San Diego to Jacksonville Beach

I arrive at Jacksonville Beach, Florida after 42.5 hours of riding Coast to Coast from San Diego, California.

GPS Log Map (Map of Actual Ride, including all the wrong turns )

SpotWalla

Jenny: Ray has completed his "Cannonball" run - Coast to Coast - from Ocean Beach in San Diego to Jacksonville beach in Florida. No motel sleeping, straight through, full blast. 42.5 hours. Including a Bun Burner Gold at the start, and a SaddleSore 1000 at the end. Well done, Ray - Congratulations!

Story in progress ...

We drove to San Diego together, me on the Motorcycle and Jenny in her car.

We spent an enjoyable rest day near the beach.

Jenny wanted to go with me to San Diego, to take her dogs to the Dog Beach - one of her favorite places on Earth.

The city of Ocean Beach has a lot of fun things to do.

Our dogs found this young crow, and fortunately the dogs are trained to leave things alone. The bird was injured but someone was caring for it, with a nice nest box with bedding and a bowl of water around the other side of the bush.

The motel has limited parking and charges extra for two vehicles, but the manager suggested we double up. Location

The morning of departure from San Diego. I'm going to attempt a BunBurner Gold on my way to the East Coast, so for the first 24 hours I will be riding fast and without letup. (BunBurner Gold = fifteen hundred miles in 24 hours.)

Fuel Stop #1: San Diego
An Iron Butt ride begins at the first gas station, with a Dated Business Receipt (DBR) showing the date, time and location. The rider photographs the DBR against the bike's odometer, as an indication of the running mileage. These photos are required for the Iron Butt certifications.

San Diego gas station (I like to take a photo of the bike at the gas station, to help with the IBA verification.)

San Diego.

Fuel Stop #2: Yuma, AZ

Yuma

Fuel Stop #3: Eloy, AZ

Eloy

My fuel stops are three hours apart. between them I like to stop mid-way to take a break and stretch the legs. This is the Texas Canyon Rest Area I-10 East

Fuel Stop #4: Lordsburg, NM

Lordsburg

My motto for this trip: "If you don't like to meet people during a trip, drive a car rather than riding a morotcycle." If you drive a car, you will meet almost no one. If you ride a motorcycle, friendly people are everywhere. If I would have taken a photo of everyone I talked with, this ride report would be three times as long. And maybe I will do that next time.

Mid-span rest stop (In lieu of a Stadium Buddy). Location

Fuel Stop #5: Fabens, TX

Fabens

This is what passes for photography during a BunBuner Gold. No time but riding time. Location

Fuel Stop #6: Fort Stockton, TX

Fort Stockton

I'm riding into a powerful storm that was visible for the last 40 miles. Location

Fuel Stop #7: Junction, TX

Junction

Fuel Stop #8: Buc-ee's Luling, TX

Luling

Mid span rest stop in Houston, TX

Fuel Stop #9: Baytown, TX at 2:29 AM CST

Baytown

BunBurner Gold Time: 2:29 AM CST - 1:19 AM PST = 23 hours, 10 minutes

With the BunBurner Gold completed I checked in to a motel. Took a much needed shower then laid down on the bed - but couldn't sleep. Too many things to worry about. If I oversleep, the ride is finished. So got up, packed the bike, and rode off into the night - headed for Florida.

Fuel Stop #10: Breaux Bridge, LA

Breaux Bridge

C-store (Location)

Fuel Stop #11: Gulfport, MS

Gulfport

Lunch stop Gulfport

Fuel Stop #12: Bonifay, Florida

Bonifay

Beautiful rest stop from Hell (Location)

Fuel Stop #13: Lake City, FL

Fuel Stop #14: Jacksonville Beach, Florida

Jacksonville Beach

I arrive at Jacksonville Beach, Florida after 42.5 hours of riding Coast to Coast from San Diego, California.

Jacksonville Beach

From the beach I followed I-10 back the way I'd come, for 45 minutes to a motel.

As Robert Higdon wrote in one of his books: "The Iron butt conversation starts with a thousand miles in 24 hours. Anything less is not worth talking about."

So I will skip the next few days of riding in this story, and pick up at Ruston Louisiana where I began an Iron Butt SaddleSore ride, hopefully covering the final leg of my journey of the last thousand miles.

Fuel Stop # 18: Ruston, LA

Ruston

I stopped here for a little breakfast on the go.

Fuel Stop # 19: Canton, TX

Canton

Rest stop (Location)

Fuel Stop # 20: Eastland, Texas

Eastland

Breakfast stop Location

Fuel Stop # 21: Post, TX

Post

Mid-span rest stop at the Brownfield Texas Picnic Area

Welcome to Roswell Sign

Fuel Stop # 22: Roswell, NM

Roswell

Fuel Stop # 23: Socorro, NM

Socorro

Fuel Stop # 24: Quemado, NM

Quemado

16:52 - 23:50 = 19:02

Arriving back home after a week on the road.