California circumnavigation

[islandcommuter]

Yo Californians. I'm planning a ride from Seattle down to San Diego in '06.

I figure I'll go south along the coast then head back home northbound and do the mountain side of the state. Yosemite is a must.

I'd sure like to hear about your favorite routes, best roads, curves ahead next 77 miles, etc. I'm not above detouring a day for the right ride.

Also, what's the best time of year to do this? Ideally a month when the mountain passes are open but the high desert won't burn my lilly white Washington ass all crispy. If that month exists.

Thanks. I don't care what the rest of the country says about you So/No Cal guys, I think you're OK.

 

[twowheelnut]

I'll post some of my fave routes tomorrow, but check out pashnit.com for some great Cali roads. Start the :dribble: now...

 

[HIGHLANDER]

off the top of my head....

96 just south of the OR border, few hours of high speed twisty fun,

36 just below 96, hours of tight twisties

299 aint bad either ( just a little more traffic )

1 south anywhere ( 'cept close to LA )

198 Generals Highway through Sequoia Nat park

120 Tioga pass over Yosemite / Sierras to 395

108 back across then...

4 back across then...

108 back across...

all connected by 49 !!

North of Sacramento..

49 again !! then.....

89 that runs the upper length of Cali, not too twisty as it splits the Sierras, you drive through them rather than over them. ( and over Lassen Volcanic park ).

There are many other smaller roads also, but these are some of the " main " twisties areas.

Socal guys can fill you in on 79 / Julian / Anza Borrego area.

As TWN said visit the Pashnit site for road descriptions.

Have fun planning, and wipe up the drool will ya.. you outa state guys are all the same!!

 

[GunMD]

Hwy 243 between Idyllwild and Banning is great.

 

[islandcommuter]

Thanks for all the ideas, much appreciated! I've been combing the the pashnit site; great stuff! I also like https://www.motorcycleroads.us/ca.html because it's a little easier to use for trip planning.

It would sure be cool if pashnit was in a database so all that data was searchable.

 

[Ric in Sac]

+1 on the hwy 36 route from Fortuna (N. Calif. coast) to Red Bluff. The month of may should be great for you.

Keep an eye on the California ride thread. MM2 and others are talking about a group "all 6 corners of California Ride." It would be worth the trip.

 

[weekend rider]

Island commuter when you post a couple of days early, then the riders that can would be more than welcome to help you and even offer to take you on some different roads. I will watch for your post in may a great time to ride weather is beautiful. Good luck on your route choice .

weekend rider B) B) B)

 

[Khunajawdge]

Well, I know all these "other guys" are going to tell you how to ride past their favorite roads so they can join in on the trip plan, so I might as well add my own CO2.

One of the "best" paved roads on the planet Earth (..and dcarver can voiche for this, because he lives practically on it!), is CA. hwy. 229. The stretch I am referring to, is only 14 miles long and runs South from Creston, California to Hwy 58. This road is a dream! I ride it monthly, back and forth a few times just for kicks!

Now, I'll admit there are some "pretty good" roads elsewhere, but I am me, and we are we, and that's the "way it is" down here in between NorCal and SoCal in CenCal!

cheers,

 

[Toecutter]

One of the "best" paved roads on the planet Earth (..and dcarver can voiche for this, because he lives practically on it!), is CA. hwy. 229. The stretch I am referring to, is only 14 miles long and runs South from Creston, California to Hwy 58. This road is a dream! I ride it monthly, back and forth a few times just for kicks!

That does it! I'm headin' down that way next time I get a chance to catch a concert at Pozo, or any other excuse I can come up with..

 

[turbodave_98]

One of the "best" paved roads on the planet Earth (..and dcarver can voiche for this, because he lives practically on it!), is CA. hwy. 229. The stretch I am referring to, is only 14 miles long and runs South from Creston, California to Hwy 58. This road is a dream! I ride it monthly, back and forth a few times just for kicks!

I agree on CA 229. DKirk and I stumbled upon it while heading NE from Morro Bay enroute to Lake Isabella while returning on Sunday morning from the Gathering of the Clan deal. Great freshly paved smooth road with no markings and barely a 2 lane road. Lots of great curves and open grazing land plus some good straights to let it rip. :assasin:

 

[FJRME]

Another aspect of the pashnit site is the forum. Great ride planning advice there. You can also call Tim(pashnit himself), and he can give a tip or two on up to planning your CA route in its entirety. I think he might charge a little for that, but for a GREAT riding vacation, you sure can't do better than his expertise. You can't go wrong visiting National Parks either. If you come down the coast, try going back up by way of Mount Laguna, through Anza-Borrego NP, link it to Joshua Tree NP, and then through Death Valley NP. At the north end, you're close enough to head west into Sequoia,Kiings, and Yosemite. SPECTACULAR scenery in every park. What a ride that would be. I haunt the Mt Laguna, A-B, and Joshua Tree parks all the time, and it NEVER fails to inspire.

Best time is probably late May-early June. Desert's not hot yet, wildflowers still blooming, and the snow is gone up north. Keep me in mind when you get to my area, and we can cruise together for a few miles.

Ride safe.

 

[islandcommuter]

Didn't know pashnit had a forum; that's great advice! Might make sense to call him, too. The guy deserves to make some bucks for compiling all that data. Still wish he'd put it in a database, though.

I also discovered that the guys who wrote Destinatiojn Highways Washington (and BC) are finally releasing their book on NoCal in March.

If you haven't seen these books before, they are _the best_. Every riding guide I've seen since is disappointing. That's going to make planning the northern half a snap.

The great thing about planning a trip like this is obsessing on it all winter.

 

[madmike2]

If you are going to hit the parks, get a yearly or 10-day pass, that'll cover them all.

Actually, I think Highlander meant:

120...108...4...then 88 . But, if you're gonna do Hwy 4, then continue on 89 over Monitor Pass to 395.

If you're interested in Hwy 89, North of Truckee, check out the Madmike's Peak To Peak thread we took on the way to WFO-4.

A must ride, once you are over the CA border, is Hwy 66, between Klamath Falls and Ashland. Hmarc and OCFJR recommended that to us on our way home....whatta road!

 

[weekend rider]

What an abstract question, the perfect route?

The way I view it every time I mount and ride the FJR life in itself is offering the

perfect route. Just being free and be able to enjoy each and everyride and come home safely is the perfect route.

weekend rider :clap: :clap: :clap:

 

[dcarver]

One of the "best" paved roads on the planet Earth (..and dcarver can voiche for this, because he lives practically on it!), is CA. hwy. 229. The stretch I am referring to, is only 14 miles long and runs South from Creston, California to Hwy 58. This road is a dream! I ride it monthly, back and forth a few times just for kicks!
I agree on CA 229.  DKirk and I stumbled upon it while heading NE from Morro Bay enroute to Lake Isabella while returning on Sunday morning from the Gathering of the Clan deal.  Great freshly paved smooth road with no markings and barely a 2 lane road.  Lots of great curves and open grazing land plus some good straights to let it rip. :assasin:

229 is good.. but not the best.... Other roads in our area, IMHO, are funner and longer with more twisties and straits and true run-off zones should you, uhh, 'fail to negotiate the corner'. Don't ask me how I know..