antmakka
Well-Known Member
My Tiger enjoying the view.
Leaving the park on US Route 4 we soon encountered my first rain which didn't involve putting up my tent. It was on a nice twisty road but we were unable to enjoy it to it's full. We eventually stopped to get into our wet weather gear. Just in front of our bikes a deer popped her head out of the woods to check us out. When the rain finally cleared it was replaced by wind. Strong gusts battered us for most of the day, which made crossing some bridges very interesting.
Riding through Napa I would have loved to stop at one of the many wineries offering free samples, but that would mean staying for the night and it was much too early to think about stopping. We then got lost and stumbled upon some fantastic roads. One of the advantages of not planning your route too carefully.
Once back on the road we had originally intended to take, we pushed on Petaluma, CA, where we stopped at our only KOA site. Thankfully you can stay even if you're not a member, but I guess it's a little more expensive.
The other bikers seemed to make a point of ignoring us. They didn't respond to our hello's or head nods, which I thought was a bit strange as every other biker we met on ou rtrip was eager to talk about their trip and ask us about ours. Each to their own, I guess. Still, one had a folding tent in a bike trailer, which I'm sure makes tent set-up easier, but I'm not a fan of bike trailers.
Note trailer/tent combo in the background.
Strangely, the KOA site was the only one we stayed at which didn't have showers, (or any that we could find) but their shop had a nice selection of beers.
Day 8, May 14[SUP]th[/SUP] – 312miles – 10hr 54m
We woke to overcast skies, but that wasn't going to dampen our spirits, for today we were heading for Route 1, the Pacific Coast Highway. I've always wanted to ride this road and today was the day. But our first port of call, as tourists, was going to be the Golden Gate Bridge. The roads down to San Francisco were great and the bridge was fairly easy to find despite the heavy traffic and multiple lane changes required, usually at the last second.
The three of us.
I think a dry-sac to hold my camping gear would look a bit neater than my mixture of plastic bags.
We then had our pictures taken by some South Korean students who thought we were very cool. After letting one of the cute girls sit on my bike they asked if we were riding all the way around the US. I know I shouldn't have said yes, but a little white lie seemed to make them happier. We were then interrupted by a guy who was just about to start an iron butt ride from SF to NY in 50 hours. As impressive as that is, he then gave us a 15 minute history lesson on everything he knew about the Iron Butt Association. That night we searched for him online and found his website. He eventually made it, so good on him. I even feel slightly guilty for nick naming him Iron Butt-Head.
Anyway, time to cross the bridge. Pity about the lack of a view.
So how much for crossing the bridge (no motorcycle discount).
I have to be honest - not worth it. A bridge farther inland looked more interesting. Maybe if we could have seen Alcatraz, or even the ocean, it would have been better.
We fought our way through the city, made much easier by the very friendly motorist who were only too pleased to let us change lanes (please take note, Albuquerque). So finally we arrived at the PCH. Seeing it on TV (probably southern California) it's all sweepers, but in the north it's very twisty. It's great when you have nobody in front of you, but when car drivers are more interested in the view than seeing where they are going it can make for a frustrating ride. It could have been much worse though, so we just waited for gaps and showed them how you really enjoy Route 1.
We passed some signs saying delays possible on Route 1 for the next hour. Probably some roadworks (or so we thought) and we can just ride to the front of any stationary or slow traffic (thanks CA). Well it turned out that it was the Tour de California. We were stuck behind them for hours. We rode past so much traffic then we ended up in the middle of the cyclists' support vehicles. Better road signs please, telling people what's happening.
With us all getting low on fuel we were pleased to see the first gas station in 40 miles. After filling up I checked the price, $6.80 per gallon for mid grade (the otherswere using premium for some reason, so they would have paid even more). That was twice the price I'd paid on my first day when leaving Albuquerque. After a great day's riding we had a look around for campsites, but everywhere was RV-only or very basic (i.e. no wi-fi), so we ended up in another cheap motel, this time in Sa Luis Obispo. With rooms having two big beds costing the same as three tent spaces, we were getting lazy. Barry was usually the one sleeping on the floor, mainly as punishment for his snoring. With bikes unpacked, it was time for a beer. Do you see a pattern forming?
