July - Fullerton HOG

2011 CHAPTER OFFICERS
Director
Roni PINAULT (714) 524-2110
[email protected]
Assistant Director
Frank STORMS (714) 897-8280
[email protected]
Secretary
Jan CHAPIN (714) 345-8593
[email protected]
Safety Officer
Jerry McCormmick (562) 805-3516
[email protected]
Treasurer
Sheryl EBERLY (714) 296-1122
[email protected]
Activities
Lori YASMAN (714) 692-0442
[email protected]
Hospitality
Tracy ST JULIEN (562) 897-0862
[email protected]
Membership Officer
Denice STORMS (714) 897-8280
[email protected]
Webmaster
Dave GRIFFITH (714) 402-6556
[email protected]
Newsletter Editor
Rudy EBERLY (714) 296-4956
[email protected]
Hotline
Holly GRIFFITH (714) 502-8576
Chapter Sponsored by
Tom & Barbara SCOTT
Chapter Web Site—http://www.fullhog.com
July 2011
Why Not See It All!”
by Teresa Balandis
photos by Dave and Holly Griffith
S
chool’s out and summer is officially here! Twelve friends had the bug to get out
and ride through Northern California to see amazing sights with experienced tour
guides, Mike and Tina Shutt. Our diverse state has so much to see – beaches, mountains,
deserts, meadows, forests
– where should one go to
experience the vast beauty
of California? Why not see
it all!! That’s just what
Mike and Tina had planned
for the 2011 Northern
California ride.
It was cool and overcast
that early Saturday
morning on June 18th.
Drew Balandis, Teresa
Balandis, David Henry,
Gary O’Neil, Mike Shutt
and Tina Shutt met at the
Anaheim/Fullerton Harley
Dealership with heavily
packed bags and a lot of
excitement. Kickstands
were up and Mike led us
out of the dealership gate
by 7:20 AM. We began
our journey to Northern
California traveling
northbound on Interstate
5. Saturday traffic was
pleasantly light and the air
was unseasonably cool.
Mike pulled over to The
Pilot Flying Trucker gas
stop so we could put on another layer of clothing. I’ve never seen so many trucks going in
and out of a gas stop where you can gas up your vehicle, get some food, and even take a
shower! We continued north towards Frasier Park to meet and have breakfast with Dave
and Holly Griffith. Dave and Holly were pulling a custom made trailer behind their bike
(Continued on page 9)
HOGTALK pg1
Director’s Corner
by Roni PINAULT
W
ell our June Gloom is passing us by for warmer
riding months. I am looking forward to the
“Durango Divas” aka “Road Cougar” ride this year, as I am sure
most of you have planned your vacation rides as well. There are
still plenty of overnight rides on the calendar all the way through
October, so it is not too late to plan a last minute vacation.
We had a great turnout for the HOG DOG night: “Thank
You to our Road Captains who served them up!”
Our newest editions to our Road Captains: Carolyn Wilson, Tom Ellis, Mark St. Julien,
John Woodward and Lyle Wong have put together a fabulous ride for the Chapter. This
is their first ride as Fullerton HOG Road Captains. Please come out and support them on
July 31st as they take us on a scenic route to Idyllwild with a GGT
(guaranteed good time).
Don’t forget to “Save the Date” for the annual HOG Picnic on August 28th, and our
annual HOG Christmas Party on December 17th at the Black Gold Country Club. Both
promise to be events you won’t forget!
Congratulations to our HOG Chapter for winning the Rip’s BAD Ride Chapter Challenge.
The VIP Party will be held on August 20th at Knott’s. For all of those who came and
“signed in” at the Chapter Challenge Booth, I look forward to seeing you and a guest
that night. More information to come regarding getting your tickets or picking them up
at will call that evening. Thank you for your support on this ride!
I came across this email and thought you might appreciate it:
A tough looking group of FullHOG bikers were riding when they saw a girl about to
jump off a bridge so they stopped.
A big burly biker named Mark St.Julien, got off his bike and said, "What are you doing?"
"I'm going to commit suicide," she said.
While he did not want to appear insensitive, he didn't want to miss an opportunity, so he
asked, "Well, before you jump, why don't you give me a kiss?"
So, she did and it was a long, deep lingering kiss.
