Bilco's USA tour summer 2020 virtual trip report.

Thanx for posting Sarge.
Happy, happy days with some terrific memories.
 
We drop down south out of SF after crossing the Golden Gate and it's unremarkable like all cities but then we climb into the hills and pick up the Skyline Boulevard which is just inland of Hwy 1. A lot of people get so fixated on following teh coat they miss some staggering riding inland and this road is superb.

Half way along Skyline is Alices Restaurant which at the weekend is full of all sorts of bikes and cars who take a ride out of SF. It's a great meeting place if you are a petrol head and it's a must visit place if you are close.

I've been in and out of there for years and even went on a Harley once. The food is good and not your usual US fare and atmosphere excellent.

I've always met some interesting people there and I met my great friend Tanis there back in 2005. She was riding her lovely Ducati with the reg plate SPDGDSS (Speed goddess) and god almighty she could ride that damned thing. I'd try in vain to keep up on my 1150GSA back in the day and used parts of the tyre I didn't know existed. Plenty of other stories as well but it's before the watershed..........!!!

She knew every road in the area especially just north of SF in Marin and anyone on my trips who wonders how the hell I know where I'm going in that area has Tanis to thank.
 

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Lovely. Any chance you could book that young lady in for our 2023 trip please?
 
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Mark
 
I suppose you never saw this either
 

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After leaving Alices there are some really nice troads down through teh Redwoods to Monterey on teh coast and for those literary types amogst us, it's an area made famous by John Steinbeck (Cannery Row) who lived in the area.

Lovely part of the world but very expensive to stay there.

I'd thought I'd treat you to a couple of nice truck pics as well. If you ever come on my trips you'll often find me taking pics of trucks as I seem to have diesel running through my veins after a lifetime in trucking.
 

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There are some absolute epic roads away from the coast and I have no real idea why people concentrate on the PCH but each to their own.

These pics are all as we head inland from Monterey and are generally free from traffic and perfect for GS's.
 

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After riding some great roads we stop at a small town called Coalinga which on the face of it has nothing to offer. In fact the only thing it's famous for is it's the town closest to the 4 biggest state penitentiaries in California.

It's saving grace is a small burger bar which I stumbled upon many years ago and it's brilliant. The do regular BBQ's and they will do a regular burger and drink for around $5 and it's good stuff. Quite why people bypass these old style burger joints for a trip to McShite always amazes me.

Even the local plod use it for their doughnuts.

Great value and also great milk shakes!!
 

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