These past 17,000 miles I've gotten rained on, hailed on, snowed on. I've warmed myself in a gas station while it was 29 degrees out and I still had an hour to ride.
One time I had to wipe ice off my windshield to see through it.
I've ridden through rain so hard I had to slow down to 30 mph on a freeway just so I didn't override my visibility.
I've sat in a gas station in Arizona getting dry while the sky threw a tantrum of rain and lightning down on the only way in to Flagstaff.
I've ridden over the usually beautiful and scenic California Highway 1 while the fog was so thick I could only see about a mile in any direction.
The worst disaster that a biker can ride in, is traffic in the L.A. metro area. Take my word on it.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
California in Spring
In the interest of getting out and exploring California while I can, I met up with a couple of different rider groups out here to tag along on some rides.
It's a little more difficult to stop for as many pictures as I like when riding with a group, so I didn't really manage to snap any on my first ride. I did however manage to grab a few pics on my second ride.
Both rides were about 6 hours of beautifully scenic roads winding through the hills of northern California with some very cool fellow riders.
Here I am with the "Four Corners Motorcycle Club":
On the second ride, we stopped for lunch at Vasilis Greek Restaurant in Santa Cruz. If you find yourself in Santa Cruz, this place is worth checking out. The lamb souvlaki was absolutely perfect.
Last weekend I rode down to Irvine to visit the friend I stayed with on my way up. He just got his license and a bike shortly after I passed through, so I headed down for a weekend of riding and generally being cool (as we do).
I had come up the coastal highway, so I took the inland route this time. 152 is a great scenic road that passes by San Luis Reservoir just before hitting I-5.
I-5 for the most part is boring as any other freeway, but the part through Los Padres National Forest near Lake Pyramid is nice.
We rode the Ortega Highway, which is a beautifully twisty road from San Juan Capistrano to Lake Elsinor.
When we headed out, the sky was threatening rain, but the forecast said we were safe and we were willing to gamble. Ready to turn back if we saw rain up ahead, we rode off toward SJC, got on the Ortega, and were well rewarded. We came around a curve and the sky just instantly cleared up into a gorgeous blue.
The plan was to hit Palomar Mountain on Sunday, but instead we went to a Persian Festival and hung out with some of his friends, and then went to LA to hang out with our friends out there. Palomar will have to wait. Next time, Palomar Mountain...Next time.
On the way back, I went back up I-5 to enjoy 152 again, and stop at Casa De Fruta. I had seen it on the way down and didn't stop there. I decided I wanted to check it out. Glad I did.
There's a playground back there too somewhere. This place is very cool. They sell fruits, nuts, dried fruits, sweets, wine, hot sauce, and just about everything else. There's also a store for wine, a coffee shop, and a restaurant. Everything smells delicious. I almost regretted eating a Clif bar 10 minutes before getting there because I wasn't hungry enough to get a meal there. Instead I got a Chai latte and browsed all the cool stuff I wished I had more cargo space and money for. If you're passing by on scenic 152, stop in at Casa De Fruta, or make a destination out of it.
It's a little more difficult to stop for as many pictures as I like when riding with a group, so I didn't really manage to snap any on my first ride. I did however manage to grab a few pics on my second ride.
Both rides were about 6 hours of beautifully scenic roads winding through the hills of northern California with some very cool fellow riders.
Here I am with the "Four Corners Motorcycle Club":
On the second ride, we stopped for lunch at Vasilis Greek Restaurant in Santa Cruz. If you find yourself in Santa Cruz, this place is worth checking out. The lamb souvlaki was absolutely perfect.
Last weekend I rode down to Irvine to visit the friend I stayed with on my way up. He just got his license and a bike shortly after I passed through, so I headed down for a weekend of riding and generally being cool (as we do).
I had come up the coastal highway, so I took the inland route this time. 152 is a great scenic road that passes by San Luis Reservoir just before hitting I-5.
I-5 for the most part is boring as any other freeway, but the part through Los Padres National Forest near Lake Pyramid is nice.
We rode the Ortega Highway, which is a beautifully twisty road from San Juan Capistrano to Lake Elsinor.
When we headed out, the sky was threatening rain, but the forecast said we were safe and we were willing to gamble. Ready to turn back if we saw rain up ahead, we rode off toward SJC, got on the Ortega, and were well rewarded. We came around a curve and the sky just instantly cleared up into a gorgeous blue.
The plan was to hit Palomar Mountain on Sunday, but instead we went to a Persian Festival and hung out with some of his friends, and then went to LA to hang out with our friends out there. Palomar will have to wait. Next time, Palomar Mountain...Next time.
On the way back, I went back up I-5 to enjoy 152 again, and stop at Casa De Fruta. I had seen it on the way down and didn't stop there. I decided I wanted to check it out. Glad I did.
There's a playground back there too somewhere. This place is very cool. They sell fruits, nuts, dried fruits, sweets, wine, hot sauce, and just about everything else. There's also a store for wine, a coffee shop, and a restaurant. Everything smells delicious. I almost regretted eating a Clif bar 10 minutes before getting there because I wasn't hungry enough to get a meal there. Instead I got a Chai latte and browsed all the cool stuff I wished I had more cargo space and money for. If you're passing by on scenic 152, stop in at Casa De Fruta, or make a destination out of it.
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