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.
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.
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.
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