Bob and I had been planning a trip that would “circumnavigate” California since December 2005 after we each purchased our new Honda ST1300’s.  Bob told me that one of the things that he wanted to do was to take the Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1) all the way to Washington.  Neither of us could get the time off from work or kitchen passes that would allow that much time so we decided to stay in California (for the most part) and to include some of the scenic Sierra passes for the trip. Our original planned route was to take 9 days (2 weekends, 1 workweek) and cover about 2,400 miles.  However, after months of planning various routes, motel stops, and on the road modifications, our final route covered about 2,110 miles over 7 days.  We decided that we would begin our little adventure in the great city of Templeton, which is on Highway 101 just south of Paso Robles.  An old friend of mine, Jim, who I served with in the Army, suggested we stay with him and his girl friend, Denise, at Denise’s mom’s (Donnie) house that first night.  After all, the price was right and Jim and I would get some time to visit.  (-;

Day 1 – Destination, Templeton, CA

I wanted to hit the road by 8:00 a.m., but as usual as the “best laid” plans go I wasn’t able to get started until nearly 10:00 a.m.  I fueled up at a local Chevron station near I-5 and then headed south for Templeton.  My first stop was Santa Nella where I refueled and took a short break.  Shortly after getting back on the freeway around noon, Bob calls me and tells me he is heading out so I do some quick mental calculations and figure he should be in Templeton around 4:30 – 5:00 p.m.  Sure is nice to be able to talk on the cell phone and ride the motorcycle at the same time.

As I’m cruising down the road just minding my own business, at an indicated 85mph on my speedometer I notice a Kia riding my tail.  So I cracked open my throttle and got up to an indicated 135mph and of course left the Kia in the dust.  After a few miles of this I backed off the throttle and was comfortably cruising behind a “cell” of traffic when suddenly here comes the Kia again.  This time he’s doing about 95+mph weaving in and out of the traffic to get through the cell.  I’m thinking to myself, this boy must be in a real hurry!  About 2 or 3 miles down the road I see the Kia on the side of road and the driver chatting with a CHP officer who had ticket pad in hand.  The Kia driver was not looking real happy.  I resisted the urge to hit my horn.

I originally planned to make my final stop in Templeton, but alas, just before getting to the Highway 41 junction a really juicy bug decided to commit suicide dead center on my face shield obscuring my vision.  I stopped in Kettlemen City to fuel up and to perform bug splat removal.  The remaining 61 miles to Templeton were uneventful (the best kind!) and I arrived there at about 2:30p.m.  Shortly after my arrival, Denise and her mom went to get some lunch and returned with some really great burgers from a local mom and pop type place.  Great burgers!!!  Bob got there at about 4:30p.m. and pizza was ordered for dinner.  There goes the diet J Well I was thinking about a diet…

We had a very pleasant stay and conversations with Jim, Denise, and Denise’s mom, Donnie.  Their hospitality was most welcome.  Jim and I had a great time telling old “war” stories of our time together in Richmond, CA while serving together full time with the National Guard. Unfortunately those stories did not begin with “Once upon a time…” and for the most part did not end with “Happily ever after.”  Oh well, those stories are for a whole other book…

Day 2 - Destination Bodega Bay CA 

We planned to leave around 8:00a.m.  However, it was pretty foggy until about 9:30a.m. so we waited for it to clear before taking off.  Around 10:00a.m. we finally got on the road and headed for Morro Bay to catch Highway 1 and go north.

We were disappointed when we got to Morro Bay as it was chilly and a low Marine layer covered the area.  After a brief tour of the harbor near Morro Bay rock we headed north on 1 for more of the same chilly and foggy conditions.

Besides the less than satisfactory weather conditions, we had problems with our radio communications.  One time I could hear Bob loud and clear but he couldn’t hear me and then it was vise versa.  After a while we just gave up and didn’t use the radios at all after the second day L  Still have to resolve that issue.

During our ride north we were slowed down by numerous motor homes and Hardley’s that couldn’t go around a corner without scraping parts of their bike off onto the roadway.   Most of the motor home drivers were at least courteous enough to use the turnouts so that faster drivers could go around but the Hardley riders thought that no one should go faster than them.  After “pushing” on them for a while they finally pulled over at a turn out and let us pass.

