The first few days of the Pines 2 Patagonia trip were a crash course in settling into life on the road. We dealt with an early mechanical hiccup, wrestled way too much gear onto our bikes, and then pointed them south down Highway 101. Riding through the Avenue of the Giants and weaving along Highway 1 felt like the perfect sendoff—towering redwoods, rugged coastline, small towns, and the freedom of letting the road dictate the plan. A chance meeting with a pastor from Fiji at a fuel stop, who prayed over us for safe passage, was one of those moments that reminded us this trip was already bigger than just the miles.

We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, soaked in the views, and continued south as the landscape shifted from coastal cool to inland heat. Rolling through Paso Robles, Bakersfield, and eventually into the desert toward Palm Springs, the ride became all about long stretches of road, wide-open scenery, and the growing realization that we were really doing this. We wrapped up our time in the U.S. with family dinners, bike maintenance, and one last deep breath before crossing the border—leaving behind familiar comforts and riding straight into the adventure we’d been planning for so long.