Last Updated: Monday, April 02, 2007
Len & Pauline’s Trip Across The U.S.
September 14 – October 23, 2006
Starting In Short Hills, NJ - Heading:
West to Seattle, WA
South to Newport Beach, CA
North to Jackson, CA for a party - S.N.I.F.F
East to Daytona Beach, FL for a party - Biketoberfest
North to Short Hills, NJ
Click on any picture for the full view.
Getting started in New Jersey…
We left New Jersey on Thursday morning (Sept 14th) and took the interstate to Scranton.
We jumped on 6 from there to SR59 West and 219 North to Niagara Falls. Sweet road, SR6.
Rained most of the day, but only hard for about 20 minutes.
It's all good when you’re in the wind.
Had a good lunch in Wellsboro, PA.
Since it was raining (drizzle), we didn't go to the PA Grand Canyon.
The Zippo Factory… it’s a must see roadside attraction.
The street lights are Zippos. The flag is made of Zippos.
If your Zippo is damaged, they’ll fix it for free, or replace it..
Caught sight of a wolf on 219 in NY State... awesome.
The Falls looked just like they did in '72.
It was a much nicer time with Pauline there.
The Marriott in Canada is expensive; but what isn't in a tourist town.
We left Niagara Falls and cut across Canada to Port Heron, MI and down to Clinton Twp, MI
Dinner somewhere in MI with Pauline’s cousin.
We left Clinton Twp, MI about 9:30am and hit the slab (I-75)
to get our butts
up to Gaylord for a meet with Rand McNally (Bill) and Chilly (also Bill).
Met, fed, gas, and go. Rand puts on a great tour.
There are twisties in MI (up in the thumb) A beautiful day it
was.
Stopped at the Legs Inn for their Polish sampler with
home-made rye bread....AWESOME!
Heading for the U.P. tomorrow, with Rand’s suggestions for roads: 2 - 13 - 28 -
2
And on into WI, and MN at some point
Having the bike checked out by this dealership for a little hesitation.
From Mackinaw City, back down to Gaylord, MI to have the bike checked out for a little hesitation,
we went back to Mackinaw City and on to Manistique (#4) on the Upper Peninsula of MI.
After breakfast in Manistique, MI; Lake Michigan in the background.
Manistique, Mi to Ironwood, MI. (#6) which is right on the border of Wisconsin.
Lots of rain, not pouring, but drizzle almost all the way today... down in the
low 50's, electrics are keeping Pauline warm. State Road 2 to
94 to 28.
Left out of Ironwood, MI this morning bright and early around 9:30am
(that's early for us) with the sun shining for the first full
day of no rain.
Still cold, in fact *I* was using the electrics today.
I asked at the hotel where the great big statue of Hiawatha was.
She gave me directions (business 2 through town) and you can't miss him.
He's tall and can withstand 140mph winds...
We missed him.
We've seen all the Great Lakes on this trip. Riding past Superior and
seeing some of the home names is pretty funny;
U.P. at Neun
Superior Hut
Belly Acres
Rancho Relaxo
Pretty strong winds on these lakes, not like my little 800 acre pond.
Posing by Lake Superior.
Mt. Shasta Restaurant
Anatomy Of A Murder (1959) was filmed here.
Took 2 across Wisconsin and enjoyed the fall foliage. It's really
pretty up there, and I guess about a week ahead of Vermont.
We got to Duluth, MN and decided to have a bite (nothing opens on the lake
until 11:30am).
We putzed around for about 20 minutes and had a GREAT lunch of burritos at a place
called Angie's Cantina on East Buchanan Street... the salsa and chips were excellent...
Welcome center outside Duluth, MN.
Heading out of Duluth we took I-35 South for about 15 miles and picked up
State Road 210. Nice east-west road that cuts across the state of Minnesota.
Stopped for gas in Brainerd, (#7) and found out they moved Paul Bunyan up the road
about 7 miles. We didn't stop. If he's going to move and not leave a forwarding
address; that tells me he doesn't want the company. Also, I did NOT see ONE
blue ox. I'm betting that's some kind of folk tale or
something.
So, we’re about 3 miles from our destination... and about 500 feet from a
stop sign before getting in to Fergus Falls (#9), I feel a tap, tap, tap on my toe.
Yes-sir-ree, the linkage is broken. I dismount, look things over, get it into
1st gear, look around and see a lumber store on the corner and head over
to the store. Pick up some baling wire and viola; we're on the road again.
Started out in Fergus Falls, MN (#9), needing to get to a
Harley Dealer to fix
the linkage... so I found one in Alexandria, MN (#10) 50 miles south; and
headed
down. Real good people at Apol's H-D... Robin (owner) is good friends
with
the owners of Schaeffer's H-D in PA. That's a good dealership also; even
bought Pauline's jacket there about 5 years ago...
