Camp or Motel, That is The Question

I was on the ride this week, doing some riding on some roads of the PCMCR near Kernville to do the write up, plus revisiting some backwoods area nearby.  The area is known as the Kern Plateau and is not part of the the PCMCR, but close to it.

I was on my dual sport Suzuki V-Strom 1000 because the roads on the plateau are all dirt, good dirt but dirt nonetheless.  I did what is know as dispersed camping,  I just camped out, with no campground, picnic table or neat little spot to park the bike. To me, it’s the best way to camp. I have a spot on the plateau that I enjoy to stay. The plateau is very secluded for an area that is honeycombed with roads, and these little spot is even more so.

It got me thinking about the first blog post for the PCMCR site, and that would be about camping of staying in motels. with the trip from Mexico to Canada,  it’s how we spend the night that will make a big difference to the feel of the trip.  Do you camp, or do you want the comfort of a nice bed and a restaurant meal every night? There is no right or wrong answer here,  and I do enjoy both, but camping would be my first choice.

My front door, no turn down service but no neighbors for miles

I will be talking often on this blog about motorcycle camping, equipment that I have found useful and would like feedback on items that you find of use. I am always looking for new equipment to make that camping experience better, more enjoyable and fun. In fact, just today I ordered a new folding table to take with me during those times I camp in dispersed camping spots.

When I got back into motorcycling in 2000 one of the first trips I took on the bike was to the Kern Plateau.  I had  bought a used Honda CB100F from a friend, it needed some repairs but she was ridable. The first thing I did after I got it registered in my name was go camping.  I had dreamed of taking a motorcycle camping trip to the Kern Plateau for years. I would picture myself riding this one dirt road on the bike, just cruising, the feeling of freedom that a bike allows, just me and the bike. Anyone who travels on two wheels will know that feeling. 

So about two weeks after I got the bike I was riding it to the campsite, a dream realized. I thought about that trip the other day as I was riding the V-Strom on the same roads. I had put a lot of miles on bikes since then,  the CB100F being long gone, but not the passion I still have for camping on two wheels.

Camping allows one to stay just about anywhere, sit by a fire or just look at the stars at night. At locations you would pay a premium if you had four walls around you. The other night I had a lush green meadow as my front door, robins and jays flew outside my “window” and all for the price of 0 dollars. Not a bad deal. Of course I had to make my own bed and make my own meals, but to me it was not a trade off at all, in fact, if I stayed in a motel, that would have been a trade off to camping.

/p