AdventurePoser Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 Sure, the job promotion was great, but what happened to the vacation time I jealously guard every year? For the past four years Jennifer and I carefully carved out three or four weeks in mid-summer to moto-tour some incredible places. This year, our plans were thwarted by the job, and by Jennifer's acceptance into a Masters Degree program, which meant she became a student over this summer! Oh well...not to be deterred we found a few days and thought, "Where can we go that's not too hot, is incredibly beautiful, and isn't too pricey?" Well, two out of three ain't bad we reflected as we packed our bags for the central coast of California! For those of you "not from around here," the central coast is that area, loosely, from Santa Barbara north to, say, San Francisco. Bordered by the Pacific ocean on the west, and rugged mountains on the east, there are several beautiful east/west roads, and two main north/south routes. Of these two, CA 1, the Pacific Coast Highway, is breathtakingly stunning. So, it was decided. Up the coast we'd ride, getting a chance to sample twisties, high speed straightaways, scenery, and coastal BBQ as well! Loaded up, we hit the road at our customary early start of 0930, which was well and good since the late start allowed us to miss the majority of LA commuter traffic. We grinned, smugly, in our helmets, thinking of the poor souls working while we rode the majestic silver RT west and north. Just north of Santa Barbara we got off US 101 and opted for CA 1. The foggy ocean views gave way to stunning green fields, warmer temps, and miles of grapes, lettuce, and strawberries. We motored through the tiny town of Guadalupe, and checked out the cemetary where a surprising number of Japanese are buried. Kind of surprising, as J and I know that Guadalupe has been a Hispanic community for many years! We continued motoring north, enjoying the easy loping rhythmn of the RT. 60 mph along this stretch won't earn you any speed records, or get you there sooner, but you probably won't earn Performance Awards either... We decided to stay in Morro Bay for the evening. Of course, no visit to MB is complete without eating at the "Taco Temple." Not cheap, but have you ever eaten a scallop taco, or a grilled lime calamari steak on a homemade tortilla? I didn't think so... Later, after settling in, we stretched our legs with a long walk along the embarcadero. Here are a few pix: The beer in town was good too! Here's Morro Rock before the fog swallowed it: The fishing boats and gear are interesting: I think this is a Slash 5 side car rig. The family that owned it piloted a Yamaha sportbike as well. Dad drove the BMW and carried their little girl as well! As nice as Morro Bay was, we were pretty hungry for the twisties of Big Sur! Plus, the never ending stream of bikes heading north for the races really motivated us to get going the next morning a little earlier. Plus, we had a date with Stan and Pete at Phil's Fish Market the next morning! Was the ride incredible? Was the food and friendship at Phil's outstanding? Is Beemer maintenance too expensive?? In fact, the riding around Monterey and Carmel was great. The RT got its share of admiring looks and comments as well: "Hey look honey, it's a BMW motorcycle. I didn't know BMW made motorcycles!" All things considered, it was probably a good thing we left after a couple of days. After doing nothing but seeing fancy Italian sportbikes-let me tell you they were everywhere!! I put up the fiercest argument I could for me buying one. It went something like this: Me: "Honey, can I buy a Ducati 999?" She: "No." Me: "Ok." Wounded to the core, I got over it eventually. After all, could I really fold myself up like an accordian to ride one of those things? Do I need one to impress hot chicks in a last desperate attempt to hang onto my youth? Did I have $25,000? The answer to all those questions is a resounding "no." My knees are 54 years old, my wife IS a hot chick, and I work for the State of California...say no more. Sensing the RT might have been offended by my fickleness, I spoke softly to her the next morning, promising her a great tour of the coast. After all, who cares about all that stupid Italian exotica!? Not me. I'm a rock of restraint and sensibility. After killer pastries at one of Carmel's coffee houses we hit the coast. Here are a few pix... Here are a couple of cruisers. You'll probably recognize one of them! One day, I'll live right here... It was quite windy today. Jennifer said, "Do I need to hold the bike up?" As you can see, CA 1 is a dream highway. If you live elsewhere, come out and ride this road! In Carmel, there were bikes everywhere: In the mountains of Big Sur, we sat at the Fernwood Bar and Grill and took in the sights of countless motorcyclists riding north to attend the races. We chatted with this man for awhile. He said he was 83 years old. Views like this are the rule, not the exception! Anyway, this was our ride...not too far, 850 miles in three days, but we had more fun, saw more sights, and ate more great food in those three days. And, the RT, with it's 78K miles, ran like a fine watch. Who could have enjoyed themselves more? Cheers, Steve Link to comment
