Well before I started this trip, I knew the Goldwing would need a periodic service while on the road.   I determined that the best time would be during the two days I’m in Twentynine Palms.   Before I left Washington I called the dealer over in Yucca Valley,  Hutchins Motorsports, a Honda and Harley dealer there.   I made an appointment for 9am Tuesday morning letting tem know I would be “on the road” and want to have the 8,000 mile service done at their shop.

So, here I am on Tuesday morning.   I leave Twentynine Palms and head about 30 miles over to Yucca Valley to the dealer.  The gentleman at the service counter verified that I had an appointment, goes outside and rolls the wing into the service department.   He comes back to the desk rustles through some paperwork and the proceeds to tell me that they are short one technician for the day and that they will have the bike ready the following afternoon.    I kept my cool and told them it was not going to be acceptable because I am on the road and the next morning I was going to be on my way to Bishop.   Most dealers will work within reason to get a rider back on the road who is traveling.  I was surprised that he didn’t mention the inability to do the work prior to taking the bike inside.   It would have also been great if I had gotten a phone call to let me know before wasting the time and mileage to go there.  They had my cell phone number to reach me.

Another issue I had was getting a replacement for the front tire.  The tire had to be ordered and would no be received for about 2 to 3 days.  I guess if one is stranded out in the desert, you really are!   No problem, I’ll just wait until another time. Nothing urgent to be done.

At least I had a good visit with my cousin, Maryanne.  She’s the matriarch of the family.  All of the aunts and uncles are long gone so I depend upon her for information about the earleir days of the family since sh’e the oldest cousin I have.      She has been a great help in gathering photos and information for family research.  I’ve been dabbling in genealogy for the last thirty years and most recently got a lot of help via the internet and Ancestry.com . 

We at least took the time to talk about what’s going on and with the family over a few glasses of wine.  The good thing was being able to leave the next day with a clear head.    I have to get back in the area early next year when the flowers are in bloom at Joshua Tree and maybe even at Death Valley.   I had already made the decision to cut Death Valle from the itinerary bnecause the temps were unseasonably high.   I just had no desire to visit, on motorcycle anyway. Stovepipe Wells in 100+ degree heat.   

"Riley" says "Hi"

 

 

 

I had to put in one photo, may as well be Riley.

Hope your day is great!    Ride or drive safe.

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At 3am I was awakened to what I thought was pounding at the door.    I’m thinking WTF???    Then as I gain my bearings, I realize the noise is coming from the room directly above mine.    With their headboard trying to break through to the room next door, it was obvious that they were getting a bit amourous.   Then the …oh……….oh…..oh..oh.oh..oh from the vociferous female getting close to that magic finish line.   She never screamed in delight but her mate seemed to be Superman or he was taking Viagra for sport.   I almost felt like calling them to suggest a change of technique to get her there.    Then it was quiet.

Six o’clock finally appeared and I got up and started my task of getting ready and packed up.    Shortly after the couple upstairs were at it again.  I was almost tempted to call their room and let the call be the proverbial “bucket of cold water”, but I didn’t.    I’m assuming they were doing what they could before his deployment.

This was Monday morning and everything was bustling.   All the troops entering the gate and repoorting in for the day’s work.   It’s nice to be retired or on vacation and not worry about work.      The morning was too beautiful to have to leave so soon.  A leisurely ride down Silver Strand Blvd. seemed the right thing to do.  It was quiet except for the few coffee shops along the way for the commuters.    It was time to head east into the sun and the desert.  I felt it was easier to run on the highways than surface streets and not get into so much commute traffic and such.   The ride was easy from Coronado to El Cajon except for the sun to contend with.  Once I was getting into Alpine, the traffic was much lighter and could take a bit more time to take in the surroundings.   Later, I headed up Highway 79 where there are many homes out in the middle of nowhere.  Quite a variety of homes, cabind and farms along the way.  There was even a few twisties to perk you up and hope there were many more to come.   

Lake Cuyamaca from north side

  I stopped along the way at Lake Cuyamaca to take some photos.  Not very many good places to pull off the road except for the dirt and gravel turnouts.   There was only a few taken as my thoughts were the lake wasn’t that picturesque.   I’m sure to be flamed over this statement.  It was a very nice and quiet place to be and figure it’s not meant for boating.     After a few more sweeps and twists I came to the little town of Julian.  It looks like one of those destination places for tourists, the little shops and antique stores to catch your interest.   I went into one little restaurant and had coffee and a muffin for me and then next door to feed the Wing at the gas station.    Between Julian and Banner is a pretty nice bunch of twisties to go through.   This was another of those great times with no one else on the road and take the curves with gusto and mabe scrape the pegs a little bit.  Beyond Banner you head int0 the Anza-Borrego Desert and some straight road along Highway 78.    The air was getting strange and humid feeling as I got closer to Salton Sea.   The temp was getting to be about 95 dergees and feeling warmer.  I could see a huge dark cloud forming over the sea itself.     By the time I got to Salton City, I stopped to get some cold water and stretch a little bit.  

