AdventurePoser Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 So, Jennifer asked, "What do you want to do for Father's Day?" Since the kids were all out of town, the anwer to that really was a no brainer! A ride, of course! With absolutely no final destination in mind, we mounted up, hit the starter button, and headed west. Since the heat was building, we figured the best option would be to head toward the Pacific Ocean and her cooling breezes. As it turned out, our plan was a good one. Back in the canyons the temps soared, but overall our riding comfort level was good. J and I stayed very comfy in our Roadcrafters, as we normally do until the temps hit 90+! Once out of Santa Paula, a quaint little town east of Ventura, we rode through the twisties enroute to Ojai. While the riding was fun, the detours on CA 150 were not. Unfortunately, there were huge chunks of roadway washed out and every quarter mile or so we had to stop for temporary traffic control signals. Pretty necessary considering the road was down to one lane every place the river got close to the highway! The riding was pretty technical with the washouts, sand in the apexes and occasional truck traffic (yes, even on Sunday they were working here). Still, there were plenty of smiles to go as we finally got a chance to let the RT loose! Dancing through the curves, Jennifer, me and the big silver RT are in our element... Finally we descended into Ojai. Mindful of the numerous radar hits causing our V1 to chirp like a canary from hell, we notched the gears down a bit and blended in with the Sunday sightseeing crowd. And, desiring something cool to drink and a bite to eat, we found some excellent Mexican food! Allow me to digress from the Ride Tale, and turn to the Eating Tale. In Southern California, good Mexican food is as plentiful as sand on the beach. Excellent Mexican food nearly as common, but GREAT Mexican food is discovered, usually by mistake. It's normally not found in the big restaurants, but in the little roadside establishments. Need a hint? Look for menus in Spanish and/or day/farm workers dining...Jennifer and I dug into an incredible order of taco chips covered with carne asada (char broiled steak), cheese, sour cream, lettuce, olives, tomatos and guacamole (avocado dip). It's probably a good thing we shared an order! J and I waddled out to the RT, mounted up, and took off for the backroads to Santa Barbara. Fortunately, no road damage here. And, even better, almost no traffic. I guess all the dads had to stay home and BBQ for the family. An interesting concept, don't you think? Here it is, Dad's Day, and what happens? Dad has to stay home and cook...go figure! Meanwhile, this dad and wife were happily beveling down our footpeg feelers! Tight twisties, magnificent views of meg-million dollar homes, wooded canyons, and the jeweled Pacific ocean made this ride a feast for the senses! Three hundred miles later we pulled back into our driveway. Sure, we were a bit tired, and the RT wore a fresh splattering of bugs, but what a relaxing way to spend the day! Here are a few pictures we took on our mini adventure: Don't let anyone tell you the citrus industry in CA is dead! Between Fillmore, Santa Paula, and Ventura there are thousands of acres of orange and grapefruit trees! Here, they are serious about their trespassers... Outside of Lake Casitas, the temps begin to cool as the ocean breezes refresh the flowers! I told you the food in Ojai was great! Quite a flattering pic of Jennifer, don't you think? The heat of the mountains, there are cool oases. This one is located off Mulholland Hwy! I can think of worse places to live. Unfortunately there isn't a house around here that goes for less than 1.5 mil! Near Meiners Oaks we happened across this incredible Ural bike and side hack. It was quite a conversation starter. The owner was a pretty colorful character as well! A self portrait with a Ural in the background. The twisties seem to be never ending in the So Cal canyons. Just beware the sand from the never-ending storm reconstruction projects! I know...pry the camera gently from my fingers... Here is a pleasing descent to the ocean. This spot is about 15 miles north of Malibu. When conditions are right, the coastline is like a jewel! Ride safely, Steve in So Cal Link to comment
Francois_Dumas Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 Wonderful report Steve, great pictures of a a great area to ride (as far as pictures can convey that ). I see Jen and you are of the same 'ratio' as Nina and myself.... makes 'transporting a pillion' a bit easier, doesn't it !? <grin>. Link to comment
roydog007 Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 Great ride tale, sorry we didn't hook up on Sat. Sunday I was at a BBQ at my brothers house, he did the cooking. Link to comment
AdventurePoser Posted June 21, 2005 Author Share Posted June 21, 2005 Even though in many cases I have to do a penance of freeway riding to get to good spots, great riding abounds in So Cal. Glad you enjoyed the photos! Cheers, Steve Link to comment
glockster Posted June 23, 2005 Share Posted June 23, 2005 Steve, great pictures as usual. On a side note, I noticed it looks like you are wearing the sy-max helmet, are you liking it? Sorry for the slight hi-jack. Perhaps I missed one of your posts. Link to comment
ESokoloff Posted June 23, 2005 Share Posted June 23, 2005 This spot is about 15 miles north of Malibu. Actually Principal Carr, according to my guesstimation/calculation, this spot is less then 1 mile from Malibu city limit However it is approximately 14.1 miles from City Hall as the crow flies. Add about 2 miles more as the beamer flies Oh, & it's mostly due west Great images & story as per statuesque You need to do this trip in about 7 months from now when Scott is up to his neck in snow Hows the new lid working out? Link to comment
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