Baja California by motorcycle
Fourteen days, two BMW F 850 GS, Long Beach to Cabo San Lucas and back up the Sea of Cortez — October 2–16, 2026. Every stop below opens directly in Google Maps.
Long Beach
Land, check in, and prepare: confirm tomorrow’s 9:00 pickup with MotoQuest, buy water bladders, electrolytes and a cable lock, withdraw small USD bills. Early night — the ride starts in the morning.
Pine Avenue — The Attic or Padre
Comfort food or mezcal-Mexican, both a short walk in downtown Long Beach.
Courtyard by Marriott Long Beach Downtown
Night before pickup — MotoQuest is a short ride away.
500 E 1st St, Long Beach, CA 90802
ARRIVAL AT A GLANCE — LONG BEACH
- ✈️ Arrival + prep day
- 🛒 Water, electrolytes, cable lock, USD cash
- 🍽 Pine Ave
- 🛏 Courtyard Long Beach Downtown
Long Beach → San Diego
Bike pickup at 9:00, then the Pacific Coast Highway south: Laguna’s coves, the old Highway 101 beach towns, and the Torrey Pines cliffs into San Diego.
Open day route in Google Maps →Fill after pickup, top up Oceanside
New bikes, full tanks — an easy shakedown fuel day.
Heisler Park, Laguna Beach
What you photograph: Laguna’s coves and cliffs, the classic PCH composition.
Best time: Late morning
Where to stand: Cliff walk off 375 Cliff Dr — park on Cliff Dr.
Heisler Park, 375 Cliff Dr, Laguna Beach, CA
The Deck
Seafood with your boots in the sand — Laguna’s beachfront classic. Try the ceviche.
627 Sleepy Hollow Ln, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Torrey Pines Gliderport
Paragliders launching from 100 m sea cliffs — free show, free parking.
2800 Torrey Pines Scenic Dr, La Jolla, CA 92037
La Jolla Cove
Sea lions hauled out on the rocks a few meters from the path.
1100 Coast Blvd, La Jolla, CA 92037
Ironside Fish & Oyster
Little Italy seafood hall, five minutes’ walk from the hotel — lobster roll and oysters.
1654 India St, San Diego, CA 92101
Best Western Plus Bayside Inn
Downtown tower at the edge of Little Italy; secure parking for the bikes.
555 W Ash St, San Diego, CA 92101
DAY 01 AT A GLANCE — LONG BEACH → SAN DIEGO
- 🚗 180 km
- ⏱ 3h riding
- 🛑 4 stops
- 📸 Heisler Park
- ⭐ Torrey Pines Gliderport
- 🍴 The Deck
- 🍽 Ironside
- 🛏 Bayside Inn, San Diego
San Diego → Valle de Guadalupe
Twisty Campo Road to the calm Tecate crossing (FMM permits!), then Mex 3 sweepers into Mexico’s wine country. Lunch among the vines, dinner at Fauna.
Open day route in Google Maps →Tecate border + El Mejor Pan de Tecate
Cross, get your FMM stamped at the INM office, then sweet bread at the legendary 24/7 bakery.
Av. Benito Juárez 331, Centro, 21400 Tecate, B.C.
Pemex Francisco Zarco
Fill in Tecate or here — the valley’s only station cluster.
Francisco Zarco, Valle de Guadalupe, B.C.
Finca Altozano
Javier Plascencia’s open-fire kitchen on a valley terrace — book, Sunday is the big day. Order the tuna tostadas and wood-fired lamb.
Carretera Tecate–Ensenada Km 83, Francisco Zarco, B.C.
Vena Cava Winery
The winery built of upturned boat hulls — tasting under the arched ceilings.
Vena Cava Winery, Valle de Guadalupe (search by name)
Bruma hilltop at golden hour
What you photograph: Rows of vines rolling into dry hills, warm evening light.
Best time: Golden hour (18:00–19:00)
Where to stand: From the resort’s hilltop terraces — you’re staying here.
Bruma Wine Resort, Carr. Tecate–Ensenada Km 75, Valle de Guadalupe
Fauna
One of Latin America’s most acclaimed tables, at your own hotel. Book weeks ahead; confirm Sunday service.
