As most of you know I organise these annual trips to some great places over the pond on your bikes and up until this year we've had no issues. Suddenly, the US insurance industry decide to stop insuring UK and European vehicles in the great US of A and Canada for reasons only known to themselves. Rumour has it that it has something to do with GDPR rules but I can't get conformation of this so no one really knows the reasons why.
So, from an organised Anchorage to San Francisco trip with 10 bikes I've had to change the whole damned thing and all this happened in the last few weeks. There is no way you can risk riding over in the US with no insurance so we had two option: abandon all together and lose flight money etc or re organise with rentals. Some people pulled out all together but some decided to carry on and do what ever I could arrange. Obviously I'm gutted for the guys who didn't want to go but we'll hopefully get this sorted in due course and rearrange for another year.
Anyhow, after about 2 weeks of hasty rearranging I was glad to get on the American Airlines flight to Anchorage via Dallas over some nice scenery.
<a href="https://chrisbiltcliffe.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-tDp5wqM/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-tDp5wqM/0/7a3f1151/X3/2018-07-11%2018.17.04-X3.jpg" alt=""></a>
<a href="https://chrisbiltcliffe.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-NmJ93pV/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-NmJ93pV/0/365d80c7/X3/2018-07-11%2018.36.10-X3.jpg" alt=""></a>
<a href="https://chrisbiltcliffe.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-GwTmh2z/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-GwTmh2z/0/60807c82/X3/2018-07-11%2022.35.14-X3.jpg" alt=""></a>
Even managed to catch a bit of the World Cup semi final in Dallas between flights although I missed the last 30 mins.
<a href="https://chrisbiltcliffe.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-rv7CLV7/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-rv7CLV7/0/03a82476/X3/2018-07-11%2020.14.05-X3.jpg" alt=""></a>
After 17 hours in the air and a good nights kip it would be rude not to go the Gwennies in Anchorage for a proper breakfast and note the salad on the plate
<a href="https://chrisbiltcliffe.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-F4V7phX/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-F4V7phX/0/a8f87cf7/X3/2018-07-13%2008.26.18-X3.jpg" alt=""></a>
My buddy Bill Ness lives up here and he let me have a drive in his superb 1970 GTO which has 23,000 miles from newis completely original and even has the original front tyres. He's just bought this for song and it's a fantastic thing to drive. It's a 400 cu inch motor kicking out about 300bhp and is very sedate by todays standards. It's one of those cars you have to actually drive as it has old school steering, suspension and brakes and could easily get away from you if you weren't careful. Superb piece of American muscle and would love to have this at home.
<a href="https://chrisbiltcliffe.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-c5NxWbB/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-c5NxWbB/0/cffa920f/X2/2018-07-12%2017.08.01-X2.jpg" alt=""></a>
<a href="https://chrisbiltcliffe.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-KWwG2Pf/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-KWwG2Pf/0/b9d5467a/X2/2018-07-12%2019.07.38-X2.jpg" alt=""></a>
<a href="https://chrisbiltcliffe.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-2R2nR3H/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-2R2nR3H/0/ca3ed658/X2/2018-07-12%2019.08.29-X2.jpg" alt=""></a>
Now just got to wait for the guys to get in.
So, from an organised Anchorage to San Francisco trip with 10 bikes I've had to change the whole damned thing and all this happened in the last few weeks. There is no way you can risk riding over in the US with no insurance so we had two option: abandon all together and lose flight money etc or re organise with rentals. Some people pulled out all together but some decided to carry on and do what ever I could arrange. Obviously I'm gutted for the guys who didn't want to go but we'll hopefully get this sorted in due course and rearrange for another year.
Anyhow, after about 2 weeks of hasty rearranging I was glad to get on the American Airlines flight to Anchorage via Dallas over some nice scenery.
<a href="https://chrisbiltcliffe.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-tDp5wqM/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-tDp5wqM/0/7a3f1151/X3/2018-07-11%2018.17.04-X3.jpg" alt=""></a>
<a href="https://chrisbiltcliffe.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-NmJ93pV/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-NmJ93pV/0/365d80c7/X3/2018-07-11%2018.36.10-X3.jpg" alt=""></a>
<a href="https://chrisbiltcliffe.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-GwTmh2z/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-GwTmh2z/0/60807c82/X3/2018-07-11%2022.35.14-X3.jpg" alt=""></a>
Even managed to catch a bit of the World Cup semi final in Dallas between flights although I missed the last 30 mins.
<a href="https://chrisbiltcliffe.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-rv7CLV7/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-rv7CLV7/0/03a82476/X3/2018-07-11%2020.14.05-X3.jpg" alt=""></a>
After 17 hours in the air and a good nights kip it would be rude not to go the Gwennies in Anchorage for a proper breakfast and note the salad on the plate
<a href="https://chrisbiltcliffe.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-F4V7phX/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-F4V7phX/0/a8f87cf7/X3/2018-07-13%2008.26.18-X3.jpg" alt=""></a>
My buddy Bill Ness lives up here and he let me have a drive in his superb 1970 GTO which has 23,000 miles from newis completely original and even has the original front tyres. He's just bought this for song and it's a fantastic thing to drive. It's a 400 cu inch motor kicking out about 300bhp and is very sedate by todays standards. It's one of those cars you have to actually drive as it has old school steering, suspension and brakes and could easily get away from you if you weren't careful. Superb piece of American muscle and would love to have this at home.
<a href="https://chrisbiltcliffe.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-c5NxWbB/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-c5NxWbB/0/cffa920f/X2/2018-07-12%2017.08.01-X2.jpg" alt=""></a>
<a href="https://chrisbiltcliffe.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-KWwG2Pf/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-KWwG2Pf/0/b9d5467a/X2/2018-07-12%2019.07.38-X2.jpg" alt=""></a>
<a href="https://chrisbiltcliffe.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-2R2nR3H/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Anchorage/i-2R2nR3H/0/ca3ed658/X2/2018-07-12%2019.08.29-X2.jpg" alt=""></a>
Now just got to wait for the guys to get in.