2005-10-28 (OrangevaleFJR) Avenue of the Giants and the Lost Coast Redwoods and Virgin Coastline in N. CA

Sherri and I hit the road last weekend and Sherri asked me to take her to the big trees. On Saturday, October 22nd we rode to see the Avenue of the Giants and the Lost Coast Highway. We had the weekend without kids by surprise and this is the kind of surprise we try to take advantage of. So once again, without many plans and without reservations anywhere we took off. This map (see the red) shows the route we took so you know what we're talking about. I kinda free handed it, but I'll tell you about the actual roads throughout this report.

I really like not planning. Not planning doesn't do much good for group riding, but taking off without plans is sure a great way to magnify the feeling of freedom that is obtained on a motorcycle. Quick pre-planning decisions had me trying to decide the best roads to take up there. I opted for the less exciting route: one I had taken before. We rode down Hazel Ave to Highway 50 Westbound to I-5 Northbound. This superslabbing can be boring at times, but there are some things I like to see on the way. One of them is the Sacramento River.

Consider the Sacramento River is big enough to have the Port of Sacramento, and ultimately empties into the largest delta in the world. I didn't know this fact until I moved here, so it must be a seldom known fact right? Impressive as it is, what impresses me the most is how many people this river feeds via the farming it allows to flourish, and the great variety of fish species that are supported by this fisheries of fisheries. I have come, over my fourteen years in California, to love the Sacramento River.

In it's honor, here is a picture of the Sacramento River from I-5:

This location is not too far North of Sacramento and is located near Woodland, one of the greatest agricultural centers in the world. Few people know that more rice is grown in this area than in all of Japan. Add to that the fruit, nuts, tomatos galore and just about every type of good plant thing you can think of. If the midwest is the bread basket of the world, and having lived in Nebraska I know something of this, California is certainly the fruit basket, rice bag and nut tree of the world. You want food? It's here.

Here are some fields, of which the ones in the foreground have been harvested, yet you can see the green further away. the climate here allows year round farming. There seem to be farms in every State of this country, and farms in every country I've been to. I have a deep respect for the providers in this world. The amount of people the feed is a number we cannot reconcile just by thinking about it.

Here is an orchard on Highway 20 Westbound between I-5 and the coastal range:

California's Central Valley has a way of being backward. Things are brown in the Summer heat and green in the moisture of Winter and Spring. This day, the Central Valley's sky was had even more haze than usual. There were some large fires about.

Highway 20 is a great road that goes through the Coastal Range, crosses the valley and heads up into the Sierra. The Coastal Range offers some long and fast sweepers.

It winds along the shore of Clear Lake, which is somewhat known for the bass fishing tournaments, but better known around here as a pretty cool place to go to hang out.

Loons like it too, as a huge flock hits the lake:

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