Published on

9/19/11 4:54 PM

Pacific Standard Time

Part Deux, Day Three

Our intentions were to scout the wine country in more detail today. We had passed through Sonora on the way to Murphys and thought we would start there.

Sonora is a larger, older town with a busy main street and lots of shops, banks, hotels and bars, etc. Since it was early, we thought we could grab some breakfast and do some exploring. It turned out that we could find absolutely no place in town that was serving food. Several of the bars were open, but no food. None of the restaurants opened before 11:00 AM. We walked to the outskirts of town and finally found a taco truck that just opening for business that day. Felt like Mexico. A couple of tacos and we were good to go. Our exploring had pretty much been taken care of in our search for a meal.

Back across town, we pointed our bikes toward Angels Camp for our next stop. Angels Camp is a nice, clean little town with a high number of antique and souvenir shops.

There are a number of small towns in Calavarus County, separated by a smattering of wineries just off of the connecting roads. It didn't take too long to begin suspecting that the remainder of towns in the area would be much the same as that already explored. Peter finally made the suggestion to head off to Carson City rather than continue exploring antique shops. Moments later, we were mounted up, GPS programmed and ready to roll.

The GPS directed us to Highway 4 to cross back over the Sierra Nevada's to drop us on the Nevada side.

Highway 4 must be one of the most unique, challenging and beautiful roads our little electronic guardian mama could have chosen (aka GPS). The road is twisty and passes by lakes and streams, hills and valleys its entire distance. Part way up the scenic west side, the road changed from a two lane highway to what looked just like a generous one lane road. The road became quite narrow. The pavement has fog lines painted on either side but no dividing stripe. It is two lane however. Oncoming vehicles seemed to meet us at the most awkward moments and because it was so twisty, you never knew when that might be. On coming motor homes were particularly interesting. Some of the switch-back turns were so tight, you pretty much took them at an idle. Once through, we entered Nevada and it was short ride to Carson City.

As we entered Nevada, we fulfilled our pact to stop at the first casino we came across, so I could gamble some 50/50 winnings I lucked into a few weeks prior. We soon found a slot machine that wasn't too greedy and left a little heavier than we had arrived. Off to town.

I tried using the features of the GPS to find us a room. It did serve as a suggestion but it's location abilities were outdated. After asking, we finally found a suitable room for the night (thanks to Peter's keen direction finding capabilities).

A little non-productive gambling, dinner at Mo & Sluggo's Bar And Grill, a nightcap at The Blue Bull and that was about it for the night. We meet the girls in Reno tomorrow.

Published on

9/7/11 10:15 PM

Pacific Standard Time

Part Deux, Day Deux

We woke up with the intentions of visiting the Movie Museum just down the road from our room. We arrived at the door at 9:00 AM hoping they would be opening about then. Although we did see the proprietor wandering around inside, the sign on the door said that we would have to wait until 10:00 to find out about all of the movies that had been filmed in the area. He had no interest in starting his day too early.

The morning air was fresh and a very comfortable temperature. To wait around another hour would mean the sun would just be heating things up. Instead, we packed up and headed off to Bishop to take advantage of the cool morning air.

We were told that Bishop had some good barbeque. We didn't find any of that but we did grab a bite. Afterwords walked around and noticed the 10 or 20 sporting goods and fly fishing shops. Apparently that is very popular in the surrounding lakes and streams up in the hills.

We talked about a guided fishing trip but that never materialized. Dead fish in our saddle bags might just be a bad idea anyway.

Reno isn't all that far as it turns out. We could have ridden the rest of the distance fairly easily. The GPS had been programmed to take us to Murphys, CA which is in the Calavarus County wine country. The route it had selected had us bypassing Yosemite National Park and taking a road that followed the northern park boundary. Peter had the great idea of working our way through Yosemite instead. Terrific idea!

If you haven't been there before, everything you had heard about it is true. It is a stunningly beautiful place with some truly unique and amazing scenery. The road through the park is a very pleasant ride and since we were there just after Labor Day, the tourist traffic was delightfully minimal. Out of the other side of the park was an easy ride to Murphys, California.

Murphys was our planned destination for the night. We had talked about making a wine-touring trip at some point and Peter and I had the opportunity to explore the area and report back to the “better halves”.

