Motorcycle trip

I promised I would write a little about our motorcycle trip. We took off about noon on Thursday, August 16th and rode north up U.S. Highway 101 to Cloverdale and then northwest on State Highway 128 to Mendocino. The stretch from Cloverdale to Mendocino is a great ride, with lots of twisties going out of Cloverdale and over the hills, then through the beautiful Alexander Valley, which is rife with vineyards and wineries, and finally thorough a tall redwood stand to the coast.

We stayed at the Hotel Mendocino, which was established in 1872. We had a cottage room in the gardens behind. The next morning we literally walked across the street out to the bluffs and walked clear out to the point. The shots below show the old Menodcino hotel on Main Street, a shot out to the point of the bluffs and a shot from the point back into town. It was a gorgeous day as you can see.




Mendocino Hotel - Main Building

Across the street from the Mendocino Hotel

From the bluffs looking back into Mendocino

We left Mendocino about 11:00 and rode a part of Highway 1 that neither of us had ever been on before. It runs between Mendocino to Highway 101 at a tiny town called Legget. The ride was really challenging, with curve after curve, many 180 degree hairpins, and steep climbs and descents to boot. Our wonderful BMW R1200RT just ate that stuff up, although I will say that in all my miles of motocycle riding I have never gone so far and so long in first gear. Once we hooked up with 101, (at that point "The Redwood Highway"), we rode on north to the Avenue of the Giants, which parallels 101 and meanders through giant redwoods. It's no use trying to take pictures because there is no way to capture the scale. Besides, we just slowed down to about 30 mph, opened our face shields, and humbly dug the sight and smell of a world that has existed for thousands of years. It was a privilege.

We stayed Friday night in a cabin at the Redcrest Resort, which is on the north edge of the Avenue of the Giants. Below is a picture of the cabin and our trusty steed with its side bags removed to the cabin.

Our cabin at the Redcrest Resort

On Saturday, we rode south straight down 101, which is truly a beautiful drive. We stayed that night at Cloverdale. We got on the rode early the next morning, Sunday, and rode home. On the way we saw lots of hot air balloons floating down the Napa Valley.

Life is good.

~ tom