USA Tour days 4-5-6

Day 4-5-6- 

Not had the time or no access to the internet so you have three days combined.

Day 4 Cambria to San Francisco.

Temperature 16c.

We left Bill and Mike at the motel to meet up with us later at 11.30 am at Hearst Castle. The Castle is very opulent and must have cost tens of millions of dollars even back in the 1920s when it was built. Very interesting though to see how the other half lived back then.

Leaving the castle on time with Bill leading us North up the coast on Highway California 1, great road and scenery. We met up with friend Barry Porter at a cafe overlooking the ocean. Barry had ridden down from Santa Cruz on an early model 850 Moto Guzzi to meet up. After a nice lunch we continued on up Highway 1 to Barry's house at Santa Cruz which is on a headland overlooking the ocean. The house is magnificent!

After a coffee we took off with Barry leading to take us back onto the highway, unfortunately his bike stopped (later found out it was a vapour lock in the tank), we had to leave him and Bill took over to lead another fantastic section of coast, and then back over the mountains past Alice’s Restaurant famous motorbike rendezvous, and then to the highway to SF where we said our goodbyes.

Temperature dropped dramatically again because of the Californian mist and we then rode to our hotel, the ride into SF was not for the fainthearted.

We had dinner at Fishermen’s Wharf and it was just fantastic, crabs and scallops and seafood bisque, the pretty lights of the wharf were great, got a taxi back and were in bed by 11pm  another great day

Day 5

San Francisco to Sonora

We have planned to be up early as we were booked on a tour to Alcatraz at 11-30am and were going to try to have it changed earlier due to  the long ride ahead (420klm). Vic and I had breakfast in a diner, after brekkie the boys fetched the bike and car from a parking station and away we went. Vic had fun trying to keep out of the cable car tracks and stopping at all the traffic lights and the steep hills. We arrived at the water front and wharf 33 where the Alcatraz ferries leave from to see if we could change the times... to no avail still at 11-30. So we walked the streets until the time to depart.

On the ferry to Alcatraz the sun is trying to come through the sea mist it is a little cooler than we expect. We dock at the Alcatraz and do a tour and it was very interesting - how cruel this place was.

We leave San Francisco about 2pm, back on the bike and the little” Red Rocket” leads us out of town and over the  Golden Gate Bridge and along the California Highway 1 then do a little side trip more twisties. Absolutey breath taking roads and scenery, we then travel through the Napa Valley with grape vines covering huge areas of the valley which is very green and beautiful. We pass a wind farm that has about 60-70 wind generators, leaving this valley we ride through the central Californian Delta .

The temp is now rising and we strip off our warm clothing, and head for our hotel in Sonora. The hotel and town is real western American - I was just waiting for” Wild Bill Hickok” to come riding thru

Had dinner in a BBQ Diner just a short walk up the road. Oh did we have a lot of food (Pic included.)We were full to the brim and had to leave a lot. It was sweet potato chips, onion rings, salad, steak, beans, mushrooms, coleslaw and French fries.Got to bed about 10-30pm it was just another wonderful day

Day 6

Sonora to South Lake Tahoe 583klm-362 miles

Leaving Sonora at 7am after breakfast, we head out to Yosemite National Park - The scenery was just out of this world, huge boulders, huge mountains ,spectacular waterfalls ( makes Ayres rock looks like a pebble). There was some road works on the main road and we were held up for some time as it was a one way road and gravel, we were hoping no black bears would attack as 27 bears were killed by cars last year..They never mention how may motorcyclists were eaten.

Leaving the park we head for South Lake Tahoe, it is quite warm and the” Red Rocket” had his top down. We stop for water and refreshments after a fantastic ride down a valley with the road being hot mix and the vista is superb. Climbing up again over the mountains and it starts to sprinkle with rain, we zipped up our coats and kept on going, then with the rain comes the hail and Alan in the “RED ROCKET” keeps going in the rain,  (I think he thinks he is on a motor cycle) and only stops after the car fills with water and he puts the top up.

Arriving in Lake Tahoe the rain stops and the sun comes out again the place is sparkling; we even got to see a Variviggen which Alan identified for us. We walked up the road for dinner in a quaint little eatery, early night tonight as we have a big ride tomorrow. We head back to Nevada to a place called Jackpot.

Just a wonderful day, tired but satisfied, I think I have double calluses on my bum thank goodness for my Air Hawk.