Tuesday, February 22, 2011

CenCal Tag Run Sunday 02/20/11

After nearly a week of rain I was ready to go for a nice long ride. My original plan was to go on Saturday and move the CenCal tag from Larkspur to Sunol. Alas, it rained all day Saturday as well... So Sunday morning I headed out around 9:00am for what was promising to be a nice dry day. 

After the tag move I would figure out where else I wanted to go on the fly. The important thing was that I was going to get to ride!

I captured the tag at the Larkspur Ferry:


Then I made my way over to Sunol to set the new tag. I was going to set it at Bosco's but I changed my mind when I got there and set it here instead:


As it was still to early for lunch and I was not ready to stop riding, I started thinking of places to ride to, like Gizdich for PIE... and trying to figure out where I should eat lunch. I ended up riding down to Phil's in Moss Landing. I'm not sure why but I just felt like I should go there even though I have gone there several times recently.

The line at Phil's was out the door again and I waited patiently in that long line. This time I ordered the fryer combo with squid, scallops, and oysters (yes, I know fried food is bad, blah, blah, blah). Then while I was hunting for a place to sit I ran into my former boss Mark - who helped me get my 1st motorcycle and learn to ride it in his culdesac - who was there with girlfriend. We had a nice lunch and visit. When we were done I had them follow me in their cage to Gizdich for PIE (now don't act all surprised, you knew the pie was coming). 


After pie we said goodbye and I headed back to Hwy 1. I was going to head north to Half Moon Bay and then head home. Unfortunately as I neared Santa Cruz the rain showers were back! So I reluctantly took the exit for Hwy 17 and made my way home.

I didn't get to ride as much as I wanted but I did get to ride and I had lunch and dessert with friends. I could be all snowed in like the guys back in the northeast... I am just tired of the rain - after all isn't it supposed to be sunny California?

Trip total: ~258 miles

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Another Sunday Seafood & Pie Run 02/13/11

Sunday was another beautiful day in the bay area and to make up for cutting our trip short on Saturday RudeSTer and I decided to head down to Phil's for a nice bowl of cioppino.

RudeSTer greets the fisherman outside... 


The line was insane... It went all the way out to the parking lot, and yes we waited through it.


Yum! The calamari was excellent...
 

My lunch arrives, cioppino and salad - enough for two people - but I definitely was up to the challenge!

 

After lunch we walked out to the beach behind Phil's to help the giant lunch settle in our stomachs...
 



On the way out I decided to pose with my new friend. I like him a lot because he doesn't talk back...
 

The line was still out the door when we were leaving at 2pm...
 

Next up was PIE at Gizdich Ranch. Olallieberrie a la mode and some fresh pressed apple juice made on site at Gizdich...




Then we headed toward home over Hwy 152 turning off to ride by Uvas Dam. Another nice but short ride on a truly beautiful day.

Trip total: ~131 miles

Monday, February 14, 2011

Howard's Cafe RTE, NorCal Tag run, & 1st Tip Over Crash 02/12/11

It was a beautiful day for a ride and lunch. RudeSTer and I met PestoMike in San Carlos and the three of us headed up to Howard's Cafe in Occidental for the RTE.

It was a small turnout but the food and company were excellent - squirrelHunter (Mike) came all the way from Folsom:


Rudester (showing off his giant bowl of Mocha, you guessed it - he had two!) and PestoMike:


Dmcleane (Dave) from Muir Beach... He's holding RudeSTer and my ride plan for the day... We had planned on going up to Redding to visit his cousin and stay the night...


My breakfast... Smoked Salmon Omelette Florentine... Heaven on a plate:






STeeds in the parking lot:



After lunch RudeSTer and I made our way to the NorCal tag in Comptche:


Then we started to make our way to Ukiah... We were going to set the new tag there and then jump on Hwy 20 to I5 and zoom up to Redding... Unfortunately, we lost a lot of time visiting at the RTE and riding around on the little country roads getting to Comptche...

Then we lost a few more minutes when I had my first mishap on Gigolo on Orr's Spring Road. I came into the second sharp turn of a double switchback and realized I was still in 2nd gear when I should have been in 1st, and I was in the steepest part of the turn. The engine was really lugging and about to stall... I tried to save it by putting it into 1st gear quickly but it stopped in neutral!!! YIKES! Lickety split I had it in 1st gear for real but when I released the clutch and hit the throttle it stalled anyway. 

I remember yelling "Oh Shit!" as we tipped over and I was thrown off...

I was trying to pick up poor Gigolo when RudeSTer came back for me. He had to take pictures first of course. The pictures really do not show the true steepness of the hill...



Fortunately, the only damage was to my pride... We finally made it to Ukiah and I set the new NorCal tag:


Then we stopped to use the wifi and upload pictures of the drop and the tag. It was getting so late that our arrival time in Redding would have been almost 9pm and we decided to just come home.

Trip total: ~393 miles

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Seafood and PIE

 Finally, after a week of being flat on my back sick (again) I felt up to trying a short ride today. It was such a gorgeous day, sunny with temps in the mid 70s - even on the coast.

My first stop was Phil's Fish Market & Eatery in Moss Landing, where I had a lovely lobster roll and shrimp cocktail for lunch. Such an improvement over hot soup which I've endured for days on end in hopes of making my bronchitis go away...



I also bought myself a T-Shirt while I was at Phil's... Kind of shows my disposition...

After lunch I made my way north on Hwy 1 to Gizdich Ranch for some dessert, Olallieberrie pie ala mode





When I finished with my pie I was ready to go home. I am still not quite 100% and even though I really wanted to run up the coast and find a nice quiet beach to relax on, I just was not up to it.

I did make one little stop at Mackenzies Chocolates in Santa Cruz though... I only drop by there a couple of times a year so I figured since I was close I could pick up some gifts for Valentine's Day.


Not a long day on the road for me but it was enough. Hopefully next weekend I will be ready for big ride. Gigolo is getting a little antsy...

Trip total: ~136 miles

Saturday, February 5, 2011

My current favorite bumper sticker...

If I had a bumper this one would be on it...
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