Cooter and Bubbles ride to Mumzys house.

[Cooter]

Thanks for the effort 34:19 and the compliment SR!

 

[34nineteen]

This is a great adventure. I think having it right up front on the forum makes it easier for all to enjoy. Thanks for taking the time to take pics and the great writeup!

 

[Cooter]

Just a few more episodes to go for our west coast ride down PCH, but stopped in our tracks by even more wind and trapped by FIRE!!

 

[Endopotential]

Awesome writeup Cooter!

Sorry you guys had such a miserable time in the Gorge. I lived up there for a year, and dare I say I love kitesurfing even more than motorcycle riding.
Funny how one man's pleasure (nuclear winds) is another's torment.

I just got back from a rafting trip down the Rogue River. Then drove down from Gold Beach back to SF. You're absolutely right - the Oregon coast is stunning.

 

[Cooter]

Hey Endo! Your trip sounds amazing and we were pretty close again! Last week (driving but rainy) from Seattle to Portland on the coast, stopped by Cape Disappointment though.


I've been through the Gorge many times and have seen the masses of you crazy mo-fo's out there ripping up the river. I'm in love with the desolate stretch of 14 into Idaho, but these were so strong and unpredictable the Colombia river was empty of surfers

From the partying Equator, I feel the older we get... our lattitude should decrease slowly until we die, alone and grumpy, at the North Pole. haha.

 

[Endopotential]

Yeah, Cape Disappointment is one soggy mess. The grey winters of the Pacific NW will make anyone want to cry.

Your moto trip was a couple months back though, right? You two are totally welcome to stop by Pacifica the next time around.

Hopefully we can get the West Coast gang together for a ride soon. Opto is snowbirding down here somewhere I think. And "thewood" is by Mendocino?
ACSchnitzel is here in the SF Bay Area as well. Maybe meet somewhere along the coast???

 

[optomist]

Endo and others,

I wouldn't call it snowbirding, more like snowboarding-- Pretty murky, cold and miserable of late here in the NW. Anyway, now that March is here I am getting ready for a run down the PCH. New tires on the XR. I guess we need a consensus as to where and when. I won't be going much further South then Napa--but have a hankering for some Mendocino coast.

Lets do this!

Opto

 

[Cooter]

It wouldn't be hard to get together once everyones in the right area. I love that north SF bay on the coast, west side of Muir Woods, lots of neat little shoreside towns hidden back there!

The next little distraction for Bubbles and I is to get 4 days in Death Valley before it gets too hot there and it's already in the mid-80's! She's dying to rent a RE Himalayan for some God forsaken reason and I don't think 24 horsepower will get her comfortably across the desert, so I'll toss it and the Ss in the back of Ol' Josephine Dirté and find a place to park it about 50 miles away.

 

[optomist]

All,

I used to work for an opera singer (female) in Muir Beach, but that is story for a bourbon around the campfire.

I am happy that you will let an XR1200 rider back in the Buell club. See you all soon--come up with some dates--couple of weeks out from now?

Lots of great rides but the ride up from Tam Junction to Fort Bragg is outstanding. Some of the East West roads between the 1 and 101 are pretty awesome.

We could meet up maybe at my Daughter's place in Napa. I will ask. She is a professional wine maker so we could top off with the good stuff.

this could be a fun get together.

Opto

 

[TheWood]

All, Count me in; whatever date and route that is chosen. If Mendocino,Fort Bragg is the end turn around point, I would meet up with you at the starting point and end my ride there. I could bunk several if need be; 2 guest rooms, and 2 acres in Mendocino. Hopefully all the Pubs are unrestricted by then(fingers crossed). But, I've got 2 refrigerators and a nice fire pit!

The Wood a.k.a. Bob

 

[Endopotential]

That would be a hoot to finally get to meet you all in person. Aaron, get your butt out here from AZ!

Just to keep the ball rolling, I've got the weekends of March 20; April 3; April 17 available.

I'll be coming up from SF, so Mendocino would be about as far north as I can go. The ride from Petaluma to Pt Reyes is spectacular; looks a bit like the moors of Scotland on a cloudy day.

Bob, the offer to stay at your place would be awesome, thanks so much!

I'll post a separate thread to see if anyone else is interested. In case anyone should happen to miss reading Cooter's magnificent travelogue for some godforsaken reason.

 

[34nineteen]

Episode 10: New friends and old friends
Motorcyclists are friends. We wave to each other, we hang out in the same places, we can have whole conversations and never get a name. Simply parking next to another motorcycle can be a conversation starter. It doesn't work like that driving a Prius. "So, uh how many MPG do you get?" isn't a conversation I'd prefer. Even the non-riding public sees motorcyclists as one group. So it's important to know that we are all "Ambassadors". Whether we like it or not. Taking a minute to hear a gas station story from a 'the wife made me sell mine when I had kids' guy, and hopefully he goes home and looks up Craigslist to re-ignite the passion he once had. I love waving to a small child who's enraptured by the rumble of a passing motorcycle. I like to think I am planting the seed for a life long addiction to a dangerous and expensive sport. You're welcome, kid

Now that navigation is a non-issue with our straight southerly PCH route, we are keenly aware of our surroundings. It's surprising just how much more you 'see' when you have to actually process it, instead of numbly waiting for Siri to tell you where to go. I'll leave it to much smarter people than I, to know what part of the brain shuts off when the nav unit turns on, but I do know I've recently been lost, just 25 miles from my own home, because of a dead cell phone. That's pathetic.