We stopped in Marina, just north of Monterey, for lunch and decided that we would head inland and catch US101 in order to make up some time because we still had a long way to travel.  We stopped at a rest stop south of San Francisco in order to put on some warmer clothing as we could see that the fog in Frisco was going to be pretty heavy.  Our fears of the fog were confirmed when a guy asked if we were headed to the city.   We said we were and he told us that the fog was like a light rain there.  Oh joy!  Can hardly wait for that!  We finally arrived at the city and the fog was in its full splendor.  As we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge the water below was not visible.  When we got over the bridge and near Sausalito the fog was rolling over the hills and it was extremely windy which made the fog look like lava flowing from a volcano.  We continued on 101 until Bob ran out of map so we stopped so Bob could refold his map and check our bearings.   We then followed 116 to 12 and then west on 12 to 1 and then into Bodega Bay where we would spend the night.  We finally arrived at Bodega Bay at about 8:30p.m. in cold foggy conditions. After locating our motel and unloading the bikes we went in search of a place to eat.  Little did we realize that they roll up the sidewalks early in Bodega Bay so finding a place to eat was not easy.  Fortunately we found the only place open, the Tides Restaurant, minutes before they closed.   Expensive, but the food was excellent.

Day 3 - Destination Redding CA

When we got up the next morning it was foggy so we took our time getting ready.   We were getting ready to locate a place for breakfast when Bob discovered that the motel provided a continental breakfast that was pretty good.  Something that surprised me was how excellent the coffee was!  Probably one of the best cups of coffee I was to have for the entire trip as it turned out.

While we were loading up, a fellow biker who had also stayed the night there, came over to us and told us how much he admired the ST1300.  He said he’d have one except that he was vertically challenged and had to settle for a beemer instead.  It was really fun to chat with him and he was just one of several interesting people we were to meet during our trip. 

We finished loading up, and left the hotel stopping long enough to fuel up and get our bearings before taking off north on 1.  Highway 1 was a most interesting ride because it demands your full attention in order to avoid becoming a statistic and at the same time it is such a scenic rich environment.  One thing that surprised me was that there were so many cattle guards near the apex of the curves.  Wet steel and rubber does not provide much in the way of traction.  Thankfully they are well marked so it wasn’t a surprise that would happen too late to make the necessary adjustments.

After only about 20 miles and an hour later, we stopped at Ft Ross state park to look around and play the tourists for a bit.  Very interesting place and if not for the fog it would have made for some great coastal pictures.

We hit the road again on our way to more and more twisites.  Little did we realize how long this day was going to be and the number of very tight curves we would have to negotiate.  During the latter phase of our planning Li’l Bro, so innocently suggested that we forego our original plans of stay in Fortuna in favor of Redding so that we could stop by Russell Day Long to get his seat adjusted.  After all it was going to be just a “few more miles”.  Had I known what all it would entail, I would have adjusted Li’l Bro’s seat for him!  I had sharpened my pocket knife the day before we began our trip ;-)

We continued north on 1 until we got to Leggett where we caught US101.  Around Piercy, Bob began looking for a gas station.   He spotted a small one on the right side of the road, he pointed to it and of course like an idiot, I looked to where Li’l Bro had pointed then turned my head just in time to see him making a right hand turn in front of me.  :-O You know, for an old guy my reflexes are still pretty good.   I managed to lock up both the front and rear brakes in time to narrowly avoid T-Boning Li’l Bro.  When we pulled into the gas station, he asked me, “did you almost get me?!”,  to which I answered, “yep”.  At any rate we discovered the pumps weren’t automated so we left and stopped at a station a few more miles down the road where we fueled up and took a short break.   During our break, a truck driver, who was taking a break himself, noticed the U.S. Army retired decal I have on my windshield and asked when I retired.   Well not being in the “army” frame of mind, I thought he was asking when I put new tires on my bike and I said about a thousand miles ago.  To which of course he gave me a puzzled look and said “recently then huh?”  It was then I realized what he was talking about and I corrected myself telling him that I had actually retired in 1989.  Turns out that he was in the Gulf war and as we started telling each other various war stories, Li’l Bro decided that this was going to turn into a really long winded discussion.  So he decided that we best leave before we lost any more daylight.  He’s so patient ;-)  We decided to bypass the Avenue of the Giants in order to make up time so we stayed on US101 until we hit the Highway 36 junction where we then headed east.  A few miles down the road, Bob stopped and suggested that we add additional clothing because of the chilly temperature.  (If I remember correctly it was about 56-57 degrees at the time)  I told him that I didn’t think it was necessary because the further inland we went the higher the temps would get.  As it turned out I was correct. 

