2006NorCal

2006 Nov - Napa Sonoma Counties Ride

2006-11-05T22:13:00.000-08:00

Nov 5, 2006 - Napa and Sonoma Counties Ride

{CLICK on photos to view full size images.}

This is a joint VROC and NorCal Triumph Riders and Friends Ride. Tiny, Phil and I are members of both groups. Ted from Davis rode with us on his 1500 Classic. Nite Lite and Brian joined up with us at lunch.

The Corners now has a Café.
The fog in the Valley delays our Ride until 11:30 AM. I had to wait out some dense fog at the McDonalds at I-5 and Hwy 12.

The weather was so nice that the parking lot at the Corners was jam packed.

Las is putting her cookies in her saddle bag.

Ted from Davis decided to join in on the Ride.

Eric, Tiny and Pdub.
Nine bikes head out of the Corners and along Hwy 128, Pdub, Eric, Phil, Las, Todd, Tom, Ted, Tiny and me.

The weather is cool but beautiful and although there are a lot of people on the road this weekend the ride on Hwy 128 was fairly clear.

Las has to repair Pdub's carb. One reason for making us late to lunch.

Pdub waves me over to stop the group along Hwy 128. He has to repair his carb to get rid of all the back firing. Las has to put the rubber nipple into place on Pdub's carb.

We turn onto Silverado Trail and cruise along at a fairly decent clip until some car pulls in front of me 2/3 of the way along the Trail. I take my displeasure out by honking my horn for a rather long time at the offending motorist.

Nite Lite and son Brian had finished eating and were getting ready to head out when we pulled into Busters. Note the Phil and Tiny were first in line to get their food.

Todd and Tom who ordered a full dinner.

Parking lot at Busters.

Las and Todd ordering.

The NorCal Triumph Riders and Friends even had two Triumphs for this Ride.

We head out of Busters for our next destination --- ICE CREAM in Sonoma. Over to the Petrified Forest Road which turns into Calistoga Road a very twisty little road that winds into eastern Santa Rosa. Calistoga Road becomes a city street for about a mile until it T's into Hwy 12. We then ride Hwy 12 through the Valley of the Moon. There is a lot of traffic because of the gorgeous weather. Probably a lot of wine tasters.

Into Sonoma's town square I lead the group of now eleven bikes through the One-Way exit {the wrong way} into the parking lot at the rear of the alley way. One of these days I need to find the Entrance to the Parking Lot. I always go through the exit. Then to the Chocolate Cow.

Ice cream break in Sonoma.

Phil a Nomad rider and Tom an FJR 1300 rider.

Ted rides a 1500 Classic and Tiny a 1600.

We head out minus Nite Lite and Brian as they head back to Petaluma. Over Napa Road back to Hwy 12. As Hwy 29 and Hwy 12 split we wave good bye to Tiny. Hwy 12 through Jameson Canyon is a bitch. The traffic is barely moving but we get through to I-80 and I say good bye to the group as I head off to Fairfield and my usual gas stop. They pull off I-80 at Suisun Valley Road to gas up. Las has such a small tank.

A short Ride but we did get to eat a lot...............

The Riders:
Phil T Nomad
Tiny 1600 Classic
Ted 1500 Classic
Nite Lite Nomad
Brian S 800 Classic
Pdub Bonne America
Eric B Triumph Legend
Las Boogar
Todd W H-D
Tom P FJR 1300
Don I R850R
----------------------------------------------

2006 Oct 15th Ride - River Roads

2006-10-15T20:05:00.000-07:00

{Click on photos to view full size images} Photos by Cranky and VSP

October 15, 2007 - River Road Ride

It is a chilly morning as Cat and I turn onto the short cut to Isleton. The road is a bit bumpy and bounces Cat around quite a bit. I just stand on my pegs as I ride along. These roads are built on top of peat dirt. The road bed is like mush and the roads are seldom level.

Tiny got off work and rode directly to the River's Edge. He is waiting on the bench outside of the restaurant. Cranky pulls in before I can light up a cigarette. As we are being seated Nite Lite and Linda and son Brian pull up to park. David J from Woodland is next to pull in.

