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The day started out cool and overcast and stayed pretty cool for the most part. This prompted many to consider investing in electric heated gear (which, having purchased last winter, I can attest to its amazing comfort factor!) after the coolness along the coast and mountains! We gathered at Starbucks – Tyler, CC, Todd, Patrick, Stevie, and Joanie – fueling the human vessel before boarding the wheels! Todd looked at the route and said he hadn’t been on many of the roads listed so we deemed him “Virgin for a Day” and promised to be gentle with him. Heading off via freeway to Foothill Expwy., if you just follow the road into the foothills, it becomes Stevens Canyon Rd. to Mt. Eden Rd., a right on Pierce Rd. and – voila! – you end up out on Hwy 9 near the Mountain Winery. A great way to avoid all that congestion along Saratoga Ave. Up Hwy 9, and a left onto Skyline which takes you into the mountains past tree farms, through the redwoods and flora and fauna with the sun streaming through, making patches of light along the roadway. A right on Bear Creek Rd. prompted CC to reminisce about parties at a coworkers house and how scary that road was trying to get home from them. But then she revised her opinion and decided that it was a great road on a bike when you’re sober! We stopped in Boulder Creek to gas up and Joanie threw in the towel, feeling tired and not up to continuing, she headed off for home. We jammed up 9 and then a left onto 236/Big Basin which takes you through the redwood forests of Big Basin and the intoxicating smell of the trees filled up our senses. Occasionally, on a straightaway, you can tip your head back and see the bright blue sky peaking between the towering redwoods… heaven. After passing through the visitors’ area and snaking our way through the redwoods, we turned right on Jamison, a very steep and windy road that was great fun to ride up… always get the sense of a cowboy in the old west, riding the trusty steed up and around the turns. Remember that song that goes, “Things that make you go hmmmmmmmmm”? Well, Jamison has a few turns that make you go WHOA! From there, we took Empire Grade to Smith Grade (which much to our chagrin had several places marked with a motorcyclist’s favorite signs – Loose Gravel – which made the going a little bit slower) to Bonny Doon and out to Hwy. 1, where we stopped for lunch at the Bakery/Café in Davenport – great food! After lunch, Patrick had to head for home since he was starting a new job the next day and was worn out from the festivities at Kaboom the evening before. Stevie hopped on the back of Todd’s bike and away we went south on Hwy. 1. Back up Bonnie Doon to Pine Flat to Ice Cream Grade across to Felton Empire (way cool road – well paved and nice twisties!) and stopped for gas in Felton. The area around here is amazing with its intricately webbed maze of connecting roads. After riding there several times, one can still come across a new road that links up with the others. We continued up Hwy. 9 and a side jaunt up Alba Road, another uphill twisty roller coaster, which having ridden down many times, was deemed much more fun riding up! Again, we headed down Empire Grade and over to Capitola to gently deposit Stevie at her home. And then there were three. We headed up Soquel-San Jose Rd. which is a blast, followed by a left onto Summit Rd. We passed over 17, which was a parking lot at that point in the day due to some unknown traffic ailment, and smiled with the knowledge that we had a secret way around all the madness that allowed us serenity! Back up Bear Creek and reversing our route back up to Skyline, we continued all the way to Alice’s where CC and I once again fed the machine and everyone put on as many layers as they could to keep away the cold. We jammed down 84 without much traffic to impede the journey and then north on Hwy. 1, with views that never cease to amaze and we never seem to tire of. Todd had been playing around with his new gadget along the way, a digital music player, and finally figured out how to plug in and you could see his head bopping around to the rhythm of whatever he was listening to at the stoplights along the way – was waiting for him to jump up on the seat of his bike and start boogying. Our final stop of the trip was at the Half Moon Bay Brewery where we hooked up with Brit Bob, his lovely bride, Barbara, and Bob’s friend Dean from Arizona. The boys had just returned from a trip to Nevada and we all shared storied from our journeys along with more good food. Finally, we suited up, those of us who could plugged in, and headed for home. Todd, the die hard, took the long way home along 35 to 9 complete with adventures with deer, and CC and Tyler headed back over 92 and slabbed it back. Long day, tired puppies, happy campers, and joyous hearts! “I like my women shaken, not stirred." “My favorite position is on my back.” “What's that thing dangling under your coat?” “I think I’d think twice before putting my fingers
in any of his holes.” “Motorcycling is the best way to get tired.”
Peace,
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What’s
that quote… a bad day riding is still better than a good day not
riding. While there are some rides more spectacular than others, even
the more “normal” ones are great and this ride was great