Fauna Restaurante, Bruma, Valle de Guadalupe
Bruma Wine Resort
Design rooms among the vines; ride ends here — the cellar tasting is a walk, not a ride.
Carr. Tecate–Ensenada Km 75, Valle de Guadalupe, B.C.
DAY 02 AT A GLANCE — SAN DIEGO → VALLE DE GUADALUPE
- 🚗 145 km
- ⏱ 2h30 riding
- 🛑 4 stops
- 📸 Bruma golden hour
- ⭐ Fauna dinner
- 🍴 Finca Altozano
- 🍽 Fauna
- 🛏 Bruma, Valle de Guadalupe
Valle de Guadalupe → Cataviña
The long ride into the deep desert: Santo Tomás curves, El Rosario’s famous lobster burritos, then the surreal boulder-and-boojum gardens of the Valle de los Cirios. Fuel discipline starts today.
Open day route in Google Maps →Pemex El Rosario — critical fill
Last fully reliable station for ~200 mi south. 24h, cash only. Buy 5–8 L drum fuel at Cataviña tonight as insurance.
Pemex, El Rosario de Arriba, B.C. (north entrance of town)
Mamá Espinoza
70-year Baja racing institution — the lobster burrito is the order.
Carretera Transpeninsular Km 56, El Rosario de Arriba, B.C.
Valle de los Cirios
First boojum trees and giant cardón — stop at any pullout, often.
Mex 1 roadside south of El Rosario (29.9700, -115.1900)
Pinturas Rupestres de Cataviña
Cave paintings 10 minutes’ easy walk off the highway at km 171.
Pinturas Rupestres, Cataviña, B.C.
Cataviña boulder field
What you photograph: Granite boulders, cardón and cirios in warm light — Baja’s iconic desert image.
Best time: Golden hour + dawn
Where to stand: Roadside north of town, around 29.7350, -114.7190 — park fully off the tarmac.
Mex 1 north of Cataviña (29.7350, -114.7190)
Hotel Misión Santa María restaurant
The only real kitchen in the oasis — eat early, it closes early.
Carretera Transpeninsular Km 179, Cataviña, B.C.
Hotel Misión Santa María
Desert hacienda among the boulders; drum-fuel vendors nearby — buy tonight.
Carretera Transpeninsular Km 179, 22965 Cataviña, B.C.
DAY 03 AT A GLANCE — VALLE DE GUADALUPE → CATAVIÑA
- 🚗 390 km
- ⏱ 5h30 riding
- 🛑 4 stops
- 📸 Boulder field, golden hour
- ⭐ Valle de los Cirios
- 🍴 Mamá Espinoza
- 🍽 Hotel restaurant
- 🛏 Misión Santa María, Cataviña
Cataviña → San Ignacio
Across the Vizcaíno Desert into Baja California Sur: the 28th-parallel eagle, hypnotic straights through the biosphere reserve, and a date-palm oasis with a perfect colonial plaza at the end.
Open day route in Google Maps →Pemex Villa Jesús María
Key stop 200 km from Cataviña; fill again in Guerrero Negro.
Plus code 72P2+MC, Villa Jesús María, B.C.
Monumento Águila — 28th Parallel
The giant steel eagle at the BC/BCS state line (no clock change in October).
Monumento Águila, Guerrero Negro, B.C.S.
Restaurant Bar Santo Remedio
Guerrero Negro’s best kitchen — garlic scallops, fresh fish. Closed Wednesdays; you’re here Tuesday.
Domingo Carballo Félix, Guerrero Negro, B.C.S.
Vizcaíno desert straightaway
What you photograph: Road-to-horizon emptiness through the biosphere reserve.
Best time: Early afternoon
Where to stand: Any pullout on the ~50 km either side of Vizcaíno town — you hear traffic minutes away.
Vizcaíno, B.C.S., Mexico
Misión San Ignacio Kadakaamán
1786 lava-stone mission on the laurel-shaded plaza — the peninsula’s finest facade.
Misión San Ignacio Kadakaamán, San Ignacio, B.C.S.
Lagoon kayak at sunset
What you photograph: Date palms and their reflections from water level.
Best time: Sunset
Where to stand: Free guest kayaks at Ignacio Springs — paddle out 200 m.