Ted from Davis does not get there until we are eating breakfast. Ted and Sherm have something in common, they are both retired from the Coast Guard. Ted is a graduate of the Coast Guard Academy.

All of the Sublows order the very good French Toast. Must be something aboot (sic) their Canadian heritage.

Tiny has the special which is a breaded pork chop since this is his dinner.

Getting ready to ride. You can see the bright yellow striped safety vest on the left. Worn by the Ride Leader.

We ride a leisurely pace around the Brannan Island Loop which is full of Marina's and signed at 25 MPH in a lot of places.

We bounce along Grand Island next and take a break in the parking lot of the Grand Island Mansion. This place is usually closed when we ride the river, but this is Sunday and they have a Sunday Brunch and are open when we stop.

David, Ted and Tiny decide not to take the trip up to the Mansion entrance. The others have wandered up the hill mainly to use their rest rooms. But Tiny spots a Port-A-Potty through the pear trees. So we trepass a few feet into the orchard and make use of it.

Linda, Cat and Brian heading in to use the facilities.

There is some kind of party for antique car owners at the Brunch. Here are Cranky's photos of the old cars parked along the Mansion.

The parked antique cars made the Mansion feel like we were back in the Great Gatsby era. It gave the place a feeling of speak easy days.

We next circle the rest of Grand Island and at the Ryde Hotel we cut through the middle of the island back to the ferry crossing to Ryer Island.

The next two photos were taken at about the same time from each end of the ferry.

Cat's first trip on this cable ferry.

We circle Ryer Island and now need to take the boat ferry across the Sacramento River and the Rio Vista side of the river. Here we are waiting in line.

On the boat we are squeezed in with a bunch of vehicles. It is a busy day today. We are shortly to find out why.

We get to Rio Vista and are suppose to cruise right along the river to the other side of town. Well this weekend is the Rio Vista Bass Festival and there is a road block on the road. We wander through a motel parking lot and make a U-turn. We try two other streets but Main Street is where the parade is and we can not get to the other side of town. We find a local who is headed to the Sandy Beach Park right where we need to get to. He tells me to follow him. We actually have to go through the Rio Vista High School parking lot from the rear entrance to the front entrance to get around the parade.

We make it finally to ride Montezuma Hills Road. Along that road we come within spitting distance of the latest generation of wind mills. These are huge.

We then head back to Rio Vista and Shelby's for lunch.

He's safe!!!!!

Cranky ordering lunch.

Nite Lite telling another one of his tall tales.

Shelby's is a dying breed of local drive ins and it is for sale. Hand made hamburgers. Real chilli cheese dogs. Great onion rings.

After lunch we head off home. Tiny leads Cranky, Cat and I to the Oakley Chevron Station from there he heads home. I then take the back roads around Brentwood into Byron and to the Interstate. Cat and I point Cranky to the Old Altamont Pass Road and send him on his way back to San Jose.

Cranky sent this in an email:

"And that road back into Livermore was
GREAT!!!! A really big thanks!!!! Cranky"

I ride with Cat down I-580 until the Modesto exit at Hwy 132 where we honk our good byes.

The end of another NorCal VROC Ride.

While the riding is fun and the roads of some interest, what makes these NorCal VROC Rides really fun are the rest stops and meal stops along the way. Where the real story telling and swapping of tall tales makes for a fun time. Of course, it is tough to match the story telling of one H. "Nite Lite" Sublow.

This is from Cat in reply to the We Did Not Lose Cat This Time post:

"Nope! Nobody lost me. I had a wonderful time! First time taking a bike
on a ferry... was pretty sure we were all gonna die, but it was easier
than I thought it would be! LOL"

Here is Cranky's reply to that same post:

"NNNNNoooooooooooo!!!!!!!! HE {VSP} TRIED TO LOSE EVERYBODY!!
Multiple U turns on narrow streets, rapid acceleration,
drove thru motel parking lots, hassled the locals,
and TRIED TO DITCH US BY TAKING A BACK ROUTE THRU A
!&)*%!#*$% SCHOOL YARD!!!!!!!! .....but we're on
to him NOW!!!!!!!! GBSEG!!!!!!!!!

