California Road Trip
Stage II
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: San leandro, ca
you can go east on the way back and ride highway 395 south, its one of my favorite roads, there are a lot of really cool towns and interesting points to stop at, bridgeport, mammoth lakes, bodie ghost town, turnoffs onto some beautiful passes- highway 120 thru yosemite for example, mammoth lakes- great resort town with some great hot springs nearby, bishop, manzanar internment camp, etc. its a lot of awesome scenery
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 44,908
Likes: 29,889
From: PNW
We did a ride from Santa Barbara up to Crater Lake in August and it was great. Ok....it was actually quite a bit more than that, but for the purposes of this discussion...
Anyway, here's the link to our rod report on that area -
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/road-...000-miles.html
Jump ahead to the California part for info germane to this thread. Regardless of time of year, Hwy 1 can be dicey. Never the less, it's a must see. I agree with the previous opinion that Big Sur is an essential. My recommendation is Hwy 1 up to Sf, then on to Sonoma, then up the Redwood Hwy, and on to Crater Lake. Obviously I've left out a lot of in between stuff, but t's detailed in the ride report.
Have fun!
Anyway, here's the link to our rod report on that area -
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/road-...000-miles.html
Jump ahead to the California part for info germane to this thread. Regardless of time of year, Hwy 1 can be dicey. Never the less, it's a must see. I agree with the previous opinion that Big Sur is an essential. My recommendation is Hwy 1 up to Sf, then on to Sonoma, then up the Redwood Hwy, and on to Crater Lake. Obviously I've left out a lot of in between stuff, but t's detailed in the ride report.
Have fun!
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 8,196
Likes: 2,433
From: San Francisco
Let me give you some specific recommendations for northern California. First, after riding up through Big Sur, stop at Nepenthe for lunch or dinner.
http://www.nepenthebigsur.com/
Take one of the outdoor seats that overlook the coast and ocean. You'll never forget the meal.
Now, after riding through Big Sur on Route 1, there is a lot more of coast to see. However, I would recommend that when you get to Santa Cruz, take Route 9 through Boulder Creek all the way to Skyline Drive (Route 35). You will be riding through a dense redwood forest. Once you hit Skyline, go north for 13 miles. At the intersection of Route 35 and Route 84 there is a restaurant on the left known as "Alice's", and a parking lot and convenience store on the right. On weekends, this is the big biker hangout on the San Francisco Peninsula. There area around is an extremely wealthy area and sometimes on weekends I have seen literally a million dollars worth of sport cars parked there (Cobras, Ferraris, McClarens, etc). You may hit in on a non busy biker time but there may be a few bikers there and everyone likes to talk. Again on the weekends you are likely to see some classic and rare bikes up there. This is Silicon Valley money at work.
Then continue north on 35 to 92, head east down the hill and follow the signs to 280 north to San Francisco and wherever else you are going.
http://www.nepenthebigsur.com/
Take one of the outdoor seats that overlook the coast and ocean. You'll never forget the meal.
Now, after riding through Big Sur on Route 1, there is a lot more of coast to see. However, I would recommend that when you get to Santa Cruz, take Route 9 through Boulder Creek all the way to Skyline Drive (Route 35). You will be riding through a dense redwood forest. Once you hit Skyline, go north for 13 miles. At the intersection of Route 35 and Route 84 there is a restaurant on the left known as "Alice's", and a parking lot and convenience store on the right. On weekends, this is the big biker hangout on the San Francisco Peninsula. There area around is an extremely wealthy area and sometimes on weekends I have seen literally a million dollars worth of sport cars parked there (Cobras, Ferraris, McClarens, etc). You may hit in on a non busy biker time but there may be a few bikers there and everyone likes to talk. Again on the weekends you are likely to see some classic and rare bikes up there. This is Silicon Valley money at work.
Then continue north on 35 to 92, head east down the hill and follow the signs to 280 north to San Francisco and wherever else you are going.
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 768
Likes: 55
From: chico
One of the last road house inn places to stay in the avenue of the giants is pretty neat. "Riverwood Inn". When I stayed there last August they let me put the sporty in the generator room (yes, they have a generator room). The guest rooms are under the bar...one can get hammered and simply slip down the stairs to home style simple comforts. Non-smoking, but they have room balconies for medication purposes.
They close when they feel like it, and leave you the keys, (but not the key to the bar)
I would go in June, so far as the coast road, but August is nice too. It was be hot, or cold, mostly according to the sea.
Stop at Platina on Hwy 36 between 99 and the coast. Gas, beer... Fortuna is worth the side trip too. 36 is worth the time, so is 299, but less so, and the odd county road can lead to great beer stops, like in Uno (yes, Uno).
They close when they feel like it, and leave you the keys, (but not the key to the bar)
I would go in June, so far as the coast road, but August is nice too. It was be hot, or cold, mostly according to the sea.
Stop at Platina on Hwy 36 between 99 and the coast. Gas, beer... Fortuna is worth the side trip too. 36 is worth the time, so is 299, but less so, and the odd county road can lead to great beer stops, like in Uno (yes, Uno).
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