Ignacio Springs B&B, San Ignacio, B.C.S.
Rice & Beans Oasis
Rider institution above the highway — hearty plates; ask the B&B about their family dinner too.
Av. Deborah Wayne, San Lino, San Ignacio, B.C.S.
Ignacio Springs B&B
Yurts on the river; famous Canadian breakfast and cinnamon buns.
Ignacio Springs B&B, San Ignacio, B.C.S.
DAY 04 AT A GLANCE — CATAVIÑA → SAN IGNACIO
- 🚗 380 km
- ⏱ 5h riding
- 🛑 5 stops
- 📸 Sunset kayak
- ⭐ Misión San Ignacio
- 🍴 Santo Remedio
- 🍽 Rice & Beans
- 🛏 Ignacio Springs, San Ignacio
San Ignacio → Loreto
The jewel: volcano sweepers, the first view of the Sea of Cortez, a French mining town with a 120-year-old bakery, and 40 km of highway directly above turquoise coves. Swim at El Requesón.
Open day route in Google Maps →Panadería El Boleo + Iglesia Santa Bárbara
Coffee at the 1901 French bakery, then the prefab iron church attributed to Eiffel. Park on the malecón, walk in.
Álvaro Obregón 24, Centro, Santa Rosalía, B.C.S.
Pemex Santa Rosalía
Relaxed fuel day — top up here and in Loreto.
Pemex, Santa Rosalía, B.C.S. (Mex 1 through town)
Restaurante Doney’s (Doney Mely’s)
Mulegé family classic — chiles rellenos and fresh limonada. Or beach palapas at Santispac instead.
La Palma, Heroica Mulegé, B.C.S.
Bahía Concepción overlook
What you photograph: Turquoise coves from above — the trip’s postcard.
Best time: Late morning, sun on the water
Where to stand: Mex 1 shoulder on the descent just north of the Playa Santispac entrance.
Playa Santispac, Bahía Concepción, B.C.S.
Playa El Requesón — swim
Wade the white sandbar to the island. Cable-lock the gear.
Playa El Requesón, Bahía Concepción, B.C.S.
Misión de Loreto
1697 — ‘head and mother of the missions of Baja and Alta California’.
Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto, Loreto, B.C.S.
Orlando’s Mexican Cocina
Loreto’s best courtyard cocina — no reservations, arrive 18:00.
Fco. I. Madero e/ Juárez y Agua Dulce, Centro, Loreto
Hotel Oasis
Beachfront palms on the malecón, steps from the marina.
Hotel Oasis, Loreto, B.C.S.
DAY 05 AT A GLANCE — SAN IGNACIO → LORETO
- 🚗 270 km
- ⏱ 4h riding
- 🛑 6 stops
- 📸 Concepción overlook
- ⭐ El Requesón swim
- 🍴 Doney’s, Mulegé
- 🍽 Orlando’s
- 🛏 Hotel Oasis, Loreto
Loreto → La Paz
Start with the trip’s best detour — 36 km of paved canyon road to the most beautiful mission in the Californias — then the Giganta hairpins and the long plains into La Paz. Malecón sunset to finish.
Open day route in Google Maps →Misión San Francisco Javier
1758, intact and glorious at the end of a paved palm canyon. Skip if it just rained (fords).
Misión San Francisco Javier de Viggé-Biaundó, B.C.S.
Giganta coast viewpoint
What you photograph: Hairpins with the Sea of Cortez and Danzante island behind.
Best time: Mid-morning
Where to stand: Pullouts on the Mex 1 climb just south of Playa Ligüí.
Playa Ligüí, B.C.S.
Pemex Ciudad Constitución
Mid-plains fill; you left Loreto full.
Blvd Agustín Olachea, Ciudad Constitución, B.C.S.
Super Pollo
Quick honest grilled chicken in a farm-service town — eat and roll.
Blvd Agustín Olachea, Ciudad Constitución, B.C.S.
Malecón de La Paz at sunset
What you photograph: The sculpture-lined seafront, pelicans, and the bay on fire.
Best time: Sunset
Where to stand: Around the kiosko — walk from the hotel.
Kiosco del Malecón, La Paz, B.C.S.
Sorstis
Med-Baja courtyard two blocks from the hotel — lamb ravioli, wood-fired everything.
