Pacific Coast Highway All the Way Self Guided Motorcycle Tour

Welcome to Seattle, Washington! Take a deep breath of northern air as you step outside the airport terminal and catch the complimentary airport shuttle to your hotel, and in the distance, your first sight of Seattle’s famous Space Needle. Grab a bite to eat, have a drink and then get a good night’s rest because tomorrow you begin the first part of an exciting journey.

If you’re getting in a day or two early, we suggest you rent a car or pick up your motorcycle in advance and pay a visit to Neah Bay, the northernmost town on the US West Coast or take a ferry to Vancouver Island and explore the beautiful island. You might even want to make it a little round trip, take the ferry across the coastal waters of British Columbia to Vancouver; from here its 140 miles back to Seattle. Or explore Seattle’s unique musical heritage.

Today the actual tour begins; you take the ferry across to Olympic National Park, to start your quest to get to the Mexican border the most scenic way. Olympic National Park has a diverse and stunning world, a fog shrouded coast with booming surf and waves-manicured beaches, spectacular alpine country dotted with sparkling lakes, lush meadows, glaciers, and North America's finest temperate rain forest. You are very, very remote out here, in a place that not many people ever get to see. Arches and sea stacks, crashing waves, the calls of gulls, bald eagles and black oystercatchers. At low tide you may even see raccoons feeding on shellfish.

You’ll stop at Forks of ‘Twilight Zone’ fame, and then a little further on South to Kalaloch in the Olympic National Park, your resting point tonight.

You continue south to Ocean Shores, and then stop at Aberdeen, once home to Kurt Cobain, where you leave the Olympic Peninsula. Crossing the Columbia River you’ll enter Oregon. Then on for a visit to the Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Parks, near the mouth of the Columbia River, which commemorate the Lewis and Clark Expedition. In Astoria visit Fort Clatsop which was the final encampment of the Lewis and Clark Expedition during the winter of 1805-1806, before they returned east to St. Louis.

Just a little further south you pass through the town of Seaside which gained equal historical importance as the location of the Lewis and Clark Salt Cairn, where the expedition extracted salt from seawater to make fresh water.

After so much history and information it’s back on your iron horse to wind your way down the Oregon Coast Highway to Tillamook Bay, where you stay for the night.

Across Yaquina Bay the road now hugs the coast again and you’re presented with magnificent vistas from Yaquina Head, Oregon’s tallest lighthouse. You enter Siuslaw National Forest and the number of curves is beginning to increase. There are no tourist sights here – being out here is the attraction itself. Maybe it's the feel of being taken back to a simpler time, where life moved a little bit slower. Maybe it's the taken-care-of feeling you get as you cross over a covered bridge in a rainstorm. Maybe it's the seclusion of cuddling up to your better half, out of view from the rest of the world. Maybe it's all of those things and different ones for different people. It’s all back to nature here on the Oregon Coast.

After breakfast you could head over to Jerry’s at the mouth of the Rogue River and have an adventure of a different kind – a jet boat ride. This takes you about 50 miles up the river – passing through rapids upstream! This is definitely a thrill! Lunch is included and you’re almost guaranteed to see wildlife such as bear, otter, deer, eagles, osprey, herons and more. The river is broken up into sections with different permits required to travel each section. The further up the river the more wild it is. Some sections are inaccessible except by boat. After this trip it almost seems a little tame to get back on your Harleys. Just a beautiful 60 mile ride later, you’re rolling into Crescent City, California! And if jet boats aren't your thing, have no fear, there are some great biking roads around here.

There are unbelievable scenic motorcycle roads out here and if you’d had about 2 weeks more you still couldn’t explore them all. Today after breakfast you get a true feel for a real coastal ride. You’re in for a real treat – big trees, and lots of them! Our southbound route takes you through different redwood state parks and touches Redwood National Park, your second National Park on this tour; needless to say the Pacific Coast Highway is also called the Redwood Highway up here. After about 65 miles you reach the pretty city of Eureka with its beautiful harbour and picturesque Victorian houses. Stop for an espresso and a small snack to take in the ambiance and then continue further to our highlight of the day. You cut inland and take a road through Humboldt Redwoods State Park called Avenue of the Giants. Now this is what we call an avenue! This world famous 31 mile scenic drive is by far the most outstanding display of these giant trees in the 500 mile redwood belt. Along the Avenue there are a number of sleepy small towns. Stop to browse in quaint gift shops for your redwood memorabilia and to take in the tranquillity of this mighty place.

