2018 West Coast Ride
After our amazing Europe ride last year, we couldn't help but immediately begin thinking about the next trip. Edelweiss Bike Travel provided us with an out of this world experience, and with over 2,300 rides offered, we started looking at their other offerings once more. While I'm confident we will be riding one of their wonderful tours again, it wasn't in the cards for this year. We have numerous other bucket list rides here in North America, so we decided this was the year of one of those. Neither my dad, my wife, or I had been to any Pacific coast state, so naturally, it was time to head west.
I've planned many a ride over the past decade, and armed with some new knowledge about how to be more successful with a group, I setup to make a plan for the fall of 2018.
Group Trip Planning Basics:
Less than 300 miles a day
Less than 6 hours of seat time per day
Don't finish the day tired and hungry! Arrive at hotels early enough to get cleaned up and enjoy the area
Take lots of breaks; ideally stop every 1-2 hours somewhere worth seeing (neat town, scenic overlook, visitors center, etc.)
Fast Forward, and I have a rough route plan:
I've planned many a ride over the past decade, and armed with some new knowledge about how to be more successful with a group, I setup to make a plan for the fall of 2018.
Group Trip Planning Basics:
Less than 300 miles a day
Less than 6 hours of seat time per day
Don't finish the day tired and hungry! Arrive at hotels early enough to get cleaned up and enjoy the area
Take lots of breaks; ideally stop every 1-2 hours somewhere worth seeing (neat town, scenic overlook, visitors center, etc.)
Fast Forward, and I have a rough route plan:
Armed with a very basic plan, I reached out to a handful of people to see if anyone may be interested in joining us. It was a big commitment more than 6 months in advance, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Still, I was a bit surprised when I found my riding buddies all unable, yet some family very interested. They started looking into convertible rentals, and I began looking into hotels. There is a time and place for camping or roughing it, but not on this trip. I set off to find hotels walking distance to town centers or hot spots. After a day (or 8) on a motorcycle seat, I want to park, clean up, and relax, or walk around a new town, or have a drink, or all of the above. I don't want to have to get back on the bike to go to dinner. I researched, made the calls, and booked our hotels for the whole trip. Done! Then flights:easy enough. Done!
Then summer hit. I got busy with work and hobbies and weddings and parties, just like I knew I would, and I neglected the trip for awhile.
Next thing I knew, we were less then a month out! Awesome! Except, the price to rent a motorcycle skyrocketed over the summer, and we had yet to commit. The big rental company wanted about 50% more than the already very high cost. Shipping our bikes out there was not cheap, and came with it's own set of difficulties. Riding out and/or back wasn't a realistic option to begin with, but now we had plane tickets. We were coming to the conclusion that we may end up in a rental car. I knew it would be a great trip with great people, so I wasn't devastated. Disappointed, sure, but devastated, nah... It'll be just fine.
Then, thanks to the power of technology always spying on us to cater advertising towards our specific needs, a smaller motorcycle rental company, focusing on the west coast, started miraculously advertising all over our phones! That type of advertising is always creepy, but in this one particular case, extremely helpful! My dad took the reigns on this and worked with them through a couple challenges, to end up getting exactly what we had hoped for!
Motoquest provides motorcycle tours and rentals in Oregon, California, and Alaska. While they don't normally cater to Las Vegas, they were willing to come with a trailer to pick the bikes up from us so we could complete the trip as planned. They even picked us up from the airport in Portland! Can't ask for much more than that!
We rented a pair of matching Honda Africa Twins. I rented this same bike last year, and we both really enjoyed it. It does everything you could want, and while it is peppy and fun, it's calm enough that you're almost immediately comfortable and confident on it. Motoquest set these bikes up with brand new tires, tons of protective bits and large side cases. Unfortunately no top boxes, but beggars can't be choosers, and these bikes were great.
Then summer hit. I got busy with work and hobbies and weddings and parties, just like I knew I would, and I neglected the trip for awhile.
Next thing I knew, we were less then a month out! Awesome! Except, the price to rent a motorcycle skyrocketed over the summer, and we had yet to commit. The big rental company wanted about 50% more than the already very high cost. Shipping our bikes out there was not cheap, and came with it's own set of difficulties. Riding out and/or back wasn't a realistic option to begin with, but now we had plane tickets. We were coming to the conclusion that we may end up in a rental car. I knew it would be a great trip with great people, so I wasn't devastated. Disappointed, sure, but devastated, nah... It'll be just fine.
