california dreaming...aug 09
#11
05-31-2009, 06:47 PM
Ultimate HDF Member
Glad to see you revised trip to exclude AZ..... too hot! I think I replied to your post last year so here we go again. Sit down with a map and review my tips.. enjoy.
- Good start with Mammoth... cool place I love in summer and have camped there allot. Lot's of reasonable lodging. Leave Vegas early to beat some of the heat. I'd suggest going through Death Valley on the way but likely to be 115/120 degrees and you will die which would end your trip abruptly. Options to Mammoth: north on 95 - west on 266/168 to the 395 then north to Mammoth. A hot drive through desert. Or, take 15 south to 395. It is more scenic driving up 395. You ride along the Sierra mountain range and pass by Mt. Whitney.... a cool site.
- Leaving Mammoth, head north on 395 to reach Yosimite. Consider taking a little side route on the June Loop about 15 miles north of Mammoth. It goes through June Lakes and runs back into the 395 where you continue north.
- Access Yosimite on the 120........ awesome ride into the Park from here. Best food around is at the 395/120 in city of Lee Vining. When you turn left off the 395 onto the 120 there is a mobile station on left and an little market/restaurant that has awesome food.... google it if you like.
- When in Yosimite, make sure you drive through "the valley" it's spectacular/must see. I see you are going to El Portal. If you don't have to go there consider heading west out of Yosimite and staying somewhere to the west like Jamestown or Senora. Staying in el portal requires back tracking north and will save some time.
- Lake Tahoe is beautiful and several routes to get there from Yosimite 1. Go back the way you came into Yosimite to the 395 and head north and access via South Lake Tahoe. I'd pass on going through Reno to access Tahoe.... . You can access off 395 via 89/50 or the 207. You can gamble in South Lake Tahoe and reasonable lodiging at Harrah's casino. 2. From the west side of Yosimite there are several routes including 108,88,4,50. I've done the 4 long but beautiful. 50 is fastest.
- Leaving Tahoe - go up 89 on west side of lake to the 80 and head towards San Francisco. You go through Sacramento, saste capitol. Not much going on - country area. Continue towards SF and about 60 miles NE of SF you will see Napa, it's reached by the 12 which is just pasy city of Fairfield. This is CA's Wine Country with prtty cool riding throug vineyards/countru area. Very popular destination in CA.... especialy of your a wine drinker. If in that area, strongly consider riding north up to Calistoga (still in the wine country) and west to city of Fulton and get on the 116 which runs over to the coast - through city of Gurneville. This is a really beautiful drive! Get to coast and head south through Bodega Bay (site of Hitchcock;s The Birds) and down coat to SF.
- Leaving SF and heading south, Monterey is a god stop. Touristy but really nice. It's a long drive down the coast and will deal with traffic but an awesome ride though Big Sur and down the coast. Cambria is very nice place to stay...... go to Moonstone Beach... lot of small hotels along the beach... have stayed there and liked allot. Before Cambria on the 1, 14 miles north of Cambria, is an Elephant Seal Reserve, right off the Highway. Stop there for a sight... might see some 3,00 lb. seals.... quite a sight.
- As you continue south towards Redondo, when you hit Ventura (below Santa BArbara), get on Hwy 1 and go down coast through Malibu. This way you will avoid driving through LA traffic and see some sites..... maybe even Pamela Sue Anderson!
- From Redondo to Palm Springs, consider going through mountain city of Idyllwild. It's west of Palm Springs off the 10. Go up the mountain to Idyllwild and then continue south to the 74 and turn left and you enter Palm Sorings "the back way" a very scenic drive if you have time. Not much to do in PS. Hit the restaurant/bars on the 111 in downtown. Consider taking the tram up to San Jacinto, very cool if not afraid of heights and will take you out of heat in PS.
I agree with MOST of the above post... I will do my own add on... Not flaming the above because we all have our favorites... Fist off, he has it dead on on the best place to eat 395/120 http://www.thesierraweb.com/tiogagasmart/deli.html Most people say "eat at a gas station??? ya right" Really, it is GREAT...
Be prepared to pay $20 to ride through Yosemite on 120 - just the facts... I have traveled that area a lot and it is a great ride... DO NOT Speed through the park... You will get cited... Not worth it...
I would avoid at all costs - highway 50 - lots of traffic and 88 is just about as fast and MUCH nicer.. the other roads mentioned are 108 and 4... both are interesting but LOTS of switch backs - and they take a long time to travel - so, be warned... CA's verision of the Dragon???? I have ridden both and will not go back if I can help it - esp if you meet a cager pulling a trailer on a curve... One fall I was going up on 108 and rounded a curve to find a rancher moving his heard down the middle of the road... I was pissed and stopped at the ranger station at Pine Crest to complain... Rangers said - Oh, must be Bob moving his cattle... He had a permit - I told them that his forward flagger was 10 feet ahead...
anyway... If you really want to go through Sac on the way to SF,,, then take 80... I would avoid this route, again, LOTS of traffic... take a look at a Ca map... 88 from Tahoe will take you into Stockton / Manteca and over to SF and down the Coast... If you decide to see SF... watch the Traffic... it's a LOT... also, in CA, you can lane split (if done in a safe and sane maner) its up to you.
If you have time... highway 4 - Calaveras Big Trees http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_ID=551
Just down the road is one of the areas best winery
http://www.ironstonevineyards.com/
If you ride through Palm Springs CA... Last May a friend rode up from Pheonix to visit and he is used to heat... On his way home he road through Palm Springs area and called me the next day.. He said it was so hot and windy - he flet like he was riding in a Convection Oven, lol... as he pulled into Phoenix, it cooled down...
Way more info than you wanted but there ya go,,, we all have our favorites...
Now go and enjoy...
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General Harley Davidson Chat
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11-11-2008 09:00 PM
