Day 3, NASA

What a lead in for the day, don’t you think? Read on.

Rubber hit the road at 6am and before we could adjust to the high speed traffic, we were on the Golden Gate Bridge.  Little Joe’s hanging on for dear life, so am I.  It takes about a half hour to get in the groove with heavy traffic.  Oh well, next thing we knew we were paying $6 to get off the bridge.  I thought they had that thing paid for long ago?  There wasn’t much time for sightseeing, but iw as still pretty thrilling to be crossing so high over the water.  I’ve included an internet photo to round out the experience.

Routing through San Francisco was an argument with technology.  The GPS thought Highway 1 was a better choice and I wanted 101.  A couple times it lured Big Blue up those incredible,steep San Francisco hills, but in the still early morning darkness, a few 101 signs and a little intuition got us headed south.  And the header, NASA, what’s with that?  Well, sailing down 101 at an elevated part, a NASA logo sign careened past at the South end of the Bay.  I chose this route because it passes through all the high technology cities and companies that were the peak of electronics and computers when I was in my working prime.  Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Menlo Park, NASA, to name but a few.  It took me back 30 years as I read the signs driving by.

The rest of the journey wasn’t very eventful.  A 400 mile day planned, and the miles flew by.  A few areas of vineyards and tasting signs (sigh).  A lot of brown rolling hills.  Heavy smoke in one area from the forest fires (actuallly that was yesterday).  The Golden Hills of California; know how it got it’s name?  Thousands of square miles of dead grass..  But it was pretty.  There was a choice to head over to Bakersfield or follow 101 to the end.  Temperature forecasts in the 100’s in the central valley made the choice easy.

Passing through San Luis Obispo brought a noticeable change in everything.  It suddenly looked like Southern California (as I know it).  Palm trees, Spanish architecture in the buildings and homes, tree lined strees, sun and warmth.  Just the feel of the world changed.  We're a distance for LA but the look and feel is there.  It stared out to be another fleece morning, off about noon, shirt sleeves rolling through Santa Barbara.  The traffic here sure moves fast, although it’s probably just because of the grip Joe has on my neck.

A short ride to San Diego tomorrow to visit with Mary, a high school classmate and a friend since first grade.

Day 2, The Redwoods

Wow, another cold start, this time with the heavy fog common to the California coast.  Every bit of extra clothing made morning ride workable, but for the poor visibility.  In and out of the trees along the coast, it was mostly invisible. A sweet, small beach pushed back the fog enough to enjoy this coast highway drive, undoubtedly stunning when the weather is better.  For over 100 miles the coast highway winds along the cliffs, slow going some times on the sharp turns, but well worth the easy pace.

Thirty miles south of Crescent City is a mandatory detour through the old growth Redwood Forest at Prarie Creek Redwoods State Park.  It turned out to be the highlight of the day.  Totally alone on thie ten-mile alternate stretch of 101, the trees loomed enormous, blotting out the sky.  A must stop at “Big Tree” offered to grand experiences, the tree itself and the warning sign at the trail head.  Notice the little human in the picture.  It was a fast run in bear protection gear from where I propped the camera to get in the picture in time.  That tree is BIG.  And so are all of its siblings.

A stop at Eureka landed my first souvenir T-shirt at the Harley shop, a Redwoods memory.  I ‘complained’ about the cold ride and the young lady said, in about 30 minutes it will warm up as 101 swings inward.  So much for whining about the cold.  Within an hour of swinging inland, Little Joe and I shed everything but for staying decent.  The remainder of the day was hot, peaked at 95 in Ukiah.  It’s just a long haul, basically pointing the bike.  Evening finds us cooling nicely at a motel in San Rafael.  Tomorrow bodes of more long miles.  We’re bothlooking forward to theglorious panoramas of the Desert Southwest.

Day 1 8/30

 Crescent City, CA.  An  Oregon, lead gray sky launched this trip of 5000 miles, making chaps and a fleece layer welcome.  South on 99 to Eugene, the sun slowly elbowed its way through the clouds, but it was Grants Pass, four hours downstream, where the layers came off.

It’s too easy to forget the beauty of Southern Oregon, even the I5 route through the Siskiyou’s.  Cresting a hill reveals  a vista 100 miles deep of mountains, fantastic works of nature.  Those far blue mountains.  Rounding another bend, Old Blue and I careen into a boulevard of towering Douglas fir trees, lining the highway and the rolling hills as far as one can see.  Little Joe is breathless, and all smiles.  Riding in the open air yields smells hat are with you everywhere.  Sometimes the dusty smell of fields, traversing the vineyards in the Willamette Valley.  Sometimes a hint of fall, of decay and a time of rest.  Sometimes, the sweet smell of sap, still rising under the heat of the slowly waning afternoon sun.  A fantastic punctuation to the sights that surround us.

The road turns Southwest at Grants Pass, 199, the Redwood Highway.  It’s a breathtaking route, mountainous, twisty, descending slowly and constantly towards the Pacific Ocean.  The trees have transformed from the Doug Firs of Northern Oregon to the Pines.  When did that happen?  And the closer to the coast, the more the trees resemble Cedar, VERY TALL Cedar.  We’re starting to experience the Redwoods.  Little Joe just lies back, arms folded behind his head reveling at their height.  And the best is yet to come.

Checking into the sleepy little motel at end of day finds the Redwood National Park office is right next door.  Charming and vivacious Debi points out all the ‘must see’s’ in the Redwoods on tomorrow’s journey South.  One can’t miss is the Old Growth forest off 101.  Tomorrow we’ll see some REAL trees.

One week to go

Seven days to go!  I'm excited.  Little Joe's excited! Dick and Wild Willy are excited!

Been pouring over the maps for several days now.  It pays to have a plan and be familiar with the route before setting out.  As the photo shows, it's down through California to San Diego, across to Safford, Arizona to meet Dick.  Then we'll be wandering our way North and East.  First stop, a night at the Grand Canyon.  It's been years since the last visit and the photos on the internet are so inviting.  It's a glorious place!

From there it's National parks, monuments and the Rocky Mountains on the way to Boulder, Colorado.  We'll hope to connect with family there.

Dick will then decide whether to return to Texas or continue with me on to Oregon, or at least to Ogden, as I start westward over the Rockies towards home.  I might have a new resident, but then, there's a new bed in the guest room, so that would work.

The laptop is getting a fast memory upgrade as it's functionality has dragged to the point of not being usable for the trip.  That's the last thing to do.

Wait - wait - wait