In Salton City, looking east over Salton Sea

 The sky was getting darker and sure hoping that I wasn’t going to get caught in rain, or much worse a thunder and lightning show. The sky sure had the look like things were about to get real ugly.   I decided to keep heading to my destination and see what happens.  This time the temp seemed to be cooling down which was welcome as the past few days had approached 100 degrees. I kept on heading north and then over to Mecca. Just a little desert town with the usual samll stores and fast food. getting out into Box Canyon, the terrain took on a whole new look. The rock formations were somewhat different than I was used to seeing in the area.

 

Box Canyon, Mecca, CA

 

Further ahead was Joshua Tree National Park. The locals still call it the “monument” even after it was made a national park a few years ago. Being on a motorcycle was great beacause I only paid five dollars for admission. I was short by several months for the Senior Pass that would have gotten me in for free. The park ranger in at the south entrance was very helpful to my inquiries. I had been in the park a year ago and had to return to one spot in particular for a photo op at Skull Rock. One place you shouldn’t miss is the “Cholla Garden” that is about 20 miles north of the south entrance. The Cholla is probably the most treacherous cactus around. The needles will almost jup out at you. There are only a few animals able to move  unscathed in the Cholla.It’s very beautiful and blooms about March or April.

 

Cholla Cactus, Joshua Tree N.P.

 

The next spot to be at was Skull Rock that is popular with everyone. It’s about 3 miles or so on the Loop Rd. west of where the two roads intersect from the south entrance. IT’s amazing that the rock would take on such a human form.  Got the photos take that I wanted and even took a few for some other visitors in the park.    Upon leaving the park, I had to show my receipt since it was not affixed to my windshield.   I only had a few raindrops traveling through the park so it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. 

 

 

 

Skull Rock, Joshua Tree N.P.

My cousin, Maryanne’s house is about 2 miles at the most from the north entrance to the “momument”  in 29 Palms.  Most everything is very easy to find there even by accident.   Maryanne has a Mini Pinscher called Riley. Most of the time he can be your friend and others, your worst nightmare.  I walked in through the entry gate and he starts nipping at my ankles.   That is his way of greeting you even if it is a bit odd.  I did learn that if I sit at the table on the patio, he would come and jump up into youtr lap.  The nipping is his way of saying, “come sit a spell and be welcome”.  from that moment on, we were OK.

It 2pm, I was rather surprised the temp was in the mid 80’s which made it a nice afternoon.    This was my respit for two days to visit and kick back before heading north.     Come back, I’ll have more later.   Ride and Drive safe.

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I shouldn’t hurt this bad on a Sunday morning.   The frogs were up very early and woke me up.  You’d think they’d be just a bit kinder on this morning.    The temp was in the low 50’s, cool but comfortable enough.  Take my word for it, the dirt definitely gets hard after sleeping on it all night.  Now I know how the early settlers must have felt, or at least the likes of Louis and Clark.   I packed up the gear and once again loaded down the Wing.  Amazing how most anything disassembles faster than the other way around.  If I could only pitch the tent that fast it would be cool.  There might have been one or two out on the lake trying to catch breakfast … or whatever.   It was very quiet and I almost hated to start up the bike even as quiet as it is.  The Wing got refueled before anything else.  I cannot see myself trying to push an 800 pound motorcycle that has run out of gas.  If I were a Marine, maybe it could pass for doing P.T.      

I am not a real fan of Denny’s but since it was the most convenient, I stopped there anyway.  I was surprised that one could customize a grand Slam breakfast so that made the morning great from the start.      First stop of the day was just down the road a piece at Mission San Luis Rey.  Just like at Carmel, I was on the early side and couldn’t go inside the grounds until much later.  It was Sunday so I was especially careful not to go where services were being held nearby.

Mission San Luis Rey

Statues at Mission San Luis Rey

 The Mission is very nice and reminded me somewhat of Mission San Jose in Fremont.   But then again I could be wrong since it’s been at least 20 years since I was there.  Snapped a few photos and got back on the road.  This is the only time where I wound up backtracking and headed north to San Juan Capistrano. 

Visitors at Mission San Juan Capistrano

Koi fish at Mission San Juan Capistrano

The mission was very easy to find but the parking was another matter.  Finally got a space in front of a Starbucks that was just perfect.  I took advantage of a senior discount and paid eight dollars to enter the grounds at Mission San Juan Capistrano.  It’s surrounded by high adobe walls and the grounds looked much larger than from the outside.    I started taking a few photos and just happened to catch a couple at the fountain talking .  Their reflections were in the water and just had to do it.  They were oblivious to what I was doing but later talked to them and took the same photo with their camera.  I didn’t happen to tell them that they might have their 15 minutes of fame on this blog.   There was a lot to see and the place was busy with those going to church services as well as visiting the grounds there.  Several photographers were enjoying the opportunities soft light and taking close ups of everything with high dollar equipment.  I’m sure they were pro’s or at the very least some serious hobbyists.  The California missions are very unique and glad they are preserved for future generations.   When I got back to the Wing, I noticed a Pug sitting on a bench in front of Starbucks.  He reminded me of the little guy in “Men In Black” that was a disguised alien. 

Pug at Starbuck's

Maybe if I picked him up and shook him to give up any information, would I get the inside scoop on the area?   He could have been waiting for casting in MIB 3.     

