Day 35...cruisin' with my cuz

Monday, July 14, the 35th day of travel...   Today I rode as part of a two-bike pack.  We were really riding on the edge.  Not...   Two old guys on big bikes wearing full protective gear and following a pack of slow drivers. We were not 'Hell's Angels' material.  Born To Be Wild


This morning I woke up and was determined to be ready before David and Ingrid so they wouldn't have to wait on me.  We agreed we'd leave the motel at 9AM full of gas and breakfasted.  So, at 7:30 I went out to my bike to start packing it for the day and what did I see?   Cousin Dave polishing my windscreen.   He'd already buffed his bike to a high gloss and decided my road weary steed could use a little cleaning up.  So without further ado, I joined in and gave the bike a bath so that I wouldn't have to be embarrassed to be riding next to a gleaming Harley. Once it was clean, packed, and ready to go Ingrid came over and gave it her thumbs up.

 

We set out exactly on time and were soon battling traffic along with 10,000,000 others on their way to San Francisco.  We were on highway 101 and really, the traffic wasn't all that bad.  It was congested but it never stopped moving.  We approached the Golden Gate Bridge and the tops were in the clouds.  I know it is just a bridge... but it is also an icon and no trip to San Francisco can be without at least LOOKING at the bridge.

 

We muddled our way through the city and eventually found ourselves on a ridge of high ground between the bay and the pacific.  I believe it was called skyline drive and it was a beautiful drive.  Once again I found myself between rows of redwoods and riding a road that twisted and turned through the beautiful countryside.  We made a token stop at Alice's Restaurant, a popular biker hangout but then hit the road to make miles before lunch. 

The weather cooperated beautifully.  The temperature was hovering in the mid-60s and we were under a thin overcast.  At one point I had to add a layer to keep warm and we'd hit intermittent sprinkles that did little more than speckle the windscreen.  Lunch was at a place that David and Ingrid really enjoy visiting, 'The Whole Enchilada'.  It was a seafood place very reminiscent of what you'd find in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.  I had the fish tacos and they were the best I've had north of the border.  I'd definitely go there again.

After lunch we proceeded south along the beach on Highway 1.  I was surprised that, although we were close to the beach, it didn't have the 'fishy' smell that I noticed along the Gulf Coast and areas of the Atlantic coast.  The air was cool and you could even get the occasional whiff of honeysuckle or other wildflowers growing alongside the road.  We stopped at a place overlooking what I would term "an angry sea".  David explained how he and his friends used to camp in this exact location and would fish or dive and use spears to fish.  I had to wonder at his sanity, or anyone's sanity, that would dive in that morass of kelp and the maelstrom of waves beating the rocky islands just offshore.  Sure enough, one day David got in trouble while diving and ended up jettisoning his gear just to get out alive.  Not for me... I'll sit on the shore and roast hot dogs.

 

 

And so we continued on south.  Past all the sights you've seen on TV and in movies.  Despite the high volume of traffic that kept us to a slow, but reasonable, pace it was a great drive and we all enjoyed the cool day (it was 104 back in Clovis where they live) and the wonderful ride.

During one exciting moment we noticed some whales just off the shore.  We pulled into a campsite area and watched the whales, dolphins, and sea birds  just a little ways out.  An employee at the state campsite explained that the whales and dolphins were herding and eating great schools of anchovies.  As we watched we could see circles of whales and dolphins going around and around a school.  The birds were constantly diving into the center of the circle to get their share of the fish.  Hundreds of people were pulled over watching the spectacle.  A tourist asked me as we were walking back to the bikes, "are they mating?".  So I got to sound like the smart guy as I explained about anchovies.

It was getting late and we were about 30 miles from our destination when David pulled off the highway to get some gas.  For some reason, his bike decided to blow a gasket at that exact time.  We pulled over out of the street and tried to troubleshoot the Harley... but it was obvious it was done for the day since it would only run on one cylinder.  Luckily David and Ingrid had a friend who lived only a few miles away and had a motorcycle trailer.  With only a slight delay we were all at the motel, but the ride is over for my cousins.  It is back to Fresno with the bike in tow.  I had a great time visiting with them, sharing experiences, and learning more about California from some knowledgeable residents.   I'll be back for sure.