Ca 15 Best 2023 pt3

 And now for the Last Three roads of the Cal 15 Best for 2023

The first of the final three is Cal road 168 between Big Pine and the  Jct with Ca 266

The 168 is a wild and wooley road! Which means it was a lot of fun, unfortunately with the recent storms there was a fair amount of sand and small rocks strewn about the road.

 Coming around one blind corner I hit one of those patches of sand which caused a sideways movement of the bike which in turn nearly caused me to have an involuntary movement in a different  direction.....so I slowed down for a good bit of the rest of the road.

After riding the 168 I make my way north and west and spend the night at Angels Camp Cal, apropos don't you think? ;)

My rear tire has gone away faster than I had anticipated so the next morning I'm on my way to Sacramento to get a new rear tire installed. 

I had called Beverly earlier in the day and told her of my tire dilemma and she spent hours making a Herculean effort to find a place for me to get a new tire and have it installed.

Maynard motorcycles, a small, home based shop in Sacramento answered the call!

From there I rode to Clear Lake to overnight. It would have been nice to stay in Clear Lake for a few days but they only had one night available.

This is the backyard... and view of Clear Lake.

In the morning I discover that some slimy, stinking POS dirtbag had stolen one of my reserve gas cans.

Darn it all!!

*Deep breath*

Moving on I rode to Redcrest to start my 14th road - Mattole road.

The Mattole road was not just a ride it was an Experience, at least for me. If Mattole road was a person we could be friends, not great friends, but someone I would be wary of and like to hang out and have adventures with at the same time. 

I would have a  hard time picking a favorite out of these 15 roads but if I had to do so, Mattole Rd would be in the running.

I stopped in Petrolia to get gas, food, and of course a receipt. While there I met a couple of locals - these two cool dudes. And they are! I could have stayed there all afternoon talking to Brad and Benton.

They are both multi bike owners... See what I mean when I said they were cool dudes!

The two young ladies who were the minding the store were also nice, fun to talk to, and had a great sense of humor.

I think it would be awesome to live in Petrolia.

Upon leaving petrolia you drive west-ish about 5 MI on the very curvy road and then as you come over a hill you are greeted with this sight!

Yeah it really is that beautiful!

And the road continued, but the fog started to roll in....

There was an exotic car gathering of some sort apparently headquartered in Ferndale which made getting a hotel a challenge. But it was fun to see beautiful cars everywhere one looked!

The next day I rise at the crack of mid-morning and get a move on to get the 15th road, which is the 299 from Arcata to Redding

And there it is.....I've ridden each of the 15 roads.....

but.....

......I'm not quite done yet..... 

The book calls for the Rider to go on the 168 road up and back or in other words two ways. The 168 is the one I rode from home on the way INTO California, and now on my way OUT OF California I will ride it the other way thus completing the California 15 best for 2023.

(After I completed the roads I checked with Les, the chairman over the California rides, to make certain I had done it correctly - he tells me I only needed to ride the 168 once.....but that's ok, I enjoyed both times!)

So back to Big pine and I'll ride it toward Nevada and finish that road.

Finito!

I overnight in Tonopah, Nv and with the next sunrise I point my nose toward home, 453 miles away.  It turns out that 453 miles is plenty of road to get soaked - dry out - put on raingear - take it off - get soaked again and dry out again.  Sheesh! I simply could not out guess Mother Nature on that day.

Still...as always...a great day on the bike!

Damsel in Distress

120 miles from home I stop in Delta, Ut for gas and a healthy snack of Dr Pepper, and a rasberry bismark.... After gas and health food I start riding out of the parking lot and notice this womans flat tire. I pulled up next to her and she had just realized it herself so we went to work on getting the problem fixed. But NO DICE..... the tire had a pinch hole in the sidewall. You can see from the second pic that they are brand new tires... She had just had them installed that day.

So we put the donut on and she was able to drive to a nearby shop. 

And that is the end of the California 15 Best roads. This trip was 2500 miles of beautiful and sometimes dicy roads.....and some raging downpours! (a lot like the last trip! LOL)

Life is Grand aint it!

2023 (2) US 15 best

While staying in Branson we do some sightseeing.

Patriotism is alive and doing very well in Branson!

