Trip to L.A.

On June 23 2010, I made a trip down to the Los Angeles area for just a one night stay.  This trip definitely was not as fun as when I went to Venice Beach along the coast.  But I figured I'd write about it anyway.

Now of course there is no comparison taking the Interstate to a Highway running along the coast but I wanted to capture the beauty of it all.  Soon after leaving my home, I made a quick stop at a Vista Point along Interstate 5.

Once I got to the top of the Vista Point, not only did I notice the calming views of the Interstate but the Hills in the distance were amazing.  I stood there as if I was looking at a painting of the Golden State, and trying to imagine what this would have looked like a hundred years ago.  All the years that I have drove along Interstate 5, and never took a chance to stop here and enjoy this view.   To my surprise, sitting on top of that hill watching traffic race by was very relaxing.

Once I got back on the Interstate, it was long and very boring.  I didn't realize they raised the speed limit.  I was doing 85mph trying to keep with the flow of traffic and people were still passing me at a high rate of speed.  I even passed several California Highway Patrol Officers and they didn't even bother looking at me.  I made a stop at a rest area along the way to give my butt a rest and have a smoke because the ride without music was making my eyes heavy.  While taking my break, I met a guy named Jason who was from Oregon.  We began talking, about motorcycles, work and travel ... we stood there talking for about 20 minutes before we both decided we should both get back on the road.

 So back on the road, once I hit the grapevine I started to get tired again...so as I was looking for a place to pull over and take a break...I got hit with a strong scent of fresh lemons.  I was thinking to myself "self you must be really tired now if your smelling things" but soon after I noticed a truck carrying a trailer full of lemons had tipped over on the northbound lane of Interstate 5.   There was stopped traffic for about 3 miles on the northbound lane, I figured I'd pull off at Pyramid lake.  Everyone is so busy and in such a hurry, barely anyone stops here just to enjoy the view.  I think this was the most scenic part of the trip.

 I kinda wish I could have gone down the the beach area and spend some time there, but I didn't feel like paying the entry fee and hanging out by myself lol.  After sitting here for about 30 minutes, I got back on the boring road and headed for El Segundo.

Once I got to El Segundo, I didn't do anything but get a room and rest.  Next morning after sleeping in till about 9am, I checked out and got on the bike for the trip home.  But for some strange reason, I got the urge to get some Hungarian food before heading home.

I found a Hungarian restaurant near Hollywood, so I decided to stop there and give it a try.  Csardas restaurant, was nestled at 5820 Melrose ave. in Los Angeles.  The service was good and the food tasted even better.  Authentic and a good variety of foods and wines.  I had what is called spatzle in Hungarian, its small dumplings and pork with a tasty Hungarian sauce, normally served with bread.  They also had a buffet with a small variety of food for about 8 bucks, which I thought was a very good deal.  After enjoying my food, since I was near Hollywood, I thought I'd take a stop and walk around for a bit.  On the way their, I noticed an area where you were able to view the airport.

I was literally watching the planes taking off and landing, and the whole time I was singing in my head "I'm leaving on a jet plane".  It was kinda cool to watch the planes, so I sat on the bench and watched them for about 20 minutes and after doing so... I forgot about Hollywood and just got back on the freeway to head home. I decided to take Hwy 99 back home, although there was literally nothing to special to see along the Highway, there was an abundance of rest areas and places to stop for fuel.  Since I had nothing to take pictures of...I took pictures of myself, and yes while I was riding ...

It was a very hot day and the wind felt good on my bare arms.  I didn't get sun burnt this time, because I was smart and used some sun block.  The ride home was long and boring and the whole time I thought to myself "self I need to get a stereo system for the bike".  Obviously traveling for 6 hours with no music and nobody to talk to can get pretty boring.  Although I always have fun hanging out with my bike, I was relieved to be home. 