Then, thanks to the power of technology always spying on us to cater advertising towards our specific needs, a smaller motorcycle rental company, focusing on the west coast, started miraculously advertising all over our phones! That type of advertising is always creepy, but in this one particular case, extremely helpful! My dad took the reigns on this and worked with them through a couple challenges, to end up getting exactly what we had hoped for!
Motoquest provides motorcycle tours and rentals in Oregon, California, and Alaska. While they don't normally cater to Las Vegas, they were willing to come with a trailer to pick the bikes up from us so we could complete the trip as planned. They even picked us up from the airport in Portland! Can't ask for much more than that!
We rented a pair of matching Honda Africa Twins. I rented this same bike last year, and we both really enjoyed it. It does everything you could want, and while it is peppy and fun, it's calm enough that you're almost immediately comfortable and confident on it. Motoquest set these bikes up with brand new tires, tons of protective bits and large side cases. Unfortunately no top boxes, but beggars can't be choosers, and these bikes were great.
We dropped off the family, my wife, and all our luggage at the car rental place, and my dad and I got a ride to Motoquest with not much more than our helmets in tow. We signed paperwork, were introduced to the bikes, and I set off bolting on my GPS. I didn't bother with wiring yet, but I knew I needed to add a changer for my tired old GPS before we set off in the morning. We made it about a mile towards the hotel before my GPS battery died sitting at a red light in the middle of some Portland suburb. About that time, the car directly in front of us rolls the window down, and my wife sticks her head out and waves. Coming from two different places (at slightly different times even), we crossed paths on our way to the hotel, and the exactly the time my GPS decided to shut off. Call that a win!
Perhaps this is a good time to mention: I spent hours and hours over the previous few weeks planning a route that would take the best roads possible to get us from one hotel to the next; passing through the best stops, with calculated coffee breaks, lunch stops, scenic overlooks, beautiful roads, everything I could do to maximize each day. All originally laid out on google maps, then painstakingly entered in my nearly 10 year old GPS. Now I don't know if you know this about technology, but it's not made to last ten years anymore. I had a real fear that it wasn't going to make it... so much so that I didn't shut it off for the two weeks before the trip, for fear that it either wouldn't turn back on, or it would forget my custom routes. First world problems I guess.
But we've made it to the hotel! Some family arrived early and were hiking, my brother wasn't arriving for a few more hours, but we were here... with two motorcycles and one car so far! Happy to report, our hotel had a rooftop lounge with views of a distant Mount Hood.
Perhaps this is a good time to mention: I spent hours and hours over the previous few weeks planning a route that would take the best roads possible to get us from one hotel to the next; passing through the best stops, with calculated coffee breaks, lunch stops, scenic overlooks, beautiful roads, everything I could do to maximize each day. All originally laid out on google maps, then painstakingly entered in my nearly 10 year old GPS. Now I don't know if you know this about technology, but it's not made to last ten years anymore. I had a real fear that it wasn't going to make it... so much so that I didn't shut it off for the two weeks before the trip, for fear that it either wouldn't turn back on, or it would forget my custom routes. First world problems I guess.
But we've made it to the hotel! Some family arrived early and were hiking, my brother wasn't arriving for a few more hours, but we were here... with two motorcycles and one car so far! Happy to report, our hotel had a rooftop lounge with views of a distant Mount Hood.
This first evening consisted of rooftop lounge with some bourbon, a walk around Portland's Pearl District, some more rooftopping with some local wine while we waited for the last of the group to arrive, and finally a walk to dinner. Henry's Tavern was just a few blocks up, and is established within the industrial confines of what was a large brewery for over 140 years. Cool atmosphere, local ingredients, and a trendy but not froofroo 'American' menu.
The next day we were off reasonably early. The time change worked in our favors in the mornings, except for my aunt, who woke up at 6am Eastern time not realizing that was only 3am locally. We met for breakfast and organized the caravan. Since we were ending the day at the same Portland hotel, packing was minimal this morning. Getting out of Portland in the tail end of rush hour wasn't ideal, but it wasn't bad either. We headed west, and landed at Ecola State Park on the Pacific Coast. Ecola contains Indian Beach, and is immediately next to Cannon beach; all were filming sites for The Goonies, Point Break, and Twilight.
After spending time at the overlook and beach (my first ever view of the Pacific Ocean), we headed just up the road to Astoria Oregon, a beautiful coast town on the mouth of the monster Columbia River, also featured heavily in The Goonies. We had lunch at the Astoria Brewing Company right on the water, with views of both the local trolly, as well as numerous not local container ships. We then walked around the very cool downtown area.
