Aug 27 Day 11

Where are Tom and Lennie Now? - Click here for our current location !

Day 11, and the plan is for a relocation day. Until today, we have spent most of our time in California along the Sierra Nevada Mountains visiting some of the National Parks. During the next portion of our trip, we will spend time along the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway, Highway 1). We want to start the coastal ride near Morro Bay, so today we are simply relocating from Merced CA to San Luis Abispo CA, just east of Morro. On Tuesday we will start our ride up the coast.

Before I go any further, I need to confess. Actually, Lennie needs to confess, as she made me do it :) My intent with yesterdays's blog regarding the Half Dome hike was one of jest. While all of the information regarding what it takes to hike Half Dome was absolutely accurate. The information indicating that Lennie and I hiked it, was absolutely inaccurate :)

First, the Half Dome hike truly is a 12-14 hour hike. That means most hikers hit the trail around 5 AM so that they can get back down before dark. We were also a 2 hour drive from the park, which means we would need to leave our hotel at 3 AM. Not happening. Next, I don't think I could even WALK for 12-14 hours straight, let alone ascending and descending almost 5000 feet during that walk. Then comes the hike up a 45 degree slope of smooth granite, while hanging on for dear life to steel cables, again, not happening. Oh, I almost forgot, those knees of Lennie's, yeah those knees that need cortisone injections every six months just so she can walk... not the knees needed to hike Half Dome :):)

Back to our regularly scheduled blog (all true from here forward).

Along with the many orchards we have seen, there are a number of farms with horses, cattle, and other livestock. This place had hundreds of cows. The smell while passing by was not wonderful. I know little about farming, so I am unsure if those are milkin' cows, or eatin' cows??

This was a strange farm, looked like he was growing all kinds of stuff, old cars, old tractors, a boat or two, there were also at least 4 campers on that farm.

Hey !!

Had to say it... he actually had 3 of those huge buildings full of hay bails.

As we rode between Bakersfield and San Luis Abispo, there was an intersting irrigation canal running along the road. This went along for at least 60 miles. They really do an amazing job of getting water to their plants in this dry area.

This fellow was dragging around some irrigation piping. The trailer had a tendency to sway all over the road, so we made our way past him quickly.

We have seen all kinds of farms, orange, pistachio, olive, etc, but this is first dirt farm we ran across.

I hope the fellow above is taking that irrigation pipe to this guys farm!!!

Not sure what his plans are, but it looks like he is just playing in the dirt, and making a huge dust storm.

Instead of taking the fastest way from Merced to San Luis Obispo, we decided to take a more scenic (motorcycle friendly) route. Route 58 between Bakersfield and San Luis Obispo is a lonely, twisty, 70 mile stretch of road with very little along the way.

The scenery in this area is very desert like.

Nobody out here but us and some cows.

The road also makes an ascent over a somewhat small mountain range. I think we peaked at about 3500 feet, not that high, but the elevation changes make the ride a little more interesting.

No money spent on guard rails around here...

You know you are on a good motorcycle road when you can look to the side and see where you just were. :)

After roughly 60 miles, we started to drop back down into the valley.

Once back in the valley, a 10 mile jaunt down Highway 101 dropped us right into San Luis Abispo. This will be home for the night.

Tomorrow we start our trek up the PCH, which should give us a bunch of great photo opportunities. We will run the coast from Morro Bay, to Monterey. I hope we do not run into any fog. And as I expected, we will have to break out our jackets, as the high temps for tomorrow will be about 65.

Today, we traveled 276 miles from Merced CA to San Luis Obispo CA. This brings the trip total to 3252 miles. Below is a map of the route from today.