Great ride!!!!!!!! There was a parade, that blocked
our planned path, and it was a !!#%)#$*% to get around!!!

Sorry Don, had to roast you a bit, GBG. seeing the delta,
and almost ALL of Rio Vista was a blast!!!!!!!
You really know these places!!!! VERY HUGE GRIN!!!!"

From David J.:

"It was a great ride. About 10 miles after we all split up, the sun came out again. The one thing I didn't understand was the woman holding the room key out for Don as we drove through the motel parking lot..:-)
Great food,great ride, and great stories from Nite Lite and company.. You guys are great."

Note: We have no road photos because it was too cold to ride without gloves and I can not click my camera with gloves on. In fact I did the entire ride with my heated grips on low and even a few times switched to
high heat. I must be getting soft in my old age. :-)

--
Don "Very Short Person" Inamasu
VROC #5569-R; TWVROC #13; Inmate No. F650-2125
Stockton, CA 95219

2006 Oct - Jazz Fest at Jest's

2006-10-09T14:17:00.000-07:00

{Click on photos to view full size images}

October 7, 2006 - Jazz and Rosie Asplin Get Together at Jest's

Barbecued hamburgers and brats. Chips, dips and potato and macroni salad.
Nuts and fruit from the Casa de Fruta. Good brews and soft drinks. Great weather. It was a very good day.

For those of you wondering how Sherm takes all of the pictures on his Blogs. This is how he does it. :-)

The location was the recently remodeled home of Jest and his family in Saratoga, California. Needless to say that Saratoga is an upscale suburb located in Silicon Valley - San Jose, California.

Jest looking at the revelers.

Jest's daughter plays with Steelman's two sons.

Jack Foree had a short 820 miles trip from Holbrook. Sherm's was a little 535 mile jaunt from Coos Bay
and Dan Radigan had a grueling 9.8 mile ride from Sunnyvale. Tiny has to go to work as he puts on his jacket in the background.

Jack and one of the guests of honor, Jazz.

Barb and Rosie are attacking the grapes from Salinas. Must be some of the "grapes of wrath".

Jack making a serious point to Sherm.

The gals hanging out at the pool.

Steelman watching the kids.

Nite Lite and his son Brian rode down from Petaluma and led Sherm to Jest's.

Cranky rode over on his bicycle note his rear view mirror on his sun glasses. Lars is from Hollister but is ready to retire to Salem, OR soon.

Barb is ready to wrestle the guy in the tie dye shirt.

Jazz listens to a tall tale from Lars.

Who is that busty blonde?

Cranky is getting ready to head back home.

The last photo as Barb and Rosie devour the grapes.

2006 Aug - We Lost Cat Ride

2006-08-21T18:29:00.000-07:00

{Click on photos to view full size images}
August 20, 2006 NC/NV VROC Ride - Lake Berryessa - Clear Lake

Riders:

Cat from Fillmore
Cranky from San Jose
Tiny from Pinole
Ron and Patty from Citrus Heights
David from Woodland
Jim from Rio Vista
Nite Lite from Petaluma
Don "VSP" from Stockton
Wayne from Santa Rosa - at the Corners
Mad Ma from Santa Rosa - at the Corners

Eight bikes arrived at the Jelly Belly Factory before 10:00 AM on Sunday, August 20, 2006. Cat and I arrived early since Cat needed to buy her four bags of Belly Flops. She also found a "Bad to the Bean" T-shirt that she just HAD to get for herself.

The ride from Stockton to Fairfield got really windy and cold as we got to the plain that is just south of Travis AFB. So a hot cup of coffee was a high priority.

Cranky gets to the JB and is trying to warm up. He said the ride from San Jose got real windy like 40 to 50 knots as he approached Fairfield.

Nite Lite rides in from Petaluma. And David then Ron and Patty shortly thereafter.

I lead the eight bikes from the JB to I-80 and a short ride to the exit that gets us to Pleasant Valley Road. Pleasant Valley Road is a neat little two laner that is frequented by bicyclists galore. Auto traffic is minimal and there are just enough twists and turns to make it a very interesting ride. We get to Hwy 128 and find a clear road in front of us, pretty good for a weekend. Finally get behind some traffic and I slow down to let it get in front of us. We then had pretty clear sailing to the Corners.