We eventually pried ourselves away from Astoria, and headed north across the Columbia River and into Washington! This is where, for the first time, the car drivers behind me realized that my GPS with my planned routes may not match theirs. While their GPS's were screaming to turn right, I casually go left, and they reluctantly follow. I get a call, and explain that my way will be better. Ten minutes later we're cruising through a National Wildlife Preserve on the banks of Willapa Bay. The scenic route only added 15 minutes to the trip. Worth it... every time.
An hour and a half of beautiful two lane road later, we pull into the Silver Lake Visitors Center. We played too long at the beach and Astoria, and the visitor center itself was closed when we arrived, but that didn't matter to me one bit. I wasn't here for the visitor center; I brought us here because it has a view (albeit 30 miles away) of Mount Saint Helens. The volcano's 1980 eruption was the most deadly in United States history, killing 56. (Interestingly, about 150 years prior was the largest eruption in all of recorded history, killing more than 70,000, in the now-Philippines.) Unfortunaley it was a bit cloudy by the time we arrived, but we took a stroll on the 1 mile nature trail, and enjoyed the area a bit before heading south back to Portland.
An hour and a half of beautiful two lane road later, we pull into the Silver Lake Visitors Center. We played too long at the beach and Astoria, and the visitor center itself was closed when we arrived, but that didn't matter to me one bit. I wasn't here for the visitor center; I brought us here because it has a view (albeit 30 miles away) of Mount Saint Helens. The volcano's 1980 eruption was the most deadly in United States history, killing 56. (Interestingly, about 150 years prior was the largest eruption in all of recorded history, killing more than 70,000, in the now-Philippines.) Unfortunaley it was a bit cloudy by the time we arrived, but we took a stroll on the 1 mile nature trail, and enjoyed the area a bit before heading south back to Portland.
Back to Portland and back to our rooftop for some more local wine and beer, before walking to Brix Tavern. Now I know you're thinking "Another Tavern???" (just kidding, you're probably thinking, "how long is this ride report? I should really be doing something more important right now"), but yes, another, similar to Henry's, American food, good menu, cool laid back place. Can't really go wrong with that type of eatery! After dinner, my brother and I, with our ladies and new friend Lilly all in tow, stopped by Deschutes Brewery Public House for a night cap. At the time I thought Deschutes was from Portland. Turns out it's not. Eh, still good!
Time to say goodbye to Portland!
The next morning, after negotiating luggage (Hey people with cars, carry my crap!) we ventured east towards the beautiful Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. We went as far as we could on the Oregon side, passing the famous Vista House and Bridal Veil Falls, before the road was closed due to the Eagle Creek fire earlier in the year. I knew this was going to be closed, but it was worth it to go as far as we could before backtracking, crossing the Columbia River, and heading east once more on the Washington side of the gorge. With as bad as this year was for fires in this part of the country, it's amazing that this single road closure was only issue we encountered.
The next morning, after negotiating luggage (Hey people with cars, carry my crap!) we ventured east towards the beautiful Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. We went as far as we could on the Oregon side, passing the famous Vista House and Bridal Veil Falls, before the road was closed due to the Eagle Creek fire earlier in the year. I knew this was going to be closed, but it was worth it to go as far as we could before backtracking, crossing the Columbia River, and heading east once more on the Washington side of the gorge. With as bad as this year was for fires in this part of the country, it's amazing that this single road closure was only issue we encountered.
Eventually we crossed the Columbia River once more and land in the town of Hood River where we stopped for a great coffee break. We walked the riverfront park, and admired the interesting river features that are often very popular with wind surfers and kite boarders. Unfortunately, no one was out to entertain us this morning, so we eventually moved on to a couple nearby overlooks. We were now heading south, directly toward Mount Hood.
We looped our way around Mount Hood, catching surprise views the whole way, before stopping at a quite ski town eagerly awaiting the upcoming season. We had a Mexican lunch at a small place that was visibly excited to see a group of 9 walk up.
Continuing south, I couldn't help but notice the road we're thoroughly enjoying was getting smaller with every passing mile. I started to question my GPS as the road closed in on a single lane. Without expressing my own concern, I pushed on with the caravan in tow. The road wasn't much more than a bike path for the last several miles, but wonderfully paved, and stunningly beautiful! When we landed on a main highway at the other end, I took all the credit I could for finding this amazing road, all the while still in shock that it didn't turn to dirt or abandon us at an obscure fishing hole or something. Score one for the GPS! We passed through the tiny town of Detroit, Oregon, which doesn't consist of much other than a general store and some mystery herb store featuring something we don't have back in Ohio (dad joke?).
