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Cooter rides the west coast!
Every year just after my B-day, I like to pick a direction (not a destination), load up the saddle bags and go. Anywhere.
The only 'rules' I have for myself are to do the least amount of freeway miles possible, and If I start feeling like I'm in a hurry... to slow down.
The STT has morphed into the perfect bike for me to do that. It's super comfortable for 400 mile days, lots of suspension, and can kill corners even when loaded down with Bigfoot 'fridge magnets and stolen brewery coasters.
This year I left Los Angeles and headed North. I live on the coast, so thats how I went. Stopped at Big Sur to camp for a week with a friend. No cell service for a week!, yay!
WOXN6mXkR1ugOWW3zh4Lxw by Cooter!, on FlickrWoHJ1ldzRieMm9hLSmMBzA by Cooter!, on FlickrIMG_4604 by Cooter!, on Flickr
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I'll seriously try to not put 1000 pics in this thread, but DANG that place is beautiful!
A waterfall onto the beach!?!
IMG_4617 by Cooter!, on Flickr
Did some really epic hiking, and saw an Airstream trailer with a million dollar view. Whoever owns that is my hero.
oleZWKCzSrCFqncM1+plzg by Cooter!, on Flickr
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The 1 from North SF to Point Reyes Station is 3 gold star, Cooter approved, chicken strip burning heaven. I was literally LOL-ing like a psychopath in my helmet.
It's also about a full tank of gas away from the city, so when you try to get gas in PRS you realize the hotel clerk didn't hand back your license and credit card
Oh well, you remind yourself that:
A) You aren't in a hurry
B) It's your fault
C) You now get to do that whole section of road again!
D) I like making lemons into a tasty beverage.
I decided on a different route back to SF, thankfully I stayed on the North side! And went across the Golden Gate bridge again, this time a bit of fog had burned off, so I could see all the way to the guardrail. Got my stuff, went down the road to John Muir Woods at a much brisker pace and as a happy accident I got to stop by Ernies Tin Bar for lunch. It's a great stop I like to make and I would have missed it passing by at 9am (the first time)
Theres NOTHING around it and it's alway happy and full of local farmers playing dice on the bar. Today was no exception
c3O6h5+0S3G3GOUhFhmGbA by Cooter!, on FlickrEaQcUAJnQ1WAKN%XeIVYBA by Cooter!, on Flickr
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It is in nowhere so gas up before you start looking (I didn't). It also has a road that is empty, perfectly paved and begging to be apexed. Until is gets narrow. Then the lines disappear, then is gets bad, then turns to gravel
My one complaint is that Stellas range is about 150 miles IF I uncomfortably stretch it. Side note: I had put a different tune on her before I left and it killed my MPG leaving me to actually coast into my first gas stop. I dropped my AFV to 95 at that stop but still have a bit of range anxiety.
My trip 2 reads 110 and I know for a fact I've been corner killing for 31, which would leave me back on the highway at 141 and I hadn't seen a gas station (or a person) for the last 40 miles south.
This road is obviously not going to have a walmart super center at the end of it so I flip her back towards the beginning and hope theres a town north of where I turned off to this pretty lake.
k8CQGaNsQzStJSCKSrdGqQ by Cooter!, on Flickr
Cliff notes, Yep I made it!
Last edited by Cooter; 09-04-2018 at 07:11 PM.
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Being that far north on Orygun, and my Mom lives in the PNW so theres only one thing to do!
Laundry at Moms!
I was a kid up there when Mt. St. Helens blew, and we both remember it vividly so i took her on a road trip to the center up there. So worth it! What a great display.
I remember it being bigger?
6HwZu6cZTaqXv%+o5GiLHg by Cooter!, on Flickr
lol, nope, just more crushing fog. Couldn't see a thing I'm sensing a theme to this trip.
Stayed with my Mumzy-lady-of-the-manor-master-of-all-she-surveys for a few very relaxing days. Got a new rear tire Michelin Road 5 (should last a little longer than the PP3 I hope) picked up a pair of nice non-perf gloves to save me from frostbite on the coast, and headed out.
I swear this is my last breakfast with her. Marionberry pie and delicious coffee. She knows how to treat a house guest!
97r1CVMZSemEWHSjXupx4A by Cooter!, on Flickr
Next destination on the way to the coast was Tillamook. I hadn't been there since I was 8 years old.
It's grown up a bit They just finished the new "Tillamook Experience" 9 months ago, and being a saturday it was packed with mid-western cheese enthusiasts.
B8i9fj5UTX6jbJap16kxfA by Cooter!, on Flickr
Pugrrrrr-ific!!
B87kHWpKQAyqjVbYiEjgUQ by Cooter!, on Flickr
Remember I'm traveling alone, so perspective that I'm doing this silly crap by myself
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