The Californian Way.
In and around United States
A bicycle trip around California.
Route taken and entries by Real Traveler Heraclio
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1
Nong`s warm embrace
USA, San Diego, 02-10-2002. I`m lying on my bed in the small little cubicle that is my room in the Golden West Hotel trying hard to shut out all the... Continue reading » -
2
The Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego.
San Diego, 03-10-2002. Enjoying the warmth of an early evening sitting outside a mexican restaurant and wolving down a huge plate of burritos, tacos... Continue reading » -
3
Hard working ladies in Tijuana.
Mexico, Tijuana, 04-10 2002. Not my first time in this sleazy and tawdry border town that attracts hordes of americanos on any given day either on a... Continue reading » -
4
On the road to Tecate.
Tecate, 05-10-2002. I leave Tijuana in a cloud of red dust hurled up by the heavy passing traffic, big mexican trucks and huge americam mobile homes,... Continue reading » -
5
In the middle of proverbial nowhere.
Parque Nacional Constitucion de 1857, 06-10-2002 just past noon. The dirt road I`m cycling on is climbing up and up in an eastward direction. I can f... Continue reading » -
6
A curious coyote.
La Rumerosa, 07-10-2002. The sand track I`m on goes up and down hills of avarage heights. I`ve to push my bike since cycling is out of the question... Continue reading » -
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8
The first of the Joshua Trees
USA, Salton Sea, Bombay Beach, 09-10-2002.
I left the scarcely dressed ladies in front of my hotel alone last night and, after finishing up m... Continue reading »
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9
Friendly truckdrivers
On the way to Joshua Tree National Park, 10-10-2002. I wake up early to the noicy Quack Quack of snow geese that have invaded the campground. With... Continue reading » -
10
A friendly french couple.
Joshua Tree National Park, on the way to Hidden Valley Campground, 11-10-2002. My neighbors, the elderly french couple in a hired mobile home, are... Continue reading » -
11
Bike Or Hike.
Joshua Tree National Park, south entrance campground, 11-10-2002, one o`clock in the morning. The Box Canyon Road was hilly and I was cycling thro... Continue reading » -
12
Meeting a black lady in a supermarket.
29 Palms, just outside Joshua Tree National Park North Entrance, 12-10-2002. Light blue eyes set in a roundish red face with a thin blond reclini... Continue reading » -
13
A mixed-race racist couple.
29 Palms, 13-10-2002. I wake up to a soft snoring, in the light of an early morning sun coming through small windows I discern a dark skinned fema... Continue reading » -
14
Strange red lights in the sky
4 miles west of Lucerne Valley, 14-10-2002. I`ve set up camp on the balconey of an old abandoned house whose walls are covered with pornographic h... Continue reading » -
15
A rocket explosion.
Apple Valley, 15-10-2002, early morning.
"Strange red lights in the sky, you say, I hope you didn`t make photos of them". I`m inside the tiny... Continue reading »
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16
A poor rabbit.
North of Lone Pine,
16-10-2002.
I wake up well before sun-up, rolling up my sleeping bag, getting my things together and quickly c... Continue reading »
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17
Methuselah "Forest of the Ancients".
Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, 17-10-2002.
I cycle back the few short miles to Lone Pine for breakfast with a gusty wind in my face, myself... Continue reading »
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18
Lee and his friends.
Bishop Campground, 18-10-2002. It`s early morning and downhill now, mile after mile is disappearing under the tyres of my bike while I look around... Continue reading » -
19
Dead Man`s Pass.
Mono Lake, Lee Vining. 19-10-2002.
I`ve my breakfast in Bishop, a city with covered sidewalks and probably the biggest city I`ve seen since e... Continue reading »
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20
Stufas and the June Lake Loop.
Mono Lake, Lee Vining, 20-10-2002. There are several campgrounds near the creek west of town but a friendly chap I met in a restaurant yesterday a... Continue reading » -
21
Yosemity N. P. and a big brown bear
Hodgdon Meadows campground, Yosemity National Park.
