Day 1 of our 3-day motorcycle journey takes us from 2LaneLife HQ in Canoga Park, California to Beatty, Nevada just outside of Death Valley National Park. What was supposed to be a straightforward ride quickly turned into 100+ miles of rain, heavy crosswinds, dirty roads, and constantly changing conditions - the kind of challenges that make motorcycle travel unforgettable.

We had some friends from Harley-Davidson with us as we were taking the (at the time) not public 2026 models on the trip to do a proper review of them after some miles! It's always cool having a couple of extra heads along for the ride, especially folks we've put down miles with before. 

As luck had it, for the first ~90 miles from LA to Mojave it was pouring rain the entire time. Luckily, we were all geared up and stayed relatively dry, taking off the rain gear in Mojave and continuing on our journey. It was still pretty crisp out there with some bone chilling winds, but this is just our first rodeo of the year, not our first rodeo so we kept it rolling on Highway 14 before continuing on a nice stretch of US Highway 395 which would eventually lead us to CA SR190 in Olancha, CA which leads all of the way into and through Death Valley National Park. It is a well-paved road full of twists, turns, elevation change, and some incredibly diverse scenery along the way. 

We didn't stop to see a whole lot within the park as we had plans to spend the whole day there on day 2 of the trip, but we did pull off to show Matt and Talor the small ghost town of Rhyolite, NV just before the sun set. We then made our way into the small town of Beatty, Nevada checking in to the Exchange Club Motel which shares a parking lot with one of our favorite BBQ joints Smokin' J's BBQ for some good eats! We had some beef tips, pulled pork, stuffed sausages, and ribs, and it did not disappoint! Nowadays, none of us drink much, but we did check out the newly opened Sourdough Saloon for a beer before catching up on some rest back at the motel.

It wouldn't be the first trip of the year without being an eventful day and we were grateful for the adventure! Stay tuned for day 2 as we explore Death Valley National Park!

SEE YOU DOWN THE ROAD!