Hwy 1 adventures

Hi, my name is Randy, this blog is a sit rep of a guy on his bike, going for a small adventure down the beautiful coast of California, along Hwy 1. Now I'm sure there will be more to come, as the summer is still young. This trip will be done alone as I have few friends that actually ride...Now, with that said I don't consider someone riding maybe 11 miles a day just to go around town "ridin". I will attempt to take and upload as many pictures as I can, c'mon you know you don't want to sit here for an hour reading about it when you can look at a picture...which would probably better describe what I'm trying to say.
Ok so ... Motorcycle ... check ... all my gear ... check ... three S's completed ... check ... lol you'd know that last one if you served in the Military. Alright, it is now 0900 hours ... an hour later than when I wanted to start but I guess I'm running on Asian time today haha. Start point will be Central California ... The ride to the coast of California was of course boring with mild traffic. But once I hit Hwy 17 the twisty roads made for a fun ride. I didn't stop in Santa Cruz to eat...that way I could make up the hour I slept in lol.

Hwy 1 starting in Santa Cruz, just like any other Hwy, so I made a quick stop at a Vista Point near Monterey. I was thinking I would see some beautiful scenery but the damn Point was covered by trees, so I couldn't see anything so no pictures there lol. It looked as if it was a bit foggy but I figured I'll push on with just my t-shirt and my vest. As I started to ride into the fog, I was wishin I had put on at least a sweater lol.

Once I got into Carmel, I parked at the beach and took a little smoke break. This is where the scenery started to get breathtaking.  There weren't too many people at this beach, but the water was turquoise in color and looked clean.  The temperature of the water was decent, although I wanted to jump in for a swim...I restrained myself and got back on my bike.  I enjoyed the fresh air for at least 15 minutes after my smoke break before I started riding again.

After leaving the beach, I noticed all the gorgeous cliffs and twisty roads....It was awesome.  I made so many stops during this section of the hwy, I think it took me twice as long to get to Big Sur.  There was one moment where I was so mesmerized by the landscape, I almost crashed the bike lol.  (it's kinda like seeing a really gorgeous girl then running into a wall) and yes I have done that before.  Anyway here are some more picture..

 The last picture of the three definitely has to be my favorite.  There were so many more pictures that I took, but I'm sure you all get the idea.  The water was turquoise, which I didn't think we had that clear of water along the California Coastline. The hills and the twisty roads made for a fun ride and the weather was not to hot and just cool enough to make it extremely comfortable.  So many people driving their convertibles or riding their motorcycles and bicycles made for a lot of waving.

This was definitely the most scenic route that I have ever taken and would definitely do it again, given the chance.  This picture to the left is where I sat the longest, I was mesmerized in the beauty of it all.  Me, my bike and the coast...took a deep breath and just enjoyed the moment.  I think I even turned off my phone, so nobody could bug me while I was laying there taking it all in...yes I was laying on my bike like my own personal hammock.  There were also houses along the cliffs set back away from the road and thought to myself, "self one day when you win the lottery you will also be able to own a house like that".  

So after laying in this last location for approximately 30 minutes, I continued on into Big Sur.  From the Ocean views to the valley of Redwoods, I made yet another stop to enjoy the atmosphere.  I stopped at a Valero gas station where I found the gas to be $4.19 for regular gas.  The guy working at the station, James told me that if I am able to make it another 100 miles, that I should wait because the gas prices drop dramatically near Morro Bay.  In my eyes this guy was an extremely honest American, I ended up sitting there talking with him for about an hour or so.  We talked about pretty much everything...from my past jobs and his past jobs to the scenic Hwy 1 and even Salsa Dancing.  I quote James when I say "think of the woman as the painting and the man as the frame"  I didn't understand what he meant at first but, I do now and it makes a lot of sense.  James use to be a paralegal and has assisted in some of the higher profile cases.  It was very interesting to talk with him, he now volunteers his time in San Francisco from time to time teaching Salsa dancing. 

After leaving Big Sur, I made a stop a Seal Beach.  This was awesome, I have never seen so many Elephant Seals in one place before.   Here are the pics...Those are all Elephant Seals sunbathing...I wanted to join and

work on my tan but they were the size of Honda Civics lol and was afraid they would roll over on me.  Scary thought if you think about it, an adult Elephant Seal can weigh anywhere from 3000 to 5000 lbs. A Honda Civic weighs between 1800 and 3000 lbs depending on year and model.  Now talk about being squished by blubber lol...it was definitely a site to see though.    A picture of me standing at Seal Beach (below)  You can't tell but I was in the beginning stages of a really bad sunburn lol.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

 

 I got on my bike after spending a short time at Seal Beach, and forgot to have a smoke, so I stopped at the next rest area.  As soon as I got off my bike this cute little squirrel came right up to my feet and started begging for food.

