30th June 2016 - Orleans CA - Kms to date: 872

Kms today:291


Decided not to have breakfast at Steve’s diner in Shelter Cove as biscuits and gravy did not appeal!!! Left Beachcomber Inn at 7.30am and headed up the windy rutted road to Redway. We asked a local where we could have breakfast and they asked whether we wanted to eat healthy. We weren’t fussy so they pointed us in the direction of Deb’s Diner and they weren’t wrong. After breakfast we headed north to the Avenue of the Giants which is a huge redwood forest.

Alan looking small by a huge Redwood.

The Redwood canopy.

This truck is made out of a solid Redwood trunk.

There were massive redwood trees over 2000 years old. It was really amazing to ride under these huge trees. We then headed on to Eureka for lunch and refuel. It was so chaotic that we moved on to Arcata where we had all kinds of trouble finding somewhere for lunch. We landed at V&Ms burger joint in the back blocks. A local told us that the council didn’t allow the big fast food chains to open franchises in Arcata.....  good thing too. After lunch we headed for the hills to Willow Creek CA. As we climbed into the hills the temperature began to rise and soon it was 37C so off came the jacket panels to convert it to a summer jacket. The views on the way up the mountains were fantastic and a few photos were taken.

Our fearless riders on the highway to Willow Creek.

At Willow Creek we headed north to our final destination in Orleans CA. Klamath Lodge which was our lodgings for the night was located 3.8kms before Orleans down a precipitous rough gravel road. Thomas who was in charge whilst the owners were away greeted us with the enthusiasm of a methodist preacher. We had to fight our way around the security gate and down more gravel road to our palatial cabin which consists of two rooms one with three single beds and the other with a pretty poor excuse for a lounge kitchen.

Alan tucking into wieners and garlic mash!!!

We discovered that there was no restaurant anywhere within a hundred miles so I jumped on my GS and tore up the gravel driveway to the mighty metropolis of Orleans CA which consists of a bunch of derelict buildings and a store. The selection in the store was somewhat limited. I bought a six pack of beer which is always a good start plus a packet of wieners and some powdered potato mix. To make this all a bit more edible I lashed out with a couple of ice creams for dessert. After consuming our gourmet dinner Colin and I wandered down to the Klamath river to check out the action. Lo and behold we saw a black bear fishing at the waters edge on the other side of the river. Colin took a few photos and managed to scare the bear away with his garlic breath from the potato mash.

Yogi bear feeding on a fish.

Back to the ‘cabin’ for dessert and our last beer. We played Gin Rummy until Colin got sick of beating me.

29th June 2016 - Shelter Cove CA - Kms to Date 596

Kms today 0

We spent the day at Shelter Cove with the plan to walk along the Black Sands beach.  This trail goes for over100kms along the Lost Coast but we would only have time for a couple of miles.  First we  had to get to the trail head through the older more established residential areas of Shelter Cove. The beach had many warning signs about the dangers of rogue waves washing you off the shore or a tsunami doing the same! The sand was loose under foot and hard going.

The black sands beach of the Lost Coast.

Some way along the beach we noticed a lot of birds congregating and on closer examination we found a dead whale beached on the shore. Some falcons and crows were feeding off the carrion.

One very dead and rotting whale.

We climbed on a large rock at the edge of the surf and got a great view of the whole bay.  There were troupes of campers hiking back out of the King Range Park and we watched them trudge past from our eyrie.

Happy campers trudging along the black sands of the Lost Coast.

When we got back to the trail head we met a couple waiting for their celebrant so they could get married on a large rock. They were a throw back to the hippies of the 1960’s; the groom wore dungarees and sported long curly hair and a beard and the bride wore a tie dyed dress. On the way home we stopped at Steves restaurant beside the airstrip to check it out for brekkie the next day and we were persuaded to try one of his amazing egg sandwiches. It was pretty awful so he was off our breakfast menu. We felt a bit sorry for Steve as we were probably his only customers for the day. Like most aspects of Shelter Cove his business was going down hill. We had a nana nap when we got home after our exertions and relaxed after dinner with a walk to see the sunset followed by a bit of blogging and our first games of Gin Rummy.  The scores were even one game a piece.

28th June 2016 - Shelter Cove CA - Kms to date 596.

Kms today: 350


We left our luxurious Motel 6 accommodation in Santa Rosa at approx 8.30am with the temperature at a very pleasant 20C. We thought we were going to head north on US 101 but Mabel decided otherwise. Under protest Colin followed Mabel’s instructions. She took us west and then north on 116 through a little town called Forestville where we decided to stop for breakfast. It was then I realised I had programmed Mabel to head for the coast which I knew would be cooler than the inferno we were suffering inland. The coffee shop we stopped at was headquarters for the great unwashed rejects from the 60s so we fitted in perfectly. The coffee and muffins were really very nice so there is something to say for the alternative life style. After breakfast we went through the usual painful exercise of buying fuel with our aussie credit cards. We hit the coast at Jenner CA where we joined Highway 1 and headed north.

                                                    Darth Vader Surveys his Domain.

