Pacific Coast Highway- LA to Portland
Discussion
I'm somewhere in Long Beach, waiting for my Uber to Motoquest to collect a rental F850GS. The plan is to leave from our Pasadena home early tomorrow morning. My wife will come as far as Santa Barbara for breakfast, then I'll drop her at the station to catch the Surfliner train home.
After that, it's up the coast to Monterey. There's nowhere much to stay at short notice on a Saturday night, so I've booked a basic campsite at Laguna Seca, where it's a quiet weekend except for a Lexus track day.
Sunday I'll ride through Santa Cruz and along the SF peninsula to the Golden Gate Bridge. A friend of mine is in Napa, so if she has time at work (at a winery!) I'll drop on to say hello. Sunday night I'm camping at Clear Lake, which is a new destination for me.
On Monday I'll ride through the Avenue of the Giants and see the amazing trees, and the up the coast to the northern tip of California. I've booked a hotel for that night - I'll be ready for it after two nights under Canvas.
Tuesday isn't really planned yet, just up the Oregon Coast to somewhere between Bandon and Lincoln City. I need to get the bike to Portland by Wednesday midday so I can catch my flight home to LAX ($6.50 in First, thanks to a stack of old Avios miles).
I'll try to post a few photos on the way.
After that, it's up the coast to Monterey. There's nowhere much to stay at short notice on a Saturday night, so I've booked a basic campsite at Laguna Seca, where it's a quiet weekend except for a Lexus track day.
Sunday I'll ride through Santa Cruz and along the SF peninsula to the Golden Gate Bridge. A friend of mine is in Napa, so if she has time at work (at a winery!) I'll drop on to say hello. Sunday night I'm camping at Clear Lake, which is a new destination for me.
On Monday I'll ride through the Avenue of the Giants and see the amazing trees, and the up the coast to the northern tip of California. I've booked a hotel for that night - I'll be ready for it after two nights under Canvas.
Tuesday isn't really planned yet, just up the Oregon Coast to somewhere between Bandon and Lincoln City. I need to get the bike to Portland by Wednesday midday so I can catch my flight home to LAX ($6.50 in First, thanks to a stack of old Avios miles).
I'll try to post a few photos on the way.
Please post photos NNH,
Still waiting to do my PCH trip, but covid buggered all that up.Opposite way to you though.
Got rough plans of hotels,route,and places to visit.
I'm wanting to start at San Fran, and go down the coast, Monterey whale watching deffo on the list
.Santa Cruz, Hearst castle, Morra bay area,Santa Barbara,
Will need to be a convertable Mustang though.
Enjoy.
Still waiting to do my PCH trip, but covid buggered all that up.Opposite way to you though.
Got rough plans of hotels,route,and places to visit.
I'm wanting to start at San Fran, and go down the coast, Monterey whale watching deffo on the list
.Santa Cruz, Hearst castle, Morra bay area,Santa Barbara,
Will need to be a convertable Mustang though.
Enjoy.
Edited by MrAndyW on Saturday 21st August 05:31
Composer62 said:
Hope you have a great time !
We did San Francisco to Seattle in a convertible Chevrolet Camaro in 2018. Saw some lovely sights.
Two highlights for me were Trinidad near Redwood National Park and Cannon Beach in Oregon. (Around 1.5 hours from Portland).
Thanks for the recommendation!We did San Francisco to Seattle in a convertible Chevrolet Camaro in 2018. Saw some lovely sights.
Two highlights for me were Trinidad near Redwood National Park and Cannon Beach in Oregon. (Around 1.5 hours from Portland).
It's Saturday night and I'm camping at a deserted Laguna Seca (on Le Mans weekend!) After startling our dogs with a 5am walk, we set off for Santa Barbara. Even at dawn on a weekend, LA freeways are utterly miserable. Still the road ran along the coast after Ventura, and we had a nice breakfast by the ocean.
My very understanding wife took the train home, and I rode on through Pismo Beach and Morro Bay (two of my favourite places). Unfortunately the weather closed in after stopped to watch the Elephant Seals nearl San Simeon, so it was a chilly and damp ride along Big Sur.
I dropped into Monterey to see Cannery Row, and the headed up to Laguna Seca where I've just enjoyed a burger and a beer I picked up on the way out of Monterey.
Early night tonight, but I'll try to work out how to stiffen the very squishy rear suspension before tomorrow's ride to SF, Golden Gate Bridge, Napa and Clear Lake.
Photos in next post for formatting reasons.
My very understanding wife took the train home, and I rode on through Pismo Beach and Morro Bay (two of my favourite places). Unfortunately the weather closed in after stopped to watch the Elephant Seals nearl San Simeon, so it was a chilly and damp ride along Big Sur.
I dropped into Monterey to see Cannery Row, and the headed up to Laguna Seca where I've just enjoyed a burger and a beer I picked up on the way out of Monterey.
Early night tonight, but I'll try to work out how to stiffen the very squishy rear suspension before tomorrow's ride to SF, Golden Gate Bridge, Napa and Clear Lake.
