The Road to King City

[ian408]

Forgive me, it's been a while since my last ride report....

Wednesday, I was to leave for a class in Death Valley. Unfortunately, last
week, it was cancelled. However, I still had the time off.

Tuesday, I packed a couple of days clothing and took off. Points unknown.

Just outside of Gilroy, is Hwy 25. 25 parallels 101 about 15 miles and a
world away. As I headed towards Hollister, the higway turned east and then
south down the Coyote Valley. Once I passed Hollister, I shared the road
with the odd car and several hundered airline passengers overhead. In fact,
hwy 25 is called the "airline highway".

Rich farmland lies beside the road.

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Soon, the road meets up with the Pinnacles National Monument. This would be
a great spot for camping. This is the private campground about a mile outside
of the park.

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There are miles of beautiful valley to ride. Two lane, some nice twists and
did I mention cows?

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25 eventually connects with 198. This eventually leads to San Miguel
via Bradley Road and a short stretch on 101. Along the way, the
predominant crop seems to be grapes.

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Father Junipero Serra helped establish the Missions of California. One
of which is in San Miguel. Damaged during the earthquake of 2003,
the mission doesn't look as if it will open to the public anytime soon.

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There are cactus along the property too.

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As I headed south on 101, I pondered where next. I love the coast so
the choice was easy when I saw the sign for Cambria.

The first night was spent in the town of Morro Bay. Hey look! It has
smoke stacks just like Moss Landing!

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[ian408]

Sunset at the harbor.

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Thursday morning dawns and time to leave the comfort of the Bayview
Motel for points north. Not that I have to go that way but I've never gone
from south to north on Hwy 1 from Morro Bay.

The morning started in the fog. So I stopped for breakfast in Cambria.
Mmmm good. Did I mention I absolutely LOVE breakfast?

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I can't say enough good things about Highway 1. If you are ever in
California, you must put it on your list. Really.

I stopped for a time in Carmel at the Mission San Carlos Borromeo
Del Rio Carmelo. This is the burial place of Father Serra.

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Father Serra's final resting place.

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I spent the night in Monterey at the Casa Munras. I'll say this, the clerk
at the desk didn't bat an eye when I told him I'd be parking in the lobby as
"that is where I parked last time". He just looked over and said "not a
problem". Instead, he provided me with an upgrade to a better room and
politely pointed out two places I could park the bike under cover. I've
stayed at the motel before and do like the accommodation.

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I was parked right next to my door :)

Settled, I hit the aquarium and checked on the Great White. Still
enjoying two one pound salmon steaks a day...Me? I settled for
some Pizza at Gianni's.

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Here's what they do late in the day at the aquarium. Normally, this is
filled with sardines swimming in circles. With the divers in the water,
the sardines swim in a much tighter circle and come nowhere near the
divers :)

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I think I might have mentioned the Wild Plum in another report somewhere.
If not, it's right across the street from Casa Munras and is the source of
a great cup of coffee and pastry for the ride north.

It's a beautiful day and promises to be a great weekend. I stop more
frequently to enjoy the weather and the beach.

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North through Santa Cruz, Davenport and Half Moon Bay, I enjoy all that
the coast has to offer.

Too soon, I am at the right turn that means home. As a final stop, I proceed
to the Pulgas Water Temple. This is the southern terminus of the Hetch Hetchy
aqueduct. It's been closed for two years undergoing a facelift. Now, it's open
M-F until 4ish. So today, I wander to the temple for a look see.

As I am standing there, I hear "nice motorcycle" and enjoy a half hour's
conversation with Otto and Trudi who are here having lunch. They're retired
and enjoy outings like this. Though this time, it's my fortune to meet them.
Otto's just picked up a HD Sportster and with it's lighter feel, gotten back
into higher milage rides.

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Although the trip is just 500 miles of travel, it takes you through some
might pretty terrain. Perfect for a weekend getaway--even better at the
end of a long week.

[knary]

Nice. :thumb

[kbasa]

Ian, your photos totally rock. I love 25 and 198.

[LRider]

Ian great pics! Up this way the bikes are mostly away for the winter......feels good to dream through the eye of your camera!! :thumb

[BradfordBenn]

Very cool. The photos rock. Hmmm time to add more stuff on the to ride list...:brad

[SNC1923]

Ian,

Very cool report. Just finished a ride down the 25 myself and had as nice an experience as you did. Your report was enjoyable to read, had great pictures, and your blue RT is as pretty as my blue RT!

