Gualala!

It's fun to say especially when it's pronounced incorrectly. The "G" is shy. Getting to Gualala was an adventure. Route 101 follows the Oregon coast, and then in California, south of redwood park route 1 begins. It immediately winds up and down a mountain for an hour or so till you get back to the coast. Then it continues to wind with a misleading 55mph speed limit. I spend most of my time in 3rd gear dropping into second fairly often. This road is fun! The day goes on, and I realize the last hour and a half of my ride will be in the dark. For the second time on the trip I break one of my rules; no riding at night. Unless I ninja camp in the expected heavy rain and wind, I have to keep going. I gas up and press on. The temp is dropping and I can sense the rain coming. As dusk arrives my visor becomes useless. The salty air condenses on the visor and what I thought was the vapor coming off the crashing waves during the day creating a coastal mist is just a hard to clean layer on my visor which becomes impossible to see through as night falls and headlights refract on the misty slime on the visor. The visor goes up and I hope all the bugs are asleep. It takes a few minutes for my tear ducts to adjust to the increased airflow in my face but soon I can see quite well. Quite well is a relative term as clouds block any light the moon and stars may have provided.

My concentration level skyrockets as I continue to ride along route 1 into the darkness. I can hear the waves crashing to my right and I start to ride extremely conservatively. A missed turn on a motorcycle on a normal road and you stand a good chance of surviving. Route 1 is less forgiving. The road is in excellent condition however. Very few bumps and well marked center lines make this passage doable. I take the ride one turn at a time and am relieved when I arrive in Gualala.

It's great to see Sarah and meet her fiance Charlie. She is about to move back to new Orleans so I arrive just in time to check out their sweet apartment right on the coast. Sarah makes an awesome chili for dinner despite having packed most of the spice weasel for the move. I sleep well and get ready for my approach into San Francisco. My bike has the best nights rest nestled in Sarah's garage! Thanks again Sarah and Charlie!

Photos: view from Sarah's apartment.Read more