Midnight Restless - Ride To Bodega Bay

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OrangevaleFJR

R.I.P. Our FJR Riding Friend
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Orangevale, CA
Sherri and I were alone this weekend and Sunday night I got a little restless after relaxing for most of the weekend. It was 9pm and I said, "Let's load up the bike for a night and ride to the coast." She asked, "Where?"

"I'm not sure," I replied. I knew I wanted North Coast, but wasn't sure where we'd end up. I suppose it's like that when I go abalone diving with my buddies; we never seem to decide where to go until we are there.

So we loaded up and left at about 10pm, gassed up on Hazel Avenue and 50 and super slabbed it: 50 to I-80 West then North on Hwy 12 to Sonoma. We stopped in Sonoma for some coffee and hot chocolate, rode around the town's square (lovely little old town it is) and then headed up to see if my favorite stained glass guy was still in business (he is) and then we scooted out 121 to 116 to Petaluma and continued on 116 to Jenner. 116 is just a riders paradise kind of road, and it ends at the famous CA highway 1.

The deer were out in abundance that night. We saw about 20 or so, and had to stop once to avoid hitting a couple that, once standing in front of my bike, (about 2 feet away) it decided it had better move. It went left, then right, then left then right again and off the road. We were moving again with a smile.

Well, it was about 1:30 pm and in Jenner there were no hotels open for the late night rider. We turned around on 1 and went south to Bodega Bay where there were two hotels where we could get rooms at 2am and only one had any rooms available: Bodega Bay Lodge.

They gave us a $75 discount for being so late and that was nice, and so was the room with a fireplace, two duraflame logs (better than nothing to burn) and a big room with a big soft bed. The morning revealed a view of the ocean, obstructed, but still very nice.

Then we were off on our ride back home with some stops:

View from the room with early morning fog:

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Iceplant right off the balcony held proof that other people might have had fun here too in the past (I have aspired to be an amateur archeologist you see)

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Gotta love Highway 1

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see next message for more>>>

 
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Along Highway 1, for those that don't know, there are numerous State parks. Some are simply single lane roads to a parking lot, and others are larger with various amenities (toilets). This pic was taken from a small one, name forgotten, between Bodega Bay and Goat Rock Beach: (worth the stop)

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Here are a few more from that same pull off:

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From entrance road to Goat Rock Beach:

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Even though the lighting is behind the bike in the morning shot from the Goat Rock Beach parking lot, I really like the "mood" of this picture with the FJR:

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Sherri and I playing with the time delay feature for the first time (Goat Rock Beach):

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And then we went home. 116 in the morning was AWESOME!!! Take this ride when you have a chance :)

 
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Gawd, my wife and I LOVE CA coastline. ie Hwy. 1 Great pics, thanks. JB

 
Gawd, my wife and I LOVE CA coastline. ie Hwy. 1 Great pics, thanks. JB
It's a nice place to visit. I have been visiting California since 1991 when the USAF brought me here. One day, I'll move back to Colorado where you're from!

However, the Northern Coast is one of the most wonderful places I've ever been and I've travelled quite a bit.

 
Great pics O'vale and after all that riding you and sherri only have a slight hint of helmet hair. :eek:

 
Sounds like too much fun. I'm still a little apprehensive about riding at night but you guys go! I was waiting for some night photos though.

 
Great pics O'vale and after all that riding you and sherri only have a slight hint of helmet hair. :eek:


Sounds like too much fun. I'm still a little apprehensive about riding at night but you guys go! I was waiting for some night photos though.
In those pics we were only about 20 minutes from the hotel...so we were fresh :)

No night pics...They'd be black.

I ride slowly at night

 
I ride slowly at night
I knew there was a reason I don't do it.
:haha: :haha:

Yah, if you have no self control with the throttle, riding at night where there are deer could be a problem....this ride sure gave me ample justification for some long distance lighting...I slowed when I thought I saw something...but I wasn't sure I saw them until it would've been too late to brake down to a stop. I would have been dodging 2 deer on a narrow road had I waited until I was sure I saw something. That's a little scary. Add a smidge of fog and I could be writing a more dramatic and bummer of a post.
 
Nice pictures. Looks like a good time.

When I ride after dark in deer country I try to follow a car to let them clear the critters off the road.

 
Nice pictures. Looks like a good time.
When I ride after dark in deer country I try to follow a car to let them clear the critters off the road.
Yep...guess what...even more tempting for throttle guys, there were NO CARS!

fun ride :D Deer were safe with me :) I even missed the skunk :assasin: and the weird dude that looked like a ghost standing on the side of the road in the iceplant. OMG that guy scared me worse than the deer did! He was just standing there and at first I thought he was a sign, then a mannequin, then I realized he was moving! YIKES! He was dressed like a fisherman with a wool cap etc. He FREAKED ME OUT :bigeyes:

 
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