Next Tour: April 11th, 2008
Click to see ride pics from the Spring 2007 ride.

Riding the Land of Oz...

What follows below is a general itinerary of our weekend together. This brief description is meant to give you an idea of what to expect and our general route.

We'll meet at the International Coffee Exchange in Saratoga which is located at the foot of the Santa Cruz Mountains (in the southwest corner of the San Francisco Bay Area). The twisties are only a moment away. Riders will arrive as early as 7:00 AM, but plan to arrive no later than 7:30 for the safety brief. We like to get an early start to avoid the traffic, and spend the majority of our time riding! Your tour guides will plan to arrive at around 7:00.

We'll leave Saratoga and ride up into the Santa Cruz Mountains on Big Basin Way, aka Highway 9. Our destination is Big Basin Redwoods SP to check out the redwoods. Once we reach Highway 236, the road will narrow to no center line and the riders will take a relaxed pace through the redwoods to the main part of the park.

The group will ride out of the redwoods, make time to Monterey and down into Carmel to Highway 1. Once we've arrived at the beginning of Highway 1, we'll make our way south through what is often considered one of the most beautiful stretches of road in the world!

There are many places to stop and much to see. It's a photographers paradise along this stretch of highway. We'll be stopping at several vistas to take a break and also to regroup as the tour will get spread out at times. There is no hurry or rush so you can just take it at a pace you're comfortable with. We'll typically split into two groups with the fast guys out front so no worries about trying to keep up.

The plan for this day is to allow ample time along the Big Sur Coastline, one of the most beautiful sections of ocean coastline in the world! Big Sur is revered the world over for its stunning ocean panoramas, rugged mountainous coastline, and yes, it's very twisty!

The mileage for our first day is light, only about 250 miles, but with just the right balance of riding and stops to tell lies and kick tires. After experiencing Big Sur, we'll head inland to explore the coastal mountains. Forgotten back roads devoid of people or other traffic - a motorcyclist's delight - round out the afternoon.

After a short jaunt along the ocean, we'll arrive in San Luis Obispo in the early evening, enjoy a great dinner together and get to know each other a little better. And how the stories will flow! There's lots of variety in today's ride, and in the company of like-minded riders as passionate as you, it'll be a very memorable day of riding together.

See more food here!

Central California Frivolity

Day Two is a marathon of mile wide grins from ear to ear. The fantastic Highway 58 which I've often called one of the best motorcycle roads in the the entire state (FZ Article Page 1 - Page 2) is 80 miles of deserted playground. The group will ride this in the early morning and connect over to Highway 33. Then make our way into California's Oil Country along the Naval Petroleum Reserve and on through Taft.

The goal is to ride the always amazing Highway 33. This thrilling stretch of pavement climbs quickly up a mountain side to 5000 feet, rides across a flat plateau, and then twists its way down into Ojai. No good ride would be complete without good food, and we'll experience the well-known biker-hangout of the Deer Lodge serving up delicious dishes since 1932. Once our bellies are full, we'll make our way around Lake Casitas past million dollar homes where the measure of wealth is the height of the fence around the house. Then a ride over a low mountain range across the San Marcos Pass. Coastal breezes cool the air and there's fantastic views of Coastal California in all directions! You might call this afternoon the ride of Amazing Views! Once the group reaches Solvang, we'll take a break here from our terrific day of riding. Founded by Danish educators in 1910, Solvang sprung up to resemble a Danish village. Our visit to the Antique Motorcycle Museum will engross our attentions as we walk among some historic examples of motorcycling racing history that any motorcycle enthusiast will enjoy. There's something for everyone, from a Britton to Indian to numerous fine examples of racing heritage. North out of Solvang lie some fantastic back roads, and you'll revel in every twist and turn. Vineyards and ranches line the way and traffic is nil. Portions of the road were only recently repaved and any other vehicle will be rare! A rider once stopped right in the middle of this portion and exclaimed, "It's like a smooth ribbon of chocolate!" From here we'll make our way back to San Luis Obispo for a dip in the hot tub and an evening meal. Over thick steaks, grilled seafood, and a glass of wine, the stories will pour forth and it'll be a chance to relax after our time of riding together.

The Coastal Back Roads

The group will leave San Luis Obispo and spend the morning riding northward through the coast range.  Our routes have varied over the years, but rest assured, there will be endless twisties!

One possible option is Nacimiento Road, just a few miles north along Highway 1. This back road offers up some fantastic views of the Big Sur Coastline. We'll be high enough to see miles up and down the coast. Once we reach the top of the ridge line, we'll stop for a moment and drink in the view. Absolutely stunning!

In front of us lies a long forgotten road carved across the coastal mountains. Belonging to the Army Tank Training Grounds, this road flows into Fort Hunter Leggett. There's the Mission San Antonio de Padua dating to 1771 to take a look at, then we'll motor north along Highway G14.

There'll be ode to joy on Carmel Valley Road! This ride flows northward through a thrilling valley making its way north towards Laguna Seca. Often deserted, there's not much along this road except great views, and great riding. Once we meet on the northern end, Monterey is moments away. Some riders may split off here, and others making for the Bay Area will ride on.

Meeting Place:
International Coffee Exchange
14471 Big Basin Way, Saratoga, CA 95070
408-741-1185 ..:.. Map 1 ..:.. Map 2

Lodging - 2 Nights:
Comfort Inn
1604 Monterey St.,
San Luis Obispo, CA