Photos in next post for formatting reasons.
|https://thumbsnap.com/ynFVBmKt[/url]
![](https://thumbsnap.com/sc/YdUJzYcP.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/ynFVBmKt" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/ynFVBmKt.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/MmCJ1eWp" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/MmCJ1eWp.jpg)
Zarco said:
I'd love to do that.
Do you do any riding up on Mulholland Drive? The bike scene there looks really cool. Makes me want to visit LA.
I don't really ride in LA - the standard of driving in the city is terrible, so I prefer not to mix with it unless I've got 4 wheels, airbags and a dashcam!Do you do any riding up on Mulholland Drive? The bike scene there looks really cool. Makes me want to visit LA.
NNH said:
Zarco said:
I'd love to do that.
Do you do any riding up on Mulholland Drive? The bike scene there looks really cool. Makes me want to visit LA.
I don't really ride in LA - the standard of driving in the city is terrible, so I prefer not to mix with it unless I've got 4 wheels, airbags and a dashcam!Do you do any riding up on Mulholland Drive? The bike scene there looks really cool. Makes me want to visit LA.
You'd look on Waze or Google and you couldn't see the roads for those little accident emojis.
Mind you, seeing the way the girl I was seeing drove, it was not surprising. Driving and actually seeing where you were going was on a long list down from doing other 'important' things.
Great thread OP. I love these road trip and the rebuilding a home ones.
Awesome ride.
Try and stop in at Alice’s if you get a chance - http://www.alicesrestaurant.com/
It’s the weekend Mecca for bikes and cars in the SF area, Skyline Blvd is a nice ride.
If you get a chance try and hug the coast going north and take the 1 up. It will take longer if you have the time but beautiful views etc.
Shout if you need any recommendations, we live in SF and have explored much of the area in the past 6 years
Have fun
Ben
Try and stop in at Alice’s if you get a chance - http://www.alicesrestaurant.com/
It’s the weekend Mecca for bikes and cars in the SF area, Skyline Blvd is a nice ride.
If you get a chance try and hug the coast going north and take the 1 up. It will take longer if you have the time but beautiful views etc.
Shout if you need any recommendations, we live in SF and have explored much of the area in the past 6 years
Have fun
Ben
Also - I would check the wildfire status in Clearlake, looks like there is the Cache fire and some evacuations, not sure if it will impact you, I hope not
https://community.zonehaven.com/?latlon=38.9067669...
https://community.zonehaven.com/?latlon=38.9067669...
benmc said:
Also - I would check the wildfire status in Clearlake, looks like there is the Cache fire and some evacuations, not sure if it will impact you, I hope not
https://community.zonehaven.com/?latlon=38.9067669...
Thanks for this. It looks like it's still safe on the west side of the lake where I'll be staying https://community.zonehaven.com/?latlon=38.9067669...
Long day - I ended staying a long time in Santa Cruz making lots of phone calls about a business problem, which knocked back the rest off the day's timing.
Still, I'm in a Chinese restaurant with a Heineken waiting for General Tso's three meat combi(!)
After admiring a lazy seal underneath Santa Cruz Pier, and marveling at the maniacs who were swimming around the pier, I headed up the SF peninsula.
I stopped at Pescadero to admire the view and deal with yet more phone calls from the office
I rode through San Francisco and across the Golden Gate Bridge, but there were no opportunities for photos so I stopped in Sausalito to admire SF Bay and The City itself. Waterfront parking was free for bikes!
Still, I'm in a Chinese restaurant with a Heineken waiting for General Tso's three meat combi(!)
After admiring a lazy seal underneath Santa Cruz Pier, and marveling at the maniacs who were swimming around the pier, I headed up the SF peninsula.
I stopped at Pescadero to admire the view and deal with yet more phone calls from the office
I rode through San Francisco and across the Golden Gate Bridge, but there were no opportunities for photos so I stopped in Sausalito to admire SF Bay and The City itself. Waterfront parking was free for bikes!
Sunday part 2
From Sausalito it was about an hour to Napa, where I caught up with my friend but had to turn down wine tasting. I then rode north along Napa Valley past all the famous wineries. I stopped in Calistoga to get a photo of the old train.
From there it was about an hour across the hills of Robert Louis Stevenson Park and Bottle Rock Road (highly recommended) as I raced the sunset.
I was a bit late checking in to the lakefront campsite in Lakeport, but they were OK with. Here's a picture, complete with forest fire smoke on the other side.
From Sausalito it was about an hour to Napa, where I caught up with my friend but had to turn down wine tasting. I then rode north along Napa Valley past all the famous wineries. I stopped in Calistoga to get a photo of the old train.
From there it was about an hour across the hills of Robert Louis Stevenson Park and Bottle Rock Road (highly recommended) as I raced the sunset.
I was a bit late checking in to the lakefront campsite in Lakeport, but they were OK with. Here's a picture, complete with forest fire smoke on the other side.
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