After she finished, the biker said, "Wow! That was the best kiss I have ever had. That's a
real talent you are wasting. You could be famous. Why are you committing suicide?"
"My parents don't like me dressing up like a girl."
Ride Safe and Have Fun Doing It, Miss V
HOGTALK pg2
Secretary’s Notes
by Jan CHAPIN
7:01 PM meeting called to order by Director Roni Pinault under a
warm summer evening.
RC Hans Assarian led the pledge of allegiance.
Hans introduced the Board Members. Roni introduced the
Activities and Membership Committees, Lead Hostess, Webmaster, Hotline Hottie, Newsletter Editor and later, our Chapter Greeter.
Special thanks to our Chapter sponsors, Tom and Barbara Scott.
TOM SCOTT: Welcomed everyone. He booked rooms at an additional hotel for the Scott/Loveland
Ride to Buellton-Paso Robles - September 16th to 18th. If need a room, see Tom.
DISCO: Congrats to all on the BAD Ride for taking part in winning the Chapter Challenge.
Red, White and Blue Party at Dealership July 10th. Pie eating contest and so much more. The Boy
Scouts will be there to retire any old worn and tattered flags you may have.
And thanks for the hot dogs.
RC Doug Paulson was awarded a special recognition award for his
10+ years of service in training and helping many in the Chapter to
ride safely and better. Plaque presented to Doug by RC Wynn
Hornburg and RC Dave Griffith on behalf of the Chapter.
“A big Congrats, DOUG - you deserve it!”
UPCOMING RIDES:
RC Frank Saldana: Angeles Crest July 16th. Meet at dealership and
kickstands up at 8:00 AM.
RC Steve Bayliff (presented by RC Wynn Hornburg): The Hideout Ride
July 17th leaving at 8 AM from the dealership. Approximately 145
miles of great scenery.
New Road Captains’ Ride: July 31st at dealership, leaving at 9:00 AM.
Back roads, mountains, lunch and more.
RC Hans Assarian: August 7th day ride. The Loose Caboose Ride.
Observation ride, neat scenery, desert and yes, some twisties and
social hour somewhere in the OC.
Safety Officer Jerry McCormick: Welcome Ride, August 21st.
Approximately 3 hours of streets, freeway, canyons and lunch at
Roscoe’s in Chino Hills. (Last one of the year.)
ERC (experienced rider class) class 10/15 or 10/21 – has 7 signed up and needs 12.
(Continued on page 4)
HOGTALK pg3
(Continued from page 3)
Secretary’s Notes
RC Dennis Bonachita: August 27th – leaving dealership at 7:30 AM riding over scenic winding roads to
Frazier Park.
RC Wynn Hornburg: Las Vegas Canyon Ride, October 15th to 16th. Staying at the Rio Hotel. RSVP with
Wynn at [email protected]. Departs dealership at 8 AM sharp.
ACTIVITIES: Rose Horton talked about the 3rd Annual HOG picnic August 28th 12 noon at Yorba Linda
Regional Park, Shelter #2. Great Family fun. Adults $5 and kids free.
CHARITY DINNER: Lori Yasman set up a fundraiser at the Top Class Pizza on Orangethorpe in
Anaheim all day July 21st. Mention you’re with the Anaheim Fullerton Group when ordering. All
proceeds donated to a charity of our choice.
GREETER: Judy Jurman introduced Mike B. who is a friend of Ron Loins of the Lone Pine Ride. Rides a
2000 Classic, riding for over 20 years. Favorite rides are Sedona and Hwy 1. Looking for good group
rides. “Welcome Mike.”
HOT WEATHER RIDING GEAR: Stephanie Scott showed some very nice items for keeping cool on those
hot summer rides. Keep cool with gear for your head to your rear. And drink plenty of fluids.
NEWSLETTER: Editor Rudy Eberly and Webmaster Dave Griffith are making the newsletter easier and
better for viewing. No need to download and waste space. No password is needed for website. Now
able to look up previous years’ newsletters.
After a (15) minute break, raffle began: Secretary Jan Chapin won (2) breakfast tickets donated from
Black Sheep Club.
Chris ? and Marilyn Seaman won gift bags donated by A-F H-D and the 50/50 worth $175.00 was
won by RC Mark St. Julien.
See you all next month and ride safe.