But I had nothing to give him, so I apologized to him and continued having my smoke.  He stood there like that for about another minute, and even let me pet him...this guy had no fear.  Then a minivan pulled up filled with a family...this little squirrel saw the opportunity and took it.  He B lined it straight to the kids (this squirrel is smart) and started begging for food.  The kids were excited to see the squirrel up close, and I could hear the mom telling the kids not to feed the squirrel.  But this squirrel was persistent, and continued at the kids hoping for something. 

After leaving the rest area I continued down the long beautiful stretch of Hwy 1.  It started to get cold once I hit Santa Barbara, so I had to pull over and put on the leather jacket and chaps.  I finished my ride into Inglewood, CA at about 2230 hours (10:30pm) and checked into a Hotel, so I could rest my head.  It was the weekend, so I ended up spending a little more than what I wanted but who cares... I was in the vicinity of the Southern Coast.

 Saturday morning came way to quick, so I layed in bed for about another hour before getting up and getting ready to hit the Venice Beach Boardwalk.  I called for a cab due to the high parking prices and surprisingly the cab was only 5 dollars more than the $15 dollar parking.  I was soon picked up and on my way, the cab driver introduced himself as Roland.  He and I talked just about everything on our way to the Boardwalk.  He was from Nigeria and came to the states for a brighter future.  I also learned that in Nigeria each state has a totally different language, not just accents, but language ... now that is very interesting to me.  I have always been intrigued with language, so the majority of our conversation was just that...about language.  Roland was a very kind and intelligent individual and I enjoyed talking with him during our drive to the beach.
Roland dropped me off at Rose and Speedway just a couple feet from the Boardwalk entrance.

Once on the Boardwalk at Venice Beach, I noticed an array of beautiful women, street performers and vendors. There were a lot of interesting things to buy and window shop for.  Because I didn't plan this trip other than I wanted to see the Beaches along the California Coast, I didn't bring much money.  Window shopping was still fun and the street performers were good enough to keep me entertained for the day.  While on Venice Beach Boardwalk, I also visited the Venice Beach Freak Show.  Now what would a Boardwalk be without a Freak Show. It cost all of $5 and was definitely worth paying to see.

                                                                                 From Two headed Turtles to a live 5 legged Dog, and other strange animals that have been found around the world.  I won't say to much about the things inside...if you want to know, then you will just have to go and see for yourself.  The hairiest man alive was also there as you can see from the photo,   and a girl that sits on the electric chair without feeling a thing (its cool she lights a fire with her tongue and her fingertips).  To a beautiful blond wearing a strange hat, I could not find anything strange about her other than the outfit she was wearing, I thought she was absolutely beautiful.          

After leaving the Freak Show, I continued my walk down the Boardwalk.  There were several Medical Marijuana "Doctors", with people standing outside asking if you were legal yet.  They were dancing around with their signs like someone from Little Caesar's Pizza would do on the corner of the street.  Where did these "Doctors" get their degrees? lol.   

I stopped to try a free sample of an "all natural" icee.  I ended up buying one after trying it, it was rich in flavor and quenched my thirst from walking around in the heat.

After walking from end to end at the Venice Beach Boardwalk, I was ready to sit at a bar and enjoy a nice cold beer.  So I called the cab, and this driver was a friend of Roland.  He told me that the best place for a drink was Hermosa Beach.  I took his word for it and had him take me there.

 Once we arrived ( it was only a 15 minute drive, but he was nice enough to show me some other places at no extra cost so it took a bit longer ), there were an abundance of people who were in the same mindset as me.  Just to looking to have a good time, everyone was very friendly which was awesome because I made this trip alone and enjoyed the conversations.  A number of bars and grills near the pier and along the beach made for an exciting place to have a drink.  Live Bands played in most all of the bars, and the food was fairly priced and very good.  A place where drama is left at home, and a little break from the stressful world.  Everyone there was there to have a good time and just enjoy the evening.  I ended my night and my trip there.  This was definitely a trip I would love to do again sometime, but hopefully with several other friends on their bikes and maybe stay longer than just the weekend.

Hope you enjoyed this "blog" lol after re-reading it, it sounds more like a review than it does a blog lol.