We left our beachfront stay in Puerto Escondido and pushed south on Highway 200 through punishing heat, potholes, and traffic, only to abandon a sketchy “parking available” stay for a more secure spot after tempers and dehydration flared. Rehydrated and regrouped, we decided to trade the coast for cooler mountain air and set our sights on San José del Pacífico.

We left Acapulco on a hot morning and rode to a small beach near Cópala, eventually finding our stay at Puerto Bianco with the help of a friendly local. After settling in, our host Amber treated us to cold Palomas, a delicious dinner, and incredible hospitality that made for a perfect oceanfront evening.

We lost our Starlink an hour into the ride to Acapulco, backtracked to Playa Azul to retrieve it thanks to the incredibly kind staff at Hotel Posada Del Mar, then battled heat, breakdowns, and brutal Valentine’s Day traffic to finally arrive exhausted. What started as a frustrating day ended perfectly in a tiny dive bar where we were welcomed like locals, and closed out Day 14 with Spanish classic rock and new friends.

Day 13 brought another seven hours and 287 miles of hot, winding coastal roads, shaded by tunnel-like trees and lined with small towns, ocean views, and welcoming locals who patiently guided us through our Spanglish. After a round of hotel roulette, we found a spot near the shore that let us secure our bikes inside the gates, easing our minds for the night and ending the day by handing out flashlights and fidget spinners to a group of excited kids.

We rode south from San Blas tackling the winding, worn “free” coastal highway before stopping in Puerto Vallarta to exchange currency and refuel. By late afternoon we reached Punta Perula, checked into a secure hotel (avoiding goat-filled RV parking), rinsed off in the ocean, enjoyed a beachfront seafood dinner, and planned the next day’s ride.

We said goodbye to Casa Cal, packed up, and rode north to La Paz, where shrimp cocktails, a smooth customs crossing, and help from our friend Daniel made the Baja Ferry transition easy and memorable. After a surprisingly restful night at sea, we rolled into Mazatlán, rode south through beautiful new landscapes, found a hidden gem of a hotel, and settled in to plan the next leg of Stage 2

Day 9 was a well-earned reset filled with laundry, gear maintenance, great coffee, a swim at Casa Cal, and bike servicing at CanDoo plus tacos in town while the bikes were tuned to perfection. We wrapped up the day with dinner, live music, and sunset rays at La Playa, then capped it off swapping travel stories with new friends before turning in for the night.

After a night’s rest in Constitution City, we rode south through cactus-lined highways, mountain S-turns, tacos, and fuel stops until the Sea of Cortez shimmered into view and welcomed us to Los Barriles. Hot showers, beach exploring, unforgettable sushi, and shared stories marked our southernmost point in Baja, one we’ll leave grateful for the ride and already missing the rhythm of the peninsula as we head toward mainland Mexico.

After leaving William’s incredible casita, we fueled up and took the eastern route, descending from the mountains to the Sea of Cortez for an unforgettable day of small towns, sweeping highways, seafood tacos, surprise vows, and a much-needed swim after a sandy spill in the heat. By nightfall we headed inland, checked into a hotel to close out week one, and reflected on 2,134 miles, 40+ hours in the saddle, and how much we’d learned about our bikes and ourselves.

We left San Felipe well fed, topped off water at Pemex, and hammered out a 347-mile workday across constantly changing terrain from the Sea of Cortez to deserts, cactus forests, and boulder-strewn rock gardens highlighted by a close call with wild burros and a laugh over the comms. After meeting fellow riders Sergio and Claudia, grabbing tacos, and pushing the final miles, we settled into Rancho Espinoza, explored the town, ate more ceviche and tacos, and planned the next leg.

We started the day in Palm Springs, rode to Calexico, crossed into Mexico without a hitch (cue excited squeals), and headed southeast across Baja for 125 miles to San Felipe. After settling in with friends, we ditched extra layers and enjoyed tacos, margaritas, ocean views, and a sunset ride back for the night.

We left Bakersfield just after 8:30 a.m., rode through Barstow, and continued on through stunning desert and mountain passes to Palm Springs, where warm weather and Joshua tree lined roads greeted us. After settling in, enjoying a lovely dinner, and doing some bike maintenance, we relaxed on the patio and called it a night.

We rode down Highway 101 to the Golden Gate Bridge, found a perfect spot near the Coast Guard station for photos, and may have briefly rolled our bikes onto the crab dock. From there we continued to Paso Robles, crossed into Bakersfield, and capped the day with dinner and a well-earned cold beer with our friend Alex.

We started the day fixing a small mechanical issue and hoisting nearly 600 pounds of gear back onto the bikes before heading south on Highway 101 through the Avenue of the Giants, stopping in Leggett to ride through a tree before turning onto Highway 1 and dropping into Fort Bragg for lunch. After overshooting our lodging and backtracking to Petaluma for the night, we were blessed at a gas stop by Judah, a pastor from Fiji, leaving us excited to cross the Golden Gate Bridge in the morning and continue down the coast.

Day one of the Pines 2 Patagonia tour kicked off with a 9 AM departure from Matt’s house, heading west to Florence and then south to Eureka, California. We caught a stunning sunset just north of Eureka before settling into a Holiday Inn only then realizing it took two baggage carts to haul all the gear we somehow fit on three bikes. Tomorrow we head south on Highway 1, excited to cross the Golden Gate Bridge.