Constitución esq. Madero, Zona Comercial, La Paz
Hotel Catedral
Modern downtown tower by the cathedral; confirm inside parking for the bikes.
Independencia 411, Zona Central, La Paz, B.C.S.
DAY 06 AT A GLANCE — LORETO → LA PAZ
- 🚗 427 km incl. detour
- ⏱ 6h riding
- 🛑 4 stops
- 📸 Malecón sunset
- ⭐ Misión San Javier
- 🍴 Super Pollo
- 🍽 Sorstis
- 🛏 Hotel Catedral, La Paz
La Paz → Cabo San Lucas
A short Pacific-side day: coffee at Doce Cuarenta, the galleries and legend of Todos Santos, a swim at Cerritos, and arrival at Land’s End itself. Book tomorrow’s boat today.
Open day route in Google Maps →Doce Cuarenta, then Hotel California
The peninsula’s best coffee before departure; the Eagles-lore photo stop in Todos Santos an hour later.
C. Francisco I. Madero 1240, La Paz → Hotel California, Todos Santos
Jazamango
Wood-fire garden by Javier Plascencia — book. Closed Tuesdays; you’re here Friday.
Los Naranjos s/n, Fracc. La Huerta, Todos Santos
Playa Los Cerritos
The swimmable surf beach — watch soft sand in the lot.
Playa Los Cerritos, El Pescadero, B.C.S.
Pemex Todos Santos
Mid-route top-up; Cabo has stations everywhere.
Pemex, Todos Santos, B.C.S. (Mex 19)
Land’s End from Playa Solmar
What you photograph: The granite arch rocks glowing at day’s end — from your hotel’s beach.
Best time: Sunset
Where to stand: Solmar beach in front of the resort. Never swim here — killer rip currents.
Playa Solmar, Cabo San Lucas
Los Tres Gallos
Traditional cocina in a fairy-lit courtyard — book on a Friday.
Leona Vicario esq. 20 de Noviembre, Centro, Cabo San Lucas
Grand Solmar Land’s End Resort & Spa
On the last beach before the Arch. Book tomorrow’s 8:30 boat + snorkel tonight.
Av. Solmar 425, Centro, Cabo San Lucas
DAY 07 AT A GLANCE — LA PAZ → CABO SAN LUCAS
- 🚗 160 km
- ⏱ 2h15 riding
- 🛑 4 stops
- 📸 Land’s End sunset
- ⭐ Todos Santos
- 🍴 Jazamango
- 🍽 Los Tres Gallos
- 🛏 Grand Solmar, Cabo
Cabo San Lucas — rest day
No riding. Water taxi to the Arch and Lover’s Beach at 8:30, snorkel cruise to Chileno Bay, pool all afternoon, and the trip’s grand-view dinner at Sunset Monalisa.
El Arco + Playa del Amor by boat
Water taxi from the marina at 8:30 — calm sea, soft light, sea lions, and the beach with two seas.
Marina Cabo San Lucas (water-taxi dock)
Playa Chileno snorkel
Protected cove on the corridor — the best water around; book a cruise or taxi out.
Playa Chileno, Corridor, Cabo San Lucas
The Office on the Beach
Feet-in-sand Médano classic — touristy and genuinely fun. Médano is the safe swimming beach.
Playa El Médano, Cabo San Lucas
Sunset Monalisa terrace
What you photograph: The bay and the Arch at dusk from the cliff — bring the good lens to dinner.
Best time: Sunset slot (book days ahead)
Where to stand: Your table.
Carr. Transpeninsular Km 6, Cabo San Lucas
Sunset Monalisa
The cliff-side icon facing the Arch — Mediterranean tasting menus, sunset seating.
Carr. Transpeninsular Km 6, Tourist Corridor, Cabo San Lucas
Grand Solmar Land’s End (night 2)
Ten minutes on the bikes in the garage: chain lube, pressures, pads — second-week serenity.
