Day 6 - Paso Robles to Big Sur

Today we had to meet John and Kaz at Morro Bay, but more importantly. get that tyre replaced.  We arrived on the doorstep of San Luis Motorsport on the dot of 9:00am.  The service staff were very helpful and advised that the tyre was unsafe and further they had the right type in stock.  A quick call to Eagle Rider who agreed to reimburse the cost and we ordered the replacement.

This took a little while, but we were only 20 minutes or so from the meeting place with J&K so we cooled our heels looking at bikes and jet skis.  10:30, we were on our way and at the meeting place by eleven, only 15 minutes late for the meeting time.  Little did we know that J&K were held up by LA traffic and would take another 90 minutes to get there.  Ah well, we went and got some breakfast at a local supermarket and waited, amusing ourselves watching the antics of the cars at the 4-way stop sign intersection.  We even drove through the intersection twice and I think I've got the local rules sussed.  it is a case of first in best dressed, so whoever stops first, gets to proceed first.  No giving way to the right.  It seems to work as there were only a few horn honks while we watched.

At last J&K arrived - not their fault - and after the greetings we were underway up Hwy1 and the coast road to Big Sur.  The ride started out warm, but soon turned cold as a mist was gathering off the coast.  This mist is the cold air from the ocean meeting up with the warm air of the land and with the recent hot days it was causing a lot of cold gusty winds which buffeted our bikes, punctuated by calmer warm sections as we went behind headlands etc.

Pretty soon it started to mist up altogether and we weren't seeing a lot of scenery.  The road then started to climb into some hills and we stopped atop a cliff overlooking the misty ocean, with glimpses of water.  Back on the road it started to clear up a bit and the road also got a lot more interesting.  Steep slopes down to us and then down to the surf and the road winding in and out the side of the mountains.  Pretty good road surface so it turned into a fun ride.  John was still finding his "wings" so was taking it easy, and I was nursing the new tyre.  Didn't stop me from chasing down a Harley though.  Good fun.

We had several stops along the way for pictures.  The whole coastline is so picturesque you could take photos all day.  John and I did a pose ride across a bridge, side by side as the girls took photos.  We held up the traffic a bit doing that.

We met a van full of Aussies - flag draped in the window - who have spent the last three months surfing at San Diego and are hoping to get their visas extended so they can actually go see some more of the country.  We stopped at Big Sur Inn, then went on a bit to some shops.  I was accosted by a young lady who spied our flags and wanted to hear an Australian accent.  She was from Melbourne, but had been here for a while.  Quite a while by the sound of her accent.

Back to Big Sur Inn and we settled in to our delightful little cottages set in the woods.  They are very old fashioned, having not changed at all in the 11 years since J&K's last visit on their honeymoon.  We had a lovely - if a little expensive - meal in their restaurant and have now retired.  No internet to speak of so I'll upload this sometime tomorrow.

Night.

Oh - here's the pics.

Hey - there's one of those new Victory bikes
Awaiting food under the Doctor's orders
Ever seen a camo bike tyre?
Back from the test-ride with new rear rubber
One for Camo - owned by an Irishman who regularly rides in USA
Traffic watching
Under way into a windy afternoon
Traffic watching
The two Wings.  "Rough Blue" and the as yet unnamed black one.
Nice place to live
John gets a shot from someone's favourite sitting place
Rolling misty clouds
Rolling Wings
Hot dogs and coffee - watch the mustard
Coastal scene
Let's do a ride over that Bridge
Here we go
Holding up traffic
More coastal scenery
Buncha posers
And again
Our Big Sur Inn hut - Stokes
very rustic and comfy

Next Day