2024 has been a tough year for me and downright shit at times. I’m woefully overdue for some decent motorcycle therapy and a good adventure, something to look forward to and bring back some positivity and saddle time.
My work has roped me into doing a tradeshow in San Diego at the end of January. It’ll be a crazy few days, but it’s also the perfect opportunity to take a couple of extra days to rent a bike and explore more of California. The last time I had such a chance was way back in 2019, pre-covid when I rented a Yamaha Super Ténéré to explore Yosemite National Park, which all seems a lifetime ago. It’s high time I booked another Californian biking adventure, a chance to explore the South of the state I’ve not ridden yet.
The decent folks at EagleRider had some great winter discounts on offer, though their San Diego shop only had Harley Davidson’s available to rent. Not my first choice of bike, but having done a couple of Harley Davidson rentals in the past, I know they can be a good laugh and are great for some chilled-out touring. I’ve gone for the Road Glide, a big bagger with fixed front fairing, as EagleRider had reduced all their Hogs to the same price, so no reason not to try one of the bigger models!
The Plan
I’ve got 3 days off work after the tradeshow to ride, though the last day will be a little shorter as I need to grab the 18:10 flight back to London. My current plan is roughly as follows:
Day 1: Pick up the Harley Davidson Rental Road Glide in San Diego and ride up to Palm Springs. Going via either Mount Lagune or the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, before picking up Route 79 and 74 Palm to Pines Byway. I’ll be staying in downtown Palm Springs and hope to catch a little of the nightlife.
Day 2: Will be spent exploring the Joshua Tree National Park, heading South through the park, before returning to Palm Springs via Sky Valley. As a big Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age, I’ve got to grab a selfie by the Sky Valley sign!
Day 3: Will be a chilled ride back from Palm Springs to San Diego, possibly via Mount San Jacinto State Park. Drop off my Harley Davidson rental and dash to the airport to fly home!
I still need to finalise the exact route and what I can fit into each day with sundown around 17:00 this time of year. If anyone local has recommendations of good roads, good pitstops and stuff to check out, do comment and let me know, I’d really appreciate any local knowledge.
I also need to work out the finer logistics, what to pack, what kit to take etc. Southern California isn’t cold, typical January temperatures range from highs of 16°C to lows of 4°C overnight, and just an 8% chance of rain. Kelvar jeans, a textile jacket, thick gloves and a few base layers should suffice. Although with the monster fairing on the Harley Davidson rental stuffed full of gadgets, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s got a built-in heater!
Watch this space for all the obligatory pics from the trip. I’ll be taking the GoPro, and might even get around to editing some videos, yet another thing that’s well overdue!
Do you have any adventures planned for 2025? Do comment below, I’d love to hear more.