Av. Solmar 425, Centro, Cabo San Lucas
DAY 08 AT A GLANCE — CABO SAN LUCAS — REST DAY
- 🚗 0 km
- ⏱ boat + pool
- 🛑 free day
- 📸 The Arch at 9:00
- ⭐ Lover’s Beach
- 🍴 The Office
- 🍽 Sunset Monalisa
- 🛏 Grand Solmar, Cabo
Cabo → La Paz (East Cape)
The other side of the loop: Sierra La Laguna foothills, standing on the Tropic of Cancer, a canyon waterfall swim, kite-surf Los Barriles, and the silver ghost town of El Triunfo.
Open day route in Google Maps →Trópico de Cáncer monument
Stand on 23°26′ N — artisan stalls and ice cream at the sphere.
Trópico de Cáncer, Mex 1 near Santiago, B.C.S. (23.4478, -109.7031)
Cascada Sol de Mayo
What you photograph: Canyon waterfall and pool — swim shot.
Best time: Late morning
Where to stand: 7 km of easy graded dirt from Santiago (dry weather only), then a 20-min walk.
Cascada Sol de Mayo, Santiago, B.C.S.
Pemex Los Barriles
Mid-route; you left San José full. Easy fuel day.
Pemex, Los Barriles, B.C.S.
Smokey’s Curing Company & Cantina
Rider hub in the kite-surf town — fish tacos, bacon-wrapped jalapeños.
C. 20 Noviembre 97, Los Barriles, B.C.S.
El Triunfo ghost town
Silver-mining ruins, the La Ramona chimney, café and museum — old Baja, 45 min before La Paz.
Museo Ruta de Plata, El Triunfo, B.C.S.
NIM
Creative regional cooking in a courtyard near the malecón; mezcal nightcap at La Miserable after.
NIM Restaurante, Revolución de 1910, La Paz
Seven Crown La Paz Malecón
Right on the seafront walk — sunset from the door.
Paseo Álvaro Obregón, Zona Central, La Paz
DAY 09 AT A GLANCE — CABO → LA PAZ (EAST CAPE)
- 🚗 218 km
- ⏱ 3h30 riding
- 🛑 5 stops
- 📸 Sol de Mayo falls
- ⭐ Tropic of Cancer
- 🍴 Smokey’s
- 🍽 NIM
- 🛏 Seven Crown, La Paz
La Paz → Loreto Bay (Nopoló)
North again over the plains, with the reward at the end: the hidden port of Puerto Escondido and the Giganta wall turning copper behind your beach. Fill the tanks tonight — tomorrow is the longest day.
Open day route in Google Maps →Doce Cuarenta take-away → picnic at Playa Ligüí
Buy sandwiches at La Paz’s best bakery at 8:00; eat them above the sea at the Ligüí viewpoints.
C. Francisco I. Madero 1240, La Paz → Playa Ligüí, B.C.S.
Pemex Ciudad Constitución (mid) + Pemex y Oxxo Loreto (evening)
The Loreto fill is for Day 11’s 430 km: 24h, honest ‘full liters’ reputation. Alternative: Marina Puerto Escondido fuel dock (7:00–19:00) on your way in.
Calle Benito Juárez 98, Esq. Lucas Ventura, Centro, Loreto
Marina Puerto Escondido
The ‘hidden port’ enclosed under the Giganta — viewpoint above the marina.
Marina Puerto Escondido, B.C.S.
Giganta wall from Nopoló beach
What you photograph: The range going copper over a long empty beach.
Best time: Sunset
Where to stand: The beach in front of your resort — walk south for the jetty ruins.
Playa Nopoló, Loreto, B.C.S.
Mi Loreto
Regional cocina by the mission, 13 km north — eat at 17:30 and ride back before dark, or taxi.
And. Juan María de Salvatierra 50, Centro, Loreto
Loreto Bay Golf & Sea at Baja
Beach resort at Nopoló; lay out gear tonight — 7:00 departure tomorrow.
Blvd. Misión de Loreto, Nopoló, B.C.S.
DAY 10 AT A GLANCE — LA PAZ → LORETO BAY (NOPOLÓ)
- 🚗 340 km
- ⏱ 4h30 riding
- 🛑 3 stops
- 📸 Nopoló beach dusk
- ⭐ Puerto Escondido
- 🍴 Ligüí picnic
- 🍽 Mi Loreto
- 🛏 Loreto Bay Resort, Nopoló
Nopoló → Guerrero Negro
The longest day — softened by riding Bahía Concepción in its best light window, a second visit to the French bakery, and a seafood-institution dinner at the whale-lagoon town.
