Prologue:
This year's trip will have marked my third big motorcycle trip, and the longest yet to date. After last year's trip to Glacier, I decided I wanted a different motorcycle for long range excursions, one that would offer better comfort over the duration and would also be able to handle light off-roading if I wanted. But, I also wanted something that would have the right engine and gearbox to get up and go when I felt the urge. My 1st Gen SV650S had served me well, but wasn't really the ideal machine for what I was looking for. So, after lots of research, and a deal that I convinced myself was too good to pass up, I bit and took possession of a 2012 Triumph Tiger 800 XC, as well as a fresh load of debt and expenses. No bike is the perfect "do everything" machine, but it seemed that of the offerings, the Tiger would come closest to it for my needs. I'd taken it out for a few day trips--some with better results than others (but that's another story)--and I was eager to take it out for the long haul.
After some discussions, Chuck and I decided we'd hit up California this year. I'd been saving up my vacation time as best I could in preparation for a long trip. I suggested we try to hit Santa Barbara, the town where we'd both previously lived before moving to Washington, though we'd only gotten to know each other after the fact. Chuck wasn't opposed to the idea, but didn't think he'd be able to get enough time off from work to be able to do the trip properly. We planned on a compromise to make it to the Bay Area instead and spend a few days there.
All seemed well and we were bookmarking the trip for some time in August. But then we both had some life hiccups happen to us. For me, my living situation got turned upside down when my landlady hit the greed button and effectively extorted me into a search for a new apartment. For Chuck, he had some things go down in his personal life, the most significant of which was his job situation taking a severe turn for the worse.
After lots of stress, I ended up joining forces with my friend Erica, and we were able to find a place that we could afford, and would accommodate my bikes and her cat. It was good to have my living situation squared away, but the whole ordeal really threw a wrench in my plans of a summer of motorcycle trips.
For Chuck, he finally got to a breaking point with his job, and quit. Hearing some of the stuff that he had to deal with, I couldn't blame him for making the decision. The major downside to that, at least from my perspective, was that he quit without any intention of finding a new job in the area. It was about a month before his lease ended, and he'd concluded that his time in Seattle was done, and that he would pack up his bags and move to Texas to be closer to his family.
It was a major blow to me, but I could see the signs of something like this happening long before now. On the plus side, it meant that he had no work responsibilities any more, so Santa Barbara became a viable destination. I quickly requested to have a couple weeks off at work, right around the time of Chuck's lease ending. My request was approved, and we officially planned on SB as our destination.
