I used to spend days reading advrider, researching all the things I need to buy and organize before taking a motorcycle trip longer than a few days.

Screw all that. People always pack too many things they never use, and are slaves to the pre-determined routes. I’m trying to avoid both perils.

I’m taking off in 6 days to go to Mexico. Don’t know where. And I’m packing what I’d normally take for a 2-day weekend ride.

I hope to make it to Oaxaca, and maybe even further south – choosing to explore either the Yucatan or Guatemala. But if I see lots of interesting stuff and use up my two week window, well, then, I saw interesting stuff and will just have to make another trip to see the other stuff. I’ll avoid doing more than 350 miles per day… though the border region (and US stretch) will probably be 500-600 mile days 🙂

All I know, right now, is that I’m heading to Yuma to cross the border, and take 15 South.

You’ll be able to follow along, using the Charlie Tracker link at the top of this page.

It’s 8pm. I’m sun burnt on my wrists, sore, and pooped.

I wasn’t sure how far I’d go the first day. Ended up riding about 600 miles, mostly because I got annoyed toward the end.

But I was annoyed much earlier – I-5 (enough said?). I headed East at Bakersfield… well, I don’t need to describe the route; look here: http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0Vn4kA4MiPgNSYD52NgPjuVJDpUCSUlGW

Once I got past Pasadena, the temperature — which I thought was already insane — decided it shouldn’t be below my body temperature any more. Nay, it should be 10 degrees warmer. I can’t wait to get farther south, into the jungle-y area, where it doesn’t get above 90˚.

So I’m currently in a hotel in Westmorland, CA, about 60 miles from the border. Had a nice ribeye & veggies dinner, and I’m trying to drink a 1.5 litre water I paid $3 for.

Here is the view (yay, a blurry cell phone picture!):

Tomorrow, I should try to get to Hermosillo – even though it’s 450 miles away. AFTER THAT, I should be able to slow down — I’ll be on the coast, with lots of interesting things to see, and much better weather. We’ll see 🙂