Open day route in Google Maps →Bahía Concepción northbound
What you photograph: Sun ON the turquoise — the best light window of the whole trip.
Best time: 8:30–10:00
Where to stand: Shoulders on the climb above Playa El Coyote and El Burro (El Coyote: 26.7208, -111.9096). Budget 45 min total.
Playa El Coyote, Bahía Concepción, B.C.S.
Misión Santa Rosalía de Mulegé
Hilltop mission and the river/lighthouse view — 20-minute stop.
Misión Santa Rosalía de Mulegé, B.C.S.
Tercos Pollitos
Santa Rosalía’s grilled-chicken institution — fast and perfect; El Boleo bakery two blocks away for the second visit.
Álvaro Obregón s/n, Centro, Santa Rosalía, B.C.S.
Pemex San Ignacio + Vizcaíno backup
Chain of fills: Santa Rosalía → San Ignacio → Guerrero Negro. Vizcaíno’s Servicios Ejidales gives honest full liters.
Pemex, San Ignacio, B.C.S.
Volcán Tres Vírgenes sweepers
What you photograph: The volcano over the highway curves.
Best time: Midday
Where to stand: Signed pullouts on the Mex 1 climb west of Santa Rosalía.
Volcán Las Tres Vírgenes, B.C.S.
Malarrimo Restaurant
Guerrero Negro’s seafood institution, attached to your hotel — almejas and grilled scallops.
Blvd Emiliano Zapata, Guerrero Negro, B.C.S.
Hotel Malarrimo
Classic rider stop by the salt-works town; evening fog possible — pack the warm layer. Reconfirm booking by phone (recent management change).
Blvd Emiliano Zapata, Guerrero Negro, B.C.S.
DAY 11 AT A GLANCE — NOPOLÓ → GUERRERO NEGRO
- 🚗 430 km
- ⏱ 5h45 riding
- 🛑 4 stops
- 📸 Concepción before 10:00
- ⭐ Morning cove light
- 🍴 Tercos Pollitos
- 🍽 Malarrimo
- 🛏 Hotel Malarrimo, Guerrero Negro
Guerrero Negro → San Felipe
The remote one: Mex 1 north, then right at Chapala onto Mex 5 — Coco’s shrine, lunch on the sand at Gonzaga Bay, the vado country past Puertecitos, and fish tacos on the San Felipe malecón. Strict fuel plan; carry the 5 L reserve.
Open day route in Google Maps →Pemex Villa Jesús María — top-up
Mandatory: the next pump is Rancho Grande, ~217 km away — the trip’s longest gap. Fill the 5 L reserve here or in GN.
Plus code 72P2+MC, Villa Jesús María, B.C.
The New Coco’s Corner
The can-strung shrine of the late Coco, relocated beside the new highway — sign the book.
The New Coco’s Corner, Mex 5, B.C. (29.5493, -114.3398)
Rancho Grande store, Gonzaga — verify fuel
Pemex-supplied pumps historically; supply fluctuates (holiday weekends drain it — you pass two days after one). Plan B: barrels at the store or litres at Alfonsina’s; Plan C: your reserve.
Bahía de San Luis Gonzaga Mex 5 stop (29.7922, -114.4141)
Alfonsina’s
Fish straight off the panga, toes in the sand of one of Baja’s most beautiful bays — 2–3 km of easy graded sand along the airstrip.
Alfonsina’s Eco Hotel, Bahía San Luis Gonzaga (29.8074, -114.3955)
Mex 5 coast — Gonzaga to Puertecitos
What you photograph: Empty road to the horizon with the Cortez and volcanic islands.
Best time: Early afternoon
Where to stand: Any of the wide paved pullouts; best around Punta Bufeo (29.9072, -114.4594) and Isla El Huerfanito. Beware soft sand at pullout edges; wind topples parked bikes — point uphill.
Punta Bufeo, B.C. (29.9072, -114.4594)
Taco Factory
Malecón fish tacos — San Felipe claims their invention; top-your-own salsa bar. Michelada for the sunset first.
Av. Malecón, Segunda Secc., San Felipe, B.C.