So with the bike fixed, and saying our good-byes, Tom gave me his card and
told me to stop for dinner at the Cook County Saloon (near Devil's Tower),
and tell Shari he sent us. He said she'll take care of us...
hopefully he's talking about the food.
Leaving Alexandria, MN, (#10) we headed west on 27 to Herman (#11), and north
on 9 to
Tintah, and west again on 55 (this little backtrack was to get into North
Dakota).
We hit North Dakota, I-29 (#12) and headed south. Boring on the interstate, and just
before the rain started we pulled in to Watertown, SD (#13) for the night. More hot tub,
more pool, and a sandwich of turkey, bacon, and cheese for
dinner, which wasn't too bad.
Tomorrow is due west on 212 to Redfield, SD, and south
on 281...west again on 14, headed for the Badlands (#15).
After the Badlands, we're going to Rushmore, Crazyhorse, Sturgis, &
Deadwood.
Nothing but rain... but at least it was a bit warmer, being way down here in the
South. <g> Left out of Watertown, SD (#13) and headed west on 212. Passing through
Clark, SD... there's an artist there who's creating art for those who pass by.
I didn't stop for pictures, but I'll look it up on the internet and see what's what.
I did notice about 8 cars all red with white tops, all the same year
(late '70s, I think) and they looked like Mercurys.
The road between Clark & Redfield is in need of repair and isn't
recommended.
At Redfield, we headed south on 281 (great road) and there's
actually an "S" turn.. right there in Eastern South Dakota. Who'da thunk.
Only 25 miles, and then it was west again on 14 and on into Pierre.
14 is full of farms with sunflowers abounding... most of them are dead or
dying by now, and the rain and cold is keeping them down and drooping... but
interesting enough there were a few fields with some actually looking for the
sun...
I did stop and get pictures. It's awesome... and brings
me
another search on the internet to find out how they are harvested.
Tomorrow we pick up an hour crossing the Missouri River, so we're off to the
Badlands. Our plan is to enter the park at the southern tip and head north
towards
Wall. Depending on time, we'll try to get in Crazyhorse and Rushmore
tomorrow.
It will probably be a washout with the rain.... but then again...I'm meandering...
South Dakota sunflowers.
Pierre, SD to Rapid City, SD.
14 out of Pierre crosses the Missouri and we get to set the clock back one
hour. As we head out it's raining (surprise, surprise), but the wind is
what's the problem today... 40mph steady crosswind coming from the northeast
with gusts over 60mph. The rain is supposed to stop by 6pm this evening
(in Pierre), so we're hoping it'll stop earlier for us, since we're heading into it.
As we're riding along at about a 30 degree angle into the wind, and it's raining
and Pauline's gloves are filling up with water because the rain is about
horizontal... we decided to stop and get out of the wind, change riding
gloves for Pauline, and the ONLY place was a little store on the side of
the road (which turned out to be the post office too).
We stop, dismount, and head into the shack which is the local
store and P.O... the guy behind the counter looks at the both of us, wired,
soaked, and covered from head to foot in some sort of space suites... and says:
"So, who's idea was *this*?" People are funny.
Stopped for a cup of coffee in Philip and chatted with the owner (and his
wife and daughter) of the gas station for a while. He wouldn't let us pay
for the coffee. People that aren't from NJ are really nice.
Went through Cottonwood, SD... population 19.
I was going to take 14 to 73 and head south to the southern entrance of the
Badlands National Park, and head north to Wall (#14).
But, since it looks nicer towards Wall, we head for the Drug Store.
What a hoot... if you're in the neighborhood, don't bother.
Except for the many historic pictures,,, it's just another big tourist trap,,,
with terrible food everywhere. We took about an hour in Wall and the
rain subsided... as a matter of fact, the sun actually shown.
Wall, SD (#14) – Wall Drug Store tourist trap.
We headed southeast to the northern entrance of the Badlands and had a
beautiful, but windy ride. Spectacular... prairie dogs and all.
Nature in
all it's glory. (#14, #15, #16)
The Badlands in SD
Leaving the Badlands, we picked up 44 west and headed to Rapid City... along
the way we stopped for a picture with a dinosaur, and you can't pass up a
chance to see Scenic (#17) and the old stone jail.
Scenic, South Dakota
Outside of Scenic, SD on our way to Rapid City, SD.
Another thought from the road... in Michigan we passed road kill of black squirrel (I've never seen a black squirrel)
and porcupines; in Minnesota we passed road kill of mostly raccoons; in South Dakota... it's all skunk... and one cow.
