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I've been "beating the bushes" for the last several weeks to find enough work to keep my head above water I finally got a lead on a big wood floor re-finish job, (yeah!) Unfortunately it was 60 miles away, (boo!) 60 miles away in Monterey! (Woo hoo!) DiverRay and I haven't been able to get together for a Sunday ride in a while and this seemed like a good chance. It was supposed to be a beautiful weekend, and I wanted to take the back roads on the way down. My appointment was for 2:00 PM in Seaside, a suburb of Monterey. Ray wanted to be back in Aptos (a suburb of Santa Cruz,) so he could watch some big deal football game at the Windjammer at 3:00. To make all this work we had to be on the road, from his place in Aptos, by 11:00 AM.
I got out of my place at 10:00 AM. It was actually chilly, hovering around 30 degrees. I had my crotch-high motocross socks on, a sweater, my mesh jacket, lined leather jacket, scarf, watch cap (under helment,) and leather gauntlets. As I road the 15 miles down Hwy. 9 through the redwoods to the lower elevation of Santa Cruz it warmed up considerably, and by the time I road the extra 5 or 6 miles along Monterey Bay down Hwy. 1 to Aptos and DiverRays, I was feeling positively overdressed.
Close up of a redwood tree
Monterey is only a quick 45 minute jam down Hwy. 1 from Aptos, and this ride is nothing to sneeze at. The views of the Bay, and Elkhorn Slough are breathtaking, especially for some one seeing them for the first time. But the road itself is rather mundane, and I really love the bucolic farms and orchards in an area called Coralitas that is north of Watsonville. The roads are two lane blacktop that wind over hill and dale at a leisurely 45 mph slowing to 20 mph on some curves. Watsonville is the home of Martinelli apple juices and hard cider, by the way.
The rolling farmland of Coralitos
Wow! Jusat think of the, er, ah, tomatoes, yeah, tomatoes you could grow in one of those!
We eventually came out on Hwy 129, took it for a few miles East to Aromas, a quaint little community where the newest house is probably at least 20 years old. I kind of lost tract of the roads since Ray was leading, but we eventually came out on the legendary Hwy 101. There we turned South and let our bikes stretch for a while, winding up to 75, even 80 Mph. to Salinas, where we got onto Hwy 68.
The slums of Aromas
68 would have taken us into Monterey, but I talked Ray into taking another side road that he had introduced me to on another ride some time ago. Laureles Grade Rd took us up, up, up and over a scenic pass and down into the Carmel Valley: some of the most beatiful, and expensive real estate on the West Coast! This was two lane black top with center stripe but marginal shoulders: 55 mph slowing to 20 mph on occasional extreme curves.
A couple of shots from Laureles Grade Rd
Some how we eventually came out on Hwy 1 at Carmel. Unfortunately we didn't have time to stop in at "The Hogsbreath Inn," owned by Clint Eastwood. This place has the best nachos I have ever had, bar none! Carmel is quite the place for art. lovers: one can spend a whole day there gallery hopping. Well, Ray had this thing about wanting to see this football game at the Wind Jammer Bar, and it was 1:30 PM, so we parted company at my exit in Seaside where I had an appointment for an estimate. I won't bore you with business details.
Around 3:00 I road to Fisherman's Wharf where my wife was at "work" plying her trade as a "quick sketch" portrait artist. While I was there I took a few shots with a Pentax camera that a fellow thespian had turned me on to as a reward for helping him rescue a disabled motorhome. Turns out it was a really nice camera!
SWMBO at "work" plying her trade.
One of the disreputable "deck hands..."
The historic Monterey Customs House at the topof the warf.
The Pleasure boat docks
The backside of the warf
I wanted to get back home before it started getting too dark and/or cold, so I headed back up Hwy 1 around 4:00. I got to the Wind Jammer just in time to get a beer out of Rays pitcher, and a free BBQ tri-tip dinner. The crowed was pumped! I hadn't seen a crowed this excited by a football game since my alma mater (Monterey High,) won their first victory over Lubbock High back in 1960. Anyway, I wanted to get home before it got too cold, or I got too... too, so I road back up Hwy.1 to Hwy 9 and back up through the redwoods to home, to watch the final quarter of what even a football cynic like me would have to admit was one hell of a good game!
