Maybe you'd like a story, hope its not too long.
I left on Thanksgiving day. The weather was cool and brisk but blue skies all the way and clear all the way to Hawaii. I think I could see Oahu...well, maybe not. But what I could see was beautiful. The scope of which cannot be duplicated with a still camera. I really love the coast highway, whether its called PCH, the Cabrillo or any number of monikers. Its (the) coast highway no matter what you call it. Hopefully, some of the pics will let you see part of what I got to see.
Leaving from home, I have about an hour's ride up the 280 freeway and thru SF on 19th Avenue to cross the Golden Gate bridge. The view from there is great, at the visitor's center (level with the bridge) or up the hill across 101 to the what's called, the Headlands. A ride thru the Headlands is a good ride as well but I've done it before and it's a dead end, not a thru route to highway 1. Some of the WWII bunkers that guarded the entrance to the SF bay are still up there and accessible. No guns left, just the gun implacements. Continuing north on 101, I take the highway 1 cutoff at Mill Valley, just a few miles north of the bridge. When traffic is good, and on turkey day morning, it was great, the ride over Mt. Tamalpais is a nice intro to elevation changes, corner after corner, and the first view of the Pacific.
Once I get to 1, its very near Stinson Beach, for you map readers. After there, the road is right next to Tomales Bay, a little town (and) a saltwater bay. Looks like a lake and you can't see the ocean until farther up the road. The road. Its has everything, tree lined straights and tree lined corners, some out in the open and some, right on the edge of California. Of course, riding north, there is always a lane to your left before BANZAI!!!! Just kidding about the banzai thing... The thought of just how far down the water (is) does cross one's mind though.
The majority of the trees along the road are those you see in magazines that look all windblown and bent from the ocean breezes. A huge area has some very old and large Eucalyptus trees that tower over the curves like a tunnel, meeting the other ones crossing the other way. It can get dark enough in some of these tree tunnels in the middle of a sunny day that you can see your guages light up even wearing sunglasses! The real treat for me is getting far enough north that the trees start showing pointy tops (evergreens) redwoods and whatever else grows up there.
I stayed at a rather modest Motel 6 in south Eureka. Before I got there I rode all the way on 1, past Jenner, Ft Bragg (get your maps out) and Leggett where 101 meets 1. There is a drive thru tree just inside a State park nearby, for the price of admission to a State park, 2-3 dollars I think. Heading north on 101 is not something to regret, even after riding on 1. BTW, the section of highway 1 where the road veers east away from the Pacific is ONE GREAT EXPERIENCE, about 30 miles or so of nothing but curves. Try riding it in both directions for the real test! Anyway, 101 is also a great ride, some parts are like a freeway (is a freeway) with long fast sweepers. 101 also has some beautiful two lane sections thru some of the nicest forests you've ever seen. Slowing down a bit, its just a great ride. Eventually I get into Eureka for the night, but not before dinner at the Samoa Cookhouse,
http://www.roadtripamerica.com/eats/samoa.htm
The next morning I head south and west thru Ferndale in search, once again, for the Lost Coast hiway. Terrible road surface in a lot of areas but still very much worth the ride. There is only one house on the actual coast road as the pics should show, a few cattle and the ocean and that's ALL there is to see...for miles...just a few actually. Its shorter than you think, but desolate as hell. Two cars and a UPS van was all there was ALL DAY on the friday after turkey day. Clear blue sky and not very cold at all. Wanting to get to the Avenue of the Giants before dark I rode on and before I realized it I'm heading east away from the water and into some really, off the beaten path, country. Petrolia and Honeydew for example. It would be very peaceful living up there. As a sort of entrance into the old growth redwood area, I come across a wooden floor bridge. As I cross, on the right side wheel rails, I feel them flex and dip and squeek. Not a good feeling but passable.
From there I start to ride into even more heavily wooded and shady areas that probably don't see more than an hour's sunlight all day long. Cool, dark and, peaceful. See the 82 next to that downed log? Its a BIG log! That area is just a few miles from 101 and the Avenue. Getting dark again (ridiculous daylight savings time or whatever) I headed north back to Eureka and the Cookhouse for dinner. Its nice, in an ante room, there are hooks for your helmet and gear while you eat. Loggers used to use them when the timber business was in full swing. Back to the motel too full for my own good and a nice sleep for the ride back the next morning.
The next morning...have I mentioned how nice the weather had been? Well not Saturday morning. It was dark and overcast and damp and COLD for about 200 miles south. I ended up bypassing the hiway 1 cutoff at Leggett figuring the coast road (had) to be even colder than 101, and, might be windy as well. Fairly uneventful ride back down 101 but its a pretty ride, at any speed you like for over 250 miles, when civilization creeps back into view. From Santa Rosa to the GG bridge is about an hour depending on traffic and then a quick shot down 280 to home. Nearly 900 miles as I recall, with 150 or so being the Lost Coast loop.