A bit more south, and we landed in Bend! We got cleaned up, and walked out the back of our hotel to find a small walkway that dropped us right in the heart of downtown. With Bend Oktoberfest going strong, we spent the evening walking around the town and doing our own things. A few of us ended at Bend Brewing Company for a light late dinner and couple drinks before heading in.
The next day had a couple hours of Forest Service roads in store (think, gravel and dirt one lane road in the middle of the woods), and while I generally love adventure riding of this sort, I knew the group wasn't so into it. Riding it with a passenger, while worrying about the group behind me the whole time just didn't sound like something I needed to do, so I made the call to skip it and spend more time in Bend. Half of us went off to find an easy hike, while the other half stuck around downtown. We walked the Deschutes River Trail and stopped by the Bend Whitewater Park to watch some guys practice surfing, before all meeting back up at a sandwich shop in downtown for lunch.
The next day had a couple hours of Forest Service roads in store (think, gravel and dirt one lane road in the middle of the woods), and while I generally love adventure riding of this sort, I knew the group wasn't so into it. Riding it with a passenger, while worrying about the group behind me the whole time just didn't sound like something I needed to do, so I made the call to skip it and spend more time in Bend. Half of us went off to find an easy hike, while the other half stuck around downtown. We walked the Deschutes River Trail and stopped by the Bend Whitewater Park to watch some guys practice surfing, before all meeting back up at a sandwich shop in downtown for lunch.
After lunch it was time to move on towards Crater Lake. The original route had that trip taking more than half a day, but by avoiding the dirt roads we blasted there on a beautiful two lane highway, and made it in about an hour and a half. Because I planned it so well (I had no idea) it was National Public Lands Day, which means free entry to National Parks! The temperature dropped as we climbed in elevation, and eventually we started catching glimpses of stunning blue water. We landed at the Rim Village Visitors Center, and spent a fair amount of time walking around. Fun Fact, the Crater Lake area averages about 40 feet of snow annually, and the Rim Village vicinity of Crater Lake sees about 50 feet of snow. Fifty... Feet... Of Snow! No wonder there is enough water to fill up this nearly 1 mile deep crater!
From Crater Lake we finished the day by heading to Medford, Oregon, where we walked the not-so-happening downtown area and landed at a great pizza place. The next morning morning we rolled out of Medford headed towards Oregon Caves National Monument. In a perfect world, we would have taken the few hours to do the cave tour, as the pictures online look absolutely stunning. The caves consist of about 3 miles of underground passages, as well as the only subterranean river classified as a National Wild and Scenic River. We didn't have time for the tour, but we spent an enjoyable hour or so walking the area, exploring the nearly 100 year old hotel on site, and staring aimlessly into the cave entrance. There was a neat visitors center with a coffee shop on site, which was my main reason for the stop after all.
All that being said, I need to backtrack this story a bit, to about an hour before we arrived at the beautiful National Monument. As we're riding away from Medford on yet another stunning road, on yet another stunning morning, we all can't help but notice that once more, our road is getting smaller and smaller. As beautiful and enjoyable as ever, we continue on enjoying life on our tiny Oregon path until... poop... "Pavement Ends". We got unbelievably lucky on our last forest road endeavor, when it remained paved the entire way. This time, no such luck. I stop, look back at my trusting followers, they all shrug as if to say "who cares", so I push on. The gravel tended to be of the larger, rolly variety, which slowed our speed down dramatically, but I pushed on putting my full faith in my 9 year old GPS route. Just a bit past the time when we were all thinking "It'd sure be nice to be done with this", we come to an intersection. More specifically: The first intersection (of any kind) we've seen, having been the sole vehicles on this one lane gravel road in the forest for about an hour. My GPS points to the only direction without a sign, while there were several road signs pointing to all 5 other directions of roads. Skepticism overwhelms me (as well as the need to pee) so I stop. We all discuss for a moment, but without phone service, there wasn't much to talk about. That is, until we experienced what my uncle noted was "Divine Intervention". It was at this moment, the only moment of our hour long dirt adventure where the road was more than a single lane, not one, but two pickup trucks came from different directions and happened upon us hanging out. Lets take one moment to imagine you're an Oregon native out in the middle of completely nowhere forest dirt road in your big truck, and you happen upon two motorcycles and two Camaro convertibles hanging out in the middle of the road. It was a bit of a surprise to everyone involved. Some discussion later they confirm my GPS routing, and we proceed. A couple more miles of gravel, and we pop out onto the main highway! About 25 feet from the Oregon Caves parking lot! Yay making memories!