I finally headed south and stayed on I5 all the way to San Diego.  It was still cool but a few sun breaks  were appearing.  Looked like it was going to be a nice day later on.  I can’t imagine the area ever having a bad day.  I was going to stay at the naval base on Coronado so headed there to check in at billeting.    At the gate stood a civilian female guard to check my ID.   She must have be having a bad day as she growled at me about a reflective vest.  Most any military base requires reflective vests during hours of darkness and told her that.    She said they are required 24/7.  So I pull out of the way, dig through my stuff and put on the vest.  She was happy (?) and I went on my way.  It’s nice to be prepared but hate it when the rules change at other locations.  

Wish I was staying at the hotel del Coronado

This was going to be a kickback day and just look around the area.  I took in an art show in a nearby park, rode all the way to the south end of Coronado and everywhere else that suited me.  The only incident that I didn’t care for was a woman in a Lincoln who just had to stop within inches of the rear of the wing.   I tried to let her know that she didn’t have to be so close.   Same thing happened at two more stop lights and I was ready to get off the bike and have a conversation with her.  Fortunately, she turned on another street and was no longer a concern.  I would have liked to tell he she should experience being on the bike and someone approaching fast behind and hoping that they stop.

San Diego is a great place to spend several days or even more.  I have been to most of the tourist spots and museums in the past but I will come back again to spend more time.  

San Diego skyline from Coronado

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After a good night’s rest, woke up to the three alarms on the writswatch.  Sort of a built-in snooze as they are set about 5 minutes apart.  Obtained a small share of the continental breakfast.  Certainly nothing to write home about.   Headed back through Decker Canyon from Thousand Oaks to Mailbu.  This was a different route than origioinally planned.  I had looked at some great riding area on Pashnit.com and was going to take Mullholland in a semi-circle and end up near Malibu.  I’m not a real glutton for all the twisties but certainly appreciate some nice sweeps now and then.  Thetelevision and film media seems to portray the Malibu area as the best place possible. However, I felt some of it was not as well kept up as I had thought.  The ecclectic style of homes were ajoy so see. Even some on the hills above were one of a kind with their unusual shapes and rooflines.  Every once in a while I’d get a peek at the beach and hope the fog would clear to let the sun come through.  If I had the luxury of spending much more time, there would be better opportunities for photos.   

One of my upcoming stops was the pier at Santa Monica.  Leaving Highway 1, I was directed toward the large parking area near the north entrance to the pier.  I was hoping to be up at the pier level but didn’t pay attention when I was looking at the Google Earth maps.  There is always someone, somewhere that wants to take your money.   since I was just passing through I asked the gentleman at the paring lot if I could go in for a few minutes to take a few pics.  He really didn’t want to do it, but we agreed that if I stayed in sight I had about 30 minutes to do what I wanted to.  I thanked him and went to the opposite end  near the north entrance.   It really wasn’t worth it to pay ten dollars for a few minutes of photography.   I looked around briefly and then got into a conversation with a man who parked next to me.  He had been into motorcycles and touring with Goldwings also.  He also mentioned that this particular weekend was the 100th anniversary of the pier and today there would be a sea of humanity converging upon this site.   I can’t recall seeing any signs indicating the celebration.  Maybe I was just blind in one eye and couldn’t see out of the other at this moment. 

Santa Monica Pier

Beach at Santa Monica Pier

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     

 

 

 

Venice Beach

 

My time was up and decided to be on my way.  It’s a short hop to Venice Beach that was next on the list.  I rode around all the little side streets and alleys to find a parking spot.  About the only place to park resaonably would be blocks away.  With the gear I had on the bike, I wasn’t inclined to leave it all on the street.    There were private fee parking areas and the the main parking lots along the beach.  I had the same conversation with the lady at the pay station.  I was told to stay near the bike or it would be considered abandoned or illegally parked and towed away.   It was rather early and the vendors were setting up to take in whatever green they could from the visitors today.  There were certainly no scantily clad women roller skating yet either.  Big bummer.  And it was about 10am or so at the time.  I guess very few are out early and the cool weather wasn’t going to help either. 

Today, I was going to meet some high school classmates for lunch at 1pm.  Time flies like crazy and we haven’t been together since graduation forty-three years ago   (omg!).  There were a few more spots to see along the way such as Manhattan and Redondo Beaches.    I consulted the navigation again for the trip to Highland where we were to meet.  I add a bit more time to allow for traffic and that fact I had not been in this area for about 20 years or so.  Getting down near LAX, I decided it was time to head inland.   Boy was in for a treat.    I am not afraid of heavy metropolitan traffic, but was amazed at the amount of cars and trucks heading in every direction.   You have to keep your eyes open and not depend solely on navigation.  the age of the software and road construction, realignments, etc. will get you every time.  During this next few minutes, I missed some turns to get on the freeeway.  What’s frustrating is wanting to turn around and go back but every light has the “No U-Turn” sign to make you go sightseeing some more.  It seems that I was on one freeway and then moving on to another one to get across to the east.  The navigation would have one location only to find signs that mentioned another.  Needless to say, I did miss a few more turns.  No worries, just have to be more observant.   Once I got through the maze, I was OK and getting to the destination in Highland.

