman, sorry seem to have deleted the photo from the outside so this is us inside.

And then on the other side of the road and yes, we had helmets and gloves back on after the photo.

And last but not least Hoover Dam, what an incredible feat of engineering and let me tell you the photos seriously do not do it justice. The temperature down at the base, was 47c with no air movement and rocks and roadway radiating the heat from the sun which felt scorching on our clothes. Was good to get moving and get some air moving but well worth the view.