All that being said, I need to backtrack this story a bit, to about an hour before we arrived at the beautiful National Monument. As we're riding away from Medford on yet another stunning road, on yet another stunning morning, we all can't help but notice that once more, our road is getting smaller and smaller. As beautiful and enjoyable as ever, we continue on enjoying life on our tiny Oregon path until... poop... "Pavement Ends". We got unbelievably lucky on our last forest road endeavor, when it remained paved the entire way. This time, no such luck. I stop, look back at my trusting followers, they all shrug as if to say "who cares", so I push on. The gravel tended to be of the larger, rolly variety, which slowed our speed down dramatically, but I pushed on putting my full faith in my 9 year old GPS route. Just a bit past the time when we were all thinking "It'd sure be nice to be done with this", we come to an intersection. More specifically: The first intersection (of any kind) we've seen, having been the sole vehicles on this one lane gravel road in the forest for about an hour. My GPS points to the only direction without a sign, while there were several road signs pointing to all 5 other directions of roads. Skepticism overwhelms me (as well as the need to pee) so I stop. We all discuss for a moment, but without phone service, there wasn't much to talk about. That is, until we experienced what my uncle noted was "Divine Intervention". It was at this moment, the only moment of our hour long dirt adventure where the road was more than a single lane, not one, but two pickup trucks came from different directions and happened upon us hanging out. Lets take one moment to imagine you're an Oregon native out in the middle of completely nowhere forest dirt road in your big truck, and you happen upon two motorcycles and two Camaro convertibles hanging out in the middle of the road. It was a bit of a surprise to everyone involved. Some discussion later they confirm my GPS routing, and we proceed. A couple more miles of gravel, and we pop out onto the main highway! About 25 feet from the Oregon Caves parking lot! Yay making memories!
Moving on! From Oregon Caves, it was Highway 199 back to the Pacific Ocean. This road was everything a motorcyclist (or Camaroist) could want. Absolutely top notch two lane road, with pull-offs for slower traffic, twisting through hills and forests, along rivers and valleys, sweepers, and hairpins. After an hour or hour and a half, we started catching glimpses of the ocean ahead of us, and we realize we've made it to California's gorgeous Pacific Coast. Before it could even sink in, we're turning in to a peculiar marina parking lot, driving to the very end, and parking next to a hole in the wall restaurant on a pier. A beach to our left, seals to our right, and this local, classic seafood place in front of us. The half hour wait was nothing in these surroundings, and the food was everything we hoped it would be. Chart Room in Crescent City, CA. Make a note!
After enjoying the area more than we probably should have, we move on heading south along the coast. We pass overlook and beach after overlook and beach, but I had a plan. As the Red Hot Chili Peppers emphasized with their lyric "The sun may rise in the east. At least it's settled in a final location." I'm off to see a Pacific Coast sunset. We land at the hotel without much time to spare, as the best beach was about a half an hour away. We crammed into the two Camaros, and headed west. After a few navigational glitches, and one extended delay at a crosswalk while a senior citizen navigated her way across the two lane road, one three inch step after another, we made it to Centerville Beach County Park. This was not much of a 'county park', but an impressive beach! Part of what is considered the 'lost coast' this 5 mile stretch of sand is away from civilization, far from a main highway, and lacking in regulations. Fires, ATV's, driving on the beach... whatever you want... just don't screw up, because the waves and tides are unforgiving. With only a couple other people within sight, this was the perfect spot for us to meander about and enjoy the evening.
The hotel for the night was in Fortuna, just north of the entrance to the Avenue of the Giants, and right next door to the Eel River Brewing Company for dinner. How convenient!
After a bit of breakfast, we head south following the Eel River to the entrance of the historic Avenue of the Giants. This scenic route twists through massive redwoods, and provides endless hiking and picnic options. We stopped and hiked the 'Founders Tree' trail, which is a one mile loop through massive redwoods and around the Founders Tree, which was considered the worlds tallest tree... until someone discovered a taller one in 1957.
Fun Fact: In Star Wars' Return of the Jedi, much of Endor, where the Ewoks lived and fought, was filmed in this area. In fact, many of the 'zooming through the forest' scenes where filmed by driving up the Avenue of the Giants with cameras pointing into the woods.