At Leggett you make a sudden right turn and find yourself on Hwy 1. Right here at Drive-Thru Tree Park visit another sight on this tour; the name already gives it away: a tree to drive through. The enormous Chandelier Tree derives its name from the enormous branches balanced on either side of the trunk. These branches, which are the size of small trees, begin about a hundred feet up the trunk.

Back on the road you head west towards the coast again. The number of curves increases and the route, now also named Shoreline Highway, is a thrill to ride. You cruise past Mac Kerricher State Park and reach Fort Bragg, the largest coast town between San Francisco and Eureka, located on the Mendocino Coast. Just a little further south is the funky and eclectic little town of Mendocino which became infamous through its massive cultivation of marijuana. Today Mendocino is the only town on the California Coast that is designated as a Historical Landmark. Established in the 1850s the architecture is reminiscent of Maine with its grand Victorians and quaint Saltbox cottages.

Back on your iron horse you’ll soar on down the rugged coast. As you cross Russian River the road seems like a horizontal roller coaster ride all the way to Bodega Bay. In 1963 Alfred Hitchcock decided that this would be the ideal location for his next movie, “The Birds”. You’ll see that he couldn’t have found a more surreal spot for this film when you check out the over 150 year old Potter School House; an original relict from the movie shoot. At Muir Beach the road leaves the ocean and cuts inland, so you can visit charming Sausalito. Sausalito offers its residents and visitors stunning views of the San Francisco skyline, Alcatraz Island and the Golden Gate Bridge. Clocks seem to tick a little differently in Sausalito and the entire town appears to be in a very relaxed state of mind. A great place to stop for lunch.

Now hit the road and get the final ride done for the day; but it’s not just any piece of road, it’s the world famous Golden Gate Bridge. Don’t forget to put a flower in your hair when you reach your hotel.

A free day to enjoy the beautiful city of San Francisco, a funky, individualistic, and surprisingly small place – certainly the most liberal city in the USA. There’s plenty to do here - a trip to Alcatraz, cable car rides, a pre-bookable Napa Valley wine tour, or a fabulous sunset cruise with live music and food.

Roll out of the city on the beautiful, winding Skyline Boulevard, stopping for a coffee and then onto the Pacific Coast Highway, the famous Route 1, to Santa Cruz for lunch, fun and sun on the beach. This is one of the best rides in the world, ending in the coastal grandeur of the Monterey Peninsula, whose crescent shaped bay and cypress groves have been celebrated by poets, authors and artists. In the evening, take in the Carmel shops, Steinbeck's Cannery Row and the wonderful ambience of the bay. And Laguna Seca is just around the corner too!

This morning you ride 90 miles along the cliff edges of Big Sur, the most spectacular section of Highway 1. Rocky cliffs form a sublime landscape, redwood groves line river canyons and the Santa Lucia Mountains rise out of the blue-green Pacific. About halfway along you come to Esalen, named for the long-gone native tribe who once enjoyed the natural hot springs on a cliff top high above the raging surf. At San Simeon you can stop for a guided tour at Hearst Castle. Carrying onward visit tiny seaside art communities and miles of sandy beaches till you reach your hotel at San Luis Obispo. San Luis is nestled between the coastal ranges, pacific Ocean and wine country! Welcome to Southern California!

This area is the home of the California beach scene, and you have time to enjoy it all. After cutting inland at Santa Maria to enjoy the great back roads and scenery you get back on Highway 101 at Santa Barbara and cruise straight into Malibu, the famous beach colony. After another 20 miles you’re in Santa Monica, LA’s oldest and biggest resort. Once a wild beach front playground, it’s now a self-consciously liberal and healthy community. Venice Beach is where LA parades itself openly along the Board-walk, with the famous Muscle Beach gym as a focal point.

Your final stretch of the PCH takes you to San Diego. In truth, the ride is mainly interstate as much of the PCH here is an endless string of traffic lights, so it’s a short ride to the surfing capital of the USA, Huntingdon Beach, before you pick up the interstate and head south. You’ll have plenty of time this afternoon to explore San Diego’s gaslight district, visit the world famous zoo, or relax at Mission Bay.

You’ll leave the coast behind today and head into the hills for your return to LA. You’ll see the Salton Sea, and the desert oasis of Palm Springs, before returning to Glendale through the Angeles National Forest, if time allows. After returning your motorcycles this afternoon, it’s time for your final night in LA

Today is the day to pack your bags, filled with the experiences and memories of a fantastic tour down the entire West Coast, through the states of Washington, Oregon and California. It’s time to head home.