Morro Bay ride 3/26/04-3/27/04

Morro Bay ride 3/26/04-3/27/04 - Monster heaven!
Route:
Day 1: Sunnyvale - 101 south to Castroville - highway 1 south through Monterey, Carmel and Big Sur to Morro Bay
Day 2: 1 north to Cambria - Santa Rosa Creek Rd to 46 and Paso Robles - 101 north to San Miguel - Indian Valley Rd and Peach Tree Rd to 25 north - Pinnacles - San Juan Bautista - Fremont Peak Rd - back to 101 north to San Jose

(click on the pictures for the high resolution version)

Friday I rushed off from work early to join Lars and his buddy Terry, both on R1200GS's - they were heading south to the Song Dog Ranch for a Beemer club meeting. Highway 1 on a friday afternoon is great, once around Big Sur traffic thins out and the curves are all yours - as well as the spectacular coastline and green lush hills inland. Morro Bay is a nice little fisherman's (and tourists) town - dominated by a huge rock sitting in the ocean (a volcanic lava plug), as well as butt ugly power plant.

The two Beemers and my Monster, on the parking lot of our motel (no argument who's best looking). We go our separate ways the next morning- I head back north on 1, leaving the highway in Cambria for Santa Rosa Creek Road, going inland. Perfect grand cru California spring weather makes for a pleasant day of riding! The green and lush hills make the coastal range look like I imagine New Zealand must look on a sunny day.

Santa Rosa Creek Road is a marvelous gem! Beautiful vista's and no traffic: 3 cars, counting both directions over about 30 miles of endless twisties. The road is narrow, bumpy and sketchy at best, with large patches of sand and gravel, humongous potholes and cracks in the asphalt and sometimes creek crossings on other spots; but hey, it's nice to get a good challenge! It is somewhat similar to the Nascimento road further north, though the surface quality of the latter is a little better ;)

Santa Rosa leads to 46 and Paso Robles. Go north on 101 but quickly leave it in San Miguel. Check out the Mission and then head for Indian Valley Road (a Lars recommendation). Indian Valley and Peach Tree (its extension) are narrow and relatively fast roads, but gravel and sand are your companions. During the first section of Indian Valley, I must have encountered the entire Mountain View BMW club going south - heading for Song Dog, no doubt.

Besides the ten-twenty or so BMW's, hardly met a soul over the subsequent 70 mile stretch. You end up waving the lonely car that happens to pass by - as a fellow lone traveler in a deserted but beautiful place. There is plenty of wildlife though; almost took out a rattlesnake creeping onto the road. A bit further I took this picture of its buddy. Peach Tree leads to 25; I take a long break in Pinnacles National Monument - time for a hike!

Hadn't been to this side of Pinnacles - it's great! Went into the Bear Gulch Caves - lots of fun, with my flimsy LED keychain light, wading through the underground creek.

Lots of climbers on the boulders in Pinnacles.

It is wildflower season, of course - time to test the 'Macro' mode on my camera. And the Bear Gulch Reservoir is a nice spot to chill out.

Brilliant vista's and fun rock hopping/bouldering!

Then it's time to hit the road again, curvy 25 north in my case. Meet a bunch of 'racer boy' types on Japanese bikes heading south - I understand the allure of 25, though I don't particularly care for these guys trying to make it their private racetrack. Plus I don't feel those fast stretches are that fun - I get easily bored by all these straightaways in between the curves ;) - I'll take a Santa Rosa Creek Road over a 25 anytime! The Monster deals great with both though.

Stop in San Juan Bautista. Check out the Mission there, of Hitchcock's 'Vertigo' fame. It's a beautiful place (I know, I said this already a hundred times, but is simply true - CA is a beauty). Poppies in the Mission's garden.