After a bit of breakfast, we head south following the Eel River to the entrance of the historic Avenue of the Giants. This scenic route twists through massive redwoods, and provides endless hiking and picnic options. We stopped and hiked the 'Founders Tree' trail, which is a one mile loop through massive redwoods and around the Founders Tree, which was considered the worlds tallest tree... until someone discovered a taller one in 1957.
Fun Fact: In Star Wars' Return of the Jedi, much of Endor, where the Ewoks lived and fought, was filmed in this area. In fact, many of the 'zooming through the forest' scenes where filmed by driving up the Avenue of the Giants with cameras pointing into the woods.
From the Avenue of the Giants, we continued south along the coast towards San Francisco. This was a long stretch, but beautiful none-the-less. By mid-afternoon, a thick fog had formed over the water, and while the road remained clear, our views had diminished. A little disappointing yes, but our weather had been stunning, so there wasn't much to complain about. We skipped the Golden Gate Bridge overlooks as we came into fog laden San Fran, and headed straight to our hotel on Lombard Street to get cleaned up. We walked Lombard Street to the Fishermans Warf area, and enjoyed the evening walking around downtown. Walking back to our hotel, we could hear the fog horns at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. I had always assumed fog horns were a thing of the past; it was pretty neat to hear them still being used today.
In the morning, we had half a day to enjoy the city, so we once more headed towards the Fishermans Warf area. This time we walked along the water in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. by late morning, the fog hadn't burned off yet, so we were struggling to get the views we wanted. We decided to hop a ferry across the bay to Sausalito for the rest of our time in the area. We managed to get extraordinarily lucky, and about the only time the bridge was visible during our time here, was while we were on the ferry.
In the morning, we had half a day to enjoy the city, so we once more headed towards the Fishermans Warf area. This time we walked along the water in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. by late morning, the fog hadn't burned off yet, so we were struggling to get the views we wanted. We decided to hop a ferry across the bay to Sausalito for the rest of our time in the area. We managed to get extraordinarily lucky, and about the only time the bridge was visible during our time here, was while we were on the ferry.
As our time was up in San Francisco, we parted ways with the Pacific and headed towards Napa Valley for a short, but very worthwhile time in wine country. We learned the hard way that Napa and vicinity is a day drinkers paradise, and we arrive late. Not too late, mind you, but we had some decisions to make! I had researched vinyards, with the priority being the most beautiful, and we discussed which one to visit. I had hoped we could get to several, but with closing times by 5:00 or so, we had to pick a single one. We were staying in the town of Napa at the southern end of the valley, and chose a vineyard near Calistoga, at the northern end. Even though we could only go for one tasting, this allowed us to see the beauty of the entire valley. As we were down to two motorcycles and a single Camaro (the others finished their trip in San Francisco), we all crammed into the single car and headed north. The weather was perfect, and the views stunning, and then there was the winery. Castello di Amorosa, I'm just going to throw a quote from Wikipedia here, because it's the best way to accurately describe what we experienced:
"The castle interiors, which include 107 rooms on 8 levels above and below ground, cover approximately 121,000 square feet (11,200 m2). Key details and building techniques are architecturally faithful to the 12th and 13th century time period. Among many other features it has: a moat; a drawbridge; defensive towers; an interior courtyard; a torture chamber; a chapel/church; a knights' chamber; and a 72 by 30 feet (9.1 m) great hall with a 22-foot (6.7 m)-high coffered ceiling.The torture chamber has an authentic 300-year-old iron maiden which Sattui states he bought for $13,000 in Pienza, Italy, a replica rack, prison chambers and other torture devices. [1] [5][6] The great hall features frescoes painted by two Italian artists who took about a year and a half to complete and showcases a 500-year-old fireplace.
The masonry, ironwork and woodwork was fashioned by hand using old world crafting techniques. Building materials included 8,000 tons of locally quarried stone, in addition to paving stones, terra cotta roofing tiles and some 850,000 bricks imported from Europe.[1][7][8] Extending into the hillside adjacent to the castle lies a labyrinth of caves some 900 feet (270 m) in length. Beneath the castle are a 2-acre (8,100 m2) barrel cellar and tasting rooms where visitors can sample the wines-all sold only at the Castle."
The winery was a castle. Like, a real life 12th century castle, only it was built 10 years ago, in Napa Valley. It's not going to be the best choice for everyone visiting the Napa area, but for what we wanted out of the experience, it was an exceptional choice.
