Pacific Northwest & Yellowstone Sept 2014

I know Bilco's already done RR of this trip a so feel free to ignore mine.
I'm posting it here for my own benefit as much as anything tbh.

Thursday 4th Sept.

Well this is it the day has finally dawned and I'm heading off to Heathrow for an overnight stay before flying tomorrow to start the 'Big Trip'.
I set off at 1330 leaving Sarah at home with the kids. Sarah, however, wasn't hanging around for long as she was going to Manchester later that afternoon before going to Greece the following morning with her long time friend & drinking buddy.
Funny to think she'll have landed as I'm about to step on my plane.
When the cat's away......

A smooth journey to Heathrow & into a lovely hotel room. A fantastic evening meal at the pub round the corner and then I'm off to bed.
I should be excited but I'm not. I'm fed up. Really fed up.
I don't want to go. I just don't want to go.
It's already cost me more money than I can afford & I've got over £2k in my wallet that I know I won't be bringing back.
I'm going with a group of strangers I've only met very briefly and I really don't do people.
The older I get the less I like being away from home & this is not far short of 4 weeks away, in total.
I'm going to miss Sarah & I'm going to miss the kids.








If it hadn't been for the fact that Sarah was away I'd have got back in the car the following morning & gone straight home.
Not that evening though, the room was already paid for.

You really know how to set the scene for an adventure don't you you miserable old fart?

I hope this gets better!

Friday 5th September

Off we go then. I arrived at Heathrow bright & early because of the latest security arrangements only to find out I'm there too early & can't check in so I've got to mill about at T5 for an hour. I hope this isn't an omen.

Once I'm on the plane things don't improve. I've paid £500 for the upgrade to Cattle Plus which with BA, it becomes apparent, gives me slightly more legroom and, errm, that's it.
I'm greeted with a luke warm glass of water & I get one meal in a 10 hour flight.
Virgin Atlantic in future methinks.
None of this helps my mood of self pity.

Oh well, we'll put the ipod on shuffle, nod off & make the best of it. But I wish I was on the return journey, not outward bound.

As luck would have it, fate intervenes & I wake up to this song by The Vaccines.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY4J3sVMmN0

The lyrics really resonate with me "We all got old at breakneck speed, slow it down, go easy on me".

I vow to sort myself out. For goodness' sake I'm at the beginning of a trip most people would love to do, it's paid for, I'm on a virtually brand new bike and I have my health & stunning good looks.
Mood enhanced I skip gaily through customs & passport control & head for the bus to Santa Rosa. It's gone. It left 5 minutes ago, next one in an hour.

A few hours ago I'd have bemoaned my luck and seen it as a another sign that I shouldn't be here but my new found Spirit of Adventure takes it more philosophically. I'm in the warm late summer sun in San Franciso, relax & soak it up.
About 25 minutes later an attractive redhead sidles up to me. "Are you Bill?" It's Judith, wife of Steve & they too are on the trip & awaiting the bus which comes along on time & we hop on board.
This is it. The holiday has really started now, no going back.
The bus is virtually empty & we make our way to Santa Rosa, though bizarrely we don't go via The Golden Gate Bridge, despite what anyone else might tell you (cough).
At one point we go past a massive military cemetery. Steve & I muse as to what it it is & come to the obvious conclusion that it's Arlington Cemetery until Judith spoils our fun by pointing out that Arlington Cemetery is in fact in Arlington.Who'd have thought it?

We arrive at Santa Rosa around 9PM & make our way to our respective rooms.
I have a spring in my step, Steve seems alright (for a cockerney) & Judith is lovely.
Just to be sure though I play The Vaccines album again.

Saturday 6th September

It's a beautiful morning, I've slept well & it's time for breakfast & to meet some of the chaps, most of whom arrived earlier in the day yesterday Then we're off to pick the bikes up.
I make my way leisurely at minute to 10, to the taxi that Bilco has ordered for us & it's made clear to me that 'Leisurely' is not the order of the day. Even though I am on time. But I am last.
And then we're there.


The bikes are already unloaded and waiting for us



And after chatting with the owners, fabulous people, who are going away & taking their parrot with them on the back of their bike (as far as I could gather)



We're on our way to fuel up.



Much confusion at the filling station as the Californians have an odd gaiter sort of thing on the neck of the pump which you have to try to hold up whilst getting 'gas' (get me). Not as easy as it sounds. To add to our confusion the Yanks have black pumps for unleaded & green for diesel. Oh my but there were some close calls for a day or two......

