Finally...the time has come!

I will be taking off toward San Diego in the wee hours. Spending most of the time today meeting some dear friends and loading up my bike (this time it's the real thing). Unfortunately, I had to return the video sunglasses, because it would not record consistently. I was debating whether or not to order a new pair (overnight delivery to San Diego)...but, decided against it.

I had also planned on recording a short video today about my prep before the big day, but my videographer was tight up. And when the light faded, I was still in the garage tinkering with bike and luggage. So, the vid has to wait a bit.

Wifey and I will be taking the scenic route along the coast via PCH/101 to San Diego (around  a 12-hour ride with stops). We will be partying at "Casa Pavone", our good friends from San Diego who good-heartedly open their "garage door" for us and our bikes. Thanks guys!!

Monday morning, wifey will be riding back to the Bay Area. I will continue to San Ysidra, where I will rendezvous with Bogdan and Felipe for the border crossing to Mex.

Okay... there we are, all that's left now is to gas up the bikes and twist the throttles!

Btw, if you like to track my ride, the link "Whereisaxel" on this website is now active.

You can also go directly https://share.delorme.com/whereisaxel.

Please don't forget to subscribe. Click on the RSS symbol in the upper left hand corner of the Along-For-The-Ride page for updated trip reports.

One last thing, a big THANK YOU for the followers who have generously donated so far. It will get me a few extra miles further toward my destination :-)

See you on the road!

Last gadget is here...

...I looove gadgets. This one was actually a last minute purchase, overnight delivery. The entire time, I was thinking, "What, if I lose my GoPro?" No video, nothing to document my trip with. That would suck. In addition, there will be situations where a GoPro is just not the right tool for the job. I need a cam that allows me to film up and close. So I came across IVUE. IVUE is, simply put, a pair of sunglasses with a HD video camera. It promises to deliver HD 720P Video quality, has a 140 degree wide angle lens, is weather resistant, mic for recording sound, has a rechargeable battery and comes with two sets of lenses (polarized and yellow). Of course, the included charging cable is being added to my already extensive cable collection.

Enough of this, gotta try out my new "sunglasses" now. Later...

Wristbands are here...

...today, I received another FEDEX delivery, custom wristbands "www.crazyridesouth.com - Live your Dreams".

These souvenirs are intended as small gifts for children and adults along the way. In addition, each person who donates through this website will receive a wristband as a "Thank you".

The route...for now.

Starting September 01, 2014

During preparations for my trip, I was recently contacted by two riders, who are going South as well.

The first one, Felipe, lives in the Bay Area. He and his girlfriend are riding to Chile on their Yamaha. Sounds cool to me, even though I had planned to ride solo.

The second dude, Bogdan,  lives in LA. Not sure what bike he rides, but he mentioned "German". So I am assuming it's a BMW. He is also headed for Ushuaia and plans to leave the same time I am heading for the border.

So, with all this good news, I am ready to head out tomorrow. Getting more excited by the minute. But, I still have some things to take care off, before I can type "Mexico" in to my GPS.

Stay tuned....

GoPro arrived today....

...GoPro Black (even though it is silver), with remote and accessories was just delivered by UPS. For those not familiar with GoPro, it's a neat little camera, designed for extreme sports and adventures, such as Crazyridesouth. Nice thing about this cam, it can be mounted anywhere on my bike, helmet or body. Delivers still and video image in HD quality. Can't wait to shoot and post my first action vid.

GoPro Black with remote