At the Corners the restaurant and bar has had their liquor license suspended and that is where the rest rooms are located. So NO rest rooms. The General Store has been remodelled and is now open {it was closed last month when Skid was there}.

I just missed getting Nite Lite's obscene gesture behind the "Rest Rooms Out-of-Order sign" as Cat is cracking up about it.

Cat and Nite Lite

Daivd

Jim and Wayne and Mad Ma. Mad Ma had to sleep in so she and hubby Wayne rode to the Corners from Santa Rosa and skipped the first part of the Ride.

Ron and Patty from Citrus Heights

Tiny

Tiny takes over the lead at the Corners and Nite Lite is riding Sweep. We travel along Lake Berryessa. Then take the road over to Pope Valley. As we near Pope Valley there is a bicyclists event going on and hundreds of bicycles.

We stop in front of the Pope Valley School which is our scheduled rest break.

Then it is off to the Lakeside Inn Pub. Now the Ride is really nice but uneventful. That will change shortly.

It was a Comedy of Errors.

At the rest break at Pope Valley it was discussed that the right turn to Point Lakeview Road is easy to miss and to "slow" way down in the right lane at about one mile from the left turn at Lower Lake where Hwy 29 turns.

I will now relate the Ride from my perspective from Middletown, some 15 miles before the Lower Lake signal light. Nite Lite was riding Sweep. I was next to last and in front of me was Cranky then Jim Epstein. At the stop sign Cranky told Jim Epstein that his saddle bag was open. Then Cranky took off. Jim got off his bike to shut the lid which took a couple of minutes. The heat was up so Nite Lite rode up to me and said he was going to turn left and head home. So I waited for Jim and followed him up Hwy 29 a few minutes behind the pack.

It was at the signal light at Lower Lake when to my surprise there were 4 bikes waiting to make the left turn. Jim and I pulled into the rear of the pack. I was thinking that the lead 3 bikes would be pulled off the side of the road a little bit up the road. No bikes, but then I thought that the bikes would be waiting at the Point Lakeview Road turn off. No. And Wayne Hovey on was in the lead of the"second pack" and blasted past the turn. It was then that I decided to take off from the rear and to run him down to turn the "second pack" around. I never saw the lead three bikes, since I was totaled focused on the 6 bikes and running down Wayne. I got in front of Wayne and am now looking for a side road, since a U-Turn on Hwy 29 was out of the question. I never saw you guys because I was not looking for you assuming that you had made the turn onto Point Lakeview Road. I was totally focused on finding a side road.

I found a cross road and managed to get turned around. I led 6 bikes back to Point Lakeview Road back to the Ride Route and led them to the Pub. It was not until the lunch discussion that I found out that Cranky had seen the first two bikes going back and forth and had seen Cat going past us in both directions by herself. It was not until lunch that I had found out that the lead bikes had missed the Point Lakeview Road turn. Everyone was passing each other in opposite directions. AND WE LOST CAT!

Usually the Ride Leader will regroup after a Major turn like at Lower Lake, but failing to do that created a "Comedy of Errors" that will become a new VROC Legend.

When we, the second pack arrived at the Pub, I asked "Where's Cat?" and no one knew. I checked my cell phone Contacts and no Cat. I called the Sublow's and Laura answered and she did not know Cat's Cell number (Howard called when he got home a lot later and said he doesn't have her cell number).

So next I called Sherm's cell phone. He was at a rest break on a motorcycle ride and I got Cat's cell number from him. But in the mean time her cell phone was off in her saddlebags so I left a voice message. So now Nite Lite and Sherm know that Cat is "lost".

Our Chapter says we owe Cat a dinner for getting her "lost".

Cat emailed me that she got back home around 9:00 PM, since we lost her some 400+ miles from her home.

Where's Cat?

Dialing Sherm's cell phone.

We had lunch at the Pub. Cranky is taking the photo.