Mount Rushmore in the background.
On our way to Mount Rushmore
Not a very good bun
I really wanted to get in as much riding as I could through
the Black Hills... did I mention I *hate* to backtrack?
We left Rapid City, SD and took 79 south towards Hermosa where we picked up 40
towards Mount Rushmore (#21).
This is the way to get to Rushmore with some spectacular views of the mountain before you actually get there.
The whole facility has changed since the last time I was there with The Banker, much to the better. A little more
organized with the flow of people and traffic (being there in Sept instead of Aug has a lot to do with that also)...
and the state flags flying as you walk up to the observation
deck is a nice touch. We took pictures, we left.
Heading away from Rushmore (#21), take Alt 16 south and stop at the vistas
afforded to look back at the monument... there are a few tunnels carved
out
of the rock and the views through one tunnel frames the monument perfectly.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get the shot I wanted of Rushmore through the tunnel.
But, it’s there.
As you head south on Alt16 (really nice twisty road), you
come into Custer
State Park... lots of animals to see and we spotted buffalo and buckhorn
along with whitetail deer... turkeys everywhere.
Coming off Alt16, you pickup 36 and take that to 87 which is still in
Custer State Park, and it becomes Needles Highway (#24).
We got to see some climbers repelling.
The picture below (middle) is “The Eye Of The Needle”.
87 winds around to 89 which takes you back to 16 and into Custer. At the second light,
you turn right and head to Crazyhorse Mountain. BTDT but Pauline hadn't so we made
our donation and stopped for the tour of the facilities and
pictures.
Back out to 16 and it becomes 385 which runs through Hill City.
From there it was on to Deadwood, Sturgis, and Gillette, WY for the night.
As we left the Black Hills and headed across Wyoming, I was struck once
again by the treeless landscape. How is it there can be so many trees in
one spot, and a mile or two away... nothing.
135 miles of Black Hills today (#19 - #27).... Pauline's on sensory
overload and is sound asleep.
We finally had our second great meal at the Prime Rib Restaurant in Gillette, WY (#28).
Escargot for me, a spicy chicken soup for Pauline, and we both
had prime rib which was tender and juicy. mmmmm.
Looking at the snow capped Bighorn Mountains.
Well it isn't exactly meandering... Had to choose... north or south, picked north to Seattle,
so instead of Cody, Beartooth, Yellowstone, and the Tetons, we opted to take the slab I-90
and get as close to Helena as possible (we landed in Livingston, MT tonight).
We stopped and did the Custer – Little Big Horn thing... interesting to say the
least. What a bonehead.
Beautiful vistas of the Big Horn Mountains (with snow, just West of Buffalo, WY) and a touch of the
Rockies today. No
traffic, and as an aside... the speed limit is 75mph... and nobody really
going much faster. If this was Jersey, they'd be pushin' 90.
If you're in the neighborhood of Livingston, MT... Ribs & Chop House is the
place for dinner... Ribeye done to perfection with mushroom stuffing on the
side, and a gumbo sausage soup that would rival any I've had in New Orleans.
Pauline's side was a sweet potato casserole which was better than Mutt's
that we had at South Carolina Under the Moon.
Our reason for heading north rather than south yesterday was to get to Helena
and meet Carol Mandera
If you're ever traveling from Livingston, to Missoula, MT (or
visa-versa).ALWAYS go through Helena
(unless you *need* to go to Butte for some strange reason). The route is about 7 miles difference,
and the speed is the same except for a couple of towns,,, but
the nice thing is the views, the
Missouri River, and Canyon Ferry Lake... not to mention Carol.
Carol was warm, sweet, intelligent and easy to be with. Our lunch was too
quick, and we'll be back to take in more of her hospitality, someday..
On 12 leaving Helena (heading west of course), is Mullen Pass, magnificent
views and big, fast sweepers.
My only mistake on this route is not taking 141 north to 200 and 200 into Missoula.
The other side of Missoula, we picked up 12 West again to head towards Lolo, MT, and on to Idaho.
After Lolo, there's Lolo Hot Springs where a couple from Washington, NJ built the Lolo Hot Springs Motel.
Can't say much for the place other than it's big and expensive and has free hot springs.
At $90 per night it's mighty expensive for a step above
skuzzy.
The restaurant next door (not affiliated with the Motel)
had decent ribs and good beer for a decent price
I've been here before. But I didn't remember how sweeeet this
road is. .Idaho 12.
177 smiles of curves. Let me say this, this stretch of road is the *best*
continuous route in the world.
There are roads that are more fun,
there are roads that offer better vistas,
there are roads that have clear clean water running next to them,
there are roads that have people fly fishing next to them,
there are roads that have trains next to them,
but *none* of those road do it for 177 miles.
