Day 29 (The Longest Day...Eureka to Valencia...14 1/2 hrs!)

After an incredible breakfast, 2nd day in a row, it was time to hit the road.  My plan for the day, was to ride Mattole Road/The Lost Coast, Ave of the Giants, visit The Drive Thru Tree, and make my way into San Francisco.  I've ridden this a few times before and it is one of my favorite rides in Northern California.  

Here are my hosts, Gil and Becky, as they see me off.  The two days spent with them were relaxing and fun.  Thank you again Gil and Becky!

 

I arrived in Fortuna to a deep marine layer, in addition to a steady mist.  If it was that bad in Fortuna, I reasoned that the ride along The Lost Coast might not be worth the 2+ hours invested.  I decided to forgo The Lost Coast and head for my other pre-planned stops.  First up, was The Avenue of the Giants.  I have always loved riding thru twisty roads with big trees.  It doesn't get any better than The Avenue of the Giants!

Pics can never do this area justice.  The coolness, the smells, and the ride, can't be experienced in a picture, but here are a couple pics anyway...

 

Because I did not ride The Lost Coast, I did get the opportunity to ride all of The Avenue of the Giants, starting in Pepperwood..

 

Had to stop here :-))

 

Bigfoot looking a bit sad that he can't take IKRAN for a ride...

 

Stopped here for a few minutes.  Patty and I stopped here on our ride, a few years ago, and we purchased a 'mini' Bigfoot for our backyard.  He guards our Koi Pond.

 

Here is my other destination.  I needed to update the cover pic for my blog. New bike, new pic...

 

 

After the drive thru tree in Leggett, it was time for the Hwy 1 run from Leggett to Fort Bragg.  Motorcycle riders will argue 'best roads', this portion of Hwy 1 is always in the conversation.  

Earlier in this blog I mentioned that a couple runs, specifically Hwy 4, between Port Alberni and Tofino, on Vancouver Island, just might be my new favorite.  It had been a few years since I'd taken the Leggett to Fort Bragg run.  There are no pics, there is no time.  It is technical, it is fun, it is still the best motorcycle road I've ever been on.  Period.

Eventually Hwy 1 dumps you out on the coast.  It was still mired in a deep marine layer, cool, and misty.  Here's a pic of the Cali coastline in the fog...

 

I stuck along the coast for awhile and rode thru a series of canopied areas that were pretty cool!

Pretty neat riding through tree tunnels...I didn't honk my horn though...

 

Tiring of the mist, fog, and cool temps, I came to Hwy 128.  I had heard good things about the road, but had never ridden it.  I decided to try something new...Hwy 128.  It did not disappoint.  It reminded me of riding in California's Gold Rush areas, like Sutter Creek and Amador.  Within 10 miles after turning inland, the temps climbed into the 80's, and the hills were littered with oak trees.  

Then came the vineyards!

I'm in wine country now...

 

 

Vines and tasting rooms galore!

 

Wish I had time to stop, but none the less, grape country is cool!

 

I came across a lumber mill, was fascinated by the amount of cut trees that were stacked.  I was reminded of the ugliness of the land that I witnessed in Oregon...

 

This was just one side of the mill...

 

Hundreds of thousands of redwood trees...kind of sad :-((

 

Ok, no more pics.  My goal was to head thru San Francisco, get the obligatory Golden Gate Bridge pic, and ride Lombard Street.  However, if I take away anything learned on this trip, it is DO NOT ATTEMPT TO RIDE THE BAY AREA ON A SUNDAY!  It is impossible.

I ran into traffic, stopped traffic at Rohnert Park, at Petaluma I gave up.  The bike's temps were in the 215 range, I was hot as well, with temps in the 90 degree range, I was roasting as I sat there in my KLIM jacket.  

Time to improvise again...headed east on the 16 to Napa/Sonoma, then a series of Hwy's/Interstate's that allowed me to go around the east side of the Bay Area.  Finally dumping me out on the 5.  Once on the 5, I decided to make a run for it...all the way home to Valencia!  

I knew if I hoteled it that night, that the temps on the 5 the next day would be in the 100's.  I did not want to mess with that again.  So 14 1/2 hrs after leaving Gil and Becky's place, in Eureka, Wally and I arrived home just after midnight, on the 30th day, having spent 29 days on the road! 

 

Life Is Good!

The end.