After lunch David leaves to get back to Woodland. My 2.9 gallon gas tank is a bit lower than expected after the "Keystone Cops" episode along Hwy 29, so we decide to gas stop in Lake Port. A nice ride along Clear Lake's west side as the road is right on the water. We continue around Clear lake in the clockwise direction and then keep heading east. At the Hwy 53 intersection Wayne and Mad Ma wave good bye as they head south back to Santa Rosa.

The rest of us continue east on Hwy 20 and blast along the road. We turn south at hwy 16 and ride the twisty mountain section a decent clip as the road is not busy. There are a lot of river rafters down on Cache Creek. Eventually we leave the mountains and enter the Capay Valley at Rumsey. We pass the Cache Creek Indian Reservation which is a very modern village of homes, schools, medical facilities that is only a few years old. All funded by the Cache Creek Indian Casino and Resort, I am sure. We get to the hamburger stand at Esparto and the end of the Ride. We have to cross the street and use the Port-a-potties at the Esparto City Park, since the hamburger stand has closed their inside room and rest rooms. This is the NO rest room Ride.

After a soda and some water and a butt break, Cranky and Tiny head off to I-505 and then I-80. Ron and patty are off along Hwy 16 to Woodland and then home. Jim and I head over to I-505 to Midway Road to Hwy 113 to Hwy 12 and back home.

I got an email from Donna saying that Cat had called her from Fresno to email us about her safety. Cat emailed when she got home around 9:00 PM.

END

2006 May 20 Ride

2006-05-20T22:16:00.000-07:00

{Click on photos to view full size images}

text and photos by Dale Hinckley aka Prune Dale:

I was happy the weather gods cooperated and at least a few of the norcal vrocers made it to Hollister. I felt like I knew Don, Gar and Top Dawg right off the bat, which goes to show that if you have bikes in common, everything else comes naturally. Top Dawg set a brisk pace down 25 southbound out of Hollister at 80+, and though I know the CHP lurks down there to award certificates of achievement, I felt obliged to keep up. The day was glorious, Highway 25 pretty empty - a benefit of high gas prices I suppose - and we rolled through pastureland and charged a few of the bends with only longhorn cattle to appreciate the show.

Too bad Don had to split at King City, but he'd done the ride a few weeks before and had ridden 110 miles or so just to get to Hollister, so TD, Gar and I headed over Jolon Road to Hunter-Liggett. Beautiful meadows, oak groves and streams, a few boot-camp obstacle course sitting under the trees. Nacimiento-Ferguson road was great, a roller-coaster through the trees. Stopped for a few pics.

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Then down to meet the coast at Lucia. I didn't remember the Lucia Lodge - though I used to spend a lot of time in Big Sur - with rooms perched on the cliffs above the ocean. Gotta book one sometime. Anyway, met occasional fog as we headed up (mostly deserted) Hwy 1, had a great burger and the best seasoned fries at Fernwood. Top Dawg announced it was naptime afterward.

But he then took off like a bat outta hell and disappeared up 1, and when Gar and I got to the rendezvous gas stop at Rio Rd. in Carmel, no Dawg in evidence. Checked another gas station: no Dawg. A German guy in a chef's uniform came over to ask a lot of questions about the Vulcan. He liked water cooling; he liked four valves and overhead cams; he liked shaft drive. He asked how much; I told him and he announced "I am ready now." So watch for Germans on Vulcans. Gar and I headed north, split at 1/156, he to Santa Cruz, me to Prunedale. Great ride.

********************** Now for a few words from Gar ******************

text and photos by Ed Gilbert aka Gar:

{Click on photos to view full size images}

Yep, we had a great ride. The roads were great, weather pert near perfect, and the riding superb.

We only hit about 5 miles of fog, which is good for the Big Sur coast.
Great lunch at Fernwood, and a pretty speedy ride back, in which TD just
vaporized.

Ride Safe,
Ed(Gar)

2006 Mar 19 Top Dawg Ride

2006-03-20T06:40:00.000-08:00

Sierra Foothills Ride - text by Top Dawg editting by VSP
{Click on photos for full size images}

We assembled the crew at Wendy's on Hwy 120 in Manteca.
Most of us were there at 9:30 drinking coffee at the gas
station adjacent to Wendy's parking lot. There were initially 12 bikes
that began the ride and we picked up a couple more
at Angels Camp. Then lost one at the lunch stop.