Thanks!

Tom

[wbunning]

Great post, Ian. Having grown up in Gilroy, and now living near the southern end of your trip, I can relate to all of it. That's definitely one of the great m/c loops in the West. :thumb

[ian408]

Ian,

Very cool report. Just finished a ride down the 25 myself and had as nice an experience as you did. Your report was enjoyable to read, had great pictures, and your blue RT is as pretty as my blue RT!

Thanks!

Tom

You were the inspiration :D As I was riding down 101 (escape route), I
saw the sign "25" and took that exit.

Ian

[SNC1923]

You were the inspiration :D As I was riding down 101 (escape route), I
saw the sign "25" and took that exit.

Ian

Well, dang, you just never know. I guess the forum works! :twirl

[Rad]

Those are great roads. :thumb

Do yurself a huge favor the next time yur at the 198/25 junction, turn south on Peachtree and head down to Indian Valley Road. You will have the road, that is not wide enough for two lanes, all to yurself. Watch out for wild pigs.

[Cliffy777]

Great report - excellent pics. thanks for sharing. one point of clarification, please. You wrote:" Settled, I hit the aquarium and checked on the Great White. Still enjoying two one pound salmon steaks a day..."

Who is the Great White? Is the Great White eating the two 1 lb salmon steaks?

[Rad]

Who is the Great White? Is the Great White eating the two 1 lb salmon steaks?

:rofl


I can tell, you have not spent much time in the Pacific Ocean, have you?:D

[Cliffy777]

Rad sez "I can tell, you have not spent much time in the Pacific Ocean, have you?"

Well yes I have - it is after all the Pacific that separates Michigan from Wisconsin, ain't it?

(So, izzee talking about a Great White Shark?? A beer? A transvestite?)

[wbunning]

(So, izzee talking about a Great White Shark?? A beer? A transvestite?)
The more toothsome of your choices! A great white in captivity at the Monterey Aquarium, so far the only one to eat in captivity.

[jwhite518]

Ian,

Great report and photos! What kind of camera do you use?

[RebeccaV]

Thanks for the awesome report, Ian. You are a really talented photographer.

If you don't mind doing a ride and a report like that in both January and February it would sure help me get through the winter! :)

[ian408]

Great report - excellent pics. thanks for sharing. one point of clarification, please. You wrote:" Settled, I hit the aquarium and checked on the Great White. Still enjoying two one pound salmon steaks a day..."

Who is the Great White? Is the Great White eating the two 1 lb salmon steaks?

Hiya Cliffy!

Can you swing by? I need to have you try on a wet suit and take a short
board out for a test paddle :D

The great white was captured in a fishing net in Southern California and then
transported up to Monterey Bay Aquarium (after a fair amount of feeding and
study in socal). To date, I think there have been four white sharks only one
of which has survived in captivity. This one is eating two very nice one pound
salmon steaks a day (I'd like mine mesquite grilled with a lite butter coating
please...what? You don't feed humans?). I think she's been in the Outer Bay
exhibit for something like 67 days now--a record.

Ian

[ian408]

Ian,

Great report and photos! What kind of camera do you use?

Why my trusty Canon S50. Though sometimes a Canon 1DmkII.

Ian

[ian408]

Thanks for the awesome report, Ian. You are a really talented photographer.

If you don't mind doing a ride and a report like that in both January and February it would sure help me get through the winter! :)

Wow! Thank you!

Where would you like to go?

Ian

[BradfordBenn]

Wanna come visit me in Anaheim in January?

[ian408]

Wanna come visit me in Anaheim in January?

January is gonna suck...when?

ian

[BradfordBenn]

January 19 through 23 at the NAMM show http://www.thenammshow.com/.

[RebeccaV]

Wow! Thank you! Where would you like to go?

After seeing a couple of your trip reports, I trust your judgement.

[lorazepam]

BG is right, more please!

[csbrownjr]

Thanks for the report.

When me wife went through the area 2 years ago, we used the N-F road to go from Rte 1 through the army base to King City. My wife and I still remember the views going up from the coast. That and the fact that kids half our age were pulling their SUVs over to let us pass two-up on a rented RT.

Charlie