36 is a forever ride of curves and twisties of all types and varieties.    By the time we hit 299 via 36 and 3, our brand new tires were devoid of chicken strips and the edges of my boots were worn down to about a forty-five degree angle.  36 and 3 were most interesting rides.  Especially when it became dusk then dark.  We had to keep a vigilant lookout for bambi, for which there were many.  Bob didn’t see it, but he missed a bat splat on his helmet by a matter of mere inches. That would have been a surprise for sure!  At one point, Bob spotted a cow that was standing on the wrong side of a fence so he kept a close eye on it, as he didn’t think that raw BBQ would look good on his ST.   By the time we hit Redding at about 9:30p.m. my legs, arms, hands were tired, and my one active brain cell was exhausted.  We checked into the motel, fueled up, then went to find something to eat.  We found a Denny’s a few miles away and had breakfast.  By the time we got to bed I was dead tired and it didn’t take me long to pass out. Twelve hours in the saddle made for a long day.

Day 4 – Destination Klamath Falls (Crater Lake), OR

We got up and going early because we wanted to be at Russell Day Long by 8:00a.m. Bob needed get his seat adjusted in order to provide more comfort for his posterior and various other parts of his anatomy.  So whilst he was wasting our time getting that done (-;  I got my Plexus plastic polish out and began cleaning the dead bug carcass’ off my bike.  An older gentleman who was there getting a saddle made for his Yamaha Star, engaged us in conversation about riding.  Turns out he was 72 and was sad that he had given up his sport touring beemer for the Star.  He really liked the ST’s and commented about what a great looking bike they were.  Bob and I both assured him that they handled as well as they looked.  Russell finished Bob’s adjustment some time after 10:00a.m. and we decided we’d catch a brunch in the little town of Weed, which was about 60 miles north on I-5, before heading for Klamath Falls on Highway 97.  We stopped for lunch at a nice little mom and pop type restaurant then hit 97 towards Klamath Falls.  Bob was initially worried that 97 were going to be like 36 or 3.  Having taken a good look at a detailed map before hand I told him I didn’t think so.   Being the trusting soul he is, he didn’t believe me.  Much to both of our relief, I was right and we hit Klamath Falls around 1:00 in the afternoon after an easy ride.   We found our motel checked in and unloaded the bikes.  After a brief rest Bob talked me into heading for Crater Lake.  I wanted to wait until the next morning to go.  It took us about 6 hours to make the trip there and back, so it turned out to be a good thing that Bob talked me into going that afternoon.

Crater Lake is a truly amazing sight.  We were disappointed because there was a forest fire and the smoke from it obscured the view on sections of the lake.  Never the less, Bob and I took a ride around Rim Drive and I am very glad we did.  Nothing like nature to make you realize how tiny and insignificant you are in nature’s scheme of things.  It was truly a magnificent sight.  I’ve had to travel to Portland numerous times on business and I have seen Crater Lake from the air many times.  It was really wonderful to see it up close and personal. 

We made it back to the motel just before dark and were both very grateful that there was a restaurant right next door because we had enough saddle for the day.  I had one of the best hamburgers I’ve had in a long time.   After dinner, Bob and I went back to our room and I died for the evening. 