If I'm mistaken, please let me know the road... I want to go there too.
Just too beautiful, you almost get to the point of "where will this thing
end,,,, ".
Taking a pit stop in Greer, ID.
There's a good little bakery/deli in Dayton, WA (it's across the street from Don's PDQ gas station.
Really big sandwiches, and very good cinnamon buns... (Cinnabon(tm) is still the best)
Coming out of Clarkston, WA on 12 Pauline mentioned the hills
above the
valley looked like velvet. As we passed through the farmland of lower
Washington, it all looked like gold velvet. That is until you get to
the
apple and wine country... and everything turns green, thanks to the Snake River.
This country is magnificent... I can't get enough of it.
Today the road led us to Mt. Rainier.
12 to 410 and Chinook Pass; took a lot of pictures.
On the way, we stopped at a fruit stand, picked up a pear, a white peach,
and 4 apples. Ate the pear and peach right there on the spot. I was
interested in how different the white peach was compared to what they grow
in South Carolina. I bit into it thinking of how it *should* taste, and
was
surprised by the difference. It tasted so sweet it almost tasted like a
pear. The SC white peaches are my favorite by far, although they're
sweet,
they are not as sweet as this Washington one. Neither is better, just
different. When we got to the top of Chinook, we sat and took in the
snowy
peak of Mt. Rainier and finished the apples.
Chinook Pass
State Road 410 looking west at Chinook Pass
State Road 410 looking east – Rest stop at the pass
Come around the bend of Chinook Pass,
and this is what awaits you
Picture Post Card Perfection.
Descending Rainer – going north on 410
This picture shows all the evergreens, with one little spot of bushes turning into the fall colors.
Same spot, looking back towards Rainer
From there, it was a ride (with views of Rainer everywhere) west on 164 to
Enumclaw
for lunch at the Cafe Panini (home made pies). When we ordered the cherry pie, it was
the last slice; the owner/waitress gave it to us for free because it didn't look up to her
standards! So, if ya go there, look for the last piece of pie in the tin. (I used to own a
bar and the last one in the bottle was always free... they
don't do that anymore)
Went across the street, got a haircut and trim.
On to I-5 and up to Lake Forest Park (#36), lots of traffic, lots of
construction... but safe and sound 4,012 miles.
When last we left our heroes, they had stopped in on some
friends in NE
Seattle on Thursday evening. We all took a leisurely walk down to Lake
Washington, with some wine and watched the sun go down over a Bald Eagle
chirping at us. Sea food for dinner; king crab legs,,, yummy.
Took in all the tourist stuff on Friday; floating bridges,
Alki Tavern
Pacific Ocean,
Beth and Doug, our tour guides and hosts in Seattle
The view of Seattle from Alki
the Original Starbucks, Public Market
with the Piggy Bank,
fish throwing, fish catching, flowers,
pepper/garlic bunches, cheese, nuts, etc..
Post Alley
Lunch at the Pink Door (REALLY good food), watched
para-sailing, saw
Rainer from downtown (did I mention it was 75 degrees and sunny?
the locks at Lake Washington, (and a really good Ricky Ranger explaining the Salmon Ladder);
and last but not least, giving the lady of the house a ride,
along with her 12 year old son who
couldn't wipe the grin off his face for about 3 hours.
Friday was the first day since Michigan we traveled on 4 wheels.
Interesting, these vehicles that need more than 2 wheels to traverse the
ground...
Saturday, up and at 'em at about noon... only about 120 miles to go today...
time to go harass Snarl and Jeanne, make them entertain and
feed us.
I wanted to get over to the Western side of the Hood Canal and head south on
101 for the ride to Snarl's. Went to Edmonds and took the
Edmonds/Kingston ferry.
104 West (gotta love *that* road).
As we crossed the bridge over the Hood Canal, it looked like rain up ahead... 5
miles further and we were in fog and rain, it felt like the Pacific North Wet. Turn
around, get back over the bridge, and head down 3 to meet up with S & J at
Spencer Lake Bar and Grill... sunny and warm, once again (Jeanne I mean, not
the weather). Steamers with plenty of garlic and a few Coors later, and it's time
to follow Snarl back to Snarl's Den; giving Jeanne a ride and not even knowing'
she was back there. Time for a cigar and some more beer and then dinner of
salad, lasagna, and garlic bread... Delicious!
Snarl & Jeanne, thank you again for your hospitality... it's was great to
have you one
on one instead of a big old party where I have to share you with everyone
Sunday, October 1st, 2006; a brand new month, a brand new
day, and fresh ground coffee in the woods that are Snarl's.
