- Joined
- Apr 4, 2002
- Location
- Menlo Park, Ca.
- Moto(s)
- Keep me rocking life
- Name
- Budman
- BARF perks
- AMA Life Member #203453
The Ride Day 8 – Morro Bay to Santa Monica
227 Miles planned 250 miles or so as ridden
227 Mile Planned Map as planned
Map as what I think we did
Away we go for another day leaving the beautiful Morro Bay and the days drama behind. We headed to the east, and took Los Osos Valley Road through the farms back to join Hwy 101 South of San Luis Obispo. We head up and over the mountains and drop back down to the coast at Shell Beach and rejoin Hwy 1 at Pismo Beach where the dunes offer offroad enthusiast a chance to play in the sand. I have enjoyed that more than a few times!!!
We continued south to Dinosaur Caves Beach a beautiful spot to get some drone footage as it is very picturesque for sure. We pulled in to the soaring squadrons of Pelicans and an overcast but brilliant view. The boys explored the view as I did and the amount of pelicans on that one rock was amazing.
I walked to a sit spot and spied an interesting gent wearing a John 3:16 shirt. I said hello and he asked “What is going on is this a midlife crises thing?” I laughed and said more like a 2/3 life thing.. no we are out riding the entire west coast. After a question or two more I asked him his name and if he was cool being on film. I saw an opportunity to have someone sort of allow me to layout the whole scenario of what we were doing on this ride.
Jimmy Vargas said sure and I sat down next to him while BZ set up a camera. The chat that followed was gold. For sure good stuff. After that we headed to our bikes and he followed saying I am a Pastor would it be OK to provide a blessing for the rest of your trip. I said sure and clicked on my GoPro. Can’t remember exactly what it was but it was really cool and so uplifting and cute. Something like Dear Lord… I come to you today to ask you to bless these guys on the search to find a good life on their motorcycles. May they ride with the winds during their 2/3rd life crisis on their amazing machines… yada yada. It was pretty sweet. Glad I had that moment.
Then we headed off the coast again and a planned stop for riders at Vandenberg Air Force Base Visitor Center but we missed it. We then passed through Lompoc and into the hillsides to Las Cruces where again we joined Hwy 101.
The Ritz Carlton Santa Barbara announced a welcome to affluence again and off the coast for a bit until we hit East Beach. We wondered through the neighborhoods on to Carpenteria for lunch where hit the Padro Beach Grill for lunch on the patio overlooking the beach. It was a cool spot and the patio was really awesome.
After lunch we headed up the coast and headed up to the iconic Rock Store..! The main road in was closed so we did not get to pose for Ricky Mouse
It was pretty damn empty actually with only two other riders there, both mature riders, both cool dudes. We went in and looked around. I as planned I bought a shirt and we grabbed a drink. I chose a Mountain Dew just because I had not had soda and I like it. However that sure did invite the yellow jackets to try to steel my soda at one point one slipped in and damned if I did not gulp them into my mouth!! A quick spit put the bastard on the ground without any damage to my tongue or other oral parts
Heading out we got screwed up and ended on the freeway missing some of the coast where the rich folk live. When we got to Santa Monica it was a cluster… no chance to park at the pier, trying to figure out where the crew had gone. Several attempts took us to pay to play parking lots finally finding Will Rodgers Beach favorable. We did a couple interviews and when I stepped in on Enchanter we invented a new one… a discussion with Bud. It was interactive and fun!!
After finishing up we went to the Santa Monica Motel. The place was packed. It was still pretty hot and they had NO A/C!! $200 bux a night and no A/C, but we got a fan and they did have shampoo and conditioner!!
Showered and refreshed we decided a bar was not happening given the time so we just went to dinner. Turned out to just be a few of us vs. the whole crew as BZ was freaking out saying I lost a day.. I lost a day!!. I thought with all the data he misplaced it and would find it (he did.. in the trash!)
It was another long walk up and down hills and man I was really damn tired at this point. We Ubered back after a good meal at the The Galley Restaurant[/url which was all sparkly with accent lights everywhere. Perhaps that is why the guys got so romantic
Being tired we passed on the Bar and went back to the motel we chilled.. ha right!!! The damn room door stayed open with the fan blowing in until 11pm.