A brief diversion: there's some time left before it will be dusk and I head towards the Fremont Peak, a place I've wanted to check out for a while. This means a bonus of about 20 miles (in both directions) of tasty twisties! Nice views on the Hollister hills, and after the hike to the summit, a great 360 degree view on everything around: Monterey Bay, South San Jose area, Diablo Range... amateur astronomers are gathering on the parking lot when I leave, and after finishing the last curves of the day, I drone up 101 towards home. It's been a great day, well spent in Monster heaven...

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All pics (c) Dirk DB

		Friday I rushed off from work early to join Lars and his buddy Terry, both on R1200GS's - they were heading south to the Song Dog Ranch for a Beemer club meeting. Highway 1 on a friday afternoon is great, once around Big Sur traffic thins out and the curves are all yours - as well as the spectacular coastline and green lush hills inland. Morro Bay is a nice little fisherman's (and tourists) town - dominated by a huge rock sitting in the ocean (a volcanic lava plug), as well as butt ugly power plant.
		The two Beemers and my Monster, on the parking lot of our motel (no argument who's best looking). We go our separate ways the next morning- I head back north on 1, leaving the highway in Cambria for Santa Rosa Creek Road, going inland. Perfect grand cru California spring weather makes for a pleasant day of riding! The green and lush hills make the coastal range look like I imagine New Zealand must look on a sunny day.
		Santa Rosa Creek Road is a marvelous gem! Beautiful vista's and no traffic: 3 cars, counting both directions over about 30 miles of endless twisties. The road is narrow, bumpy and sketchy at best, with large patches of sand and gravel, humongous potholes and cracks in the asphalt and sometimes creek crossings on other spots; but hey, it's nice to get a good challenge! It is somewhat similar to the Nascimento road further north, though the surface quality of the latter is a little better ;)
		Santa Rosa leads to 46 and Paso Robles. Go north on 101 but quickly leave it in San Miguel. Check out the Mission and then head for Indian Valley Road (a Lars recommendation). Indian Valley and Peach Tree (its extension) are narrow and relatively fast roads, but gravel and sand are your companions. During the first section of Indian Valley, I must have encountered the entire Mountain View BMW club going south - heading for Song Dog, no doubt.
		Besides the ten-twenty or so BMW's, hardly met a soul over the subsequent 70 mile stretch. You end up waving the lonely car that happens to pass by - as a fellow lone traveler in a deserted but beautiful place. There is plenty of wildlife though; almost took out a rattlesnake creeping onto the road. A bit further I took this picture of its buddy. Peach Tree leads to 25; I take a long break in Pinnacles National Monument - time for a hike!
		Hadn't been to this side of Pinnacles - it's great! Went into the Bear Gulch Caves - lots of fun, with my flimsy LED keychain light, wading through the underground creek. Lots of climbers on the boulders in Pinnacles.
		It is wildflower season, of course - time to test the 'Macro' mode on my camera. And the Bear Gulch Reservoir is a nice spot to chill out.
		Brilliant vista's and fun rock hopping/bouldering! Then it's time to hit the road again, curvy 25 north in my case. Meet a bunch of 'racer boy' types on Japanese bikes heading south - I understand the allure of 25, though I don't particularly care for these guys trying to make it their private racetrack. Plus I don't feel those fast stretches are that fun - I get easily bored by all these straightaways in between the curves ;) - I'll take a Santa Rosa Creek Road over a 25 anytime! The Monster deals great with both though.
		Stop in San Juan Bautista. Check out the Mission there, of Hitchcock's 'Vertigo' fame. It's a beautiful place (I know, I said this already a hundred times, but is simply true - CA is a beauty). Poppies in the Mission's garden.
		A brief diversion: there's some time left before it will be dusk and I head towards the Fremont Peak, a place I've wanted to check out for a while. This means a bonus of about 20 miles (in both directions) of tasty twisties! Nice views on the Hollister hills, and after the hike to the summit, a great 360 degree view on everything around: Monterey Bay, South San Jose area, Diablo Range... amateur astronomers are gathering on the parking lot when I leave, and after finishing the last curves of the day, I drone up 101 towards home. It's been a great day, well spent in Monster heaven...