When I got to Highland, it was a little after noon.   I gassed up the Wing and decided to ride around for a bit.  I pulled into a Chevy dealer lot and took a look at the new Camaro.  I guess it had not been there too long because they are usually gone pretty quick.  I don’t need to tell you that a salesman was approaching and foaming at the mouth to sell me a car.   He was cool though and still spent some time talking about the Camaro and the Traverse which was more practical for me.  The place was near empty on a Saturday and there should have been lots there to scoop up the deals.  I did go inside the showroom and take a look at the Corvette.  On the sticker was the mileage rating that seemed unbelievable.   It was actually rated better than our Pontiac Torrent by two or three highway miles.   Gee, should we get the Corvette instead????    (slap) I need to get back to reality.  Besides, I’m not really in the mnarket for a sixty thousand dollar Corvette.

At Coco’s finally, I caught up with Joe and Earlene.  Two classmates that live about and hour apart from each other.  This was the first time I had met up with them since graduation from high school.  We had about a three hour lunch that included conversation  about everything.  Several days earlier, Joe and his wife, Berta had been in an auto accident was was emerging from the injuries of that incident.  The last time I emailed Joe, Berta was doing much better after suffering an internal injury that was life threatening.  Apparently their airbags had not deployed as designed so I’m sure there’s going to be an extensive investigation by the manufacturer on that one.  Before we left, I wanted to take some pictures.  Earlene was adamant about not being photographed so she took the photo of Joe and I which appears here and on our alimni site. 

Me and Joe

I hope there will be another time where we can sit and talk again and have more time.  Sometimes I think I should have allowed another week for this trip.   The afternoon was disappearing and we were in need of getting back to other things.  I laft Highland and jumped on the freeway to head south towards Camp Pendleton.   Traffic was moving along real well and not very crowded.  The sun still felt good but was starting to cool down.   Up ahead there’s a sign,  “Pay Toll Ahead”.    It had never occured to me that I would be paying toll on the highway in the area but had no choice now.  There were two toll area and paid a total of $4.50 to get from point “A” to point “B”.   I wasn’t terribly happy but at least it was reasonable and I did have the cash.  So far, I have been using plastic most of the way and using cash only when necessary.  I was getting near Highway 1 again so stopped to get my bearings.  A quick look at the map and I was good to go.  Just a few more turns and I would be at the south entrance to Camp Pendleton.  At the moment, it was about 7:30pm and the sun starting the downward spiral.  At the gate to Camp Pendelton, showed them my I.D. and off I went into the expanse of the base.  Having never been there before, I’m going crazy looking for any sign indicating the doirection of LAke O’Neill.  Being the usual male, I didn’t ask for directions at the gate.   I knew that I would travel for a lengthy distance, turn west and head toward the lake.  Finally finding the sign, I did just that.   I still had to take several turns and then follow along the south side of the lake.   When I made reservations, I was informed to drive in, set up, and the campground manager would catch up with me later.  I thought I was going to have to search for my campsite, but it instead,  greeted me with huge numbers and  letters on the fire ring.   How great is that?  

Lake O'Neill campsite, Camp Pendleton

 Got the Wing parked and unloaded all the stuff.   Before I left, I bought a new tent and set it up in the living room.  Remember the directions?  Get part “A” and insert into sleeve “B” , etc.     I was very minimal with extras, essentially NO extras.  I had my tent and sleeping bag in a military duffel bag but no air mattress.    I found out that night just how HARD the dirt gets.    Just for the curiosity, I got out the laptop to see if I could get someone’s network on base.   No signal found, not going to happen.  What will I do?    The campground manager came by briefly to check on me and look at my I.D. to be sure of who I was.    Later, I took a trip to the restroom that was nearby and happened upon the bulletin board for the area.   Two flyers were there to warn me about the Pacific Coast and Red Diamond rattlesnakes.   Woo hoo!    And they put us tent campers right up against the bushes and the lake.   I didn’t have in misfortune of meeting a snake face to face, but kept a watchful eye out.    It was finally getting dark and not much going on.  My lighting consisted of a small flashlight witrh 2 “AA” cells.  No good for a whole lot.   Early bedtime and try to be as comfortable as possible.  Tomorrow should be a great day for some sightseeing in several places.   Stay tuned.