Our next So Cal Fullerton HOG Chapter Meeting will be on
th
Tuesday, July 26 , 2011
Meeting starting at 7 PM
Held OUTSIDE at our A-F H-D Dealership.
Long time HOG Member Ralph Terrazas’ father
passed away over the holiday weekend.
Our condolences go out to him and his family during this difficult time.
Ralph has also recently had surgery and we wish him a speedy recovery.
HOGTALK pg4
Assistant Director’s Chronicles
by Frank STORMS
Greetings
FullHOGsters
H
ere it is July already and our Chapter is in full swing with our ride schedule. If
you have not had the chance, now is the time to get out and experience riding
with your Chapter. We have some very good rides coming up. You can go to places like
Angeles Crest Highway, The “Hideout” near Lake Hinshaw or up to Idyllwild, which is a
ride our newer Road Captains are putting together. These folks: Carolyn Wilson, Lyle
Wong, John Woodward, Mark St Julien and Tom Ellis are working hard to make it a
fantastic ride. We also have an overnighter in August up to the Central Coast area.
Also coming up in August is our Chapter Picnic, on August 28th out at Yorba Regional
Park. I have seen many new faces on our rides and at the meetings as our Chapter
continues to grow. Our June meeting was a huge success, with one of the larger
50/50’s I have seen in awhile. Great to see everyone come out and partake of the hot
dogs, etc., that the Chapter rolled out.
I know many of you have vacations planned, some are riding vacations. I know a few of
the ladies are doing a trip up to Colorado and other parts of the Southwest. What a
great trip that will be! So if you are riding with us, or riding on your own trips have a
good, safe ride. Tell us about your trip when you get back.
Until next month, have a great July!
HOGTALK pg5
Safety Officer Observations
by Jerry McCORMICK
Hey all you HOT BIKERS. Here is a HOT tip for your HOT Summer.
Hot! Weather Riding
Hot summer days make a convection oven look positively chilly.
Riding in hot weather presents its own challenges. However rather
than staying home and missing all the fun, with a little planning it is
still possible to enjoy our favorite roads.
Dressing properly is very important. A T-shirt and shorts are not the
answer. Exposed skin is not only dangerous in a crash, it’s a major
source of dehydration and sunburn. Add to that the long-term
danger of skin cancer and covering up becomes the clear choice.
Cover all exposed skin to reduce dehydration. There are some
specialized clothes that purport to have UV resistance built in, but
they are a bit on the pricey side. A long-sleeve cotton shirt, cotton
jeans, and gloves, all normal safety wear, are the clothing of choice.
Many riders use the old biker’s trick of soaking the body of a heavy
cotton sweatshirt in water, leaving as much water in the shirt as
possible. The sleeves are left dry from the elbows down, as well as
from the waist down, to allow for moisture wicking down. The wet
shirt becomes an evaporative cooler that leaves the rider in blissful
comfort for at least an hour.
Apply plenty of sunscreen to the face and back of the neck, and if gloves are not worn,
to the backs of the hands.
Look for a product that is strongly water-resistant so it won’t run into your eyes from
perspiration. Use at least SPF 30, and since sunscreen loses potency with age, make sure
it’s fresh. Most people fail to put on enough sunscreen and do not reapply throughout
their ride.
Start the ride well-hydrated, taking in at least a quart of liquid before departure.
Contrary to logic, this will not necessitate extra pit stops. Take in at least a quart of
liquid such as water or sports drinks every hour. If the temperature or heat index is very
high, double that intake, since fluid loss can top a gallon an hour. Riders who do not
need to make a pit stop every couple of hours are dehydrating and should sharply
increase their fluid intake.
Break the ride into segments with extended cool-off periods every couple of hours.
These can be refreshment stops, points of interest, or just spending 30 or 40 minutes in
a cool gas station, sipping a sports drink. Caffeine tends to increase dehydration, as does
alcohol.
Know the signs of heat exhaustion (profuse sweating, dizziness, flushed face, weakness,
muscle cramps) and heat stroke (no sweating, pale face, shallow respiration, collapse).
Riders and co-riders should watch for these signs in themselves and in others.
At the first signs, seek a cool place and cool the victim down as quickly as possible. In
the case of heat stroke: seek emergency medical help.
With a little preparation and common sense, beating the heat is a lot more fun than
staying home.