(Part VII to follow)
Leaving the park on US Route 4 we soon encountered my first rain which didn't involve putting up my tent. It was on a nice twisty road but we were unable to enjoy it to it's full. We eventually stopped to get into our wet weather gear. Just in front of our bikes a deer popped her head out of the woods to check us out. When the rain finally cleared it was replaced by wind. Strong gusts battered us for most of the day, which made crossing some bridges very interesting.
Riding through Napa I would have loved to stop at one of the many wineries offering free samples, but that would mean staying for the night and it was much too early to think about stopping. We then got lost and stumbled upon some fantastic roads. One of the advantages of not planning your route too carefully.
Once back on the road we had originally intended to take, we pushed on Petaluma, CA, where we stopped at our only KOA site. Thankfully you can stay even if you're not a member, but I guess it's a little more expensive.
The other bikers seemed to make a point of ignoring us. They didn't respond to our hello's or head nods, which I thought was a bit strange as every other biker we met on ou rtrip was eager to talk about their trip and ask us about ours. Each to their own, I guess. Still, one had a folding tent in a bike trailer, which I'm sure makes tent set-up easier, but I'm not a fan of bike trailers.
Note trailer/tent combo in the background.
Strangely, the KOA site was the only one we stayed at which didn't have showers, (or any that we could find) but their shop had a nice selection of beers.
Day 8, May 14[SUP]th[/SUP] – 312miles – 10hr 54m
We woke to overcast skies, but that wasn't going to dampen our spirits, for today we were heading for Route 1, the Pacific Coast Highway. I've always wanted to ride this road and today was the day. But our first port of call, as tourists, was going to be the Golden Gate Bridge. The roads down to San Francisco were great and the bridge was fairly easy to find despite the heavy traffic and multiple lane changes required, usually at the last second.
The three of us.
I think a dry-sac to hold my camping gear would look a bit neater than my mixture of plastic bags.
We then had our pictures taken by some South Korean students who thought we were very cool. After letting one of the cute girls sit on my bike they asked if we were riding all the way around the US. I know I shouldn't have said yes, but a little white lie seemed to make them happier. We were then interrupted by a guy who was just about to start an iron butt ride from SF to NY in 50 hours. As impressive as that is, he then gave us a 15 minute history lesson on everything he knew about the Iron Butt Association. That night we searched for him online and found his website. He eventually made it, so good on him. I even feel slightly guilty for nick naming him Iron Butt-Head.
Anyway, time to cross the bridge. Pity about the lack of a view.
So how much for crossing the bridge (no motorcycle discount).
I have to be honest - not worth it. A bridge farther inland looked more interesting. Maybe if we could have seen Alcatraz, or even the ocean, it would have been better.
We fought our way through the city, made much easier by the very friendly motorist who were only too pleased to let us change lanes (please take note, Albuquerque). So finally we arrived at the PCH. Seeing it on TV (probably southern California) it's all sweepers, but in the north it's very twisty. It's great when you have nobody in front of you, but when car drivers are more interested in the view than seeing where they are going it can make for a frustrating ride. It could have been much worse though, so we just waited for gaps and showed them how you really enjoy Route 1.
We passed some signs saying delays possible on Route 1 for the next hour. Probably some roadworks (or so we thought) and we can just ride to the front of any stationary or slow traffic (thanks CA). Well it turned out that it was the Tour de California. We were stuck behind them for hours. We rode past so much traffic then we ended up in the middle of the cyclists' support vehicles. Better road signs please, telling people what's happening.
With us all getting low on fuel we were pleased to see the first gas station in 40 miles. After filling up I checked the price, $6.80 per gallon for mid grade (the otherswere using premium for some reason, so they would have paid even more). That was twice the price I'd paid on my first day when leaving Albuquerque. After a great day's riding we had a look around for campsites, but everywhere was RV-only or very basic (i.e. no wi-fi), so we ended up in another cheap motel, this time in Sa Luis Obispo. With rooms having two big beds costing the same as three tent spaces, we were getting lazy. Barry was usually the one sleeping on the floor, mainly as punishment for his snoring. With bikes unpacked, it was time for a beer. Do you see a pattern forming?
(Part VII to follow)
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