November, 2012
We've been pretty good at planning at least one ride together each year to go and do something fun. In many cases, the ride is the destination. Yes, we stop and see things...or people...or both, but this trip is a little different. So strange in so many ways...
It took a couple of days to reach this area. Beautiful area and I'd like to go back another time and explore further.
From here, I took a disjointed route to get to where we'd made lodging arrangements in Fairfield, CA. You'll note in the image above, the marine layer is beginning to settle in. What I didn't know what there was also rain approaching. By the time we'd returned to civilization, it was dark - and the rain began.
Now, we've really only been in bad rain a handful of times on the motorcycle before this event. Rain during the day? At least you still have some visible light to work with. Rain at night? No...this was bad!
Eventually, after having to pull off at least once to confirm my directions, we made it to our room.
I'm sure this place in nice weather, is perfectly suitable...if you're in you're 20's and broke. Cold, wet, and trying to use the room heater to dry things out isn't working. Miserable night
The next morning, we bailed out of that place - we'll not stay a second night here. Before we head away from this region, we thought we'd stop by here - Jelly Belly factory, also in Fairfield.
That killed a couple of hours...fun time! After this, we took to some meandering around the area where my father-in-law and family had lived three decades ago in a nearby community.
After the less-than-optimum lodging from last night, we can do better than this. We jumped out of that wandering mode, and into 'find a nice place' mode - which we did in Gilroy, CA.
Recognizing that we needed to head for home...and that we could have made it home very late tonight, I really didn't want this to end. A couple of hours south of Gilroy, I remembered my time in school here in the mid 1970's. I was in middle school at the time. There was always talk of a field trip that many students locally had been able to take to the Hearst Castle, near Camrbia, CA.
For those that may not have recalled history classes...the Hearst family had owned newspapers in both San Francisco and Los Angeles, and many other major cities starting back in the late 19th Century in San Francisco. The son of the patriarch (William Randolph) had the castle built in the early 20th Century. In 1958, the estate was donated to the state, with tours beginning at that time.
I never got in on those field trips - I suspect they were at the high school level, and that's okay. Yet, there was always talk of just how 'big time' this place was. Thus, we did a tour of it.
We've been pretty good at planning at least one ride together each year to go and do something fun. In many cases, the ride is the destination. Yes, we stop and see things...or people...or both, but this trip is a little different. So strange in so many ways...
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| Point Reyes Beach - South |
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| View north of Point Reyes Beach from parking area of the Point Reyes Lighthouse |
It took a couple of days to reach this area. Beautiful area and I'd like to go back another time and explore further.
From here, I took a disjointed route to get to where we'd made lodging arrangements in Fairfield, CA. You'll note in the image above, the marine layer is beginning to settle in. What I didn't know what there was also rain approaching. By the time we'd returned to civilization, it was dark - and the rain began.
Now, we've really only been in bad rain a handful of times on the motorcycle before this event. Rain during the day? At least you still have some visible light to work with. Rain at night? No...this was bad!
Eventually, after having to pull off at least once to confirm my directions, we made it to our room.
I'm sure this place in nice weather, is perfectly suitable...if you're in you're 20's and broke. Cold, wet, and trying to use the room heater to dry things out isn't working. Miserable night
The next morning, we bailed out of that place - we'll not stay a second night here. Before we head away from this region, we thought we'd stop by here - Jelly Belly factory, also in Fairfield.
 |
| Jelly Belly Tour - hint: don't go on a Sunday! |
That killed a couple of hours...fun time! After this, we took to some meandering around the area where my father-in-law and family had lived three decades ago in a nearby community.
 |
| We wandered around the eastern side of the Bay Area. |
After the less-than-optimum lodging from last night, we can do better than this. We jumped out of that wandering mode, and into 'find a nice place' mode - which we did in Gilroy, CA.
Recognizing that we needed to head for home...and that we could have made it home very late tonight, I really didn't want this to end. A couple of hours south of Gilroy, I remembered my time in school here in the mid 1970's. I was in middle school at the time. There was always talk of a field trip that many students locally had been able to take to the Hearst Castle, near Camrbia, CA.
For those that may not have recalled history classes...the Hearst family had owned newspapers in both San Francisco and Los Angeles, and many other major cities starting back in the late 19th Century in San Francisco. The son of the patriarch (William Randolph) had the castle built in the early 20th Century. In 1958, the estate was donated to the state, with tours beginning at that time.
I never got in on those field trips - I suspect they were at the high school level, and that's okay. Yet, there was always talk of just how 'big time' this place was. Thus, we did a tour of it.
 |
| The little (68,000 sq ft) 'shack' up on top of "The Enchanted Hill" |
A great way to kill a few hours! From here, it took about three hours for me to get back to an area I knew well, the Ventura/Oxnard/Camarillo area.
Lodging, dinner, and rest. Then the long, boring ride home.
Lodging, dinner, and rest. Then the long, boring ride home.
20190715
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