See you all on the next Ride
HOGTALK pg6
Sheryl’s Treasures
by Sheryl EBERLY
H
ello Full HOG Members
So have you ever wanted to know more about your Full
HOG Officers, but were afraid to ask? This month I decided to find
“Sheryl’s Treasures” from our very own Officers/Volunteers, the ones
that help keep this chapter running. Before I go any further, please let me thank all of the Officers and
Volunteers that give our Chapter so much time and energy. “THANK YOU”
What we all have in common is our Harley’s and the passion for riding. We all have family outside of our
“Harley Family” too. This month I would like to share a little bit about Frank and Denice Storms’ family. First
of all, “yes” it is spelled “De-Nice” kind of fitting, I have always thought.
Recently, Frank and Denice told Rudy and I about an event they were going to be attending for Denice’s
son Damon Wells. Damon was going to be in Hawthorne to try to qualify to go to New York to be in a Hot
Dog eating contest. How crazy is that? We knew we wanted to check this out, so we went to the event
and Holy Hot Dog!!! Damon was the winner, he ate 26 Hot Dogs in 10 minutes, and he was going to be
headed to New York, Coney
Island to be more specific, to compete in Nathan’s famous 4th of July
Hot Dog eating contest.
Damon Wells is 33 years old and started doing food challenges
inspired by the TV show Man vs. Food. He did a few small contests
where he won, eating tacos and sliders. He tried out for his first
professional event in August of 2009. It was eating 1 oz. dumplings;
he came in 2nd place with 128. That is about 8 pounds of dumplings.
He lost to Joey “Jaws” Chestnut who is now the 5 time Nathans’ Hot
Dog Champion, he ate 181 dumplings. One of the young competitors
that Damon beat out in the western competition for Nathans’, Matt
Stoney, was so upset for losing to Damon. He ended up flying to New
York to try and win another qualifier, and he did. Currently Damon is
ranked 28th in the world for professional eaters. He hopes by
qualifying for the Coney Island contest, he will break into the top 20.
The contest in Coney Island went well on July 4th. However Damon
came in 12th in the contest. The weather was a little more than he
could adjust to in just a couple of days. But, he made it, and there is
always next year. This year, he had his mom (Denice) and his son there with him, three generations, pretty
cool. Rudy and I were happy to see it all on ESPN and then read about the event in the OC register.
Congrats to Denice, I’m sure Damon made you very proud. He must have remembered you telling him to
eat all his dinner and then some. Until next time… stay cool
Don’t forget if you have found a great poem or even written your own biker poem, feel free to e-mail it to
me at [email protected] and it might just get published in our newsletter.
Sheryl Eberly
Treasurer
HOGTALK pg7
Special Days to Remember in
JULY
ANNIVERSARIES
BIRTHDAYS
1st
4th
4th
6th
8th
9th
13th
14th
16th
19th
19th
20th
21st
23th
24th
24th
25th
25th
25th
25th
25th
26th
28th
29th
31st
31st
HOGTALK pg8
Rene’ Martins
Janina Chapin
Denny Tucker
Steve Cordell
Dan Reynolds
Bob L’Hommedieu
Frank Valenti
Toni Wong
Randy Sanders
Stephanie McMackin
Marilyn Castillo
Frank Morley
Eva Raleigh
Gilbert Maertens
Ken Deeth
Mike Delawder
Beth Travers
Diane Dapello
Al Zannino
Barry Lloyd
Albert Lopez
Jeff Travers
Dan Patrick
Fernando Castillo
Carl Corner
Robert Hebert
4th
Christina & Earl Perkins
7th
Mario Murillo
9th
Mark Rasile
14th
Eva Raleigh & Wynn Hornburg
14th
Manuel Lopez
17th
Holly & David Griffith
17th
Paul Quental
18th
Linda & Rick Lenning
18th
Rick Van Beynen
20th
Monique & Jerry McCormick
22nd
Bonnie & Mark Walters
23rd
Chuck Fouty
23rd
Tracy & Mark St Julien
24th
Beth & Jeff Travers
25th
Daniel Ramirez
30th
Marilyn & Fernando Castillo
30th
Danny McLain
Gail Chambers
Our sincere apology to those
whose names we may have
missed.
FULLERTON H.O.G. EVENT CALENDAR
2011
This is a preliminary list currently planned for our Chapter.