Murphys, just a few years ago, must have been just a bump in the road. The “old town” is actually a short block off of the highway and most of the highway frontage is occupied by modern, rather sterile buildings. So much so that we couldn't find a saloon! Imagine that! We couldn't find a cold beer! We actually had to double back and cruise the “Business District” (which is what they now call their old Main Street) and stop at a wine shop to ask where we could get a beer!

The staff at the wine shop suggested we could find a fine beer at a restaurant just a few doors from where we were. Very nice people at the wine shop and we chatted for quite a little bit. They did also mention that there was a rather horrible place, just “kitty-corner” to the place they mentioned, but that only the less cultured folks in the area frequented that establishment.

We wandered down to the most highly recommended place. It turned out to be a slightly snobbish restaurant that served rather snobbish beers as well. A pint each of a couple of beers neither of us had ever heard of and we decided to visit The Nugget (that seedy bar just across the way).

As soon as we entered, we felt right at home. Friendly people in a typically tavern-ish place. We chatted with the locals over a couple of pints and finally felt properly quenched.

Off to find a room, grab a little dinner and back to the Nugget for a “night cap” filled up the remainder of the evening. 545 miles on the odometer. 259 miles traveled today.

Published on

9/7/11 6:21 PM

Pacific Standard Time Part Deux, Day One

September 5, 2011

Normal is defined as results meet expectations. Under those criteria, today was pretty normal. Peter and I were at the airport on time and had plenty of time to catch our flights from Bellingham to San Diego. The cab driver from the airport to the BMW Motorcycle dealer did demand a somewhat handsome reward for his efforts; surprising but not out of the realm of plausible. A reasonably short visit at the dealership had us on our way to the Sierra Nevada's.  

We did encounter a few rain showers. Nothing torrential or anything to really slow us down. So we rode through that like not so seasoned troupers that we are.

On a bike, you get the wrath and the benefits of being exposed to the elements. The rain hit us but the smells released by the moisture had us engulfed in grasses and sage brush as we cruised through. We haven't hit the hills just yet and the desert has been pretty hot and rather humid after the showers.

A couple of gas and water stops later had us 286 miles down the road at Lone Pine California. By the time we arrived, the heat had taken it's tole.  The only means of survival was to find a beer as soon as possible. Luck was finally with us as we eventually found Jake's Saloon well into town. A couple of pitchers later had us properly rehydrated.

We met a couple of climbers [hikers?] as we were just about to head off. That seems to be a popular activity in this area. Nice guys. They saw my helmet sitting on the bar and made the mistake of asking where we were riding to. After we force fed them the key details of our whole adventure, they admitted that, what we are in the midst of, is something they have been talking about too. It'd be fun to see them on the road some day.

Tourist season still seems to be in full swing in the south-eastern California regions. Peter met some Dutch tourists at the bar and some French tourists at one of the gas stops. (For the record, Peter was not rude to the French tourists, but rather was helpful.)

Hunger was an important issue to attend to but so was a room for the night. Following the recommendations of the bartender, we rode down to a nearby motel and booked a room. Luggage into the room and off for a bite to eat at the recommended diner.

We shared an ostrich burger, salads and fries. Another, for the record; ostrich tastes like beef, not chicken...

Our room was a half block the main road and on our wanderings back to the room after dinner, we turned in one block too soon. That was okay however. We met Tony who was just about to close up his auto shop for the evening. His shop is mostly a body shop that is doing some fantastic work on some vintage cars. A couple of Studebaker and a collection of other vehicles are being customized, restored and worked on. Tony was nice enough to give us the grand tour and chatted with us for quite a while. Great shop and nice guy.

We will be exploring this town a bit before we head on. The movie industry seems to have been big around here. At least for westerns. We will do some of the tourist stuff tomorrow and find out more.

Published on

9/4/11 9:53 AM

Pacific Standard Time

Birch Bay Bikes Part Deux

As you may recall, in our last exciting episode, Peter and Ken buy motorcycles in Los Angeles. Learn to ride and proceed to explore the far reaches of Baja California (Mexico). Part Deux of this adventure has us pointed in the other direction.