Day 5 – Destination Reno, NV

We awoke early and were on the road shortly after 6:00a.m.  We made a brief stop for fuel before saying our good-byes to Klamath Falls and heading south.  We figured we’d stop down the road somewhere for breakfast.  About 40 minutes later in Merrill OR, Bob decided he needed to stop to put on another layer of clothing because was a little chilly.  I pointed out a little café out to him that we had just passed.  I suggested we stop for breakfast (yeah I know, my mind is always on food!  That’s Gloria’s fault!)  So we made a U turn and while in the middle of the turn I turned a bit too much and nearly dumped the bike.   Fortunately I recovered and we parked the bikes and went into the café.  The food was good and plentiful.  During breakfast we met and older gentleman (at least in his mid 70’s) who asked us where we were headed on those “fine looking” motorcycles.  After a prolonged conversation with him, it turns out that he currently owns a couple of bikes now has ridden in many countries and was currently planning a trip to ride in Burma.  We related to him our current adventure and that we were headed for Reno that day.  As we were ending the conversation, he opened his wallet and gave us each a dollar to drop in the first $1 “slot” machine we came to.  He said he had to specify “slot” machine because he didn’t make that point clear once before when he told a guy to drop a dollar he’d given him in the first machine he came to.  Well the first machine the guy came to was in the men’s room.  Although what he won would keep him safe from various things, it wouldn’t win him anything, at least nothing he could spend.

After breakfast we headed south on 139 and followed it into Susanville.  Although Lassen Volcanic National Park had originally been in our plans, at this point during our trip, Bob and I were both looking to save some time.  We’d also had our fill of twisties and knew that there was more to come.  The Sonora pass and Highway 120 into Yosemite would be plenty loaded with them, so we decided to save Lassen for some other time. 

Continuing south on 139 there were many miles where CalTrans spread pea gravel over oil on the roadway so we were taking it easy.  We came upon Eagle Lake and what a beautiful sight it was.  The lake was like glass only being spoiled by the various waterfowl cluttering up the area and making a bunch of noise.  I hate ducks, but that’s a whole different story.  I found a spot to pull over and Bob and I decided it wasn’t such a great spot to stop because of such deep loose gravel, so we went just a bit further to find more solid ground.  He then told me of his little adventure a couple minutes prior when he had been inattentive for a moment.   Seems he was gazing off into the wild blue of the lake and drifted a bit too far to the right side of the road and wound up in some loose gravel causing him to wobble.  I’m guessing it really created a pucker factor for Bob.  I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if his Russell seat had been re-sculpted in a certain place.   After taking a few pictures we continued on our way only to run into, yet another, Cal Trans construction area.   The good thing about this one was that there was a really cute little blonde holding the Stop/Slow sign which really added to the scenic value of the landscape.  Good thing my mirrored face shield was down that way she couldn’t see me gawking at her.  We finally got our turn to proceed and we discovered that on the other end of the construction zone was a cute little brunette holding the Stop/Slow sign.  Scenic enhancement for sure.   Now if all the Cal Trans were equipped with such little cuties, the waiting wouldn’t be nearly so bad (-;  We arrived in Susanville where we gassed up, got us a snack at Taco Bell, and took a short break.

After the break, we set out for Reno, and after yet another of countless construction delays we were on our way.  We arrived in Reno around 2:00p.m. We checked into the Silver Legacy hotel and after a brief respite in our room went down to the casino area to get us some dinner.  We had a great steak and lobster dinner then wandered around the casino for a while.  We each dropped our dollar from the gentleman in Merrill only to win nothing….Shoot!!!  Well at least we tried!  Bob found himself a slot machine to play a bit so I found one to and dropped a $20 bill in it.  My first spin I won $36 so I decided to quit seeing as how I was ahead.  I then watched Bob play a nickel machine for a while then we wandered through all the various shops and casinos before heading back to the room to get some rest.  We watched TV for a while then Bob headed back for the casino and I stayed in the room because I was tired, being an old guy and all.  After downloading my pictures to the laptop I hit the hay.  Shortly thereafter Bob made it back to the room and we crashed for the evening. 

Day 6 – Destination Lee Vining (Sonora pass, Yosemite), CA

Once again we got up early because we knew this day was going to be a long one.   We left Reno early and stopped in Carson City for breakfast.  After a hearty breakfast at Denny’s and fueling up, we headed out with our next destination, the Sonora Pass.  The wind was really howling and it really aided in making what would have been an ordinary ride into one that was interesting!