 
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First off, I have to make a correction on my last post.   I actually ended up in Monterey, not Carmel.  Sometimes having a one track mind gets me into trouble.  A few of my stops were scheduled through Hotels.com to keep my expenditures under better control.  The room in Monterey was very nice and comfortable costing about $55.00 for the night.  It was very convenient, had free internet, an quiet considering the traffic and businesses near by.  I had everything packed and ready to go all I had to do was one more task.   I spent a couple of minutes to reattach the mended footpeg on the Wing.  Everything looked good and sturdy so figured that riding would be more comfortable this morning.  I got everything loaded, programmed the navigation for the mission in Carmel, and headedout into traffic.  The location of my hotel was very good since it was only two blocks away from the entrance to Highway 1.  No sooner had I gotten on the highway, I was instructed to exit.   There was a deja vu moment since I was on neighborhood streets wandering through Carmel.   I expected more major streets as I was moving along.  It was a few moments later, the repaired footpeg decided to depart.  Pulled to the  side of the road and retrieved the peg about 200 feet back and glad I wasn’t in a high traffic area.  On the way again arrived at the mission a few minutes later.  The trouble with early morning travel, a lot of places are not open for business.   I managed to take a few photos but could not go inside until much later and possibily more sunshine. There is more information about Mission Carmel here:  http://www.carmelmission.org/   I finally discovered why the navigation was so frustrating, not looking at the parameters “avoid highways” before calculating.   Getting back on Highway 1 was easy just a few blocks away.  Rolling through the Point Lobos area was nice but overcast was turning into fog and drizzle.  The windshield was getting more difficult to see through and concerned with traffic behind me as well as oncoming.   I managed to get behind a car and follow rather than pretend I was Superman with the x-ray vision.  There were a lot of drivers this day that didn’t like me behind them because I always have the high beams on during daylight hours.  I admit it is a pain, but at least THEY know WHERE I am.    When the fog cleared, they would pull over and let me pass as I could ride the twisties faster.  I always waved for their courtesy to let me by as I went around them.   Sometimes we would leap frog after stopping to take pictures or just look at the breath taking scenery.    The photos here were taken just south of Big Sur where I found a good enough place to pull off the highway.   Some spots along the way were loose dirt and gravel which made for questionable navigation.   I did take the opportunity to spend a little more time and use my tripod and take some better quality photos as well as putting myself in them too.   I had to at least PROVE I was there!   My monkey puppet traveling companion became a photo subject occasionally.  We decided to name him “Milo”.  Don’t know why, just needed a more distinct name.   For all this trip, Milo never bitched about the accomodations even though it was spent in the trunk.  He wouldn’t have been much use as one of those “Trunk Monkey” commercials used by a car dealer in Oregon. 

Highway 1 south of Big Sur,CA 5-15-09

The Wing and I on Highway 1 south of Big Sur

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really enjoyed this stretch of Highway 1 with all the twisities, climbs, an terrain.    In this area, there is an abundance of wildlife to be encountered.    At least there was plenty of time to react to a situation.   Out in the middle of the highway is a fawn, the mother is behind the guard rail on the shoulder.   My question was,  which one was going to jump first?    I really expected “mom” to join the baby.    When in this situation, expect the unexpected.   Luck was with me this morning as the fawn was in motion towards its mom but the legs had no traction.   It finally go moving only to lose traction and fall on its side.  Then it got up and back to mom’s side behind the rail.   The whole process was five seconds but sure seemed longer waiting for it to all unfold.  Once past, I was only hoping  that mom and baby were not going to become a fatality with traffic from behind.  This is one time that I really wish the camcorder was mounted and running.  

The Big Sur area is a place that I’d love to spend more time later on.  It’s very beautiful and glad I got to finally see it.  Further down the way is the Hearst Castle at San Simeon.    If you haven’t been there, go see it.  I would like to plan a trip there again to see the night time tour.   I’ve heard that is very special and gives the grounds a different feel than during the daytime.   As I was passing by, there were many people there queuing up for the tours.  If I could make it happen, a meal in the dining room and a swim in the indoor pool would be spectacular.   The big gut was eating up the little.  Translation:  I’m getting hungry.  Cambria was just ahead so that was going to be the destination for breakfast.   Cambria is a neat little place with lots of shops and things to see.  This particular day the construction crews were disturbing the ambience of the town.  Lots of rock and other materials in the road to make one wary.   I found a place called the Pine tree Inn that was easy to get to and refueled with breakfast and LOTS of coffee.    Before taking this trip, I was hoping one of my cousins would be at their place in Cambria.  Unfortunately, Gary and his wife Wendi were back in Las Vegas and wouldn’t be there when I passed through.

When I got near San Luis Obispo, a thought occured and the light came on.    I got off the highway and decided to call a local Honda dealer to see if I could get a new footpeg.   I finally got in tough with San Luis Motorsports and inquired about the footpeg.  Again, would have to be ordered and would not arrive until the next week.  I then spoke to the sales manager and asked if there was a new Goldwing on the floor. If so, could I have a footpeg off of it?  I’m on the road traveling, and don’t reside in the area.  Most dealers will go above and beyond for those riders in this situation.   I was told that could be done.  However, since it was on the floor a new one had to be ordered and “next day” it from the parts warehouse.  The charge would be an extra $40.00.   WOW!   The cost of the footpeg is $17.00.   This was a Friday afternoon, no was was it going to get there next day.  The dealers are usually closed on Mondays and Tuesday would be the next logical day to receive it.  I told them if I paid an extra $10, I was willing.  $40.00 was TOO much since it was only coming from Torrance about 200 miles to the south.   I will make do even though my ankle will not really like it. 

I guess there were enough things to handle on this day.   I really wanted to stay out on the coast but cost and availability got me into Thousand Oaks.   Don’t ask me why, that’s just where I landed.   For about $60.00 I got a fairly nice room at “America’s Best Value” motel.  It was a ground floor room a few doors down from the office.  Most everything was nice except for the rear of the room and the bathroom.  Whoever painted it either ran out or failed to cut in at the corners where the dressing area is.  The bathroom was OK, but the shower floor was coming apart or had a layered mat.  Never saw anything like that before.  If someone out there is more educated on this, please enlighten me.  The shower control had “inpatient surgery” and the wall around it needed some plastic surgery.  The wall repair must have been handled by a person of dubious qualifications.  I guess you could say it had some “third world charm” to it.  This was not near the room I had the previous night but was more costly.  It was functional and the room came with free WiFi.  Woo Hoo!   The real advantage was being near the highway for the next day and two restaurants within 500 feet.

