Day 1, Sunday. San Diego to Big Bear (150 miles)
We start our adventure by exploring some of the San Diego County back-roads as we ride through Hemet, San Jacinto, and Yacaipa before climbing more than 8000 feet [2400 meters] into the San Bernardino Mountains to the mountain resort of Big Bear.

Day 2, Monday. Big Bear to Venice Beach (160 miles)
We ride past Lake Gregory and Silverwood Lake before crossing the Cajon Junction on our way through the San Gabriel Mountains. From the town of Wrightwood, we follow the beautiful Angeles Crest Highway to Tujunga Canyon. From here, we drop into the San Fernando Valley before riding famous Topanga Canyon to the Pacific Ocean near Santa Monica. Venice Beach is just a short cruise south.

Day 3, Tuesday. Venice Beach to Santa Barbara (111 miles)
We follow the Pacific Coast Highway north through Malibu and Point Mugu on our way to Santa Barbara. This is a great day to cruise the beaches, or for those who want more "twisties", we can ride Mulholland Highway in the nearby coastal foothills.

Day 4, Wednesday. Santa Barbara to Cambria (145 miles)
We ride through the Los Padres National Forest in the coastal mountains before returning to the coast at Pismo Beach. We continue north to San Luis Obispo and the small town of Cambria on Highway 1

Day 5, Thursday. Layover day in Cambria
Time to explore the beautiful inland valleys, go wine tasting in nearby Paso Robles or take a tour of the fabulous Hearst Castle.

Day 6, Friday. Cambria to Monterey (135 miles)
Ride the most famous part of Highway 1 through Big Sur, Carmel and the beautiful 17-mile drive through Pebble Beach. From here, it's only a short ride to Monterey.

Day 7, Saturday. Monterey to San Francisco (125 miles)
We'll follow Highway 1 around Monterey Bay to Santa Cruz, then continue along the coast to the city on the bay, San Francisco. For those riders doing the 7-day tour, this is the end of the line. You can head for home, stay in San Francisco or continue your journey on your own - you decide.

Day 8, Sunday. Layover day in San Francisco
A chance to rest, relax, and maybe do a bit of sightseeing in one of the great cities of the world.

Day 9, Monday. San Francisco to Hollister (150 miles)
We'll ride through the fabulous Santa Cruz mountains between the beach and the bay before turning inland. There are plenty of back-roads to explore on our way to Hollister, birthplace of the American "biker".

Day 10, Tuesday. Hollister to Paso Robles (190 miles)
Highway 25 south from Hollister is a terrific ride along the spine of the Diablo Mountains. We cross the mountains once on a side-trip to Coalinga and again on our way to Paso Robles. There isn't a freeway anywhere.

Day 11, Wednesday. Paso Robles to Ojai (200 miles)
We ride the beautiful rolling hills east of Paso Robles before crossing the Temblor Range and dropping into the western part of the San Joaquin Valley near the historic oil well towns of McKittrick and Taft. From here we'll ride the scenic and entertaining roads through the Los Padres National Forest before arriving in Ojai. Ojai is a small town nestled in the foothills above Santa Barbara and home to many of Hollywood's rich and famous.

Day 12, Thursday. Ojai to Idyllwild (222 miles)
We'll head east to Canyon Country and Bouquet Canyon before crossing the high desert near Palmdale. From here, we'll find our way into the San Gabriel and San Bernadino Mountains before ending our day in the quaint mountain town of Idyllwild.

Day 13, Friday. Idyllwild to San Diego (150 miles)
All good things must come to an end, but not before one last day of great riding. There are plenty more mountain roads before we stop for lunch in the historic mining town of Julian. From here there are even more scenic and challenging roads as we find our way back to our starting point in San Diego. Wow, what a great ride!

[complete tour description]