Going up over the Sonora Pass was a great ride although it kept getting chillier and chillier as we went up the mountain.  Of course coming down the other side it got warmer the lower the altitude was.  By the time we hit Jamestown it was downright toastie.  We gassed up and then had a really great lunch at the Woods Creek Cafe.  Once lunch was over we headed for Yosemite.  Once we got to the tight turns on 120 the idiots seemed to be out in force.  Drivers in much slower vehicles were not about to use the turn outs so that faster traffic could go by so Bob and I came up with our own solution to resolve the issue.  Once the issue was resolved we set a nice pace for the rest of the ride to Yosemite.

Yosemite it goes without saying is a gorgeous hunk of real estate.  It’s even got a couple of large pieces of granite.  Something I noticed was the number of fallen and downed trees that were lying on the forest floor.  Seems like a formula for a humdinger of a forest fire to me.

By the time we reached the Tioga Pass summit it was past chilly and deep into cold.   We stopped at a little parking lot and I added another layer of clothing to my attire.  The additional layer made the cold windy weather much more bearable.  We then had to negotiate our way down the Tioga Pass and it was a VERY interesting trek down the hill into Lee Vining because of the heavy winds and the blowing dust.  While going down the mountain I saw a sight I had never seen before.  A huge dust cloud was moving up the side of the mountain, and as Bob an I approached it, it came back down the mountain to give us a good dusting…cough cough…choke choke!

We arrived at the hotel and checked in.  Fortunately there was a small grocery store next door so Bob and I didn’t have to hunt up a place to eat.  We picked up a rotisserie chicken, some snacks, a couple of drinks, and held up in the room for the rest of the night.  Several times during the night I got up to look outside as it sounded like it was raining.  Turns out there were just a couple of very minor sprinkles and lots of wind.  We watched the first episode of Survivor (first time ever for me) and then I crashed for the evening. 

Day 7 – Destination Elk Grove, CA

The final day of our little adventure was here.  I was both relieved and a little saddened at the same time.  It’s been a great week riding with Li’l Bro and we’ve had a great time. 

We got up, had some very healthful instant oatmeal for breakfast then packed up and headed out.  It was our original intention to go back through Yosemite before heading to Elk Grove.  However, because of the very heavy winds, we decided to head north for Reno on 395 and then west I-80.  Somewhere along the line Bob suggested we take 89 over Monitor Pass and then to 50 into Sacrament and Elk Grove.  Turns out that was a great decision because they had a snow storm over 80 that would have made things more interesting than we wanted.  I was very grateful that we were well clothed, because the temperature on the summit of Monitor Pass was 41 degrees brrrr.  From Monitor pass we continued on 89 until we got to the US50 junction.  We then headed west on 50 and stopped in Pollock Pines to fuel up and grab a bite to eat.  The last time we filled up was in Jamestown a mere 271 miles earlier.  Gotta love them 7.7 gallon fuel tanks.  I intended to stop at a Taco Bell that I saw for lunch but fortunately Bob spotted a nice little restaurant where we took our lunch break.  An interesting thing about this restaurant was that instead of french fries, they served hot homemade potato chips with the meal.  It was nice change and the price was reasonable.

 After lunch we mounted our trusty STeeds and completed the last 68-mile uneventful (thankfully) leg to Elk Grove.

Epilogue

What a great ride Bob and I had!  Although we have taken several one or two day trips in the past that has covered over a thousand miles, this was the first time to take a whole week just to ride and “explore” the country.  It was a great experience that I hope we get to repeat in the not too distant future.  Touring the country on a motorcycle is an experience, which in my opinion is second to none. 

It was wonderful to spend some time with my Li’l Bro.  Since I left home in 1967 to join the Army, Li’l Bro and I have not had much time to spend together.  This trip was reminiscent of the times we would spend together during our kid years when we would explore our surroundings on our bicycles.  Those were the good ol’ days and although I think we appreciated them at the time, I don’t think we fully appreciated the childhood our parents provided us until we had families of our own.

We learned lessons on this trip as to how to pack what to bring etc, etc.  In addition to what I took, I will bring my 1-cup coffee maker, a pair of binoculars, and a video camera.  I’m sure I’ll think of other “stuff” later.  The single biggest issue to be resolved is radio communications.   We will really have to work on that one.

We’ve decided that we’ll plan another trip to take in ’08.   So far ideas that come to mind for sights to see are the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Las Vegas, and other sites to be determined.   We’ll just have to wait and see as the planning process progresses.