2023-06-26 NorCal Ride - "Steve's Sissies" - Day 1 - Home to Jackson

Day 1
2023-06-26
Home to Jackson

Haven't been out on a 'long ride' for awhile. Too many things keeping me home, sadly.

Steve S hatched a plan to ride Northern California. Something like this. 

Day 1 - Home to Jackson
Day 2 - Jackson to Red Bluff
Day 3 - Red Bluff to Fortuna
Day 4 - Fortuna to Petaluma
Day 5 - Petaluma to Home
Relive - Entire Ride

Originally, 5 riders

Steve S - Intrepid leader, BaseCamp Guru - BMW 1200 RT or something like that All those bikes look the same....
Jim R - Suzuki DL1000, stock seat, no comms, no CC, no forward pegs. Ouch.
Don C - Back o' Pack camera/video dude
Barrie C - Call me Mr. Bicep
Brian L - BMW GSA and smooth rider
Greg A - Self invited himself to Day 1.. then everyone fell in love with the long-legged galut.

From the intitial plan, problems, I mean err, ahem, 'issues'. Barrie didn't want to ride 41-46-49. Too many RV's trucks, lack of passing. Rather wants to ride 25 and  backroads up to San Luis resevoir then hook into Coulterville. Which makes an initial long day even longer. Pluses and minuses with each route. No traffic, back roads, longer route. Shorter day, maybe traffic not so bad afterall?

Ok. Stated I'd ride with Barrie just because no rider should ride alone. Unless it’s me, LOL. I LIKE to ride solo.
Except when having to take a shit and leave the bike, with all my goodies, available for theft. Then it's nice to have an additional rider.

Then Barrie tore a bicep muscle while performing honey-dews for the wifee-poo and he wisely bowed out.

Start point - Ale's restaurant, Atascadero, CA

Yummie food. Used to be "David's Kitchen" with chef David, then he left, Romero took over... I really liked it back then.
Kinda like a "Cheer's" environment.. But Romero bailed, and now it's Ale's.
BTW, Romero left because the landowner tripled the rent.

Brian and shy Steve.

and the Apple-man, Jim R.

Ready to run. Well, almost. Rode away to find a dangling visor. Broken. Crap. Not even 20 miles into the ride and a failure.

Told the Sissies to ride on without me. Went back home, came up with a bush fix.

The inspector approves.

41 E headed to Shandon.

DOT finally widening 'Blood Alley' before 41/46 split.

Hard to see, but lots of work.

Bud Greg G wanted to tag along. We met at 41 and 145. Greg is local, and we took back roads to meet the others in Oakhurst <supposedly>.
Greg's route was fantastic. Lots of curvy backroads, avoided the dreaded 41 section of no passing, slow RV's and trucks.

Greg's Back Road.

Beautiful day chasing a good bud on his Tenere.

Think there's a fire danger this season, post very wet winter?

The train ride to nowhere.

Up past bustling Raymond, CA

I'd rather live in Raymond than Los Angeles or San Francisco, just sayin'..

Many a year sine 1914...

The pics look 'hot' but ambient was about 74F.

I live near Los Osos, CA aka 'the valley of the bear'. Looks like them critters are everywhere!

Up ahead, hiway 49 AKA 'The Little Dragon...

The 'Little Dragon'. Fabulous road.

Horshoe Bend waterway, IIRC.

This area burned years ago, good to see it recover.

Well, recovering.

Greg and stopped in Mariposa for fuel and a sammywich for me. Meaning we didn't see the Sissies until we arrived at Jackson.

Coulterville, and hotel Jeffery. Built in 1851.

Gold Rush country is fun country. Lots of history here.

A great road, a mighty FJR, a very good friend, nice temps. Life is GOOD my friends.

Thought of stopping to see Terry Huffer, of T&A motorsports, Sonora. But we pressed on. Happy hour is near! 

Peeps live simple in towns like this. Creston used to be this way. Now it's all  fancy-dancy wineries, Porsches, Lambos, Ferrari's. Not old trucks sitting out front.

On to Jamestown.

Sure beats mowing weeds.. JSNS..

Not restored, but historical building(s) were seen 'propped' up with bracing.

Angels Camp CA, downtown. A bit touristy.

Complete with movie theater!

If I lived there, I'd rent or buy then make a motosickle workshop and mooseuem...

Wooden RR trussels and bridge by 'Calaveras Cement'. How DID they get the imprint made? Pour it when laying down flat, then hoist in place later?

Now the barn is the antique..

San Andreas.. Getting closer.. I'm ready to stop..

Because my 'Butte' hurts!

Cocktails before dinner at the BW in Jackson, CA. Steve S recommends a place 'just across the street'. HA! I call El Toro Poo-Poo...
It was more like 3/8 mile, UPhill, with no sidewalks on our side of street...

So all 5 of us aging, bent, and non-agile pharts attempt to cross the 4 lane road. Hobbling the best we can to not get run over. I should have taken a video, 
it was seriously funny. I still laugh at watching Greg's right leg traverse 3 different angles while moving back and forth at 'high' speed. LOL.

Highly reccommend Mel and Fayes' diner. Great food and low prices.. and $6 dollar martinis, if you're into Sissy Drinks like that... 

I had a chicken sammywich, fries, large beer. For less than 20 dollars!

Back to the hotel, got ready for tomorrow, and did not sleep even one hour.

Day 1 Route.

Thanks to Steve, these are his pics.

Lil Dragon, again. Worth looking at twice. And riding thrice!

Whatcha looking at, boy? Jim R forgets to 'smile at the camera, LOL.

Steve know how to smile, 'Cheese'!

Did someone say it was warm outside?
Jim scratches his head to cool down.

Oh CRAP, Steve's taking pictures again? He's ALWAYS taking pics. Can't we just ride and enjoy the day?

Great see water in Cali again.

Ahh, dinner time at Mels. Good times.

Steve was most impressed with the 6 buck martini.
Jim was so impressed with Steve he had one too!

LIL Dragon Video - 2 Minutes

End Day 1