Be sure to check out are Newsletter, Chapter Web Site,
Chapter Hot Line, Twitter and Facebook
for up-to-date information.
DAY/DATE
LEAVE TIME
RIDE/EVENT/HOLIDAY NAME
Sat July 16
8am
Angeles Crest Ride—Frank Saldana
Sun July 17
8am
Hideaway Ride—Steve Bayliff
Sun July 31
9am
Idyllwilde—Newbies RC’s (Tom, Carolyn, Lyle, Mark and John)
Sun Aug 7
8am
Dog Patch Ride—Hans Assarian
Sat Aug 13-
8am
Central Coast Ride—Steve Bayliff Multi-Day
Sat Aug 20
TBA
Harley/Speedway Night
Sun Aug 21
9am
Welcome Ride—Jerry McCormick
Sat Aug 27
8am
Frazier Park—Dennis Bonachita
Sun Aug 28
12pm
Fullhog Picnic
Sat Sept 10
8am
Slash X Three Loop Ride—Steve Cordell
Fri Sept 16-
TBA
Solvang—Tom Scott Multi-Day
Sun Sept 25
TBA
St. Jude’s Poler Run—TBA
Sun Oct 9
8am
Pioneer Town Ride—Rick Lenning
Sat Oct 15-
8am
Las Vegas Ride—Wynn Hornburg Multi-Day
Sat Nov 26
7am
Mad Dog Ride—TBA
Sun Dec 4
9:30am
John Force/CHP/Toy Ride—Murray Gruber
Sat Dec 17
TBA
Hog Christmas Party
Please show up a half-hour early with a full tank of gas before any ride.
That gives you time to sign-in and talk amongst friends before we stage for departure.
Congratulations to our HOG Chapter for winning the
Rip’s BAD Ride Chapter Challenge.
The VIP Party will be held on August 20th at Knott’s. More info to come!
HOGTALK pg9
(Continued from page 1)
and they graciously offered to carry our extra jackets so we didn’t have to rearrange our gear to fit jackets into our own
saddle bags.
Mike led us off the north 5 Freeway and onto Highway 184 towards Bakersfield. We rode by many farms where cows,
horses and goats were lazily grazing in the fields. There were many farm workers driving tractors and harvesting crops in
the vineyards and orchards. Yes – we’re in the
country! We rode on Hwy 178, which follows the
wild Kern River canyon, which this year was very
high and fast moving. Continuing northbound
on Highway 178, we rode along the shores of the
brilliantly blue colored Lake Isabella, with a water
level that is higher than I’ve seen in years. The
weather became very windy and hot as we rode
up over Walker Pass, with an elevation of 5250
feet. This high desert region has a lot of fragrant
sage bushes and unusual shaped cacti plants with
twisted branches that reach toward the sky. It
was 3:30 PM and we had traveled over 291 miles
when we finally arrived in Lone Pine. It was
strange riding through Lone Pine when there
wasn’t an Anaheim/Fullerton HOG meet at the
Dow Villa Hotel. It was 98 degrees outside, when
we stopped at the Double LL Bar, pulled out some
bar stools and ordered some cold drinks. This is
where Doug and Susanne Paulson joined the ride. Our final stop for the day was in Bishop. After traveling over 350
miles, we were ready to get off the bikes and check into the Vagabond Inn for the night. Our first group dinner was at
the nearby “Imperial Gourmet Chinese Restaurant” – lots of tasty cuisine and a short walk back to the hotel.
The next morning the sky was clear and it was windy as we packed our bags to leave Bishop and continue our travels
towards Graeagle. Mike led us on a back road called South Rock Creek Road by Lake Crowley where many animals
were grazing by beautiful custom built homes with the snow covered Sierra mountains in the background. We
continued on Highway 158 towards another charming mountain community by June Lake. We stopped to rest at the
Silver Lake Resort to take pictures of Silver Lake and the waterfalls spilling from the snow capped mountains. It was also
fun to browse around the camp store and see all of the fishing gear, souvenirs and buy some snacks. We continued on
Highway 395 and passed the town of Lee Vining, which is known
as the eastern gateway to Yosemite. (This year with the snow
pack being (4) times the annual average, Tioga Pass didn’t open
until yesterday!) We rode past Mono Lake, which has a translucent
blue color and unusual rock formations called “tufa towers” in
portions of the lake. Mono Lake looks eerie and lifeless, but the
water is very alkaline and saline with an a bundance of brine shrimp
where millions of migratory birds stop and feast throughout the
year. Continuing on Highway 395 we stopped to gas up ($5.19 a
gallon – yikes!) in Bridgeport. As we were admiring the awesome
view of the snow capped mountains, we met an Army vet who was
traveling and camping along the back roads of California with a
friend. He had used every section of his KTM motorcycle to pack
his gear and he made me feel like I was traveling light.
