Day 1:

We started out in Laguna at 530Am to beat the LA traffic - and even that is not soon enough to avoid lane splitting - something I like to avoid especailly riding two up (my wife Lorraine and I). So we took the 405 Freeway to the 5 Freeway and exited LA to the north over the grapevine past Pyramid Lake. It's so nice to be out of LA. The only problem is that you have to re-enter it on your bike - unless you can find a helicopter to fly you over it and drop you in your driveway. This is America - so some entrepreneurial genius has thought this up this service - I am certain. It is about 100 miles on this nasty road until you come to the first exit past Gorman. Get off here for a really cool road (see the map).

There is no route name or road name - just trust me it is there and it is empty on a Friday morning and it is a beautiful road with lots of twisties and incredible views as you head up and over a mountain range in Los Padres National Forest. There is nothing out there - so gas up at the gas station at the exit - and let it rip for the next 45 miles.

This road T-bones into Route 33. Make a right here and head north in search of Route 58. This road is not a very pretty road as it heads through the bad lands. But you do get to see lots of oil derricks, gas lines, tar plants and refinery operations making the very fuel that is powering my bike - Yamaha FJR1300 (saddle bags and trunk bag with a gas tank mount for extra storage). This bike is a work horse and a fast one at that - just wish it had a sixth gear.

Route 33 goes on for about 24 miles and you will see a sign for Rte 58 - this is what you want. Make a left then stay right or you will not end up on Rte 58 but some other un-named road to more badlands riding. It is open and dry out on Rte 58. It takes you for about 70 miles all the way into Santa Margarita. It is really three roads. The first is an uphill climb for 10 - 12 miles with lots of twisties and the only true switchbacks we rode on the trip. There is grit in some of these corners if you go deep - so just watch your speed. But it is fun and there are no cars or CHP officers.

The second part of the road is the high mesa area. The road is pretty straight for 40 miles with a few farm area lefts and rights. There are these sneaky turns that are 90 degree turns in the middle of nowhere based on somebody's property line. They are all well-signed though .There are a number of whoop-di-doo's out there also and the scenery is great. I didn't take any pictures. I was going too fast. You will just have to trust me or better yet... go see for yourself.

The last part of Rte 58 is downhill into Santa Margarita. It is full of great turns. The road surface is good and the traffic was very light. There are some tight rights and lefts as you get close to the bottom. And every turn is well signed. I have come up with a rule of thumb regarding MPH signage when I am on a sport tour bike. Take the posted MPH and multiply by 1.5. For example, if the turn is posted at 30MPH, I find I can safely and easily take it at 45MPH. If it is posted at 50, I can do it easily at 75MPH. If it is posted at 15 MPH though, 25MPH may be too fast on some.

Of course if you are on a Harley... do the posted limit. If you are on an Aprilia Mille, by all means dial it up a notch.

We stopped in Santa Margarita under a tree - there are many of these - and ate strawberries thinking of ... of course strawberry margaritas. The local high patrol pulled over and very nicely told us where he would be and what the traffic conditions were like heading north on the 101. A very nice guy.

There are no gas stations in Santa Margarita. Everything is apparently powered by tequila - a bio fuel.

We got on the 101 North headed to our destination - Laguna Seca. We stayed on the 101 for about 50 miles before running low on gas.  The scenery is, of course beautiful, but the road somewhat boring. We did not see a patrol car the entire way. We pulled off at the San Ardo exit because it had a gas sign though we saw no gas station . That's because it is a 2 mile ride into lovely San Ardo. More on San Ardo under the Cool Places tab.

From San Ardo we headed back north on the 101 to Greenfield looking for the G17 - which IS marked on the map, but which IS NOT easy to find. We ended up going through town - a very nice looking prosperous town - coming out the other side paralleling the 101. This was not looking right - so I turned into a gas station - a big bright Shell Station.

I walked in with my gear on and the women behind the counter - before I could ask any question - asked, "looking for the G17?" Nice to know I wasn't the first biker to miss this road. She gave me the directions and about 20 minutes later we found the road out in the middle of a farm field - literally.  The G17 is a road that takes you across the Coast Range right into Carmel Valley 10 miles south of Monterey and Laguna Seca.

It is a crazy road. It is 65 miles of blind turns, hard lefts and rights with large trees right up to the road. It is a one-lane road in several places and the surface varies from great to awful. You can not fly through here unless of course you have a death wish or you are 21 years old and bullet proof and fearless. I am 52 years old... with a family... yadda

There were several times where cars were in our lane when we were on a right hand blind turn. Enough said? However, I highly recommend this road. It is so cool riding through this valley under the trees. We met several bikers out there - all loved the road. The last 15 miles of the trip the road gets smoother and wider and the turns cleaner with better visibility - but there is also more traffic. We cranked it up a bit a leaned in hard - and when we were through got off the bike and smiled while we took a breather. It was fun and it was work.

