Tag: Motorcycle travel
2023 in Review
by Travis Gill
What a year! A new year always brings the excitement of exploring new places, making new friends, and creating memories of a lifetime. 2023 was no exception! Over the last year we rode from the Sahara Desert of Morocco to the Southern Boreal forests of Finland and 18 other countries in between. Nearly 15,000 miles of backcountry roads, roadside oddities, historical places, and cities to … Read More 2023 in Review
A Stunning Ride through Velebit Nature Park, Croatia
by Travis Gill
We had heard about Velebit Nature Park after watching a video of the Trans Euro Trail by moToRAID. In the video, the rider, on his Yamaha XT660Z, passes through some pretty stunning areas – made even more dramatic with the beautiful drone footage. However, after riding the entire length of the Trans Euro Trail ourselves, we didn’t experience many of the areas from the … Read More A Stunning Ride through Velebit Nature Park, Croatia
Looking Back on 2022
by Travis Gill
We were recently talking to a hotel host in Morocco who inquired where we were from. This is always an interesting question, because as travelers, we feel we’re “from” wherever we started our day. However, to avoid confusion, we just say “California” since most people know of California from movies and television. The next question, upon seeing that we’re on motorcycles, is “Did you … Read More Looking Back on 2022
+ Croatia
Beauty Abounds in Northern Istria, Croatia
by Travis Gill
A few days ago we were chatting with a German van traveler about our shared travels throughout Europe. One of his favorite memories was the Istrian Peninsula of Croatia and we shared our excitement of having visited this area as well. He later commented that he loved this region of Croatia, but felt it was too crowded with German speaking tourists. Our experience was … Read More Beauty Abounds in Northern Istria, Croatia
+ Croatia
Riding the West Coast of Croatia’s Istria Peninsula
by Travis Gill
When we arrived in Croatia we had some knowledge of famous coastal cities like Dubrovnik, Split, and the natural beauty of Plitvice Lakes National Park, however we didn’t know anything about the Istria Peninsula located in the northwest of the country. After a wonderful day in the city of Pula, we were eager to experience more of this coastal region of Croatia. Today’s ride … Read More Riding the West Coast of Croatia’s Istria Peninsula
Summary of 2021
by Travis Gill
We were both very apprehensive of 2021 on January 1st. Although the COVID pandemic seemed to be subsiding there were still many uncertainties. We both sensed that getting vaccinated was vital to us being able to continue traveling. However, the chances of two American citizens getting a vaccination in a foreign country looked bleak, especially in the regions of Europe that were struggling to … Read More Summary of 2021
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Finding Childhood Nostalgia at Villa del Balbianello, Italy
by Travis Gill
The STAR WARS movies captured my interests from the very first time I watched the first movie in 1978. As a young child, I was immediately drawn into these wonderful futuristic, yet believable worlds. The space scenes, the desert landscapes of Tatooine, and the jungles of Yavin 4 all seemed like places I could imagine myself visiting someday. Here we are 42 years later, … Read More Finding Childhood Nostalgia at Villa del Balbianello, Italy
Acts of Love and a Bear Made of Trash
by Travis Gill
I unzipped the opening of our tent and let the morning sun flood inside. We both peered outside and marveled at the mountain peaks guarding us like giant rock sentinels. Our previous day’s efforts, of riding the challenging 5.3 miles (8.5 kms) military road, had paid off with one of the best wild campsites we’ve ever experienced in Europe! We were feeling quite accomplished … Read More Acts of Love and a Bear Made of Trash
+ France
Riding through Provence and Verdon Gorge, France
by Travis Gill
We are flying! Covering 880 km (547 miles) in two days is not our typical happy travel pace. On average, we tend to travel no more than 150-200 miles (240-320 km) per day. So why the rush? Because we felt like we were running out of time. As American citizens, we are limited to 90 days of travel in Schengen Europe areas (highlighted below … Read More Riding through Provence and Verdon Gorge, France
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Adiós España – Our Last Day in Spain
by Travis Gill
We never imagined we would be spending nearly five months in Spain. When we first crossed the Pyrenees Mountains and into the Catalonia region of northern Spain on March 9th, we were somewhat oblivious to the extend at which the Coronavirus was sweeping across the European continent. By March 14th, the Spanish government had activated a State of Alarm which granted exceptional powers to … Read More Adiós España – Our Last Day in Spain
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Playa de Las Catedrales & Las Médulas, Spain
by Travis Gill
There are some days that we look back on that are truly memorable. This was one of those days. Both of these landmarks have been on our push-pinned Google map for a long time, so when we were finally seeing them in person it was pretty exciting. Our original plan was to visit Playa de Las Catedrales on Friday. We had arrived to the … Read More Playa de Las Catedrales & Las Médulas, Spain
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Enjoying the Coast of A Coruña, Spain
by Travis Gill
Our first impression of A Coruña, Spain was not a positive one. When we arrived, late in the afternoon, it was cloudy and raining. As we approached the city, via the Autovia AG-55, we were a bit overcome by the smell of factories belching heavy, black smoke, into the already cloudy grey skies. Fortunately, we didn’t let this first impression ruin A Coruña for … Read More Enjoying the Coast of A Coruña, Spain
