Relaxin' and Rallyin' - A Great Start to the New Year!

[Tyler]

We started a tradition the year after my accident of renting a beach house in the Dillon Beach are (about an hour north of San Francisco) over New Year's week/end to close out the year and start the new one relaxed and rejuvenated. This year was no different other than I combined some Big Money Rally fun along with the relaxation!

I headed out NY's Eve day and wound my way via some of my favorite Marin backroads... the day was cool but brilliant with blue skies and bright sun... perfect riding weather!

Found this oldie but goodie that's seen better days...

So nice to see the green hills again...

Overlooking Tomales Bay on Marshall-Petaluma Rd.

Pit stop on Hwy 1 just outside of Tomales...

I arrived at the rental house which was already full of friends, unloaded the bike, and got ready for the NY's celebration that evening...

Venticular cloud formations... don't see those very often around here...

As the sun set, the clouds turned pink and purple...

My friend, Val, soaking it all in...

Setting sun, day is done...

We all managed to stay up until midnight (a feat these days! lol) and toasted the start of a brilliant New Year... the next morning, I was off on my first day of bonus hunting for the BMR... wheeeeeee! Day One took me around the Russian River area which always holds a place in my memories and heart... my grandfather had a vacation home there and we spent many summer days frolicking around Monte Rio and swimming in the river...

Last year, I had pitched an idea for a bonus theme to RenoJohn and he liked it so I ran with it... movie locations! It's a great way to find some interesting places and learn a few new factoids too... this is the schoolhouse that was used in the filming "The Birds" in the tiny town of Bodega...

I headed out Cazadero Rd. to find the post office there... along the way, I saw a bridge and decided to go check it out... lots of green moss growing in the shady spots... something to keep an eye out for on the road too...

Which led me to a small one-lane road running along the river... it was a dead end road but looked nice so I decided to traverse it out and back... I stopped at one point to just soak in the moment and views... it's one of the things that I've come to really appreciate about the BMR... gets me out to places I wouldn't normally go and experience very groovy moments in life...

It was a great day... next up - Napa wine country!

 

[El Toro Joe]

Thanks Tyler,

Great pics as usual...keep'm coming.

 

[lonerider]

Beautiful pictures, sounds like it was a great ride.

 

[Tyler]

Beautiful pictures, sounds like it was a great ride.

It was... but wait there's more! B)

 

[Tyler]

Forgot to mention that in the course of my first day out on the rally, Cybil turned over 20K out by the coast... we stopped to celebrate and soak in the views...

I had originally planned to take the next day off from riding but had such a great day before that, I decided to split up my bonus hunting originally planned for the ride home and headed for the wine country... first I did a little hunting in town... do you remember what film used this theatre as a filming location?

Another theme is different ways to spell barbeque... and there are a lot of ways!

Sometimes when you reach a bonus spot, things might be a little different than the image shown... another theme, courthouses... the Napa courthouse was under construction from recent earthquake damage... road was fenced off and almost the entire building covered in tarps... sidewalk traversing is a skill that I've honed on the BMR...

Napa wine country... the vines are dormant at the moment but will be blooming again soon...

Another theme is universities & colleges... I headed for Angwin in search of Pacific Union College and took one of my favorite little goat roads, Old Howell Mountain Rd which is a little bit like this...

And this...

The sun was starting to set so I skeedaddled back to Dillon Beach in time to catch the moon rise over the pastures...

Next up... rallyin' in San Francisco!

 

[Panman]

Sun and green there, rain and brown here! Looking good Tye.

 

[Mihalis fjr]

Wonderful photos as always!

Thanks Tyler!

 

[beemerdons]

Wonderful photos as always!

Thanks Tyler!

+1, Gunny; outstanding Miss Ty, "Pops" Niehart and Papa Chuy are still waiting for the photos of you in the hot tub! jes' sayin' and nuff said, HUBBA-HUBBA!

 

[hppants]

Subcribed - most definitely! Good stuff.

(Oh man I wish I could frame a picture like you can)

 

[TripperMike]

"...experience very groovy moments in life.."

That is sooo you Tyler, and I just love that you share these moments with us. Awesome pics as always.

Seems to me that you've been bitten bad by the rally bug.

 

[rushes]

Beautiful pictures, sounds like it was a great ride.

It was... but wait there's more!

Waiting for a selfie featuring that beautiful smile...

 

[gregory]

Rockin RR Tyler!

Looking forward to riding together again!

 

[escapefjrtist]

Spectacular as usual !!

Thanks for the pics and prose Tyler!

--G

 

[beemerdons]

Beautiful pictures, sounds like it was a great ride.

It was... but wait there's more!

Waiting for a selfie featuring that beautiful smile…in the hot tub!

Brother Russ I went ahead and fixed your post for you, you are welcome! JSNS, Hubba!

 

[bgross]

As always, your beautiful photos are an inspiration.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Gramps]

Man I wish I could get up north but just don't have the time this trip. Great report!

 

[wheatonFJR]

I love the moon over the barn shot.

Thanks Tyler!

 

[Warpdrv]

Nobody likes you people riding this time of year dammit.....!!!!

your breakin our hearts here.... White and Icy here....

Tyler - great shots and thanks for sharing.... looks like you had a great ride.... I really need to quit my job -- UGH

 

[Tyler]

Thanks, gang... glad to take you along for the ride... so to speak!

The next day it was time to head back for home but not before scarfing up some bonus points along the way... this is the MB001 bonus (Me and my Bike)...

It was another brisk day but clear skies again... most of the day's stops were in or near San Francisco and included word bonuses like (I managed to not get caught... )...

And more movie themes like the GGB used in scenes from Superman and Vertigo to name a few... first from the west side looking back on the city from Conzelman Rd. (fantastic ride over to the Marin Headlands if you're ever in the area)...

And then from down at Fort Point on the other side of the bridge...

And what turned out to be kind of a really special stop, the house that was used for the exterior shots for "Mrs. Doubtfire"...

It's become a bit of a shrine in some ways... there were lots of folks that would pass by the house and stop and look and reminisce... Robin Williams was an icon in our lifetimes and a really wonderful human being who left us too soon, imo... as I was putting my placard back in the trunk, I spied a bouquet of flowers with some writing next to it on the steps... I moved closer to read the quote and this is what I saw... not sure why but it just touched me really deeply...

I stood for a moment and had a few personal reflections before moving on... next stop was Treasure Island to the Administration Bldg that was used as the Berlin "airport" in Indiana Jones...

I had heard that one of the statues that had been used at Burning Man 2010 and was relocated on the island so I rode around for a bit before I found her... at night, there are lights that you can actually control by pushing buttons nearby... she is pretty awesome!

A look across to the Bay Bridge...

My last bonus stop for the day, I swung by another movie bonus location which also happens to be my alma mater... the movie "Dangerous Minds" was supposedly based on this high school... I don't remember it being that bad but maybe it was before my time...

Another great day... one of the things I really enjoy about this rally is there is no time pressure and it takes you places you normally wouldn't go and see things you might miss along the way... and even make some new friends along the way...

Which will come in the next installment... stay tuned! B)