We traveled on Highway 89 and over Monitor Pass at 8,300 foot
elevation. There were patches of snow on the ground and we felt
like we were on top of the world as we took pictures of the long,
lone highway and surrounding mountains. Our lunch stop was in a
“postcard” image town called Markleeville. Many of the “cottagelike” homes and businesses had colorful potted flowers on their
porches and in their yards. “The Deli” restaurant was recommended by Mike and Tina because the home cooked food
and friendly service is really good. After riding over 130 miles, we wanted to take our time to eat and relax on the
restaurant patio. After lunch, we continued on Highway 89 and rode around portions of beautiful Lake Tahoe, then
stopped at a grocery store to buy groceries for our upcoming Bar-B-Q dinner that Mike and Tina planned for Monday
evening. We were thankful “again” for Dave and Holly’s trailer to haul most of our groceries.
HOGTALK pg10
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(Continued from page 10)
We arrived in Graeagle early Sunday evening and checked in at the River Pines Resort. After traveling for over 10 hours
and riding approximately 290 miles, we were
ready to park the bikes and unload our gear. The
sky was clear and the air was cool in this quiet
mountain town. We walked next door to eat
dinner on the patio of the “Coyote Bar and
Grill”. While we were enjoying our food, we
watched a lone deer casually stroll across the
road and start nibbling on some plants very close
to the restaurant. We’re in the mountains!
Mike suggested we stay three nights in Graeagle
so we would have time to explore and enjoy the
area.
On Monday, some of our group spent time in
town while others took individual rides to Sparks
and Reno, Nevada. Susanne, Doug, Drew and I
thought it would be fun to ride north on
Highway 89 to Lassen National Park. The road
meanders through tree covered mountains that
follow the Feather River. Built along the sides of the mountains are busy train tracks with extremely tall train trestles.
Many logging trucks loaded with huge tree trunks passed us on the highway. We had been forewarned that parts of
Lassen National Park were closed due to snow, but were really surprised by the amount of snow piled along the sides of
the road. We were able to enter the park and go to the visitor’s center, travel past smelly sulphur mud pots, and enjoy
portions of this snow covered national park. It was like a winter wonderland!
We rode back to the River Pines Resort to welcome Nina and Terry Brick who
had just arrived after visiting family in Sacramento. Mike and Tina were busy
preparing for our group Bar-B-Q dinner party, which we held outside their
cabin, on the picnic tables. Tina was doing what she loves – having people
over for dinner! Tina scheduled a cocktail hour with appetizers, while Mike
grilled the meat & the (2) trout that he had caught that morning in the nearby
Feather River. When it was dinner time everything was ready and on the table.
Holly and Dave took care of the dessert with sweet s’mores and a custom
made Lemon Lime pie from Cathy of “Graeagle Mill Works Café.” Holly
described the pie perfectly, “summer on a fork!” All of us had a wonderful
time!
It’s a beautiful Tuesday morning in Graeagle! With so much to do in this area,
our group did different activities and rides again. There was a golf course
calling Mike and Terry’s names, while others went on individual rides around
the area, and some of the girls went horseback riding. Nina, Susanne, Tina,
and I had reservations at the nearby Graeagle Stables for a leisurely one hour
ride with a friendly guide in the beautiful hills in Graeagle. After we finished
riding horses, we took time to shop, drink iced cinnamon orange tea, and eat
outside at the little red “Graeagle Mill Works Café.” In the afternoon, some of
the group made the hour round trip up to nearby Frazier Falls, which cascades
248 feet and had (3) times the water volume of last year and even had snow
on the ground after a big Memorial Day storm. Our day went fast and we had
a wonderful time in this quiet mountain town. Back at the River Pines Resort,
all of us finished the day eating and relaxing by the pool and playing shuffleboard.