We weren't sure how the weather was going to hold, but if it was clear, we
were going to head over to Mt. St Helens (#42).
It's an easy ride going over 505 to 504.
504 has some superb sweepers, and great views of the volcano.
We left Albany, OR (#43) this morning and just bee-bopped passed
Eugene and over to State Road 58. 58 is a nice two laner that's pretty
straight from I-5 to Lowell (about 12 miles).
At Lowell, don't miss the covered bridge...
but from there, all the way to 97 is twisty/sweeper heaven (about 80 miles).
There's something to be said about a road that follows a river; and when that
road and that river have a train added,,, it's just nirvana for me. This road does
it all. You'll hit 5,000 feet with a beautiful view of the valley and Diamond Peak,
and you'll be able to run 70mph through the sweepers (slow down if you
have someone on the back that doesn't like the sound of
sparks).
Pay attention to your wife when she's screaming at you with her helmet on.
We both got off the bike, parked on an incline (you see where this is going),
and I put it in gear just for that reason. As I got off the bike and headed for
the Kodak moment... she was still struggling with her helmet and the bike,,,,
sliding ever so slowly down the incline. No harm, no foul... it didn't really go
that far, but we both got a pretty big laugh out of it.
97 South is pretty boring, but it's only 15 miles and it goes by really quickly
at speed. A right on to 138 and you're on one dead straight road through
tree cutting country for 30 miles to the entrance of Crater Lake National Park.
I took pictures, but they don't do it justice. That's one big hole in the ground.
We had lunch at the Crater Lake Lodge and had a nice
conversation with the
Bellhop/Doorman at the place. Seems he and his wife work for Xanterra
(the
park and resort hospitality people), and his gig at Crater Lake is up this
month and
he gets to spend the winter at the Grand Canyon. They'll stay there a year and tour the area
(he gets about a 300 mile radius) and then on to the next stop.
Sounds like a pretty good gig. He seemed like one happy
camper.
The final leg, 234 took us through some farm country and was pretty straight
back to I-5 and a bit north to Grants Pass for the night.
We've decided to do Mt. Shasta next time, and headed for the California Coast
(State Road 199, Crescent City) and the Redwoods tomorrow.
I screwed up, big time. For this trip, when we pull
into a town where we're
going to stop for the night, I have been running all the way through town to
see what's what, and maybe find an interesting place to stop, or eat. We
pulled into Grants Pass, OR last night and I just shut her down... my bad.
Since it's the beginning of the month, we had bills to pay and things to do
at the hotel, so we just pulled in and got a room. We walked across the
street, had dinner (terrible.. Hart's something or other... ugh). Came
back
to the room and did the bills thing, and conked out.
This morning as we passed through Grants Pass on 199 south, we saw plenty of
great places to eat. Grants Pass looks like it has a nice little downtown
area
complete with big life-sized wooden eagles perched here and
there.. nice touch.
Oh well, opportunity lost,,, but today was special. We passed a place
that
does wood working stuff with Burled wood... I was in awe at what I saw.
Tree forts 40 feet up, with burled wood all over the place. There was a
guy
working some wood with power tools in one. I need one of the swings he
was
working on for the cabin in SC. Harvey's the owner and did a nice job
showing us around and explaining this and that. "It's A Burl"
is the name
of the place, in Kerby, OR. Stop in,,, it's worth the time.
Except for the Burled wood place, 199 is pretty boring in Oregon.... but
once it hits California... OH BOY! Smith River National Rec Area... full
of
twisties for 40 miles and it doesn't stop until you hit 101 in Crescent City, CA.
From Crescent City to Eureka, there are some small tastes of what's to come...
Elk along 101 in California
The Avenue of the Giants.
More of what mother nature has to offer.
Those are some big trees,,, and everything around you looks extra small.
We paid our 3 bucks and did the "Drive thru a Tree"
tour, and pictures.
There's some nice twisties on 101 just north of Route 1, but once you hit 1...
the fun begins
1 from 101 to Fort Bragg is 44 miles. 22 miles is just twisties through the mountains...
the other 22 miles is twisties down the Pacific Coast.
Today, we *really* meandered... from Ft. Bragg (#48) to Half Moon Bay (south of SF)...
Birds on rocks south of Fort Bragg
We meandered through Mendocino.
We meandered through Elk.
We meandered down 1, until we reached Bodega Bay.
At Bodega, we decided to have lunch and stopped at a place that looked
inviting and was on the water. The Tides was the name, and it was for the
birds. Really, ask Alfred.
We meandered off 1.
We meandered to Petaluma... oops.
We meandered back to 1.
We meandered through a forest of Eucalyptus (I think).