Rocks shaped like familiar faces, winding tree branches overhanging the road, little blind off-shoot roads to the coast, it all sets in the memory part of the brain now as we rocket down the highway, adding "anal" to the name of every RV we see. The "Anal Tornado" is todays big winner, while the Tillicum Campgrounds in Oregon gets an asterisk for not being an RV but having us laughing for miles. Damn, Oregon has a such a beautiful coastline.

Our destination is Coos Bay tonight and another bunk-a-biker host so we're keeping the speed up, but first a short stop in Yachats. It's a happy little artist town that is thankfully stopped in time, and I'm hoping to re-connect with a couple I met there a few years back. At that time it was bad timing for me, late, wet, dark, cold, and a holiday weekend with no vacancies anywhere. After overhearing my unsuccessful conversation with the restaurant/hotel host, Kevin and McKenna approached me. They were having an anniversary dinner that night and went out of their way to offer a room in their house to me, a total stranger! He was there working for the Forestry Service and she was doing psychiatric care for children. Such a wonderful couple. Sadly they were out of town when we passed through this time, It would have been nice to have them meet the amazing Bubbles. Next time...

Helmet hair always looks good.

Back on the road again, throttling down the highway towards our lawn spot for the night hoping to get there before dark, and in time to see our new hosts, as well as meet up with an old riding buddy. Last time I had seen Johnny, we were chasing hot springs, the solar eclipse, and he was getting pulled over be the local Constable (Ambassadors, right Johnny?).

Once arriving in Coos Bay, Bubbles and I follow the directions to our hosts house down the long winding gravel driveway, far off the little road that brought up here, turn left at the big rock, and Johnny is already waiting for us. The dogs happily charge out of the house so we get to meet them first (as it should be), then our hosts Joanie and Gary. We learn Gary just got back riding from Sturgis so de rigueur, we all start the tour in their garage. He is a retired teacher and it's easy to see he has devoted his life to having fun and helping others. They have a giant garage full of cool bikes, a Tiger 800 that Bubbles got to throw her leg over to check if it fits her length challenged in-seam (it does, but barely), projects everywhere, toys for the nearby sand dunes, and he has non-stop energy as we wind our way around their gorgeous property. He and Joanie have 6 kids they foster and we can tell she's the glue holding all this fun together. Smart and easy going she offers all us travelers bedrooms instead of our tents on the lawn and won't take no for an answer. All of us spent a late evening together in the gazebo sitting by a big fire swapping stories of trips, life lessons, and listening to inspiring stories before wandering to bed and settling in for a very deep sleep.

The best alarm clock is one that smells like coffee and bacon Gary and Joanie are already up as some of their kids are dropping by with their own kids in tow and not one of them is surprised to find three strangers in the house. Joanie has a deft hand as making a delicious breakfast for 2-20 people at a moments notice. We're positive she got those skills from lots practice in this very welcoming home. Gary offers us a trip to the Oregon sand dunes on his three and four wheelers too! He wasn't even planning on going, and thought he'd just drop everything and go to show us a good time. There's generosity and hospitality, and then theres this amazing family. Next level. As much as Bubbles and I love the sand, very regrettably we have to decline. We have a birthday camping reservations for Bubbles in Big Sur in 3 days. It's the rest of Oregon and half the state of California away and already feeling a little rushed.

You just HAVE to stop, right?


As good a rider as she is, there are still experiences Bubbles hasn't come across yet, but she's already navigated heavy winds, wet roads, and the steep gravel driveway like a pro and really has the level head needed to stay safe. This level head is what saves her bacon tomorrow. And the next day.

We three travellers departed at the same time and it took about 3 turns for Johnny to lose us, disappearing around the tight corners on his way back to the 101. That's ok we'll be sure to hook up later, watch out for those Constables buddy! After another quick re-stock of water and snacks into our tiny saddlebags we will be deep somewhere in the Redwoods tonight, but not after a few detours to the serene sand dunes that stretch from under the pines to the Pacific ocean. To Bandon, then Port Orford where the 101 hugs the coast, past Gold Beach and Brookings, we hardly noticed leaving Southern Oregon and entering Northern Cali and kept motoring through Crecent city. This is really where the Redwoods start, and there is a secret/not secret road through the Jedediah Smith State park that will have any spectator agog. I promised my girl I would take her one day, but it's all gravel and we need to save something for the next trip. Besides, the best is yet to come where highway "The 1" separates from the 101 and is one of the all-time stellar roadways. There are some truly bucket list viewpoints that can easily be missed if you're in even the slightest hurry. Take the time. Even if re-incarnation is your thing, why not make this life the best life you can. Not even the news of the big fires to the south of us, deters our direction in the least.