 

Shower floor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did I mention the overhead light fixture?

 

 

 

 

Ride safe.  I look forward to your comments.     Jim

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Like the last few mornings, 6am seems too early.  Having been retired for over three years and not getting out of bed until 9am or so, it was strange to assume those hours again.  I have all three of my watch alarms set about two minutes apart to act as a snooze of sorts to remind me to arise and meet the day.  The night’s sleep on the sofa bed was good and much better than the motel bed in Springfield which was like sleeping on the floor.  We’ve all been there in one place or another.  Les put on a pot of coffee and made sure I was awake.   We talked for quite a while over toast and coffee about our mutual love of photography and what the day might bring going southbound.  I hadn’t seen Les for several years and spent more time with him rather than rushing out the door at 7am as was usual.  It was about 7:30 or so when we finally said goodbye and got under way.  I appreciate how my friends felt about the trip by motorcycle and the concern for my safety.  Having gone through the experienced rider course, I felt confident but not bulletproof while out riding.   This Thursday morning was overcast and a bit foggy in places, temps down to the 40’s.   I regret not having some current photos of this leg of the trip but there are hundreds taken several years ago sitting in albums here at home.  Through the fog, I managed to catch a glimpse of the Point Arena lighhouse.   A right turn and a couple of miles got me there. This early in the day, the gates were closed but managed to get a few pics taken.  I learned to accept what nature handed out even if it wasn’t perfect conditions.  Such is the nature of the coast.      Highway 1 is a marvelous road because of the scenery, the quaint little places along the way and of course, the twisty, windy road.  After traveling on Hwy 3, I was glad to have some sweeping turns rather than the tight ones.  I wasn’t getting the workout like the previous days. 

Point arena, CA

Along the way there were many small farms and the cows seemed to be content in the cool morning.  This could have been one of those opportunities to get a photo of  “Happy California Cows” at work. 

Most of the ride was pretty uneventful going south to the Golden Gate Bridge.  It was finally starting to clear up and get some sunshine and a decent view of Point Reyes.  My intent was spending  more time in some other locations along the way and take advantage of some photo ops.  Again, no photos of this area.  Heading uphill towards Mill Valley, things were OK until I spotted several “crotch rockets” coming towards me over the double yellow and passing cars.   All I could do at that point was hold on, grit my teeth, and hug the shoulder of the road to keep from being hit.   I never realized that owning a Ducati or Hayabusa came with a certificate for “bulletproof”.   Unfortunately, there is always someone to give a sport or hobby a bad name.  Those guys were definitely the ones to do it.  I could only hope that someone wasn’t going become the fatality of the day due to their stupidity.  

Once in Mill Valley, it was time to stretch and put some gas in the Wing.  The area was a zoo and then realized it was Noon and everyone was out for lunch and errands.   I stopped along the road and mounted my camcorder to the left side crash bar and turned it on.  The intent was getting some video while crossing the Golden Gate.  The conditions were typical, sun with some cloudiness.  I paid my toll and took the exit off to the right and headed to the Fort Point area.   I pulled into the parking lot and then realized I got into a dead end area.  I was facing uphill and decided to let the bike roll backward and go to another location.  Mistake one was not looking where my feet were.   I stepped in something oily and that’s when things went wrong.   I couldn’t maintain a decent stance and down the bike went.  That was bad enough, but I rolled backward a bit more and managed to break the left footpeg.   Picking up the bike isn’t bad, but on an incline is another.  The broken footpeg was adding insult to the injury.  By the way, I have video of it because I forgot to turn off the camera.  Another job awaits to edit the video down to ten minutes or less.  Here it was, early afternoon and on the phone to the Honda dealer in town.  Unfortunately, the part would have to be ordered and not available until the following week.  (obscenities deleted)     The good news, I still had a little piece jutting out to rest my foot on.  Not comfortable by any means, but functional.    I called my daughter Laurie in Sacramento and asked her to call the dealer there and order a footpeg.  Mission accomplished and got under way again. 

Getting over towards the Cliff House was relatively easy, follow the scenic drive signs.  I soon realized that things really changed over the last bunch of years.  Nothing remained as I remember (?)   I was going to take some photos with the Cliff House in the background, but there were so many other “tourists” that I decided to continue on my way.     I stopped in Half Moon Bay for lunch and tried to pick up something to temporarily repair the broken footpeg.  No one had the JB Weld that I was looking for.  Since the footpeg was a problem, I decided not to ride up on Skyline, visit Alice’s Restaurant, and see what all the hubbubb was about Highway 9 leading to Felton and Santa Cruz.  I just stayed on Highway 1 and continued to Santa Cruz taking in all the coastal scenery.  Traffic was getting heavy and impatient in Santa Cruz while heading toward the Boardwalk.  I arrived at the wharf and was greeted by the parking lot attendants wanting money.   I asked myself, “when did this happen?”  You were once able to drive out on the wharf and have free parking or possibly feed a meter to do so.  I decided not to pay since I only wanted to be there a short time.  I didn’t happen to think that Laurie’s sister-in-law lives very near to the Boardwalk and could have used her driveway.  I found that out after the fact.  I used my navigation on the bike and entered in the Mission Santa Cruz only to find out it wasn’t what I really wanted.  The afternoon was slipping away and decided to continue to my destination in Carmel.   Once again, I relied on the navigation.  Wrong!    I got off of Highway 1 and into the middle of downtown traffic.   I wound all over the place and finally got to the hotel where I was going to stay.  The hotel was TWO blocks from another exit and TWO blocks from the entry for the next morning on Highway 1.   Why on earth the navigation would dance me all around Monterey is beyond me.  Fortunately, there was a large shopping center across the street and I got something for dinner AND found the JB Weld that I wanted.   I managed to do a little “outpatient surgery” on the broken footpeg.  Hoping for a short term recovery at least.  Tomorrow should be a better day.

Day 3
View Larger Map Six o’clock came early but I was eager to hit the road again and try on some more of those twisties. Having had a big dinner the night before, decided to skip eating and start the next leg of the trip. At seven o’clock, the sun was shining and the air was a bit cool. I left Weaverville and headed towards Hay fork and then to the coast. Traffic wasn’t bad but not in the mood to trail behind everyone else. Most of the cars opted to take Hwy 299 so heading south on Hwy 3 was a breeze. There are a few mild turns that become some climbing twisties part way to Hayfork. It was a pleasing ride and found some challenges since I am not an aggressive rider and the bike is about 825 pounds. Like the day before, I was getting upper body exercise making all the turns. I finally got to Hwy 36 and headed toward the coast and meeting up with those twisties again. It didn’t seem to take long to reach the South Fork Summit so stopped and took some photos. If you’ve seen the AT&T commercial about the guy who goes on a business trip and takes pictures of his daughter’s stuffed monkey, I am doing the same just as a joke.

Milo at South Fork Summit, Hwy 36, California

My wife gave me a monkey puppet so I decided to take it along since I was on this trip as a solo. The monkey’s name is Milo and was contented to keep a low profile in the trunk of the wing. Milo had the opportunity to show his best side at the summit and was quite photogenic. Further to the west was a wonderful ride until the road narrowed. Getting closer to Fortuna the road is not marked with a center or double yellow line. My only hope was that no one would take their half out of the center of the road. The closer I got to Fortuna, the temperature got cooler telling me I was finally getting to the coast and would finally see the Pacific Ocean. Once in town, I stopped to get a bite to eat, some coffee, and a chance to stretch the legs some more. Moving on, I went to the small town of Ferndale and decided to get some gas for the wing. There appeared to be only one gas station in town and unfortunately charged much more than the stations in Fortuna. Lesson learned as the gas I bought was $3.15 per gallon, the highest paid during the whole trip. I had consulted with fellow riders on two forums about Mattole Rd. This road is narrow, not maintained, has chuck holes, and has some traps for those on two wheels such as several stretches that have gravel instead of asphalt. I was advised not to go on this road and some said it’s OK, just to be careful.

Beach at Mattole Rd.

Mattole Rd.

 I traveled Mattole Road just out of curiosity and form my own opinion. I liked the road for the scenery but was disappointed that there was very little of it down on the beach level. After finishing this part, I feel it is better to ride on a lighter, smaller bike.

 

 

 

Moving right along, I headed into the Humboldt Redwoods that border against Highway 101.  It was a real treat to see huge redwood trees that have been around for a long time.  The road is narrow and care must be taken with traffic.  fortunatley, at the time I was there on a Wednesday morning, there was little traffic to worry about.

Humboldt Redwoods 5-13-09

Humbolt Redwoods 5-13-09

For a brief stretch, I got back onto some real highway and headed south to Leggett.   I had planned to stop for a while but changed my mind and kept heading towards Ft. Bragg.  A fellow I had talked to in Oregon said that Highway 1 from Leggett to Ft. Bragg would challenge me with all the turns and twists.  My feeling was just a small continuation of what I had already encountered in the morning.   I really liked it when I finally got back out on the coast and felt like I was getting closer to my destination for the day.  This is one of the areas my wife and I have frequented and didn’t really take any additional photos.   I already have enought to fill several albums.  I was going to stay with a longtime friend, Les.  He offered to let me bunk at his place and we were going to have dinner out that night.  I was really looking forward to this evening since I have not seen Les for about four or five years.  We are both retired from the same company, different departments, and  used to be neighbors in Woodland.  We communicate by email and exchange comments or the occasional joke or cartoon.  I stopped briefly at a convenience store in Cleone to refuel the Wing and stretch a bit.  At least the price for gas wasn’t as bad as others since they were selling Chevron gas.  I got near Ft. Bragg and started looking for the driveway that leads to the area where Les lives.  Like anything else, when you haven’t been there for a while, things change.  I spotted the driveway and made the turn at the last possible moment.  Since the Goldwing is very quiet, there should be no problem going into the mobile home park.   I still had that uneasy feeling the “noise police” would come flying out a door and demand that I not bring the bike into the area.    I rode further up to the end of the street and met Les at his house.  He couldn’t believe I would cover as much ground as I did on this trip.  I got cleaned up and properly dressed and we went to go pick up Nan who is Les’ significant other and would be joining us for dinner.   Down on the wharf there is a very good retaurant, Chapter and Moon, that had a great menu and ecclectic dishware.  The fish and chips were wonderful and reasonable in price. 

