2006 Nov - Napa Sonoma Counties Ride

Nov 5, 2006 - Napa and Sonoma Counties Ride

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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

{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

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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.