Having enjoyed our time and our tastings, we bought a couple bottles and headed back towards Napa. The winery provided us with a list of restaurants with complimentary corkage fees, so we parked the car at the hotel, and walked along the river to the downtown area. We landed at Downtown Joes on a riverfront patio. Good food and great wine (from the castle), summed up the rest of our time in Napa.
After our brief but memorable Napa Valley experience, it was time to change our heading to due east. We hopped on the interstate to get out of town, but soon enough were on more enjoyable roads once more, in the Eldorado National Forest. By mid day, we had landed at Lake Tahoe, and found another unassuming, waterfront restaurant. By pure chance, we met up with some family separated from us back in Medford. We both arrived at the same restaurant within moments of each other, having an hour prior, not had any idea either were headed to Lake Tahoe.
After some time in the town, we each continued in our separate ways, and we moved on towards our hotel for the night in Bridgeport. I had scoped out some forest roads that left from just behind our hotel and headed into Bodie State Park. So after unloading at the hotel, I left the rest of the group on the front porch, and took off alone for an hour or so to see what I could find. I didn't have the time to reach any summits or make it to the ghost town that Bodie is known for, but I saw some beautiful views and enjoyed some great dirt roads.
Bridgeport was our destination for a singular reason, it lies just outside the entrance to Yosemite National Park. I had originally mapped a large day of riding around the park, but we decided to spend more time in the park and less time riding. It was the right decision, as Yosemite was such an awesome destination. We rode in on Highway 120, and were in awe for nearly the entire trip. We eventually landed at the visitors center in Yosemite Valley, surrounded by simply stunning granite walls. Yosemite is a paradise for hikers and climbers, and for the first time on this trip, I felt a pressing desire to spend more time here.
We enjoyed several overlooks on our way back out of the valley, and then headed out of the park the same way we came in. Normally I do everything I can to avoid driving the same road twice, but the best roads provide completely new views each direction, and Highway 120 is one of those roads.
The months prior to this trip were record breaking for wildfires in this area. In fact, not long before we set off, several roads we were traveling were temporarily closed. As luck would have it, we had no issues, and saw almost no smoke or except for a controlled burn on this route out of Yosemite. In the morning, it was smokey, but in the afternoon on our way back out, we could see fire... like, big trees on fire... just off the road. Fire fighters were around maintaining control, so for us it was nothing to worry about, just one more very cool thing to observe.
It was an awesome ride back out of the park, before landing in Mammoth Lakes for the evening. Not far south of Bridgeport from the night before, this ski town is large enough to still be enjoyable in the off season. We walked around before landing at a Mexican restaurant for pitchers of margaritas and great food. Our hotel was Bavarian themed, but I didn't realize how much so when I booked the rooms. It very well could've been in southern Germany. The look, the feel, even the breakfast was extremely European. The only thing going against it was the party bar in the basement (not complaining at all!)
The months prior to this trip were record breaking for wildfires in this area. In fact, not long before we set off, several roads we were traveling were temporarily closed. As luck would have it, we had no issues, and saw almost no smoke or except for a controlled burn on this route out of Yosemite. In the morning, it was smokey, but in the afternoon on our way back out, we could see fire... like, big trees on fire... just off the road. Fire fighters were around maintaining control, so for us it was nothing to worry about, just one more very cool thing to observe.
It was an awesome ride back out of the park, before landing in Mammoth Lakes for the evening. Not far south of Bridgeport from the night before, this ski town is large enough to still be enjoyable in the off season. We walked around before landing at a Mexican restaurant for pitchers of margaritas and great food. Our hotel was Bavarian themed, but I didn't realize how much so when I booked the rooms. It very well could've been in southern Germany. The look, the feel, even the breakfast was extremely European. The only thing going against it was the party bar in the basement (not complaining at all!)
I enjoyed breakfast in the morning with an odd feeling about the day. This was it, the last stretch! I can't believe how much we've seen. I can't believe it's going to be over. But not before one more long day with one more national park.
We headed out reasonably early, knowing this was to be the highest mileage day, and cruised south on Highway 395. The stretch of road was enjoyable, but reasonably flat and straight considering we were surrounded by the tallest summits in the contiguous states. We had our morning break in the town of Lone Pine. This is the most common starting point for hikers attempting to summit Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the 48 states at 14,505 feet.
We headed out reasonably early, knowing this was to be the highest mileage day, and cruised south on Highway 395. The stretch of road was enjoyable, but reasonably flat and straight considering we were surrounded by the tallest summits in the contiguous states. We had our morning break in the town of Lone Pine. This is the most common starting point for hikers attempting to summit Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the 48 states at 14,505 feet.