The G17 dumps you into Rte 68. Make a right at this T intersection and head into downtown Monterey or Pacific Grove. We stayed at the Clarion on Lighthouse - more on this adventure in Cool Places. First Day - done 405 miles door to door. An average day. My wife however was saddle weary. Â

Day 2:Â

The lady at the front desk says it is 15 minutes to the race track. This is not true. It took us 40 minutes and there was no traffic early that Saturday morning. The race officials have created their own Tour de Laguna Seca to get you to the parking near the race track. I was ready to make some picture stops and hoping for a road side coffee joint - it took so long. But it was fun especially as you got close and could hear the GP guys screaming around that track. Waaaaaaaaaaaaay cool!

Laguna Seca from the hill...

Let's just say we are going back next year - but we will arrive Thursday night so we can get in the less crowded Friday practice rounds. Go check out the website www.laguna-seca.com for more info. When you are there go out to the "corkscrew" - everyone knows where it is. Get there early in the morning under a tree and hang there for a few hours and watch these guys come through this downhill turn. Unbelievable! Bring a hat, wear walking shoes, lots of sunscreen, and lots of water. It gets hot. Forego the grandstand seating - we did and roam the course. The hill offers the best overall views but you are far from the action. Try to get a fence place on turns 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Turn 6 especially is empty and you get a close up look and feel for the skill of these guys and the speeds at which they are moving.

Corkscrew 2

We were at the track from 9 - 5 PM... alot of fun.

Day 3:

Monterey back to Laguna. We started at 730 - made several stops - hit LA traffic insanity and finally got to home at 4PM. I was seat weary after this day. Total drive mileage was 433 miles.

From Pacific Grove take US 1 South and just stay on this all the way San Luis Obispo where it becomes Highway 101 South. This part of the trip was the best. It is the classic coast road ride through Big Sur and Ragged Point. The roads are all twisties with cliffs off to your right as you head south. There are lots of hard lefts that have you leaning away from the cliffs and some hard rights that have you looking down to the ocean (and through the turn of course). The scenery is beautiful, the road surface great, the CHP in short supply and the air is... FRESHHHHHHH. I MEAN SO GOOD IT CAN GIVE A CITY BOY A HEAD ACHE.

Coast Road

The road behind...

The road ahead...

The only riding challenge is the light. In the morning it comes in at angles and into your eyes for much of the ride making cornering a dicier proposition than it otherwise might be when the sun were higher overhead later in the day. Just take your time anyway. The scenery around every turn is breathtaking. We stopped a few times. But you could stop every mile. I was checking out surf spots and keeping these in mind for the day I figure out how to get a surf board on the bike.

From Monterey to San Luis it is about 160 miles and all of it is good!

The 101 South to Santa Barbara is a fine enough road - but after the turns, the scenery and the cool ocean temperatures, it is definitely a little bit of a let down - no thumbs down. It is just a road following a great act. Stay on the 101 for 70 miles until you come to Buelton. This is the Rte 154 exit. It goes directly into Santa Barbara - as does the 101 - but does it in a more interesting fashion. It is a short road - 35 miles or so - but it climbs into the mountains with a few uphill sweepers you can take a high speed, and plenty of downhill turns as you descend into Santa Barbara to rejoin the 101.

We stopped at a little place called Los Olivos Grocery - it is a restaurant, food store, non-biker kind of stop - which makes it a perfect biker place some day. More on this in Cool Places tab and Cool People tab.Â

The 101 traffic into LA starts now IN Santa Barbara. Jeez and we still have 150 miles to go. I can say this... very little of it is a real fun ride. We decided to get off the 101 and miss the LA freeway traffic on the 405 by taking the Pac Coast Road (US 1). You pick this up in Oxnard and have the pleasure of driving through that lovely town. Sorry Oxnard, but there is nothing charming or fun about that trip through your fair city. We of course missed the US 1 turnoff somehwere in town and ended up miles off course before finding our way back onto US 1. Look for the signs!!!!! I wish I knew where to tell you to look. If you miss it like we did. There is a T intersection out in a farm field (again). Make a left and ride about 6 miles to rejoin US 1.

US 1 in the summer from Point Mugu to Santa Monica - through Malibu most of the way - is a FREE FOR ALL. There are cars and people every where crossing the road, pulling out in front of you, cutting you off. LA drivers here are aggressive and no one looks before they leap - so a word to the wise... keep your head on a swivel and drive as fast as you can to get the hell out of there.  This part of the trip was the worst  65 miles of terror, splitting lanes where it was even possible and avoiding every idiot on the planet intent on killing you. Of course at the end of this section, you get on the 10 Freeway to join up with the 405 south for another 75 miles of freeway hell. Yuck. Conclusion? There is just no easy way to have the last part of the trip keep the memories warm and alive having to get through this monstrosity of a city.

All in all any ride day is better than an office day. Get out there!Â