Top Dawg
The morning began a little chilly (44° when I left Atwater at 0830) but
quickly warmed as the sun got higher in the sky. Don
VSP took the lead until we got past Knight's Ferry since he knew a back
road that was replete with twisties and very little traffic.
It stayed relatively warm until we began climbing the
hills approaching Jamestown when the cloud cover
started approaching 100% and the temperature began to nosedive.
We took a short latrine break at the gas station opposite the
HD dealership on Hwy 108 and then continued on Rawhide Road which
bypasses Sonora - a move decided on to avoid as much of the
weekend touristas as possible.

Other than the inevitable slow cages we encountered, the ride was smooth
and uneventful all the way into Jackson. Then trouble struck!
It seems we had picked the one weekend a year when "Dandelion
Days" an outdoor peddlers faire was being held. Traffic came
to a standstill in a couple of places (traffic jams in Jackson??!?) and
we discovered that our planned lunch stop (Mel and Fayes Restaraunt) was
jammed packed with nary a spot in the parking lot to stick
a dozen or so hungry bikes and their riders.

Rawhide Road near Jamestown

Entering Old Angels Camp from the south

Mel and Faye's parking lot
Don suggested we head out to Ione which was on our way anyway and we
wound up at Rides and Rods Café in beautiful downtown Ione.
{I took a long-cut, opposite of short-cut. We headed north east on Hwy 88, as Lorin and Bob - the locals - thought I was lost - to Climax Road to Ridge Road and back to Hwy 49. We continued through Sutter Creek to the Sutter Creek - Ione Road. That is a nice twisty piece of road with little traffic. In fact, near the end was a car parked in the road talking to an older couple standing in the street. - VSP}

The food was ok although a little slow in coming and it seemed we were being fed in shifts since the first ones served had almost finished their meals by the time the last order was placed on the table.

Lorin and Deputy Bob

VSP and Tiny

After lunch, it was decided that most of us would head back down Hwy 88 to disperse as our needs dictated. Phil and Dan were heading to Sacramento so tok Hwy 104 instead. Most of us made it to within a mile of Hwy 99 where VSP and the rest took a left hand turn, and then I was left alone to contemplate the day's ride as I wandered south on the big road to go home.
{I took local streets to Hwy 4 to avoid getting on Hwy 99 - VSP}

Don Bonnett

Cranky
{I logged 345 miles by getting home time at 5:30, left at 8. Only slow up for Eric, Don B and I was I-205, it was backed up, guess PGE dropped a power line on it and had it shut down for 2 hours both waze, sigh, but it was just a bit of slo, then off we went!!!!
Bill (Cranky) Snodgrass - San Jose, Ca 95136}

The Riders and their Bikes:
Top Dawg    '05 VN2000    Atwater
Don VSP    '93 VN500    Stockton
Tiny          '03 VN1600 Classic    Pinole
Garry Adams    VN800 Classic   Stockton
Eric Dunipace    1998 HD Soft Tail    Castro Valley
Don Bonnett    '01 1500 Nomad    Saratoga
Cranky         '01 1500 Nomad    San Jose
Sky               '04 1500 Nomad    Stockton
Marlys         '02 HD Road King   Stockton
Scott Souder    '02 Honda Blackbird    Stockton
Phil Terry     '06 1600 Nomad    Citrus Heights
Dan Albertson   '03 Aprilia Caponord    Sacramento
Lorin Annala    '99 1500 Drifter   Jackson
Deputy Bob    '00 1500 Nomad    Jackson

2006 Feb 25 Ride

2006-02-26T12:04:00.000-08:00

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This Ride was for those who could not make the Feb 20th Ride. Five of us from all points of the compass converged at the Jelly Belly Factory around 10:30 AM. I rode my lil' 500 today. Nite Lite on his Nomad had to round up Mad Ma on her 800 Classic as she missed the turn to the Jelly Belly. Nite Lite had ridden over from Petaluma. Mad Ma had ridden over from Santa Rosa and had managed to lose her cigarettes on the ride over. She was in a severe nicotine fit when I "loaned" her one of my cigarettes. Bill "Cranky" S. rode his Nomad from San Jose and Phil T. from Citrus Heights rode in on his 2006 Nomad with just over 500 miles on the clock. I had ridden with Phil a number of times with the NorCal Triumph Riders as his last bike was a Triumph sportsbike.