Our bikes are currently waiting for us at BMW Motorcycles of San Diego. There, my bike underwent the repair of a brake fluid leak as well as a number of other items that the dealer suggested I add to the repair order, in order to increase the grand total of the bill.

We will be arriving sometime in the early afternoon on Monday, September 5^th, to retrieve our rides and begin our journey,mostly north. Our planned route will take us up California Highway 395, over the Sierra Nevada's to drop into Death Valley, back up and over the mountain range and off for a few days in Reno. From there as should be heading over to the Pacific coast and finally up through Oregon and back up to the bay. The entire trip should take a couple of weeks, plus or minus...

Highway 395 is rich with history dating back to the 1849 California Gold Rush. The scenery of the route is supposed to be spectacular as well. We will learn and see as much as time allows and share as much as we can.

Part Uno of our bike journey can be found at: http://birchbaybikes.blogspot.com

Baja Trip Pictures

You can find the photos we took at: http://www.sparerib.net/pix/baja/index.html


Part Deux of our journey can be found here: http://birchbaybikes2.blogspot.com
Birch Bay Bikes Sierra Nevada

Baja Trip day 11 and 12

Day 11

We woke up in Ensenada well rested. A hard day's ride the previous day had us pretty low-key for our last night in Mexico and we hit the beds early and got a good night's sleep.

We took care of a few things we needed to do. I made a service reservation at the BMW Motorcycle dealer in San Diego and was very pleased when they agreed to store our bikes for a couple of months very affordably. We plan on returning around then and completing our trip home (or, who knows where).

The trip from Ensenada was uneventful and allowed a little time to reflect. This has been a fantastic adventure that many people can only casually dream about. It, first of all, wouldn't have been possible without the loving support of our wives. From both of us, thank you, love you and missed you.

You see a number on a map that says how far it is to where you want to go. A thousand and something to Cabo. Piece of cake! You don't really realize how far that is until you experience each of those miles. I think a motorcycle provides a very close coupling between your experience and those miles. That gives you memories that a car window can never provide. This has been very outside of the box for both of us to venture out on something this haphazard and adventurous, but what a cool trip. Would I do it again? Yes, but first I'd need a little time for the “romance” in the thought to return and the thoughts of the road wariness to dissipate.

We're approaching Tijuana. Ah, 50 feet after the sign that says “San Diego” and shows that familiar I-5 badge, is the exit. We, of course are two lanes over. Off we go on another “event”! Tijuana is one of the most chaotic places I have ever been to. We exited the highway and dropped into town to see if we could get back on the roadway and catch that exit. Not possible. Though we notice that the highway seems to continue north so it can only run into the U.S. Back on we go.

It's all kind of a blur after that. Peter and I end up in a line that looks like we'll be there forever. Somehow, we get separated. Peter is up ahead a few places and I loose sight of him. A little while later, a guy comes back to me and says he showed my buddy how to get through the line faster and my buddy send him back to show me too. All it would cost me is a few pesos for a soda. He shows be a gap in the barrier that separates another lane that is moving along fast. I go through, don't have a change to reach into my pocket for pesos so what the hell, I take off. Up a short distance, the road “Y's” into a couple of choices with undecipherable signs above each. Just as I approach the seemingly obvious route choice, a guard places a barricade across it. I am forced to make another loop through a different part of town and I get lost. I did have the luck to meet the Mexican Danny Devito while trying to ask directions however. Couldn't understand what he was saying but he sure was excited! An associate of his did finally help me with directions. A police officer even tried to help me at one point. He had me follow him for a bit then he stopped and gave me the remaining directions on how go get to the border. I immediately went the wrong way...

Just as I was about to give up and go back to the simplicity of Ensenada, I found my way. Peter had managed to arrive at customs and crossed far ahead of me. I finally made it back into the U.S. and found Peter resting along the freeway shoulder.

The GPS suddenly sprang to life as I crossed. It now offered all sorts of information and maps of roads both major and minor. It sure would have been handy in Tijuana!

It was an easy matter to find the BMW motorcycle dealer in San Diego using the GPS. Both bikes were dropped off there and arrangements were made for mine to be repaired. Dirty, smelly clothes and belongings were gathered and a cab was hailed. Off to the airport we go.