We head back to the hotel to sort stuff out and an hour or so later we head out for our 1st ride out together, led by Bilco's cousin Seamus who lives just up the road in Sebastapol. He's a smashing lad & goes out of his way to make us feel really welcome.
This short ride is designed to break us in gently but James does take us on some wonderful roads. I couldn't take many photos 'on the hoof' as we weren't on a set route & I didn't want to lose the rest of the chaps at this early stage. The scenery around this part of California really is wonderful; gentle valleys, great roads, white clapperborad churches & houses, just like a film set. But you'll have to take my word for it.

A quick toilet stop along the way, even though no-one actually need the loo.......



That's my bike that is. And THAT'S the Pacific ocean.



It's dawning on all of us that we're here & the excitement is palpable



And this really sealed it for me.


When we got back to the hotel the stragglers had joined us, those who had either flown in today or stayed over for a romantic 5* night in San Francisco the night before & it made sense to all eat out together & begin the bonding process.

So I went out on my own to a Mexican place I'd seen on Diners, Drive Ins & Dives. It got great reviews & I couldn't miss an opportunity like this, given that the restaurant was only 5 miles from where we were staying. Bonding could wait.

The place didn't look much from the outside......


but it had the big fella's approval.



It was crap. Really not nice at all.
I'll give Guy the benefit of the doubt & assume I caught them on a bad night, or that it may have changed hands since he last visited, about 5 years ago.

Back to the hotel, time for some more of The Vaccines I reckon.

nice one Bill. keep it coming

Judith is great. Steve? well, he's ok.

UturnTony said:

nice one Bill. keep it coming

Judith is great. Steve? well, he's ok.

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For a cockerney.

Subscribed! waiting for more eagerly

You are still a miserable fecker

Sunday 7th September.

Breakfast by the pool. One of the stragglers getting the low down from our Northern English contingent, whilst 2 of the more hardened adventurers try to figure out which way is 'up'on a map.



More stragglers trying to decide which way is 'breakfast'



And then it's on the bikes & away we go for another 'getting to know you' ride.

Straight down the 101 to The Golden Gate Bridge.



....where catalogue man can't contain his excitement (clearly over-dosed on The Vaccines)



We then did a wee loop of a road that got us some stunning views of the skyline



.....before heading up the PCH which would have been fantastic were it not for the fecking Harley riders fannying around at 3 mph getting in everybody's way, and refusing to pull in to single file to allow us (or the old lady on her disability scooter who they were also holding up) past.

The road took us to a fabulous little town called (I think) Bodega Bay. We stopped here for a short while & I did feel rather 'Billy No Mates'. I was conscious that I was on my own & didn't want to butt into anyone else's holiday so mooched around on my on for a short while & forgot to take any pictures. Others, however, did coupley things, drinking wine under the shade of the trees, light lunch in nice cafes .
I couldn't even team up with Andy, another loner, as he wandered off to use up all the town's wifi connections to ring home as it was his anniversary and the romantic fool wanted to call his darling wife. From the other side of the World. At the start of a 3 week motorbike trip. Because he loves her.

Back to hotel before heading out to a Mexican Restaurant (that'll be a nice change ) in Sebastapol, recommended by Seamus, who joined us there.
This one was much, much better than last night's abomination. Thanx Jim.

Back to the hotel, head down and off to sleep. It's a big day tomorrow as we're on the road properly.



(That book on the end of the bed is doing my head in BTW, not being at right angles to the throw thingey).

stunning good looks.

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make up your own minds guys!

Timaloy said:

Sunday 7th September.

Breakfast by the pool. One of the stragglers getting the low down from our Northern English contingent, whilst 2 of the more hardened adventurers try to figure out which way is 'up'on a map.



More stragglers trying to decide which way is 'breakfast'



And then it's on the bikes & away we go for another 'getting to know you' ride.

Straight down the 101 to The Golden Gate Bridge.



....where catalogue man can't contain his excitement (clearly over-dosed on The Vaccines)



We then did a wee loop of a road that got us some stunning views of the skyline



.....before heading up the PCH which would have been fantastic were it not for the fecking Harley riders fannying around at 3 mph getting in everybody's way, and refusing to pull in to single file to allow us (or the old lady on her disability scooter who they were also holding up) past.