It’s 8:30 AM on Wednesday morning and we’re busy getting ready to ride to Sacramento. Mike always has “the better
and more scenic” route planned for us as we traveled up Gold Lake Road to 6,400 feet elevation to view the “mirror
imaged” Gold Lake. Of course we stopped to walk around and take pictures of this beautiful lake surrounded by snow
covered mountains, small waterfalls, and snow patches on the ground. We continued on Highway 49, the famous Gold
Rush road that follows the Salmon River. We stopped at the “Mountain Creek Breakfast Inn in Sierraville.” This
restaurant was one of a kind!! The outdoor tables were placed along a terraced hillside with many potted flowers and a
cascading stream running through the property. The home cooked food was delicious and the prices and service were
great. Susan, a longtime Sierraville resident, invited us to hike down through her property to view the fast moving banks
(Continued on page 12)
HOGTALK pg11
(Continued from page 11)
of the East Yuba River and Salmon Creek Fork. It was time to move on and we continued our travels down Highway 49.
As we traveled the road that followed the Yuba River, one can
envision all of the activity and excitement of the early gold
prospectors in 1849. It was getting hotter and we stopped in
Downieville to find some shade and take a break. Downieville is
another charming gold rush community with Victorian style
homes and businesses. The city is completely surrounded by tree
covered mountains and it’s easy to find a bench to relax by the
Yuba River. After spending time in Downieville, we were ready
to continue our ride to Sacramento. Traveling west on Highway
80, the mountains were now behind us, the traffic was moving
fast, and the temperature was over 100 degrees. When we
arrived in Old Town Sacramento, along the banks of the
Sacramento River, we had traveled for 7 hours and over 150
miles. We were ready to check into the Old Town Sacramento
Vagabond Inn and relax by the pool. Dave and Holly enjoyed
visiting with family for the evening. The rest of our group had
dinner on “The Virgin Sturgeon”, which is a floating barge
restaurant on the Sacramento River. We sat on the restaurant
deck with a cool breeze blowing, ate a delicious meal, and watched the boats and jet skis motor by.
On Thursday morning, we packed up and planned to leave for Monterey early to avoid the Sacramento traffic and heat.
Drew and I took a detour from the group to visit some family in Sonoma. We started to have a strong craving to go
wine tasting as we passed by many vineyards.
Drew and I were able to spend a short time with
our precious family members. We said good-bye
and rode towards San Francisco. I could feel my
adrenaline building as we rode closer and were
ready to cross the Golden Gate Bridge. The wind
was blowing and it was a thrill to ride across this
famous bridge on a motorcycle! After we exited
the bridge, we rode through grueling San Francisco traffic, then finally made it onto Highway 1
towards Half Moon Bay. The scenery in this part
of the state is spectacular as we rode through
meadows and above cliffs to view the ocean
waves crash on the beach! Incredible sights, but
brrr – the air was so cold! We had to pull over
and put on more layers of clothes. We arrived in
Monterey just in time to join our group for dinner
at “Monterey Cookhouse – Wood Fired Cuisine”
restaurant and celebrate Terry and Nina’s 38th
wedding anniversary. The day was long and we
had no problem resting at this “very nice” Best
Western De Anza hotel in Monterey.