It was a good day, but too many people compared to where we had been traveling through in the end.
Previous pics [url=https://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10928683&postcount=123]HERE
A few more below.
227 Miles planned 250 miles or so as ridden
227 Mile Planned Map as planned
Map as what I think we did
Away we go for another day leaving the beautiful Morro Bay and the days drama behind. We headed to the east, and took Los Osos Valley Road through the farms back to join Hwy 101 South of San Luis Obispo. We head up and over the mountains and drop back down to the coast at Shell Beach and rejoin Hwy 1 at Pismo Beach where the dunes offer offroad enthusiast a chance to play in the sand. I have enjoyed that more than a few times!!!
We continued south to Dinosaur Caves Beach a beautiful spot to get some drone footage as it is very picturesque for sure. We pulled in to the soaring squadrons of Pelicans and an overcast but brilliant view. The boys explored the view as I did and the amount of pelicans on that one rock was amazing.
I walked to a sit spot and spied an interesting gent wearing a John 3:16 shirt. I said hello and he asked “What is going on is this a midlife crises thing?” I laughed and said more like a 2/3 life thing.. no we are out riding the entire west coast. After a question or two more I asked him his name and if he was cool being on film. I saw an opportunity to have someone sort of allow me to layout the whole scenario of what we were doing on this ride.
Jimmy Vargas said sure and I sat down next to him while BZ set up a camera. The chat that followed was gold. For sure good stuff. After that we headed to our bikes and he followed saying I am a Pastor would it be OK to provide a blessing for the rest of your trip. I said sure and clicked on my GoPro. Can’t remember exactly what it was but it was really cool and so uplifting and cute. Something like Dear Lord… I come to you today to ask you to bless these guys on the search to find a good life on their motorcycles. May they ride with the winds during their 2/3rd life crisis on their amazing machines… yada yada. It was pretty sweet. Glad I had that moment.
Then we headed off the coast again and a planned stop for riders at Vandenberg Air Force Base Visitor Center but we missed it. We then passed through Lompoc and into the hillsides to Las Cruces where again we joined Hwy 101.
The Ritz Carlton Santa Barbara announced a welcome to affluence again and off the coast for a bit until we hit East Beach. We wondered through the neighborhoods on to Carpenteria for lunch where hit the Padro Beach Grill for lunch on the patio overlooking the beach. It was a cool spot and the patio was really awesome.
After lunch we headed up the coast and headed up to the iconic Rock Store..! The main road in was closed so we did not get to pose for Ricky Mouse
It was pretty damn empty actually with only two other riders there, both mature riders, both cool dudes. We went in and looked around. I as planned I bought a shirt and we grabbed a drink. I chose a Mountain Dew just because I had not had soda and I like it. However that sure did invite the yellow jackets to try to steel my soda at one point one slipped in and damned if I did not gulp them into my mouth!! A quick spit put the bastard on the ground without any damage to my tongue or other oral parts
Heading out we got screwed up and ended on the freeway missing some of the coast where the rich folk live. When we got to Santa Monica it was a cluster… no chance to park at the pier, trying to figure out where the crew had gone. Several attempts took us to pay to play parking lots finally finding Will Rodgers Beach favorable. We did a couple interviews and when I stepped in on Enchanter we invented a new one… a discussion with Bud. It was interactive and fun!!
After finishing up we went to the Santa Monica Motel. The place was packed. It was still pretty hot and they had NO A/C!! $200 bux a night and no A/C, but we got a fan and they did have shampoo and conditioner!!
Showered and refreshed we decided a bar was not happening given the time so we just went to dinner. Turned out to just be a few of us vs. the whole crew as BZ was freaking out saying I lost a day.. I lost a day!!. I thought with all the data he misplaced it and would find it (he did.. in the trash!)
It was another long walk up and down hills and man I was really damn tired at this point. We Ubered back after a good meal at the The Galley Restaurant[/url which was all sparkly with accent lights everywhere. Perhaps that is why the guys got so romantic
Being tired we passed on the Bar and went back to the motel we chilled.. ha right!!! The damn room door stayed open with the fan blowing in until 11pm.
It was a good day, but too many people compared to where we had been traveling through in the end.
Previous pics [url=https://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10928683&postcount=123]HERE
A few more below.