The road took us to a fabulous little town called (I think) Bodega Bay. We stopped here for a short while & I did feel rather 'Billy No Mates'. I was conscious that I was on my own & didn't want to butt into anyone else's holiday so mooched around on my on for a short while & forgot to take any pictures. Others, however, did coupley things, drinking wine under the shade of the trees, light lunch in nice cafes .
I couldn't even team up with Andy, another loner, as he wandered off to use up all the town's wifi connections to ring home as it was his anniversary and the romantic fool wanted to call his darling wife. From the other side of the World. At the start of a 3 week motorbike trip. Because he loves her.

Back to hotel before heading out to a Mexican Restaurant (that'll be a nice change ) in Sebastapol, recommended by Seamus, who joined us there.
This one was much, much better than last night's abomination. Thanx Jim.

Back to the hotel, head down and off to sleep. It's a big day tomorrow as we're on the road properly.



(That book on the end of the bed is doing my head in BTW, not being at right angles to the throw thingey).

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never mind the book Bill, those clothes on the chair back look a bit untidy and, the boots could have done with being in the centre of the space available

good going mate. keep it up

Monday 8th September

Day 1, as it were.
Up the 101 to Cloverdale and across the 128 to Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway).
This was a great road but again, being early into the trip I didn't want to stop & take snaps for fear of losing everyone else.
Most of the chaps had their Honeys riding pillion so they could take photos along the way. Andy B had a Ram mount with his camera on his handlebars (lesson learnt there for future) & Pete seemed to be happy to bimble along and just enjoy himself.

I'm pretty sure we stopped for lunch at Westport, it was certainly a Denny's, before carrying up Highway 1 and turning inland and up one of the finest roads I have ever ridden. Sweeping, constant radius bends on quiet, wonderfully smooth roads. At this point a dilemna presented itself. Do I enjoy the moment, or do I stop & take pics.?
Fully Vaccinated I decided I would just seize the moment. The sign had said 'Curvy Roads for 29 miles' and now was the time to play. So I did. Didn't go down toooo well with one of the other holidaymakers but so be it. This was just fantastic. I wasn't - I was crap. Too fast into some corners, slow out. and I basically frightened myself silly on more than one occasion. Maybe they were right, maybe I should have slowed down.

This road took us to the FAMOUS DRIVE THROUGH TREE (although one of the stragglers managed to miss the turning, despite it being WORLD FAMOUS). One of many FAMOUS DRIVE THROUGH TREEs in the area apparently but very impressive nevertheless.



Racing lines were discussed, luggage was fiddled with.



We carried on along here up the Avenue of Giants, so called because of the Redwood Trees. This was another truly fantastic road. I took the opportunity to follow Andy B for a while. Man, he's a smooth rider. One of those who looks slow but is making rapid progress. This was great. Not only was I having a ball but I was getting a great riding education. None of it stuck of course but it was nice while it lasted.



Sorry about the blurry picture but the trees cast such shadows the camera struggled slightly

Big Tree, girl's bike.



That's better.



Big Tree, small....................mind.



As we ended the riding day at the Travelodge in Eugene I noticed this sign, which I assume had been erected by the locals especially for us, right opposite the motel. No idea why but it made me feel good.



The red bike belongs to a Canadian who was checking in at the same time as me. He was heading down the PCH as we were heading up the way.



Basic accommodation but clean, tidy & cheap. That'll do me.



We ate that evening at a fantastic local micro brewery that did food*. Very nice, highly recommended. Can't remember what it was called though. I hope that's helpful to anyone going the same way.

I say 'We', that's 'most of us'. Steve & Judith decided to go to an Ethiopian restaurant which was very brave of them.

Can't remember what it was called though. I hope that's helpful to anyone going the same way.

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Lost Coast Brewery

Eureka, not Eugene Bill and it was The Lost Coast Brewery. a brilliant place

PS Eureka not Eugene. Don't confuse the punters any more than you have to!!

Thanx for the feedback everyone, much appreciated.

That's it for the time being. Work is calling. I'll try to get this finished next week if I can.

Next Week? NEXT WEEK?!

I was looking forward to a weekend of heckling!! . Now I'll have to watch the Rugby

Eureka!

FFS how could I have got that so wrong? More of Eugene next time.

Lost Coast Brewery, cheers.

Packer said:

You really know how to set the scene for an adventure don't you you miserable old fart?

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newboy said:

You are still a miserable fecker

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How the feck did you know? At least Newboy's met me.

The Nutty GSER said:

I hope this gets better!

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Everyone's a critic. I'm doing my best Nutty.