Stella del Mar
Beachfront just south of the malecón — check-in, shower, sunset at the SAN FELIPE letters.
Stella del Mar, San Felipe, B.C.
DAY 12 AT A GLANCE — GUERRERO NEGRO → SAN FELIPE
- 🚗 ≈400 km
- ⏱ 6h riding
- 🛑 5 stops
- 📸 Mex 5 emptiness
- ⭐ Gonzaga Bay lunch
- 🍴 Alfonsina’s
- 🍽 Taco Factory
- 🛏 Stella del Mar, San Felipe
San Felipe → Palm Springs
Border day, then straight into Americana: the dead-calm Salton Sea, the painted folk-art mountain at Slab City, a burger in a below-sea-level dive bar, and a date shake before the Palm Springs pool.
Open day route in Google Maps →Pemex San Felipe — last Mexican fill
Full tank for the 197 km + border queue; spend the leftover pesos here.
Pemex, San Felipe, B.C. (Mex 5 north side of town)
Calexico East border crossing
The calmer commercial-side crossing — return your FMM at INM first; expect 1–2.5h in the standard lanes.
Calexico East Port of Entry, CA
Salvation Mountain
Leonard Knight’s painted mountain — 3 flat paved miles off CA-111 at Niland; Slab City just beyond. Tip the caretaker, stay on the yellow path.
Beal Rd, Niland, CA 92257
Ski Inn, Bombay Beach
America’s great below-sea-level dive bar — dollar-bill walls, the patty melt. Wander the beach art installations after.
9596 Avenue A, Bombay Beach (Niland), CA 92257
San Gorgonio windmills at golden hour
What you photograph: Thousands of turbines under the San Jacinto wall.
Best time: Golden hour — an evening excursion from the Ace, 15 min north
Where to stand: Roads around 62950 20th Ave, North Palm Springs (Palm Springs Windmill Tours base) — free from public roads.
62950 20th Ave, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Workshop Kitchen & Bar
Palm Springs’ striking brutalist room and its best kitchen — book.
800 N Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Ace Hotel & Swim Club
Pool + hot tub under the mountain wall; King’s Highway diner on site.
701 E Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92264
DAY 13 AT A GLANCE — SAN FELIPE → PALM SPRINGS
- 🚗 ≈355 km + border
- ⏱ 4h30 riding
- 🛑 4 stops
- 📸 Salvation Mountain
- ⭐ Bombay Beach
- 🍴 Ski Inn
- 🍽 Workshop Kitchen
- 🛏 Ace Hotel, Palm Springs
Palm Springs → Long Beach → Hollywood
The deadline day: I-10 west with a sacred buffer, full tanks within two miles of MotoQuest, bikes back by 15:00 — then an Uber to Hollywood, Griffith at sunset, and martinis where they’ve been poured since 1919.
Open day route in Google Maps →Fill just before MotoQuest
Return with full tanks (pending Traynor’s fuel-policy answer) — stations within the last two miles.
Search: gas station near MotoQuest Long Beach
MotoQuest Long Beach — bike return
At the counter by 13:30. Photograph everything, walk the inspection, get written condition + deposit timeline.
MotoQuest, Long Beach, CA
TCL Chinese Theatre + Walk of Fame
Two minutes from the hotel — the forecourt handprints and the Boulevard.
6925 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028
Griffith Observatory at sunset
What you photograph: The whole city and the Hollywood Sign in golden light — the trip’s closing shot.
Best time: Golden hour (~17:45)
Where to stand: The observatory terraces — Uber up, parking is a battle.
2800 E Observatory Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Musso & Frank Grill
Hollywood’s oldest restaurant (1919) — red booths, legendary martinis, the filet. Closed Mondays; book for Friday.
6667 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028
Hollywood Volume, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel
At Selma & Vine — everything tonight is on foot. Keep the MotoQuest paperwork until the deposit releases.
6516 Selma Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028
DAY 14 AT A GLANCE — PALM SPRINGS → LONG BEACH → HOLLYWOOD
- 🚗 175 km
- ⏱ 2–2.5h riding
- 🛑 deadline day
- 📸 Griffith at sunset
- ⭐ Bikes home safe
- 🍴 light
- 🍽 Musso & Frank
- 🛏 Hollywood Volume
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