This town was also where we turned East for the last time. We were headed straight towards Death Valley National Park, and it felt like it as the temperature continued to rise. I had no idea what to expect from Death Valley, other than the famous pictures of Badwater Basin and high temperatures. The highs had been floating around 110 degrees for the past couple weeks, but I naively thought that would be at the basin itself, and the temperature would be tolerable out of the valley. We quickly learned two facts: 1) Death Valley has much more to offer than just Badwater Basin, it was stunning! And 2) It was HOT... it was ALL HOT.
Death Valley National Park consists of numerous valleys (many down to 250+ feet below sea level), surrounded and separated by colorful rock mountains up to 11,000 feet above sea level. Canyons, craters, sand dunes, ghost towns, hiking trails of every variety, and one of the darkest night sky views in North America are all features of the National Park. With all this in mind, I would love to come back and spend some time in Death Valley. But not during the summer. While we were there (end of September), we saw 109 degrees. This is, by the way, the hottest place on the planet. And in the spirit of records, we did travel down to Badwater Basin, for the obligatory picture in the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere at 282 feet below sea level. Our issue with this day wasn't so much the peak of 109 degrees... more so, the consistent 100+ degrees, for hours. On motorcycles the heat was relentless, and as much as I'd love to have stopped at some stunning overlooks (Dantes View was on the to do list), after the visitors center and Badwater Basin, it was time to get out of the valley and back towards double digit temperatures.
Death Valley National Park consists of numerous valleys (many down to 250+ feet below sea level), surrounded and separated by colorful rock mountains up to 11,000 feet above sea level. Canyons, craters, sand dunes, ghost towns, hiking trails of every variety, and one of the darkest night sky views in North America are all features of the National Park. With all this in mind, I would love to come back and spend some time in Death Valley. But not during the summer. While we were there (end of September), we saw 109 degrees. This is, by the way, the hottest place on the planet. And in the spirit of records, we did travel down to Badwater Basin, for the obligatory picture in the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere at 282 feet below sea level. Our issue with this day wasn't so much the peak of 109 degrees... more so, the consistent 100+ degrees, for hours. On motorcycles the heat was relentless, and as much as I'd love to have stopped at some stunning overlooks (Dantes View was on the to do list), after the visitors center and Badwater Basin, it was time to get out of the valley and back towards double digit temperatures.
I knew the high in Vegas this day was around 100 as well, which didn't spark much confidence for the final two and a half hour ride, but the in-between had to be better than this 105+. We stopped at the first sign of life outside the park, at a McDonalds in Pahrump, Nevada, where we enjoyed water, and powerade, and iced coffee, and more water, and probably some food too. From there (still 95+ degrees) we blasted our way to Vegas. We arrived at rush hour, which was an unfortunate end to a 2200+ mile ride, but eventually got parked and unloaded. Motoquest had arranged to pick the rental motorcycles up from our hotel parking lot (That's service!), so we cleaned up and hit The Strip. None of us were big gamblers, but Vegas' casino's are impressive buildings, and worth a trip.
The ride ended abruptly. So much so, we didn't even have time to bask in the glory of completion. Between the heat that had built up over the hours, the chaos that was rush hour, the confusion of parking, and the need to get all our luggage reconfigured and inside, we didn't get to think about the fact that we just completed 9 days of riding/driving without any issues whatsoever; no vehicle problems, no health problems, no one got lost, no closed roads, not a drop of rain, nothing. It was as close to perfection as one could hope for.
2200 miles was a lot. 9 days of travel, in different hotels, packing every morning, sitting in the same seat day in and day out, it was all a lot. But we saw so much. We saw some of the best highlights these four states have to offer. We saw numerous National Forests, Parks, and Preserves. We saw stretches of woods and coast that almost no one in the world has seen, from tiny mountain roads and forgotten beaches. And we saw it all together, on one hell of a trip, in near perfect weather, in perfect vehicles.
It was awesome. Traveling the world with people you love is just awesome.
2200 miles was a lot. 9 days of travel, in different hotels, packing every morning, sitting in the same seat day in and day out, it was all a lot. But we saw so much. We saw some of the best highlights these four states have to offer. We saw numerous National Forests, Parks, and Preserves. We saw stretches of woods and coast that almost no one in the world has seen, from tiny mountain roads and forgotten beaches. And we saw it all together, on one hell of a trip, in near perfect weather, in perfect vehicles.
It was awesome. Traveling the world with people you love is just awesome.