Friday morning was cold and overcast, but we were packed and ready to leave Monterey by 8:15 a.m. to continue our
journey through the Central Coast on Highway 1. After a quick gas stop in Carmel, we traveled south on Highway 1
through Big Sur. Big Sur is where the mountains meet the ocean. There are many camp sites, warning signs for wild
animals crossing the highway, and pine trees everywhere! We pulled over and took a break at the Lucia Lodge which is
built atop a cliff. We got off the bikes to stretch our legs and drink hot beverages to help us warm up. We met Carolina
and Peter, a sweet German couple at Lucia Lodge who were excited about their California trip and very interested in our
Harleys! Carolina wanted her picture taken by one of the bikes while wearing Tina’s helmet (she liked the long red braids
attached to the helmet). We said our good-byes and continued southbound past areas of major road construction along
the twisty highway, which took us on top of sheer rocky cliffs. It was awesome to see the fog roll up the mountains and
then to look down from the highway and see the waves crashing against the rugged coastline. The lush vegetation
along the highway was colorful and the fennel plants were especially fragrant! It was late morning and time to get off
the bikes and relax at Ragged Point. This restaurant/lodge is a coastal resort with manicured lawns, colorful flowers,
and many types of cacti plants. It was nice to walk to the pine trees at the end of Ragged Point and see the turquoise
colored waves crash against the rocky cliffs and see the waterfall spilling out of the cliff. With plenty of time to relax,
Mike signaled for us to saddle up and continue southbound on Highway 1. As we rode along through acres of cattle
pastures on our left and the blue Pacific ocean on our right, there was an area where we could see hundreds of Elephant
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Seals basking in the sun and enjoying life along the sandy beach, a protected
marine preserve just north of San Simeon. Mike led us through the town of
Cayucos and we stopped for lunch at “Martin’s Mexican Restaurant”. The
service was great and the food and drinks were delicious! After lunch we took
time to walk through the town and admire many homes and businesses that
were decorating for the 4th of July. One of the locals explained that the year
round population in Cayucos is approximately 2,500. However, during the 4th
of July weekend, there are usually 25,000 visitors who come to see the
fireworks celebration and vacation at this beach community. Some of us
continued to walk to the end of the Cayucos
pier and watched the Jr. Lifeguards training
and jumping off the pier. It was especially
fun to see a large brown pelican sitting on
the pier rail, just watching the people go by.
This was a nice afternoon in Cayucos, but we
needed to get back on the bikes and
continue on to Santa Maria.
Highway 1 led us past the city of Morro Bay
where a gigantic rock sits at the edge of the
beach. As we rode inland, we passed more
vineyards and wineries. It was 4:30 PM and
we rode over 160 twisty miles when we finally arrived and checked in at the “Big
America Best Western Motel in Santa Maria.” Elaine, the hotel manager greeted us
and gave each of us a complimentary Harley/Best Western pin and an American Flag
pin. We felt extra welcome when we saw the lobby sign that greeted the Full/HOG
riders – too sweet! When we checked into the hotel, we noticed that most of the
rooms were named after each state in our country. Drew and I were staying in the
California room that had framed information and facts about California on the wall.
Tonight, we had our final group dinner at the award winning “North China Chinese
Restaurant,” which Dave Griffith had found online using his iPad computer while we
were at lunch in Cayucos and made dinner reservations for us. Barbara, our friendly
and fast server was helpful with menu suggestions to satisfy all of our different tastes
and the delicious food and the good company made our last evening together so enjoyable.
It’s another cool and overcast morning on Saturday, June 25th as we prepared for our last day to ride together. Doug,
Susanne, Gary and David had commitments at home and left Santa Maria early. The rest of us wanted to enjoy the
comforts of this hotel and take time to enjoy the delicious buffet breakfast. We packed up the bikes and Mike led us
out of Santa Maria towards Santa Barbara on Highway 246 riding through Lompoc, Buellton and Solvang. We passed
many farms with fields of grapes, leafy vegetables, marigolds, and even an ostrich farm. We gained elevation on
highway 154 to overlook the refreshing Lake Cachuma
nestled in the mountains above Santa Barbara. In the town
of Santa Barbara, we stopped for a coffee break at the local
Gelson’s Market. The choices at this store are overwhelming
and a friendly employee behind the coffee bar took time to
make flower designs in the froth of our lattes. It was time
to get back on the freeway and head for L.A. We made our
final stop in Thousand Oaks around 12 noon to gas up, take
pictures, and say our final good-bye’s at the end of an
awesome eight day and seven night Northern California
Adventure.
Did we see it all during our Northern California trip? Did we
see beaches, mountains, deserts, meadows and forests? Yes
we did! Mike and Tina planned a fun and scenic route so
twelve friends could see it all. Lastly, we traveled over 1,800
miles to see Northern California the best way one can
experience it - on a Harley-Davidson Motorcycle.
Thank you, Mike and Tina Shutt!
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c/o Harley-Davidson of Anaheim Fullerton
2635 W. Orangethorpe
Fullerton, CA 92833
Harley Owners Group
Call the Fullerton
H.O.G. HOTLINE for ride details
(714) 502-8576
Don’t forget the chapter web page:
http://www.fullhog.com
e-mail:
[email protected]
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