Second Annual Birds, Beans, and Bierstadt Ride

[airboss]

Sounds like a fun day is planned, have a good time, take lots of picture and post em.

I'll just stay here and watch the snow melt.

 

[Bugnatr]

Sounds like a fun day is planned, have a good time, take lots of picture and post em.
I'll just stay here and watch the snow melt.

Karl if it rains on us I'll be thinking of you at home nice an dry. We are going to get about a bazillion inches of rain next week.

 

[James Burleigh]

Sounds like a fun day is planned, have a good time, take lots of picture and post em.
I'll just stay here and watch the snow melt.

Karl if it rains on us I'll be thinking of you at home nice an dry. We are going to get about a bazillion inches of rain next week.

Ain't gonna rain tomorrow. Forecast: Cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High near 55F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Hell, even I'll get up for that chit.

 

[James Burleigh]

Going to bed now since I have to get up at freakin' 0'Dark:Thirty! Something like 8:00 AM.

 

[Bugnatr]

Nuttin but clear skys up here- good to go.

 

[puppychow]

Will be in Elk Grove close to 9:30AM - crazy fog here in Folsom this morning, was going to leave early, but will wait a bit to give it some more time to burn off.

 

[madmike2]

Doug, it's pretty foggy here in Elk Grove. I'd guess 1/2 mile visibility in my neighborhood.

I'm only 10 miles North of the "Birds" portion of the ride.

It is supposed to burn off by 10 AM but you'll want to layer up accordingly.

 

[James Burleigh]

So this is what 7:44 on a Saturday morning looks like. :blink:

Hi-viz yellow looks like the order of the day.

 

[Bluestreek]

As soon as I sharpen up my fog knife we will be out of here.

 

[puppychow]

Had a great time on my first FJR forum ride! Great meeting and riding with everyone! A very different kind of motorcycle outing, many highlights talking and connecting with the NorCal FJR crew and the tour of the Bierstadt's and Thomas Moran paintings were absolutely amazing, made even more so by Hans' explaining the artists' techniques and the meticulous attention to detail in each square inch!

Thank you all for a great Saturday! See you all on the next one!

 

[gfran]

Great day, Hans. Thanks for putting it together. The food was delicious and the museum had some amazing stuff. But, the best part was the comradely. We enjoyed meeting some new folks too.

 

[jwhite518]

Our morning had an inauspicious start: My FJR wouldn't start. Battery was completely run down. I had left my AC inverter connected inside the tank bag the last time I rode, and that was that. Fortunately the BMW was in running order, so we transferred the extra clothes and gloves to the BMW, and took off. Time was 8:00 AM. GPS? Who needs a GPS? I knew the complicated route by heart.

It was sunny in the Bay Area, but as soon as we got over the first set of hills to the Tri Valley, the fog kicked in. We rode down Foothill Rd. in Pleasanton in pretty heavy pea soup. I had to wipe the condensation off my visor a every couple of minutes. Stanley Blvd was also Foggy. By the time we got to Altamont Pass Rd, the long term effects of the fog were evident. Everyone's hands were freezing, even Claire's. She was wearing my electric jacket and gloves, but the controller was on the FJR.

Once we got across the pass the road changed to Base Line Rd. We pulled over to regroup, warm up, and discuss. Ben said he was a fair weather rider and not really enjoying himself. The kids weren't complaining very much, but they were also cold. We decided to press on to Tracy and find a restaurant. Ten minutes later, we were seated in a booth in the Tracy Orchard, helmets and jackets everywhere. I whipped out my crackberry and pulled up a heavy fog advisory for the central valley. It was supposed to clear up at noon. It was about 9:30 AM. The BBB portion of our day was officially over.

Plan B was to see a movie. Much heated discussion ensued. The dads wanted to see Avatar. The kids wanted to see the Princess and the Frog. A compromise was a Jackie Chan comedy. The decision was to take back roads back to the Dublin megaplex, and check the schedule. We'd see whatever was starting soon. Took Patterson Pass Rd, stopped at the overlook for photos and chillin'.

The movie: AVATAR! Lots of fun. I wouldn't call it great, or a classic. But it's a fun way to spend 3 hours on a foggy Saturday. Unfortunately the kids weren't very happy about the decision. And frankly it wasn't an appropriate movie for 9 year olds. After it was over they both gave it thumbs down. But they survived.

And that was the family version of the BBB ride. Sorry to have missed the actual event with you guys, but we had our fun anyway. Lemons, lemonade, etc.