21-10-2002.
It is a long and windy road that goes all the way up to Tioga Pass repu... Continue reading »
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22
Camping under fabled Half Dome.
Yosemity Valley, Sunny Side Campground. 22-10-2002.
I heard all sorts of sounds last night including the howl of a coyote and the low growl w... Continue reading »
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23
Male caucasian students and their japanese ladyfriends.
Yosemity Valley, Sunny Side Campground. 23-10-2002.
I wake up early reluctant to leave the warmth of my sleeping bag. It`s still dark outside... Continue reading »
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24
Hiking in Yosemity Valley.
Yosemity Valley, sunny Side Campground. 24-10-2002. I leave the campground early for a cup of java in the village - my young rockclimbing friends... Continue reading » -
25
Experiencing american hospitality to the max.
Yosemity Valley, Sunny Side Campground.
25-10-2002."We give praise to the Lord and thank him for this food". I`ve never been much in th... Continue reading »
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26
A shaggy and furry nocturnal visitor.
Yosemity Valley, Sunny Side Campground, 26-10-2002.
It takes the four of us nearly half and hour to drag this 150 kilogram steel food storage... Continue reading »
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27
Two coyotes and a high pass.
Yosemity Valley, Wawona Campground. 27-10-2002. After several days of pleasant and relaxed hiking I`m back on my old steel lady, my cr*ppy 100 dol... Continue reading » -
28
The Kingdom of the Sequoia Tree.
Yosemity Valley, Wawona Campground. 28-10-2002. Camping on Wawona Campground at an elevation of 6000 feet and at this time of the year means I exp... Continue reading » -
29
Down to Millerton Lake.
Millerton Lake, 29-10-2002. I`ve breakfast in the restaurant of the Wawona Hotel which is near the campground. The hotel is elegance all over, a... Continue reading » -
30
In the sur-real kingdom of Lord Morpheus.
San Joaquin Valley, Huron. same day late afternoon. I leave Jerry`s Diner in good spirits due mostly to the blond waitress`s well shaped bossom up... Continue reading » -
31
A young and pretty waitress.
San Joaquin Valley, Huron, 30-10-2002. I`m in Friant, a small city close to Millerton Lake, waiting for my breakfast in Jerry`s Diner, studying th... Continue reading » -
32
Going into my own mind.
Paso Robles,
31-10-2002.
By the time I wake up all the mexican neighbors in my motel have long since left in trucks and cars, back to w... Continue reading »
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33
Better I eat Shark than Shark eat me.
Morro Bay, Morro Strand State Beach, Campground.
01-11-2002.
Morro Bay`s Embarcadero despite its bling-bling facade, is bustling with a... Continue reading »
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34
A nighttime leopard frog orgy.
Morro Bay, Morro Strand State Beach, campground.
02-11-2002.
My sleep was disturbed all night by the noisy bark of giant Leopard... Continue reading »
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35
A lone and old sioux native
Los Osos State Reserve, 03-11-2002. After yet another night on the leopard frog invested campground in Morro Bay I decided this morning on a one d... Continue reading » -
36
The white man`s secret weapon.
Avila Beach, late afternoon of the same day.
I leave my new found friend behind, this old and mentally deranged old native american who claim... Continue reading »
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37
A heavily tattooed Harley Davidson rider.
Morro Bay, 04-11-2002, morning.
Leaving my tent early in the morning the first thing I do is checking out the owl that roosts in the tr... Continue reading »
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38
A nameless grave at the side of the road.
San Simeon State Park, Campground,
05-11-2002.
Coming back from my little day excursion to Cayucos late afternoon yesterday, I found "m... Continue reading »
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39
Fighting male seal elefants.
Limekiln State Park, campground.
06-11-2002.
In that magic moment between sunset and total darkness walked right by my campsite last ni... Continue reading »
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40
A score to settle with an indian receptionist.
Monterey, late afternoon.