The veterans museum was a nice stop.

 

We then worked our way downtown for some shopping in a few of the plentiful trinket outlets.

While Bev wandered through some stores I relaxed on a bench outside and met Steve who like me was also passing time on the bench while his wife was shopping. We talked and laughed and found out we had an amazing number of things in common! 

From where we grew up to military experience and on and on. Then when our wives joined the party we found even more commonalities.

L to R

Bev, Kim, Debbie and Steve

Debbie is Steve's sister.

Its always fun to meet someone from 'home' but even more so when traveling. Then add the joy of reliving childhood antics - good and bad...and it can be a downright pleasurable way to spend an afternoon!

I felt very fortunate to meet and reminisce for a time with such good people!

The next day I was able to ride another of the 15 best, The Pig Trail in Arkansas.

The paperwork...

The midway stops..

Starting in Eureka Springs Arkansas I rode to the other end, Ozark Arkansas, got a receipt then turned around and rode it again the other direction. Time well spent!

One more beautiful road checked off.

We need to get some miles behind us so we concentrate on traveling the next two days. 

We are heading to Ooltewah Tennessee to visit some friends.

But we're still able to take a pic or two as we motor along.

Annnnd while snapping a few pics I make another friend.. 

What a good dog!

A church named after me??

I wonder why I've not been invited to speak there....

(Mountain Grove, Mo)

The obligatory Cache pic. ;)

We arrived in Ooltewah Tennessee to see our friends Sean and Kris.

Sean and Bev downtown Chattanooga.

The famous choo choo...

Sean gave us an excellent tour of their beautiful city!

Sean and Kris rolled out the red carpet for us...but...the purpose of this trip was to "bag roads" not to laze around being treated like Royalty. So reluctantly we had to move on...

(I was so busy enjoying being pampered that I neglected to snap a photo of Kris and their son Jack (**sighhhh**)

....to Sylva, North Carolina.

A nights rest and 19 miles later we ride the famous Blue Ridge Parkway, actually only about a third of it (155miles). To complete this road one only needs to ride 150 miles. (Over the years I've ridden on the Blue Ridge a few times and by now I think I've probably covered the entire Parkway). Riding the Blue Ridge is a completely different experience.

In a world where riding (or driving) is often a frenetic and harried experience, the Blue Ridge is 469 miles of breathtaking Appalachian Mountain beauty wrapped in a warm blanket of laid back calmness and serenity. A middling wide tree lined, two lane road with relaxed sweepers and plenty of pullouts for documenting one's good fortune of being in this time and place, the Blue Ridge Parkway should be on everyone's list.

But caveat rider, the park police have a well deserved reputation of speed limit enforcement. 

Hooning can be costly. 

At the south entrance Bev makes a new friend..

Then we're on the (foggy!) Parkway

See what I mean?

I should have said 'chilly' too!!!

But it is still an incredible ride!

As we were motoring along, a car in front of me stopped and blocked the lane. So rather than pass on a blind corner I stopped about 50 ft back from them and turning off the engine just waited for them to finish whatever they were doing and then move. But then the lady in the car turned and while looking back yelled something to me which raised my spidey-hairs just a little bit. Although I couldn't understand exactly what she said I did understand it was a warning of some sort. 

So I looked around and to my left on the other side of the road a little bit above eye level was a mama bear looking at me. She was a little upset and I could soon see why, her two cubs were scrambling up the hill behind her. Luckily for me they were on the opposite side of mama than I was. Since she was already upset and my bike was turned off I decided I should just hold still until she calms down. Which she did as soon as her cubs were high enough on the hill. She then gave me that disdainful look that only mama bears can give and turning around scooted up the hill after her kids. 

I breathed a big sigh of relief, started the bike and motored on.

Luckily Bev was behind me and got these photos!

A little farther down the road we pulled into a visitor center looking for a table to have a snack. This is what passes for a snack in Beverly's book.

I'm a lucky guy!

And the next day we rode the Back of the Dragon.

Starting out in Marion, VA.

An intersection part way through...

The end of the BOTD

Well...thats part 2

Tomorrow will be another road, the 555 in Ohio.

Thanks for stopping in, check out part three (in a few days..)

LIFE is GOOD!