Kathy R Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 Lovely, just lovely Steve and Jennifer! Thank you for sharing. Link to comment
Stan Walker Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 It was so nice to invite us up for lunch. I really enjoyed it. Don't tell Jennifer, but she is really nice....... I posted a few more pictures from the area in another thread, more Stan Link to comment
AdventurePoser Posted July 11, 2005 Author Share Posted July 11, 2005 Thanks, Kathy. I was thinking of you when I posted them! Stan, you are welcome, and I won't say a work to J! Wouldn't want her to get a swelled head, would we? Steve Link to comment
Steve1962 Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 Steve , That looks like an ace road ....strikes me that it could be a bit dangerous though .......... having to concentrate on where you are going when the scenery is so stunning . Great pics too ................. Steve Link to comment
Francois_Dumas Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 Wonderful photos Steve !! I love the one with the fishing boats in the fog...... The coastal views are magnificent too ! Link to comment
dhb Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 Great report Steve. I'd agree with you about the fine riding possibilities of the central California coast. It's one of the all around best locales I've ever ridden in. Dave Link to comment
AdventurePoser Posted July 11, 2005 Author Share Posted July 11, 2005 Steve , That looks like an ace road ....strikes me that it could be a bit dangerous though .......... having to concentrate on where you are going when the scenery is so stunning . Great pics too ................. Steve Fortunately, there are many turnouts, which make for lots of photo opportunities! We were particularly lucky, because this section of CA 1 is quite often fog-bound in the summer. As you might imagine, riding this twisty road, with it's five hundred foot drop-offs is not as much fun in the fog... In all, a relaxing place to be! cheers, Steve Link to comment
Stan Walker Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 Best to ride it from North to South IMHO. That way the ocean and most of the turnouts are on your side of the road. Of course if you are playing Hoon then it doesn't matter. Stopping on a two lane / no shoulders road to make a left turn into a turnout requires faith in car drivers beyond my ability to have. I saw a Hog almost ram a car that stopped in front of him to turn left. He couldn't stop in time but did manage to swerve into the dirt the takes the place of a shoulder. He did real good and kept the bike upright, but I could see that the pillion was giving him a piece of her mind as I went by.... Stan Link to comment
Tool Man Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 Steve, Nice report and pics I miss that ride but hope to do it again someday. Fernwood is an absolute must to rest, feed and take in the surroundings. Mike Link to comment
AdventurePoser Posted July 11, 2005 Author Share Posted July 11, 2005 Whenever you are ready, Mike, I'll tag along! You'll be relaxing at the Fernwood and I'll catch up, in 20 or 30 minutes... Steve Link to comment
ian408 Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 Beauteeeful pictures Steve and sorry to have missed your trip up I did get to Santa Cruz BMW the week before for some service work and road down to Monterey while they worked on the bike. I think the 999 would be a great choice if it weren't for the views. But one club you don't want to join is the "West of 1" club Ian Link to comment
AdventurePoser Posted July 11, 2005 Author Share Posted July 11, 2005 Beauteeeful pictures Steve and sorry to have missed your trip up I did get to Santa Cruz BMW the week before for some service work and road down to Monterey while they worked on the bike. I think the 999 would be a great choice if it weren't for the views. But one club you don't want to join is the "West of 1" club Ian "West of 1" club...no, you are right. I do NOT want to join that club. While riding down the coast we passed several makeshift crosses on the cliff edge. Must be a long ride to the bottom. Steve Link to comment
roydog007 Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 Looks like a great ride. excellent pics Link to comment
glockster Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 Once again, thanks Steve. Wonderful pictures and descriptions! Link to comment
algover Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 Best to ride it from North to South IMHO. That way the ocean and most of the turnouts are on your side of the road. ..... I agree! Nice pix from both of you, and it was great to visit with you again at "Ryan's". Link to comment
rrrich Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 Ya know Steve, your pictures carry the cool sting of the fog. You can almost smell the ocean in them. When you're done being principal, maybe you outta be one of those tv tour guides...on a sexy italian race bike! Jennifer would understand. Link to comment
AdventurePoser Posted July 12, 2005 Author Share Posted July 12, 2005 RRich, I'm sure she'd understand... Steve Link to comment
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