We meandered through a seal breeding area,
We meandered through Stinson Beach (#53).
We meandered to the top of Golden Gate National Recreation Area for that Kodak
moment.
We stopped at Half Moon Bay (#54) just before the rain.
We meandered the northern half of the California Coast.
We saw a rainbow.
As we started out from Half Moon Bay, CA this morning, it was
cloudy and the
rain had just stopped. We both decided to forgo the rain gear and see
what
happened... (usually not a good way to tempt the rain-gods).. but as it was,
it turned into a beautiful southern California day.
Half Moon Bay to Santa Cruz on 1 is really fast and mostly a straight run.
It was fun to run a little faster than the usual 40mph with short bursts of 43.
<g>
We exited 1 for the ocean view through Santa Cruz and we weren't disappointed.
Santa Cruz to the Monterey Peninsula is highway and 75mph... Nothing to see,
nothing to do but go.
The worst stretch of road I've been on in California, so far.
Monterey was everything I thought it would be.
Great views, including people watching.
We stopped at Cannery Row and had a seafood lunch of Cod/Shrimp/Tilapia... perfect.
Seals coming to sun on the rocks behind Pauline.
When we pulled up and parked, we attracted
a couple from NYC (Queens) and got to talking, what else... Harleys. He's
been here and there including Sturgis and has done some distance riding.
He's been to the Ear Inn, but didn't know about the Hooligan Run(tm). HOW
can you be from NYC, ride a Harley and not know about the Hooligan Run(tm)?
He'll learn when I get back.
After lunch we took the Ocean View Ave. route and headed down to 17 mile
drive. $8.50 to drive 17 miles? Who do they think they are, The New Jersey
Turnpike? Do they know who *I* am?... I guess they didn't, no
motorcycles
allowed... good, I spent all my money at the restaurant anyway.
So we bee-bopped around the 17 mile drive and wound up in Carmel overlooking
Pebble Beach... WOW. We took Scenic Road (I'm not making these names up
folks) around and hooked back up with Rt 1 and up to Point Lobos State
Reserve which gives a panorama of the whole Pebble Beach / Carmel coast.
Post Card Perfect...
From Carmel through Big Sur, it's back to the twisties and more fun until
you get down to just before San Simeon. From there it's pretty much
another
straight away to Cayucos. Cayucos to Morrow Bay is nice.... BUT....
that's
where the fun ends.
From Morrow Bay to Lompoc (#66) it's ugly, straight, and nothing but farms,
nothing pretty, just flat..
reminded me of Florida. <g> Nice thing about flat is,
you can run pretty fast to get it behind you.
That's what we did and we ended up today in Lompoc.
From Morro Bay to Santa Barbara (about 100 miles), there's about 20 miles of
good riding.
Not enough to make me want to do it again.
Santa Barbara was nice… but another shore town I would pass up on a return trip.
Somewhere between Carpinteria and Ventura
We got off course somewhere around Oxnard and wound up on 101
in the 'valley' (#68).... more traffic than NJ, if you can believe that.
The good part is, we got on Topanga Canyon Blvd (#69) to get back on 1 and it
is a BLAST!
The top of Topanga Canyon Blvd (#69)
The other good part is we got to stop in Santa Monica and
meet up with the
Boops! Always fun to see Mike & Carrie. Papaboop gave us
directions back to
1 and we wound up not taking them, mostly because I wanted to see the Santa
Monica Pier, and go by Venice Beach & Marina Del Ray.
Santa Monica Pier
Venice Beach
Pauline wanted a picture of the Surfer Dude
From there, we got lost...surprise, surprise. Ended up on 405 and freeway traffic... I guess that's why they
call it 'freeway'... everybody wants something for nothing,
so they all end up there.
So when we saw the exit for Redondo Beach, we took it and got back on the Pacific Coast Highway.
Redondo to Newport Beach is 38 miles. It only took 3 1/2 hours.
It's a nice ride on the PCH from Newport Beach through Laguna Beach, Dana
Point, and San Clemente. From San Clemente you have to take I-5 through
Camp Pendleton. The only thing good about this part of the ride is you
might get to see some tanks running around kicking up dirt, and you'll see
some fighter jets playing top gun. That's about a 20 mile stretch to Oceanside, CA.
Oceanside
From Oceanside, you can wander down to the different beach roads in each town
until you get to Solana Beach.
The Hide Away Café in Solana Beach did not disappoint. French toast (made
with Hawaiian Bread whatever that is), eggs and crispy bacon; a cinnamon
bun that was home made and very good (not as good as Cinnabon) and fresh
squeezed California OJ. This place is really a hideaway. It's on a dead-end
street next to a parking lot. When I pulled up to it, I thought it was the ticket
booth for the parking lot.. They serve breakfast all day but close at 2pm.
