As I merged into the passing lane of I-10 West from Phoenix at 5:30 this morning I thought about how it is always a wide-open throttle, long interstate haul no matter which direction I'm heading from the “Valley of the Sun”.  This may sound odd coming from someone who loves scenic byways and backroads, but when I'm going to be out on the road for an extended period of time (as in months), I actually relish the opportunity to set a strong, spirited pace out of the gate in isolated land.  It allows me to mentally shift gears and settle in to the journey ahead.  This “FJR Fall Full Circle” adventure, which will span nearly two months and at least 10,000 miles, has required more planning and details than any other sans going to Alaska.  Stick around and you'll see why.   If you haven't joined me as a virtual co-passenger before, it may be helpful to keep this in mind: I live with the perspective that there is only so much time to do so.  I'll challenge you to stop for a minute and really think about that sentence in terms of your own life... because you logically can't conclude otherwise, despite any illusion or belief you may otherwise harbor.  You don't need someone in a long white coat to tell you, I'm telling you.  Get out.  Go.  Do.  See.  Be.  Live.  There really is only so much time.   My biggest concern for this little jaunt is tires.  For me to stay within prudent wear range I'll need to have a very judicious right wrist (um, throttle) as well as a strong resistance to detour, say, several states (or provinces) away.  Needing a replacement tire in nowhereville isn't something I'd like to include in this adventure.  My other concern is weather since I'll be spending most of my time outdoors – riding, camping, and hiking.  I'm hoping the weather gods and road demons smile kindly on this adventure.  Here's a map of my proposed route:   Thankfully my early morning departure allowed me to get an excellent jump on the ensuing hellacious heat.  By the time I hit the California state line it was only 85 degrees (compared to 108° for a Phoenix high today).  I always stop and fill up before crossing into the Golden State, where higher prices and vapor restricted gas pumps await.  While filling up, two other motorcycles pulled in.  The guys walked by me on their way to pay for their fuel and asked “Where ya headed?”, which I struggled to answer since I'm, well, riding in a circle and don't exactly have a single destination.  I mentioned a few places along my route, which prompted them to look at each other with furrowed brows followed by a series of questions which can be summarized into two words: by yourself?    Standing before me were two heavily tattooed, helmetless, sun bleached, bearded, stout gentlemen who are telling me they'd be “scared”.  Something seemed wrong with the picture, so afterwards I decided to take one just so I could recall the conversation.  They took longer inside than I was willing to wait in the heat outside so I don't have photos of them, but ironically check out the word on the top of the gas pump: I couldn't count the number of times I've traveled I-10.  Each time I pass an area near Desert Center, CA I always wonder the same thing... why the heck are there several perfect circles of decapitated palm trees??  I know everyone who has been on this road knows exactly what I'm talking about, but I'm guessing not many people stop to take a photos.  I did today:   To battle the heat, it required a lot of this today....   To my complete amazement I made it all the way through Los Angeles without every touching my brakes!!  Ok, an engine brake or two, but my brake lights never once lit up.  I normally have no issues whatsoever with LA traffic, in fact, because I have extensive lane-splitting (lane-sharing) experience I relish the challenge.  Not much need for mad riding skills today, the flow was darn near perfect.  Since I was making such good time I decided maybe I could take a short detour.  Yeah, I know I said I was going to try and stay on track, but my logic was since I had brand new tires that had only seen straight shot slab riding, that maybe a proper break-in was called for in the canyons.  WOO-HOO!!    My GPS units (yes, I run two on the FJR..I need all the help I can get to manage my detour-itis!) said that it would only be 17 miles longer, so Decker Canyon it was!  Now, let me add here that I recently had to replace my trusty camera.  I'm still learning the nuances of the new camera, which includes making sure I don't inadvertently hit the wrong button when turning the darn thing on!  I took these next few awful looking photos in some crazy setting like “Aquarium” or “Fireworks” or who knows what.  I didn't realize it until I stopped to eat lunch by the ocean.  Anyway, here's the beginning of Decker:   Yeah, that's suppose to be the ocean out there!: This is what it's supposed to look like when you have the correct camera setting and there are no area forest fires: Along “PCH-1”, the world famous Pacific Coast Highway.... Caught something out of the corner of my eye while riding.... ... trust me, I've learned my lesson on double checking the camera setting!  Geez, I missed this opportunity, huh?: When I stopped to eat lunch oceanside with my new feathered friend I finally realized my oversight with the camera: (big difference in pic quality, huh?)   Nearly 600 miles later I arrived my destination... Hostel San Luis Obispo   Since arriving the hostel this early evening, I have had an absolutely wonderful time.  I've met several international travelers, particularly a pair of women (Caroline & Manon) from Montreal.  Since I have ridden on multiple occasions in their home city and province (as recently as 8 weeks ago), I thought I'd show them a few photos on my laptop that I took while in their 'hood.  Not that I needed a reminder that the world is really smaller than we think, but while looking over some of the photos they erupted saying they recognized one of the clerks at a store that happened to be in a photo I took!  They also translated the mysterious signs I saw while camping in Parc de Saguenay that pictured a black bear and a gaggle of French words.  Based on their laughter, I think they got a big kick out of hearing my story from that night as well.  The most interesting part is that they are also CouchSurfers who also concur “it's absolutely amazing!!”.  They have been CouchSurfing along the coast (San Fran & Santa Cruz) for the past 10 days and they both used the words “life changing” when discussing their experiences with CouchSurfers.  Needless to say, we've had quite a bit to talk about.  It's worth mentioning that while we've been enthusiastically talking, two German hostellers have been fumbling through an English-German dictionary trying to figure out what “CouchSurfing” could possibly mean since our attempts at explaining it have failed.  Since meeting “Mo the moose”, I'm guessing “moose” is their new favorite English word since they seem to enjoy repeating it for no known reason.  It is making Mo quite happy though. My time here at the hostel has only reinforced my complete disdain for hotels.  I would much rather stay here meeting new friends in a comfortable, relaxed environment than to spend the night in a generic, sterile hotel room.  It's not about finances, it's about people.  No matter how much time I have left to live I have no doubt that my perspective on this will not change: It's not the distance of my journey nor the places that I visit, rather it's who I meet along the way in this life.  Even if just for a moment in context of lifetime, who I cross paths with enriches my experiences more than anything else possibly could.  I've meet several of my most inspirational and adventurous friends at hostels.  I can't say the same for Holiday Inn Express.   Day's end GPS:   Tomorrow I'll continue soaking in the scenic grandeur of the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH-Hwy 1) all the way up to San Francisco.  A relaxed 250 miles oceanside in perfect weather conditions... it doesn't get much better than this! AGirl   If you wish to receive a direct email from me whenever a new Journey Report has been posted simply click: HERE Copyright © 2006-2012, All Rights Reserved.