This day we take the originally planned route up I-80 to Pleasant Valley Road. This road is not as twisty as Suisun Valley/Wooden Valley Road, but adds about 15 miles to the Ride. Pleasant Valley Road is a lightly traveled road where we see many more bicycles than autos. We get to Hwy 128 and then make a quick stop at Montecito Dam to check out the big over flow hole. Then on to the Corners.

We take our break at the Corners. There is a large group of sports bikes in the parking lot. And as we are ready to leave a large group of Harley riders comes in. Off we head along Lake Berryessa. Then back inland over to the Silverado Trail. We get to Calistoga just behind a really large group of Harleys. As we approach Buster's we are all thinking, "I hope these guys are not stopping at Buster's". They stopped at the gas station across the street. Whew!

After lunch we decide to add a bit to the Ride. We head to the Petrified Forest Road. At the turn off for Mark West Springs Road we lose Mad Ma as she heads back to Santa Rosa and home. The four of us continue along Calistoga Road to the "T" at Hwy 12. We turn off at the Glen Ellen (Arnold Road) exit. Just past Glen Ellen we stop along side the road as Nite Lite has seen that Cranky's top box is wobbling badly. He checks and sees that the left side mounting bracket has cracked completely. After some rope and bungee repairs we are back on the road. We leave Nite Lite at Leveroni Road as he heads back home. We continue along as the road becomes Napa Road back onto Hwy 12.

The three of us head along Hwy 12 until Cranky splits off onto I-680. Phil and I split up at Hwy 12, which I take as Phil continues along I-80.

A beautiful, warm day for a Ride. Ready for the next one already.

Don Inamasu
Stockton, CA

2006 Feb 20th Ride - Berryessa

2006-02-20T18:31:00.000-08:00

{click on pics for full size images}

Presidents' Day Ride from the Jelly Belly to Calistoga via Lake Berryessa. There were four of us meeting at the Jelly Belly this morning around 11:20 AM. Jim E. and I rode together from Rio Vista. Darcy S. was early and was having coffee at the Jelly Belly Cafe. He wandered over just as I was hanging up my cell phone as I had gotten Darcy's voice mail. Tiny was shopping in the Factory.

We head out past Mankas Corners to Suisun Valley Road. A nice twisty road that gets us to a very dangerous intersection at Hwy 121. Suisun Valley Road hits Hwy 121 in the middle of a downhill switch back. Off along Hwy 121 to Moskowite Corners we go. There is not a straight away on this section of Hwy 121. We take a short break at the Corners, which is a good place to meet for Rides.

From the Corners we head along Lake Berryessa then back inland. We wander the back roads back to Hwy 128 to the Silverado Trail. We take that road to Calistoga and Lunch at Buster's Southern BBQ.

The Ride was under bright, sunny skies. The temperature was in the low 50's, but everyone had enough clothes on to feel comfortable. All in all it was a nice day to ride.

A nice meal at Buster's especailly since everyone was really hungry.

Jim has lost a bolt to the rack that holds his top box. Darcy spots an extra two bolts at the bottom of Jim's license plate frame. So Jim has some temporary hardware.

After lunch we head back to ride the Silverado Trail in the other direction. This time we take it all the way to Napa. We are heading home. Tiny leaves us where Hwy 12 heads east as he continues south on Hwy 29 to Vallejo and home to Pinole.

Jim, Darcy and I take Hwy 12 to Suisun City and the Chevron station to fill up before heading home. I have put on 132 miles from the time that I had topped off at the Chevron Station directly on the other side of Hwy 12 earlier in the day. So I put on 232 miles total today. At Rio Vista Jim leaves us and at Hwy 160 just over the Rio Vista Bridge, Darcy takes off to Antioch on Hwy 160 and I continue to Stockton on Hwy 12.

I get home just after 5:00 PM. And I had left home at 10:00 AM. A nice full Winter day.

Don Inamasu
VROC #5569
Stockton, CA