The Hide Away Café in Solana Beach
After Solana Beach comes Del Mar and then Torrey Pines Park and San Diego.
The real thrill at this point is the Paragliding off the cliffs. We
stopped
and watched for about 20 minutes. I don't think I'll ever jump out of an
airplane, and I *know* I'll never walk off the end of a cliff. At least
not
while I'm sober. So, no,,, I did not do this. But it was like
watching a
ballet. So graceful and quiet. They also made it look very easy.
Cliffs at the Paragliding School
Paragliding
Then came noisy San Diego... just another big city with lots of traffic, noise
and even more people not paying attention and talking on cell phones. Ran around
to all the "go here" spots, saw all the views from the high points, saw the Harbor,
saw Coronado, saw the Hotel.... didn't get in to see the Old Town... and beat
feet to get out of there by 3:00pm... and STILL got caught in traffic.
San Diego from above the Sunset Cliffs
Hotel Del Coronado
We took I-5 for a quick ride back to Newport Beach with a
layover in Laguna Beach.
Sunset over Newport Beach
We've been to Mexico, so I didn't feel the need to sit in border traffic for
this trip.
After a dinner of authentic, home made enchiladas prepared by my
sister's friend, we relaxed the evening away in the hot tub.
Ride North to Jackson, CA for S.N.I.F.F.
Sierra Nevada Invitational Foothill Follies
Left Newport Beach to head north to Jackson, CA
The 73 to the 55 to the 5 to the 57 to the 210 to the 5 to
the 99.
Sound boring?
It was.
Except for Pyramid Lake.
Except for the fires near Pyramid Lake
Except for the Los Padres National Forest.
Did I say FOREST? Where's the trees?
Once on 99, it's a boring shot to 41,,, but I'm betting less boring than I-5.
On through Bakersfield and Fresno
Past Fresno north on 41 it gets nice Rolling hills, two lanes,,,, less traffic.
Stopped off in Oakhurst for the night. If you do, don't bother with Todd's BBQ.
The route to Yosemite Village & Yosemite Lodge
Another full day of twisties and fun.
Started out in Oakhurst, CA, and ended up in Jackson, CA.
About 120 miles that took 300 miles and 7 hours.
We started on highway 41 north and headed straight (well, not exactly
straight) into Yosemite. This is the route to take because of the
outstanding views of El Capitan, Half Dome, and Bridaveil Falls.
The fire is a controlled burn to keep the underbrush to a minimum.
Pauline in front of El Capitan, Half Dome
From the same viewpoint, looking to the left across the valley.
We are on route 41 going into Yosemite Village, the road cut
into the mountain is route 140.
El Capitan, Half Dome, Bridalveil Fall
Bridalveil Fall
At the base of Bridalveil Fall
In the spring, this thing is roaring and fills the basin you see here.
41 connects with Southside Drive which winds up in Yosemite Village, and
tourists everywhere... even on a Friday afternoon in October. We did a
quick
lunch at the Ahwahnee Lodge and headed out of the hustle and bustle that is
the Village. Ahwahnee is over-rated, over-priced and really should be
over-looked. The lodge at Crater Lake was much more inviting.
From the parking lot of Ahwahnee Lodge.
There are climbers on the rocks.
Leaving Yosemite Village, we took 120 East to Tioga Pass
After lunch we headed out of the Village on Northside Drive
and up to Tioga
Road, with the highest point being 9,945 feet, and views of peaks that were
anywhere from 12,000 to 14,000 feet. We even got to watch some controlled
burning by some firefighters. 120 East through Tioga brings you to 395
and
Mono Lake (along with gas).
Along 120 eastbound
Chrome Dome & Half Dome at Olmstead Point
Tenaya Lake on route 120
Tuolumne Meadows
Tioga Pass
Mono Lake outside of Lee Vining at the corner of SR120 & SR395
395 heads north to 108 or 4 which are two more passes that
point back to
Jackson. On R.E.'s advise, we took 108 and were not disappointed.
Another
high elevation (over 9,000 feet) with spectacular views. The only
downside
is doing Sonora Pass (108) going east to west, you do the pass first, and
the rest of the trip pales after that. If you do it west to east, you'll
be
loving the sweepers and ride up to Sonora, and then Sonora will take it up a
notch. Either way... you'll love it. The only bad thing about doing
Sonora
west to east, is you'll be heading downhill at 26 degrees, instead of uphill.
Sonora Pass on SR108
Outside of Jackson, CA, just a bit south on State Road 49
After 108 we hit 49 and headed north to the Best Western,
checked in, met
the Grumpys, and meandered over to party central.
