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north to mid Ca.

917 views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  tmgs 
#1 ·
Howdy westerners!

I'll be headed that way in august and have a couple questions

First I have rode through Yosemite from DV through Jackson, Visited with Stick and Raffy then headed north up the coast to the redwoods and those beautiful Sequoias even got a picture of my son riding through a red wood

that trip was pretty fast paced through there though as we were on a IBA NPT Silver with time frame to be in Nova Scotia

Anyhow this trip we will be headed south from western Wa. down into California to show the Sequoias, redwoods the pacific and Yosemite off to the Mrs on her GS.

Our plan then is to head east through the desert and goof off a bit more

the questions

along the coastal areas from northern to mid Ca. what else is a must see and do? i also hope we can spend a few days in Yosemite and it's area this time as well, so what else in your opinion is something that just can not or should not be passed up!

ya know something that might be off the beaten path or not known to everyone in the world like the places we are mentioning now

hopefully we will be able to spend the better part of a full week in Ca. this trip

Thanks!
Tom
 
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#2 ·
tmgs said:
Howdy westerners!

I'll be headed that way in august and have a couple questions

First I have rode through Yosemite from DV through Jackson, Visited with Stick and Raffy then headed north up the coast to the redwoods and those beautiful Sequoias even got a picture of my son riding through a red wood

that trip was pretty fast paced through there though as we were on a IBA NPT Silver with time frame to be in Nova Scotia

Anyhow this trip we will be headed south from western Wa. down into California to show the Sequoias, redwoods the pacific and Yosemite off to the Mrs on her GS.

Our plan then is to head east through the desert and goof off a bit more

the questions

along the coastal areas from northern to mid Ca. what else is a must see and do? i also hope we can spend a few days in Yosemite and it's area this time as well, so what else in your opinion is something that just can not or should not be passed up!

ya know something that might be off the beaten path or not known to everyone in the world like the places we are mentioning now

hopefully we will be able to spend the better part of a full week in Ca. this trip

Thanks!
Tom
August + Kellifornea + desert = HOT! Key word here is HOT! You may want to stay along the coast... Hwy 1 can be a blast... Nice twisties and gorgeous beaches. There's Monterey, CA and the Aquarium... and lots of beaches... Pebble Beach and the "drive"... and lots of cool weather beaches... Down a ways is Hearst Castle... and more cool beaches... as well as great little "discovery" places you'll find along the way... did I mention the beaches???

It's your trip... but the desert in CA can be brutal... Only way I travel that area is at night. :eek: Hey, I'm a wimp... and proud of it!

Keep us aware of what your plans are... some of us may find time to tag along for a bit...
 
#3 ·
You definitely want to ride the coast highway from Leggett in the north all the way through San Francisco and down to San Luis Obispo. Here's a few ideas -

At Leggett is the Chandelier tree where you can drive your bikes through a redwood (it's a fun tourist thing to do, and it makes for a great picture).

When going through San Francisco ride up to the top of the Marin Headlands on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge; spectacular views of the city and bridge from there.

There's all kinds of stuff to see and do in the Monterey area - the aquarium, Cannery Row Fisherman's Wharf, Check out Carmel, etc.

Just south of Carmel is Point Lobos park, which is great for a short hike, and you can get right down on the rocks next to the ocean, look around in tide pools, see sea lions, etc. It's a really nice place for a break and to roam around a bit.

Once you get down near San Simeon there's Hearst Castle which is almost a must see. Also you'll see some parking lots on the ocesn side of the road just north of there at Piedras Blancas. this is an elephant seal rookery, and there are usually a bunch of them laying around on the beach. It's really fun.


You can't really avoid the desert leaving the state from the south, but I would recommend picking the fastest route across you can, and do it early in the morning as well.

Oh yeah, when you get to San Jose give me a holler and we can get together for a bite to eat. Haven't shared a meal with you since Shirley's in Toccoa, GA!
 
#4 ·
And if you like really small roads ... the Lost Coast <Ferndale> just south of Eureka and the Hunter-Liggett road from hwy1 to 101 <King City>.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon. At least one full day.

South of Sequoias, Porterville east 190 to Kernville. Windy road.

Kernville east to desert ............... now.........
August in the desert is nothing to fool around with. Several of us have said it. I am saying it again. August and the Mojave desert can be killers. Early morning or at night. There is no point in tempting fate.
 
#6 ·
UncleMark said:
August + Kellifornea + desert = HOT! Key word here is HOT! You may want to stay along the coast... Hwy 1 can be a blast... Nice twisties and gorgeous beaches. There's Monterey, CA and the Aquarium... and lots of beaches... Pebble Beach and the "drive"... and lots of cool weather beaches... Down a ways is Hearst Castle... and more cool beaches... as well as great little "discovery" places you'll find along the way... did I mention the beaches???

It's your trip... but the desert in CA can be brutal... Only way I travel that area is at night. :eek: Hey, I'm a wimp... and proud of it!

Keep us aware of what your plans are... some of us may find time to tag along for a bit...
thanks things like this"Down a ways is Hearst Castle" is what I am looking to hear about, I have to come home uya know and coming home means heading east and the time frame will allow me to head east from about yosemite. (I live in N. Ga.) ,

I know I am going to hit some heat that will drive you insane, I'm prepared or we are prepared been in the desert in august before didn;t like it much, but there yyou have it, sometimes you just have to do what you have to do, I do plan on spend the weekish I have finding as much as possible in the coolest areas I can

Thanks!
Tom
 
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