 

[34nineteen]

Taking all the parkways in that area that go through the Redwoods paralleling the highway is a must for anyone worthy of reading this drivel. It's a respite from the sun, perfect for motorcycling, and just one of those areas where 'oh wow' involuntarily escapes your lips around every corner. Again it's getting late in the day, and again it's packed with happy campers. A spectacularly massive state park, visible from the International Space Station, and no room for a small pair of dusty motorcyclists to stay for the night.

After several failed attempts to find a good hidden camp spot, we succumb to going to the main park, the lady in front of us gets the very last, last minute camp site, and we are given semi clear directions "back about 10 miles, turn left" to overflow camping... that is "probably full"... with a 10 minute deadline before it closes too. Closes? It's dirt.

It's always an adventure in California to need to sleep. Without $60+ and a 'reservation' for a patch of dirt, the state that commands the vast majority of coastline and temperate west coast, considers you vagrant and 'move along buddy' for even the shortest of rests to safely re-joining the motoring masses. This stress of trying to keep up with the ever changing 'California rules' is typical here, where any mis-step ends up with predictable inconvenience, and a fine.

After a very long day of riding, we raced back the way we came, missed the turn off twice, discussed our predicament, and settled on shooting towards the unknown. We guessed at a paved single track road, DEEP in the forest that went on, and on, and on. I expected it to lead us directly to the lair of the Yeti, but instead it finally opened up to a tiny camp ground, an unmanned fee shack, and it took 2 rounds of embarrassingly rumbling through the library quiet campsite, to find the last, but perfect, little spot. Left seemingly just for us! Setting up the tent is fast to thankfully take off sweaty riding jeans and boots to be replaced with shorts and flip flops.

Luxurious accommodations

We took a stroll around and as dark moved in, the small spots quieted down and we got to see many deer foraging for berries and rustling of little foresty animals doing little foresty animal things. We were so deep in the forest that there wasn't a hint of light pollution, late night revellers, or any type of sign of humans bedsides the 25 or so of us lucky enough to keep this very special place in our memory now.

Oh, Deer!

To wake up in such a peaceful place means theres no real sign you need to wake up at all. No alarm clock, no traffic, not even much light through the trees. The road beckons us further and it's one day closer to her birthday so the simple morning routine of coffee, breakfast bar, and packing back into the bags is done easily before I break the silence by thumbing the starter on a high compression V-twin. It's late in the morning but still a little embarrassing.

The Turkeys coffee game is strong.

And he's ready to go Plenty of songs were written about the feeling you get right at this point.
Our secret little road out is worthy of it's own visit, and leads us back to the parkway, then the 101S, thankfully getting to Leggett for the turn off to be back on the 1, past the drive-thru tree (a must see!), smashing corners on my favorite road thought even more Redwoods, and eventually lunch at, you guessed it, a brewery! North Coast brewing happens to make Bubbles favorite beer, but its full to capacity. So it's large paper bowls of delicious Clam Chowder on the curb, and then t-shirt and trinket shopping after.

What? Is there something behind me?

As long as dad jokes are funny, silly touristy **** will still be fun.

No bad days out here.

I have been though this town of Fort Bragg before but have so far missed Glass Beach. Excited to see something I know my little Bubbles will enjoy, we go the right way, oops wrong way, oops right way to the beach, for a stroll. It's a curious spot and worth a look, but the main attraction was surprisingly all the baby deer around and the fattest, ballsy-ist squirrels you've ever seen! We fully expected one to walk over, pull out a tiny squirrel sized shank and demand, "whats in the basket?... bitch".

The heat from the day before had completely disappeared behind a grey blanket of clouds as we pushed on, adding the occasional layer of clothing to stay toasty. Not much fear of rain, but sprinkles were all around as we added the southbound miles. This may have been our longest day riding as we pushed on through the sunset trying to halve our next days miles to Big Sur and camping reservations.

A little stroll through Cuffeys Cove Cemetery for a good friend with a genealogy habit yield some amazing wildflowers and coastal views. Not that we were rushing per se. Highway 1 is always worth every mile. Theres a balance to winging it, and common sense.
Common sense had us sleeping in a community park on this night.

 

[Cooter]

Thank you A-Aron!
:angel:

 

[njloco]

That's funny, I have that same camp pot. Have I told you lately, you take the coolest pictures. That wood carving of the whale and baby is neat !
I knew the last time I was in the redwoods ( 1979 ) I saw big foot but nobody would believe me, those trees are amazing.

Thanks to both of you and Aaron for taking us along.

 

[Cooter]

But do you have a turkey that makes your coffee in the morning?!? LOL thanks man, I appreciate the compliments
Its harder to write (well) than I thought!

 

[34nineteen]

But do you have a turkey that makes your coffee in the morning?!?

and a turkey to hold up the middle of a tree?

 

[Cooter]

Won't lie.... took me a minute:applause::applause:

 

[34nineteen]

Won't lie.... took me a minute:applause::applause:

<takes a bow>:black_eyed: