San Francisco

Back to the Bay

Hot. Sunday was blistering hot. After our early dawn hike we left the park with the Siebring along the south side, into the Coachella valley, looking out towards the Salton Sea. Indio, Indian Wells and Palm Desert looked a bit too posh and golf court dotted, so we kept going; 41C / 108F in Palm Desert. We took the scenic route again, highway 74 over the San Jacinta mountains, to Los Angeles. 38C / 102F in LA - picked up the bike but since these were not exactly fine motorcycle temperatures, I only got going a little before dusk, after saying bye to Tom. But the ride was worth the wait: I took the Mulholland highway all the way to the coast, an endless stretch of gorgeous twisties. Subsequently passed out in a motel in Ventura.

So I'm a little behind schedule; my commute this monday morning would consist of a ride from Ventura to Palo Alto. No way I would waste a beautiful morning with freeway droning so at 6am I started riding 33 north, towards Ojai and then... to nowhere really; the Carrizo plain must be somewhere in the area though. Highway 33 by the way is marvelous (pashnit thinks the same).

Of course, the Song Dog ranch ! An obvious stop, but I didn't think I would find someone inclined to have some good conversation with me on a monday morning at 8am so I quickly left again.

Highway 166 towards the coast then; a surprisingly entertaining high speed rollercoaster kind of road; brought me back on 101. I took the turn-off to 1 and Morro Bay, an area not unknown to me .

Hearst Castle should be somewhere on the picture here.

The sea lion and elephant seal viewing spot along highway 1.

The Pacific Coast Highway is pure bliss on a monday morning. Cage traffic is limited to a minimum and this really lets one appreciate the endless curves-with-sweeping-vistas to the fullest. The stretch between San Simeon and Big Sur in particular is spectacular, both in terms of scenery and motorcycle-aptness.

Some sporadic patches of fog added nicely to the dramatic views.

Approaching Monterey and the fun is almost over: time to hit the freeway and get back to work!

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All pics (c) Dirk DB
Click on thumbnails for high resolution version

	So I'm a little behind schedule; my commute this monday morning would consist of a ride from Ventura to Palo Alto. No way I would waste a beautiful morning with freeway droning so at 6am I started riding 33 north, towards Ojai and then... to nowhere really; the Carrizo plain must be somewhere in the area though. Highway 33 by the way is marvelous (pashnit thinks the same).
	Of course, the Song Dog ranch ! An obvious stop, but I didn't think I would find someone inclined to have some good conversation with me on a monday morning at 8am so I quickly left again.
	Highway 166 towards the coast then; a surprisingly entertaining high speed rollercoaster kind of road; brought me back on 101. I took the turn-off to 1 and Morro Bay, an area not unknown to me .
	Hearst Castle should be somewhere on the picture here.
	The sea lion and elephant seal viewing spot along highway 1.
	The Pacific Coast Highway is pure bliss on a monday morning. Cage traffic is limited to a minimum and this really lets one appreciate the endless curves-with-sweeping-vistas to the fullest. The stretch between San Simeon and Big Sur in particular is spectacular, both in terms of scenery and motorcycle-aptness.
	Some sporadic patches of fog added nicely to the dramatic views.
	Approaching Monterey and the fun is almost over: time to hit the freeway and get back to work!