Y'know sometimes being self employed really sucks, but then there are other times...
I got out of my place at 10:00 AM. It was actually chilly, hovering around 30 degrees. I had my crotch-high motocross socks on, a sweater, my mesh jacket, lined leather jacket, scarf, watch cap (under helment,) and leather gauntlets. As I road the 15 miles down Hwy. 9 through the redwoods to the lower elevation of Santa Cruz it warmed up considerably, and by the time I road the extra 5 or 6 miles along Monterey Bay down Hwy. 1 to Aptos and DiverRays, I was feeling positively overdressed.
Close up of a redwood tree
Monterey is only a quick 45 minute jam down Hwy. 1 from Aptos, and this ride is nothing to sneeze at. The views of the Bay, and Elkhorn Slough are breathtaking, especially for some one seeing them for the first time. But the road itself is rather mundane, and I really love the bucolic farms and orchards in an area called Coralitas that is north of Watsonville. The roads are two lane blacktop that wind over hill and dale at a leisurely 45 mph slowing to 20 mph on some curves. Watsonville is the home of Martinelli apple juices and hard cider, by the way.
The rolling farmland of Coralitos
Wow! Jusat think of the, er, ah, tomatoes, yeah, tomatoes you could grow in one of those!
We eventually came out on Hwy 129, took it for a few miles East to Aromas, a quaint little community where the newest house is probably at least 20 years old. I kind of lost tract of the roads since Ray was leading, but we eventually came out on the legendary Hwy 101. There we turned South and let our bikes stretch for a while, winding up to 75, even 80 Mph. to Salinas, where we got onto Hwy 68.
The slums of Aromas
68 would have taken us into Monterey, but I talked Ray into taking another side road that he had introduced me to on another ride some time ago. Laureles Grade Rd took us up, up, up and over a scenic pass and down into the Carmel Valley: some of the most beatiful, and expensive real estate on the West Coast! This was two lane black top with center stripe but marginal shoulders: 55 mph slowing to 20 mph on occasional extreme curves.
A couple of shots from Laureles Grade Rd
Some how we eventually came out on Hwy 1 at Carmel. Unfortunately we didn't have time to stop in at "The Hogsbreath Inn," owned by Clint Eastwood. This place has the best nachos I have ever had, bar none! Carmel is quite the place for art. lovers: one can spend a whole day there gallery hopping. Well, Ray had this thing about wanting to see this football game at the Wind Jammer Bar, and it was 1:30 PM, so we parted company at my exit in Seaside where I had an appointment for an estimate. I won't bore you with business details.
Around 3:00 I road to Fisherman's Wharf where my wife was at "work" plying her trade as a "quick sketch" portrait artist. While I was there I took a few shots with a Pentax camera that a fellow thespian had turned me on to as a reward for helping him rescue a disabled motorhome. Turns out it was a really nice camera!
SWMBO at "work" plying her trade.
One of the disreputable "deck hands..."
The historic Monterey Customs House at the topof the warf.
The Pleasure boat docks
The backside of the warf
I wanted to get back home before it started getting too dark and/or cold, so I headed back up Hwy 1 around 4:00. I got to the Wind Jammer just in time to get a beer out of Rays pitcher, and a free BBQ tri-tip dinner. The crowed was pumped! I hadn't seen a crowed this excited by a football game since my alma mater (Monterey High,) won their first victory over Lubbock High back in 1960. Anyway, I wanted to get home before it got too cold, or I got too... too, so I road back up Hwy.1 to Hwy 9 and back up through the redwoods to home, to watch the final quarter of what even a football cynic like me would have to admit was one hell of a good game!
Y'know sometimes being self employed really sucks, but then there are other times...
Just bought a 1980 Special that has been non oped for 9 years. My Skoot will rise from the ashes and be re named "The Phoenix!"
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