George's GNA'13: Day 59 - Meeting Friends and Familiar Roads

Day 59 – Tuesday: August 13, 2013, miles ridden today: 243.0

Totaled travelled to date 13,929

Tomorrow I’ll break the 14,000-mile mark for the Adventure. WOW! Also, the plan is to hook up with Ken Holtz, who just retired July 1. Ken and whomever else he’s bringing along will meet me here in the Monterey Area and then we’ll ride together on my final leg home. Nice Guys! Wonder if Lance is coming also with his KLR650 that was prepared for this trip; be nice if he does…

Broke camp as planned this morning, took a short walk through the woods to see the Bell Shrine for a little boy, and it was kickstand up by 9:00 AM, with destination Monterey, CA.

Yesterday I left a message for my good friends Andre & David, who live in Petaluma, CA. They responded that I should drop by after 11:00 and that worked out perfect! Remember that great coffee description yesterday? I had to go back, get some breakfast (a fantastic Breakfast Burrito), and use their Wi-Fi to post my Blog.

Great Coffee & Food

Not a Bank!

My Friends David & Andre

Had a beautiful ride from Tomalas to the outskirts of Petaluma through winding pastoral landscape. I passed so many farms, grazing cattle, vineyards, then when I saw small simple Victorians with weathered wood siding that told me I was entering the center of Petaluma. I drove right to Andre & David’s driveway from memory or just instinct, disregarding the GPS that wanted me to go elsewhere. Upon arrival we all immediately started a swirl of catching up and then went downtown to Tres Hombres for some light lunch, and of course more discussions. It was so nice to see these two, it’s not often I have this opportunity.

Bidding goodbye I headed south but quickly realized temperatures were 93°F and probably going to get warmer if I took the 101, anyway I planned to hug the coast this trip, so Olema is where I picked up US-1 again.

Topped off the fuel in Sausalito before riding across the bridge, wanted to stop for a coffee and take in the scene, but too many tourist and each shop had throngs of people in line for their coffee fix. Mine could wait.

Nice Roads

Always Beautiful!

The City from Saucilito

Once past Half Moon Bay, CA I started thinking about pulling off for the day and started my daily camp/lodge search. I found the tallest in North America, 115-foot, Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel. Perched on a cliff on the central California coast, it has guided sailors/mariners since 1872. Price for a bunk was reasonable, included satellite Internet, free Wi-Fi, and parking that wasn’t close to the rooms (a problem with my packs, afraid they’d get stolen), and best of all I could had relaxed in a hot tub with panoramic views of the Pacific. I should have, could have, would have, but had it in my mind to be in Monterey.

Stopped in Moss Landing for seafood at Phil’s, an old favorite of ours when Walter was at Naval Post Graduate School. Then I discovered all camps were full, and lodging was going to break the bank, I needed alternatives. Found a Hostel three blocks up from Cannery Row that seemed reasonable. I'll report tomorrow what it was like.