Once Charly The Truck Guy has left the motel he brought me too, I leave my room and walk over to the reception whic... Continue reading »
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41
The dead of a grand old lady.
Monterey, 07-11-2002.
After yesterday`s two flats I straddle my steel grand mother, my cr*ppy old bicycle - remember? - with mounting fears a... Continue reading »
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42
A day around Monterey.
Monterey, 08-11-2002.
I wake up to a persistent knocking on my motel door. There is another serious knocking in my head, the sort of knocking... Continue reading »
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43
A new bicycle, a new lady.
Fremont, 10-11-2002. Saying goodbey to Charly and Louisa last night I felt a bit emotional. These two have been taking real good care of me during... Continue reading » -
44
Cycling the Santa Cruz boardwalk
Fremont, 11-11-2002. We leave Pete`s house late in the morning for Santa Cruz, our bikes in the back of his truck. Now Pete is a big talker and the... Continue reading » -
45
A cougar in Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Fremont, 12-11-2002. We drive up to Big Basin Redwoods State Park. It goes up and up with fir and cedar trees lining the road. Down below I can s... Continue reading » -
46
Memories of blank mental moments
Just passed Half Moon Bay, wild camping place, 13-11-2002.
I leave Pete`s house late morning following the road behind his house that will br... Continue reading »
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47
San Francisco, a city of admosphere and wonder.
San Francisco, 14-11-2002. My free camping place last night was under a massive cycamore tree whose branches were hanging all the way to the... Continue reading » -
48
A poor homeless sod on a bicycle.
San Francisco, 15-11-2002.
Cycling - or maybe I should call it "struggling" - to the crest of the hills that borders Daly City, just south of... Continue reading »
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49
Selling Indian Games in San Francisco
San Francisco, 16-11-2002. The Fisherman`s Warf seems to be the main tourist hang-out in SanFrancisco with lazy seals asleep on the piers ignoring... Continue reading » -
50
Cycling across Golden Gate Bridge.
San Francisco, 17-11-2002.
Through the early morning fog I see the justly famous Golden Gate Bridge. This world famous bridge I first heard a... Continue reading »
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52
Hostel stories.
San Francisco, 19-11-2002. The only other occupant in my dormitory of the hostel is a pleasant enough phillipino bloke who works as a male nurse at... Continue reading » -
53
A day trip to Sausalito.
SAn Francisco, 20-11-2002.
They experienced 40 small eartquakes last week and 25 the week before, in the greater San Farncisco Bay Area but I... Continue reading »
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54
A beer with the homeless.
San Francisco, Golden Gate Park. 21-11-2002. I`m struggling up to Nob Hill and it is hard work. Cable cars that look highly familiar from many mov... Continue reading » -
55
Early morning coffee with observations.
San Francisco, Union Square, 22-11-2002. I start my day with the usual big coffee drinking it outside on United Nations Plaza. It is early yet an... Continue reading » -
56
The mexican emigrant story.
San Francisco, The Mission,
23-11-2002.I`ve decided that today`s excursion will have to be The mission, a spanish speaking enclave of S... Continue reading »
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57
Waiting for free soup in San Francisco
San Francisco, United Nations Plaza,
24-11-2002.
The United Nations Plaza despite its grand name is the number one hang-out place for t... Continue reading »
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58
Helping out a lady in distress.
San Francisco, Market Street,
25-11-2002.I`ve seen her face in my dreams these last few days, known her nationality - Ethyopian - , eve... Continue reading »
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59
My first Thanksgiving in America.
San Francisco, Market Street,
26-11-2002.I spent my afternoon in Golden Gate Park sitting on the lawn of this so-called Hippy Field dri... Continue reading »
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60
My last night in San Francisco
San Francisco, United Nations Plaza,
27-11-2002.This is my last night in San Francisco and I have spent today making a dummy run to the... Continue reading »
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61
Comtemplating this trip.
San Francisco, international Airport.
28-11-2002.I`ve just checked in and got my luggage "processed" but I still have a couple of hour... Continue reading »
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