We had no idea of what flights might be available but my phone did show that there are a few airlines heading in our desired direction. First stop at the Alaska counter we met Sara. An english accented employee who said that indeed, there were two seats available on the last flight to Seattle of the day. One seat was available from there to Bellingham. That could work! Peter could continue on to Bellingham and I could return home to Seattle and retrieve my car later. Book it!

As Peter's paperwork was being completed, Sara commented with an “oh dear!”. (It kind if reminded me of the housekeeper on Fraser.) The other available seat had been sold. After scouring the airport, looking for any other airline headed north, it looks like I'm spending the night in San Diego...

Peter decided to cancel his flight for that evening and return with me the following morning. What a bud! While purchasing tickets for the following day's flight we are again presented with the fact that spontaneous travel is not the most economical way to go. I begin thinking that it wouldn't, or couldn't cost too much more to book a round trip. After all, we do need to get back down here to recover our stored bikes before they are sold as abandoned. Sure enough. It costs almost nothing to set the groundwork for the next phase of our adventure. September 15, 2011. A Thursday.

We booked a room at a hotel close to the airport. Getting to the hotel was a little interesting too.

There was an abandoned luggage cart that we borrowed for our search for flights. We can see our hotel destination from the airport, now how to get there? Peter starts pushing the cart in that general direction. As the crow flies, it looks to be an easy walk. The actual route however is not as obvious. He is determined to walk there and off he goes. I decide he's been in the sun too long and I go back to grab a cab. I hop in a cab and tell the driver where I'd like to go. He gives me a curious look and asks why I don't take the free hotel shuttle? Okay, sounds good. Back out of the cab and I stand at the island and wait for a shuttle. Peter texts me asking where I am because he's waiting for me in the lobby. Guess not too much sun after all!

A couple slices of pizza in the Little Italy district, a couple of beers and a glass of wine and we head back to our room for the night.

Day 12

We're up at what seems way too early so we can catch the 4:45 AM, first shuttle to the airport. On the plane and headed back to where we started.   2392 miles on the bikes trip odometers.

Going to have to be careful what I say in a bar from now on....or maybe not.

Happy Trails!

Baja Trip Day 10 (Diez)

This morning, early, we packed up and hit the road. Our goal was to be back in Ensenada this evening. According to some other travelers that had just come from there, it is about a 10 hour trip. Long day but nothing we haven't already done. Off we go!

The weather is cool in the mornings and that makes those first couple to 300 miles easier than the blazing deserts in the afternoon. We start our in shorts and shirts I had my jacket on. A little chilly at speed, early in the day but the temperature climbs rapidly. We stopped for liquid (okay, I had a taco too) a few hours in and a store owner said to me that I made her laugh because I'm wearing shorts and a sweater. Peter explains to her that it is just that I am loco!

From Mulege we head up through the last few towns that Highway 1 passes through before beginning our crossing across Baja back to the Pacific side. We're looking forward to the cooler temperatures off of the Pacific.

The temperature climbs as we leave the coastline and begin our inland crossing. When it reaches what must have been about 112 degrees (f), we stop so I can stow my jacket.

At the top of the mountain range that separates the coasts, the wind hits us. It is very strong and gusty which makes travel difficult. You are constantly getting blown around in the lane and oncoming semi-trucks can pack some tremendous wind buffet as they pass by. This slows us down but we press onwards.

Finally back on the Pacific coast, it is quite cold to us. We stop for fuel and to put long pants and jackets on. Ensenada to Guerrero Negro was a long trip coming down and it looks to be about the same in the other direction...

We pass through a few small towns that we didn't really recognize from before. It could be because they are all teaming with people and cars and families doing whatever they do on a Sunday. Families are very close and important here. Life is simple but very hard and everyone in the family contributes towards life's goals. It's nice.

We finally arrive in Ensenada and luckily Peter remembers the way back to the hotel we stayed at before. As we pull into the hotel's driveway, the proprietor recognizes us and shows us to our same parking spaces. We have an “amigo” at the hotel now and we chat like old friends. Nice.

The trip odometer reads 2293. That means we burned up 547 miles of pavement, dirt and gravel and sand roadways. It took about 11-1/2 hours and every part of my body knows it.

An easy night and California is our destination for Monday.