The weather was a mild 23C and the views over the pacific ocean spectacular. Just outside Jenner a river flowed into the ocean and there were hundreds of seals romping in the confusion as the freshwater hit the sea. Many photos were taken. The road north as well as being spectacular was VERY tight and TWISTY.

View of the Pacific coast from Hwy 1.

The slower traffic would pullover and let us past, very civilised. Around Point Arena the sea fog that San Francisco is famous for came in over the land and the temperature dropped dramatically down to 10C!!! I persevered with my summer riding gear for a while thinking that it would blow over and warm up. No chance, so before I was frozen to my handle bars I stopped and put the liners etc in my jacket, swapped my summer gloves for winter and switched on the grip warmers. The fog persisted all the way to Mendocino where we had lunch. We met a young American lad on a Honda sports bike (CBR600R) who had ridden into town with only a T-shirt on and had bought another shirt to try and warm up. We shot the breeze with him and a knowledgeable local who knew Shelter Cove. He described it as a failed real estate development. We had lunch outside on the balcony of the restaurant with our riding jackets on. We had a view of the local populus and tourists getting ready for the “Mendocino Music Festival” this coming week-end which is the 4th July holiday. One to miss I think.

Bundaberg Lemon Lime and Bitters in Mendocino.

Colin spent a week in the local post office trying to post a document. I was outside shooting the breeze with a local GS owner who told me that the fog should lift about Westport which was about 30kms along the road. Sure enough when we went through Westport the temperature started to rise as the fog cleared. The road wound through picturesque pine forests up a valley to the highway 101 and as it got further away from the coast the temperature rose dramatically. We pulled over at a disused gas station and divested ourselves of our liners reverting back to summer mode before we became parboiled. The road down to Shelter Cove was twisty and full of potholes. It was difficult to see the rough bits because of the shadows. We arrived safely and found our accommodation after consulting Mabel. Our host at the Beachcomber Inn was Sara a member of the great unwashed brigade.

The local goats check out Alan at Shelter Cove.

The condition of our room was a cross between Salvation Army Peoples Palace and a park bench. It was missing a few towels etc but we managed to get Sara on the ball and get it sorted. There are no restaurants in Shelter Cove so we headed to the local store which was back up the windy, potholed track and purchased dinner and breakfast and of course a few cold beers. After dinner including our A$85 bottle of wine we went out to explore the ‘town’ and view the sunset. Missed the sunset and saw the sights in 15 minutes flat. We had a nightcap in Mario’s bar, the local hot spot!!! Totally exhausted we hit the sack at 10pm.

27th June 2016 - Santa Rosa CA - Kms to date 169.

Kms today 169.

Outside Casa del Whiteside.

We picked up our bikes this morning from Jon Daggett, who is a lawyer in his day job, in the car park behind his office. Mine was fine but Alan's BMW 1200 GS was a 2009 model not the 2012 model he expected.  It also had a noisy gearbox and Alan was a bit concerned until he got used to it.
We headed back to Joe and Thelma's place, who had been looking after us since Saturday.  Thelma is Kellea's step grandmother and Joe migrated from Belfast in 1956. After a hearty brunch we headed off at about 11am.  By then it had got very hot and was hovering around  38 degrees.

Outside the Whiteside Country Club.

We took the Interstate 80 and it was riddled with roadworks and very busy. We turned off the interstate to Davis which is a big university town, and on to Winters and the twisty road over the mountains: it didn't disappoint. Both bikes performed well but mine had a worn front tyre that caused a few slides.
Unfortunately we got separated and arrived in Calistoga at different times.  Alan went on to Martinelli's winery,  where  he splashed out on a A$85 bottle of wine. I went on to our motel and met him there. While I was waiting for Alan  a couple of local bikers stopped and offered assistance in the good old fashioned way.  They were heading for Suzies Bar in Calistoga and invited me to come along.  Actually Calistoga would have been a  better place to stay than Santa Rosa and the unlovely Motel 6 we are in tonight!

We are off to the coast tomorrow and hopefully some cooler weather.

Lake Berryessa on the way to Santa Rosa.

23rd June 2016 - Elanora Headquarters of the Trip

I have come up to Sydney early to see my sister Barbara and finish the final preparations with Alan.  First problem to overcome is dropping off the hire car at the airport on Saturday when we fly out to LA.  I have a hire car but it is an El cheapo off airport one and the depot doesn't open on Saturday until 8 pm 3 hours before the flight leaves.  Given the delays picking up the car due to under-manning of the depot it might be touch and go to get to the check-in in sufficient time.  There is also the small matter of releasing the $3,000 excess from my credit card,  HSBC had blocked my card considering the car hire company a suspicious transaction!  The card is unblocked now, but who knows what will happen when I drop the car back.

We both have a second suitcase to hold all our riding gear.  The weather will be generally warm to very warm but some places could be colder especially around Yellowstone NP.  I am bringing my trusty red leathers with the ventilation holes and Alan is bringing his new multilayered kit with a final armoured mesh jacket for the warmest days.  We'll look a right pair - me like a refugee from 1970's race tracks and Alan like an alien spaceman!

We have all the accommodation and event vouchers with us and the contact phone numbers and addresses so we're hot to trot.  USA here we come!