Les and Jim

We found out what a small world we live in.  Turns out that Nan taught at the same school that our daughters attended in Hayward.   So far on this trip, I have put 1,000 miles on the bike.    Stay tuned, there’s more to come.

Nan and Jim

Up early again and on the road going south on I-5 from Springfield.  The morning was chilly, wet, and temps in the 40s, windshield was hard to see through.  The sprinkles and showers lasted until I reached Roseburg and got some sunbreaks.  I didn’t stop much except for a bried stop in a rest area.  I encountered a gentleman about my age and we talked a bit about the trip and motorcycles.  He said I would have a challenge when I went south on highway one south of Leggett.  I guess I will wait and see.  I seem to travel a while before eating and waited until getting to Grants Pass before eating “breakfast”.  Having stopped at Shari’s there before, I figured that familiarity was good.  From there the weather improved and warmed up a bit.  the surprise was how cold the Siskyou’s were at 37 degrees.

The anticipation began when I turned off I-5 at Yreka and started heading down Highway 3.  The sun was out, still warm and comfortable, and a scenic little road to travel.  

Jim on Highway 3

I pulled over and took some pictures of the area and set up a tripod so I could get myself in them to prove I was here.   Farther down started the “twisty” part of Highway 3 that runs to the west of Trinity Lake.    This was one of the first few times I had roads like this and it was quite a challenge handling a heavy touring bike.  A lighter bike would have been to my liking but the Wing handled pretty well.   I stopped about mid way at a vista point and saw how shallow the lake was.  You could see the sand bars at the bottom and the lake had the appearance of a mud puddle. 

Trinity Lake

                      

It was about mid afternoon when I got into Weaverville and headed for my lodging.  I was staying at the Red Hills Cabins located at the west end of town.  A little old lady owns and operates the place.  It’s quite aged but quaint, neat and clean.  Apparently this facility is a favorite among bikers since it is really inexpensive to stay there .  It cost me all of $37 for the night. The rooms are small as are the bathrooms, but I’d certainly go there again to stay.  I walked the two blocks into town and took a few photos before having dinner at the La Grange Restaurant.  It is THE place to go there in Weaverville.  Even the deserts are to die for.

Red Hills Cabins, Weavervillle, CA

My room at Red Hills Cabins, Weaverville,CA

I was so anxious about the trip, sleep was no what I had expected.  I probably woke up about every two hours.  Finally about 5:30am, I beat the alarm and got out of bed.  Turned on the  computer and checked emails real fast and then moved to the more important stuff.  A quick look out the window indicated that it rained overnight.  The sky was overcast and temp about 42 degrees.  I had breakfast and coffee, made two sandwiches to take along, and finished getting everything ready.  My wife, Kathy was still not convinced that I was going to go then.  I took a deep breath and said no problem and convinced that I would have little trouble from the rain.  At exactly 0642 hours, I was going down the driveway and heading for Clinton to board the ferry.  Once at the landing, paid my money and waited up front.  This is the neat thing about being on a motorcycle, you get to board first or sometimes last where there is room.  Motorcycles, carpools, and airport shuttles get the Blue Ribbon treatment or whatever they want to call it.

About 25 minutes later, we are disembarking and heading through Mukilteo and parts south.  Traffic moved well for the Monday morning commute and everything was a “go”.  The only moisture encountered was a bit of drizzle south of Seattle and around Olympia in addition it felt so cold for 51 degrees that it would freeze the nuggets off the proverbial brass monkey.  Near Chehalis, I finally got some sunbreaks and knew it was going to get better.  As I approached Portland, I remembered to be in one of the right lanes to continue on I-5 South.  Last year, it was a last minute lane change with the gore point approaching.

I arrived in Springfield about 1:30pm and tried to check into the motel.  Rooms not ready so I decided to kill time.  I went to a business that my uncle had mentioned only to be disappointed because they were closed on Mondays.  Refueled the Wing and finally check into the room.  The room wasn’t bad considered what I paid, tonight will tell.  I walked across the street to a Mexican restaurant that was referred to in the hotel guest comments.  My feeling, it was pricier than it should have been and it’s still too far north of  the Mexican border to be any good. Taco Bell was looking good, but already ate and paid the money.  My project for the evening is to repack some of the stuff I brought along.  It almost seems that I have everything except for the darn kitchen sink.  Everything fits in the trunk and saddlebags except for my tripod, tent, and sleeping bag.  A little rework will make a big difference tomorrow. Total mileage today was around 360.  From here to the next spot it should be another similar distance.  This trip is going to last 4 weeks but will actually be 2 weeks for the circle route. There will be a two week period of visiting with friends and family and running all over the place in California.  Stay tuned.

The Monday and Tuesday forecast isn’t very encouraging.  Today the sky is clear with sun and is warming up.  I’m more of a fair weather rider but will strive to make this trip happen.  I’m praying for no more than some sprinkles.  The image here is from King 5 in Seattle, the closest source for weather.  I would love to leave now and avoid the precipitation but missing Mother’s Day wouldn’t be cool.  The Wing is gassed up and ready, all I have to do is get it packed and ready to go tomorrow evening.

Happy Mother’s Day!, enjoy the great weather, and drive/ride carefully out there!