Party Central for S.N.I.F.F.
Dave Nichols, Kickstart, Rich Johns - ??, Kim, Rusty, Tinman
Big Al, Jon Morgan, Mrs. Morgan (Doc Zee foreground) – Indy, Chuck
LESDL – Big Piper
Vicky, Sputter, Sam – Grumpy, Becky, Ironhorse, Steve Reyer
Dave S. - ??
Doc Zee, Big Piper, Indy, Chuck, Evelyn, Tinman – Pauline (Dave S.), Ironhorse, Becky, Grumpy
Excellent - FOOD!
The line-up
Pauline, Julie, Dana
Barb, Chuck, DP, Banker – Barb, Chuck
The Band
Old Iron in the Neighbor From Hell’s backyard
Leaving S.N.I.F.F. with The Banker, we headed out of Jackson on 49 south and turned left on 4 to head east.
This brought us to Ebbitts Pass.
4 connects with 89 which we took east, and passed through Monitor Pass, and on to 395.
WOW! Monitor Pass is wide open and the views are 365 degrees.
Once on 395 south, it’s a nice run to 120 where Pauline & I were 3 days before(heading east through Yosemite).
This time The Banker & I picked up 120 where Pauline & I left off and finished up the eastbound trip of 120.
120 to Benton and then 6 to Tonopah.
We were going to take 264 South to 266 East to cut the corner over to 95.
We only had about 80 miles of gas left, and thought it better to head
to Tonopah where there’d be a better chance for getting gas.
6 to 264, The Banker making the decision to head to Tonopah.
We got stopped for construction, and were waiting for the rain that never came.
Sun getting low and shadows getting long.
95 South into Las Vegas the sun was gone, and after a quick gas
stop, we headed into Vegas after seeing the lights for at least 60 miles.
Coming in to Vegas at night is surreal. What a sight. We didn’t want
to stay in Vegas for the night so we passed through after stopping
to check out the fountains at the Bellagio. (It was too windy so they
weren’t in operation). We saw Vegas at night, so the next thing to
do would be to see the Hoover Dam at night… on we went.
Hoover Dam at night
We thought we'd take 66 for a while leaving Kingman, AZ.
But the rain started and was going to be heading in the same direction as
us....
We went south instead, and out of the rain, into the sunshine.
Took 93 & 60 to Phoenix. 60 SUCKS.
Took some interstates to get out of Phoenix...
and wound up on 79 to Tucson, AZ... not a bad road...
Along 93
Outside of Tucson, we stopped and ogled the airplane boneyard.
Tucson, AZ
From there, it was I-10 to make some time and get to NM.
We headed into Las Cruces after dark... well worth the trip... Riding out
here
where there's nothing for miles and miles, and then coming to a big city all lit up.
Especially when you're coming down from a higher elevation. It almost seems
like you're in an airplane coming in for final
approach. AWESOME.
State Road 70 ROCKS... even at night
The only thing we missed was seeing the white sands around the White Sands Missle Range.
Got stopped at a border/checkpoint had a nice chat with the
guard. He was
from Manchester, NH.... and wanted to go back. I asked him if he wanted
to
go back because it was easier to catch Canadians than Mexicans... Then he
told me his family was Canadian....
We spent the night in Alamogordo, NM.
82 out of Alamogordo, NM... is COLD this time of year,,, but what isn't at over 8K feet up.
This is a must route if you're in the neighborhood... real nice sweepers all the way to the
top at Cloudcroft where there's a little ski resort. This is all in the Lincoln National Forest.
On the way out there's a strong smell of alfalfa in the air, very sweet. Once you're out of the
LNF you’re about 4,000 feet up in cattle range country, the road gets straighter but the views
are excellent 360 degrees.
We took 82 to Lovington, NM, saw the rain north and east and headed down 18 to
180 East into
Snyder, NM where we picked up 84. Some rain, some fog, some of this, some of that... but it's all good.
Gas stop, somewhere in Texas… Notice the Drive Thru Daiquiris…
Interstate 10 East – just to make some time into Florida.
The ride to Daytona Beach, FL and Biketoberfest from Panama City Beach, FL
Somewhere along the Florida Coast near Apalachicola, FL – Finally, Sun and Warm!
I’m not angry in this picture; I’m just trying to concentrate on riding, not running into
The Banker, and take my picture… As you can see, I was successful.
Smiley’s Saturday Meet
Gary & Linda – The Banker
Gator – Friends of Wayne’s
Larry, Mike F. TL, ??, Charlotte - Bear
The quick ride home to NJ from Daytona
Interstate 95 – Left Ormond Beach, FL 7:30am; arrived Short Hills, NJ at 11:30pm.
