2013 CaliRally

[REFFI]

Home Safe and Sound

Another great experience! Thank you LOHO for hosting. Great food! Great Company and lots of lively talk. No mishaps about which I am aware this year.

Ralph & Vicki

[JeffH]

Another great experience! Thank you LOHO for hosting. Great food! Great Company and lots of lively talk. No mishaps about which I am aware this year.

Ralph & Vicki

Anybody got any Pics to post?? We'd like to see some of the action.
Stuck in the East contingent.

Jeff

[3Phase]

I've got a few pictures but haven't gone through them yet to see if they're worth uploading and labeling.

Only gone three days and stuff at home went to heck in a bucket; at least I enjoyed the ride!

[Jerry]

Arrived home shortly after 5:00 PM MST. Downloaded the photos and videos but have not had a chance to go through them yet...2 cameras and a camcorder. Came home via Yosemite.

Quick trip stats:
2920 miles
694 miles from the time I arrived Santa Margarita KOA until I packed to leave.
Average price of gas: $4.11 (mostly regular, some premium)
High: $4.90 / gal (regular unleaded) Lee Vinning, CA (Leaving Yosemite natl. Park)
Low: $3.50 / gal (regular unleaded) Grand Junction, CO.

LoHo did a magnificent job.

Not everyone who attended rode with the group, but:
Tom (Texas)
Dillon
Ryan
John
Brad
Mike
Tom (San Diego)
Scott
Tkat
Carolyn
Vicki
Ralph
Ray
Ed
Jerry
LoHo

I think everyone enjoyed getting together and sharing a few adult beverages and lots of talk. If I missed anyone let me know. Photos to come in a following post.

[3Phase]

Only a few of the pictures I took turned out alright.

Thursday, July 25th I rode up to the KOA with John and his sons. We met Jerry at the KOA, then went to dinner in Atascadero.

Friday, July 26th, Jerry went to the coast while John, his sons and I made a short two-hundred mile daytrip north to Salinas and back to meet up with DiverRay and SpecialEd, along with Tom and Brad, two of John's friends.

None of the pictures from Friday evening or Saturday were worth posting, sorry!




A rest and rehydration stop in Santa Barabara, Ca. before riding north on Hwy 154, then up the 101 to Santa Margarita Lake.

Left to right:
'80 Yamaha XS1100G "Columbo", John and his sons, '80 Yamaha XS1100SG "Great Ranger"





Jerry at the Santa Margarita Lake KOA with his Kawasaki and his home-built trailer. The fender had to be repaired in-transit but Jerry made it to California and back home with it yet again!





Flash picture of Columbo at the Santa Margarita Lake KOA.

Jerry, his Kawasaki and trailer are in the background.





Lowlight picture of Columbo at the Santa Margarita Lake KOA.

Jerry and his Kawasaki are in the background.





"Oh no! The Harley-Davidson muffler is falling off my Yamaha!"

John, his son and I work on his '80 Yamaha XS1100SG "Great Ranger" under a shade tree at the airport Denny's parking lot in Salinas, Ca.





"Why is this passenger footpeg in my face? I'm trying to tighten the muffler bearings!"

John, his son and I work on his '80 Yamaha XS1100SG "Great Ranger" under a shade tree at the airport Denny's parking lot in Salinas, Ca.





"Hey, John! I'll check the pickup coil wires!"

I inspect the pickup coil wires on John's '80 Yamaha XS1100SG "Great Ranger" under a shade tree at the airport Denny's parking lot in Salinas, Ca.




That's all, folks!

.

[Special Ed]

Yo tambien!

Lots of domestic stuff to catch up on. Had to drive up to San Fran to the De Young Art Museum in Golden Gate Park with SWMBO to make up for leaving her behind on the rally.She paid most of the expenses: life is so freaking HARD!
Rally details to follow.
Special Ed

[BA80]

I'll have to make that trip over there sometime.

John, that's the second time that muffler has broken. Those Harley transplants always break. Doc's Harley muffs broke on a short trip to Texas this summer.

Nice tape job on the pick up wires.

[Jerry]

Couple photos courtesy of Diver Ray:

Attendees at KOA Friday night.


Left to right:
Special Ed
Tom
Scott
Jerry
Tkat
Mike
Having lunch in Cambria.

[Special Ed]

Rally report

The Santa Margarita Rally was, in my book, a big success: much thanks to Loho for his organizing skills and cooking!
Ray and I met up with some riders in Salinas at a Dennies, where they were doing some repairs. After the repairs were done we had a pack ride down to Atascadero where Ray had a room reserved for us at a Motel 6: our review is a thumbs down; avoid it. This ride was accomplished sans riders meeting to go over pack riding “do's and don'ts,” and went more smoothly than many rides where there WAS a riders meeting! I love a tight pack ride!
It was great seeing old friends and meeting new people. I'm sorry I don't have pics: I guess I just wasn't in the mood.
Highlights: (
1) Lunch at Main Street Grill in Cambria. This place is “totally awesome.” Huge servings, reasonable prices, and fast service. Don't miss it if you pass through there.
(2) Side trip to Pozo Saloon. This is about 8 miles from the Santa Margarita General Store. This is the last structure in what was once a bustling “gold rush” town. It hasn't changed in 150 years! There are frequent concerts there, which are actually more like mini music festivals. Rather than ramble on, here is a link to their website. But first, let me say, if you make it there and get toasted, fu!ked up, three sheets to the wind, SFD, etcetera, etcetera: there is lots of room for camping: http://www.pozosaloon.com/
(3) Sunday was a ride home down PCH, A.K.A., Hwy 1, or as our brothers to the south like to say; “The One.” We road over “The 46” to “The One,” then up through Cambria (no time to stop for lunch, said Ride Captain Ray.) On we road up PCH through the famous “Big Sur.” This is actually a community, with it's own Zip Code, (whoo hoo!) but most people think of it as an area: and a fantastically beautiful area it is. Do not stop to eat even a snack along here and pay less than $10 even for a microwaved burrito and a soft drink: but if you are willing to pay for the “ambiance...”
(4) We aimed to connect with my better half on Cannery Row, where she very recently contracted for a spot to do her quick sketch portraits. We were successful, and we were fed, and refreshed at “Louie Linguini’s,” near her “spot.”
(5) Jerry left ahead of us, and I led Tom and Mike to Hwy 1 North. I was going to lead them up a back road (Elkhorn Slough Road) around the Moss landing bottleneck, but at the last minute I yelled a different alternative, which I realized later wasn't completely accurate. I hoped that it didn't screw them up getting through San Jose.
(6) Well, anyway, that's my story, and I'm sticking with it!
Special Ed