Topic: Journey to the 2016 Hollister Independence Rally and Yosemite National Park (Read 7158 times)

JCZ · « **on:** July 04, 2016, 11:12:09 AM »

Miguel and I left San Diego at 6 am and shot up I-5 to Lost Hills, Ca. Then east on Ca 46 to James Dean Memorial Junction (where he was killed in a car accident) and on up the road to the Memorial. Then we rode across the Jack Ranch to Parkfield, Ca. aka Earthquake Capital of the World. We had a great lunch and then moved on.

Rolling north on Ca 25 we rode through Hollister where it was much cooler than our ride so far. Soon we arrived at Andy & Sherry's house in Cupertino. We all rode in to downtown San Jose to a little juke joint to listen to some live blues. Fri. morning we rode over to Hollister for breakfast and the rally.

Just didn't feel like carrying my Nikon around and so it begin with my cell phone and many of those pics are on my facebook page. However, once the babes started rolling out.....well, I just couldn't let Jock down so I went back to my bike and got my Nikon.

I didn't know they made em this tall......

JCZ · « **Reply #1 on:** July 04, 2016, 11:13:20 AM »

OK, I've got the camera now....let's get some pics for you guys that weren't able to make it to the rally....random views throughout the rally...

and let's not forget.....this is the independence rally...

JCZ · « **Reply #2 on:** July 04, 2016, 11:32:16 AM »

Many of you will recognize this photo (May 1947 Life Magazine), taken in front of Johnny's...now known as "The Birthplace of the American Biker". Rumor has it that the photos in Life magazine were stagged and not candid shots. We recently talked to the grandaughter of the man that owned Johnny's back then and she said that her grandfather was there when the photo was taken and he always claimed that it was completly staged...right down to the beer bottles placed along the curb in the gutter.

As a result of this article Hollywood quickly made the first biker movie "The Wild One" starring Marlon Brando and Lee Marvin...

JCZ · « **Reply #3 on:** July 04, 2016, 11:33:04 AM »

The rest of it, riders much like yourselves have made it history over the years and decades. I've always found it interesting at the numbers that show up for a little three day rally. I suspect it's because this is where it all begin and people are fascinated by the history....now back to current day Johnny's and the rally.

JCZ · « **Reply #4 on:** July 04, 2016, 11:33:32 AM »

all the typical vendors selling motorcycle paraphernalia and junk...

and we've all seen the small breed dog carriers, but what about the big dog carriers? Well here's a guy that has the solution mounted to a quick release luggage rack...

The sites can be interesting when you're just taking a break and sitting on the sidelines....

JCZ · « **Reply #5 on:** July 04, 2016, 11:52:21 AM »

JCZ · « **Reply #6 on:** July 04, 2016, 11:53:45 AM »

Prospect doin what prospects do....getting all the girls...

and here we have a couple of shady lookin' characters hangin out in front of the massage parlor....

even the local casual passers by given them the suspicious eye...

Keep an eye on these two hombres....there'll be more of them later....

4fun · « **Reply #7 on:** July 04, 2016, 12:06:00 PM »

Nice pics, and you caught a little Marilyn Monroe shot with the skirt lifting in the wind.

JCZ · « **Reply #8 on:** July 04, 2016, 01:12:51 PM »

We strolled over to the beer garden to see who was playing. Kind of sparse this early in the day and the first band about to start. Somebody that none of us had heard of before...an all female tribute band to Led Zepplelin, Zepparella. Not only were they hot and sexy, to our surprise they played well, too! Within half hour of playing the beer garden was packed but I got the pics for all of you before it got to crowded. I could have taken pics of these ladies and listened to their music all day and all night...they were easy to lay eyes on and ears to! Here's doin the best I could for you guys....

A taste of their music (google their name for more videos of their music and calendar....they're out of San Francisco)....

JCZ · « **Reply #9 on:** July 04, 2016, 01:14:34 PM »

JCZ · « **Reply #10 on:** July 04, 2016, 01:15:38 PM »

I've been watching Jock for about ten years now...learning all I could about taking these pics for all of you. Framing the subject, photo groups, and how does he get the ladies to "light up". I've come to learn that's something that each camera man has to develop his own style and then improve on it constantly. I'm tryin........

JCZ · « **Reply #11 on:** July 04, 2016, 01:17:13 PM »

and now back to Zepparella. For you guys in the east, they're going to be playing at the Glouchester Harvest Festival in Glouchester, Ma. on Sept. 17.

Angeline Saris....bass

Gretchen Menn....guitar

JCZ · « **Reply #12 on:** July 04, 2016, 01:18:08 PM »

Prospect Miguel at it again.....

JCZ · « **Reply #13 on:** July 04, 2016, 01:18:50 PM »

But it takes the man with the camera to get them to "light up"...

Proof....who's she checking out? Thanx a bunch Jock for all the secrets of the trade....

JCZ · « **Reply #14 on:** July 04, 2016, 01:19:31 PM »

Now where were we? Oh yea.....bike rally.....

Man this is rough.....you guys just don't realize what I go through for all of you....

OK, prospect gets his moment in the sunshine......

JCZ · « **Reply #15 on:** July 04, 2016, 02:27:55 PM »

It's obvious the big wheel look is fading fast but here's one for you guys that was nice, for what it is...

JCZ · « **Reply #16 on:** July 04, 2016, 02:28:54 PM »

Hollister was a good time but like any rally, after you've been to more of them than you can remember, a little goes a long way. Time to roll and Miguel had never been to Yosemite National Park and so we left Andy & Sherry's about 6:30 a.m. on Sat. As we rode east past Casa de Fruita, past I-5....all the way east to Hwy. 99 it was hundreds, maybe thousands of motorcycles. I am sure glad we weren't in Hollister on Sat!

The traffic was backed up five miles before the park entrance gate on that narrow, twisty two lane road but we didn't have much choice. It was 101F and we had to move at a faster pace than 3 mph for two or three car lengths and then stop again. So we did what we had to do....we hugged the double yellow and started moving to the front. That five miles seemed like 500 miles. This was our first clue that 4th of July weekend (like Memorial Day weekend....or any other holiday weekend) is not the time to come to Yosemite National Park!

Finally through the gates.....had to stop and get my Nikon out of the tour pack.

We're rolling now! Speed limit says 20 mph.....why are we doing 10 mph? Feels like a funeral....can we pick up the pace ?

JCZ · « **Reply #17 on:** July 04, 2016, 02:30:09 PM »

At 101F there wasn't a chance we were going to see any ice......but the thought of it was kind of refreshing......for half a second.

But there is some melted snow and ice right beside the highway.....Miguel, it's really going to hurt for a long, long time if you fall in there.

JCZ · « **Reply #18 on:** July 04, 2016, 02:31:03 PM »

Clue number two.....cars literally double parked in one of the two traffic lanes and nobody in the cars!

And how do the people get out that's parked in the legal parking space?

We had to stop and let the bikes cool down and we found a hole next to the dumpster that we could get both bikes in...

JCZ · « **Reply #19 on:** July 04, 2016, 02:31:57 PM »

Some kids and their mother was having a great time jumping off the bridge.....

and so Miguel joined them.......

JCZ · « **Reply #20 on:** July 04, 2016, 02:32:43 PM »

Personally, I would have preferred this.....

But Miguel preferred this....

JCZ · « **Reply #21 on:** July 04, 2016, 02:33:28 PM »

JCZ · « **Reply #22 on:** July 04, 2016, 02:34:48 PM »

My fashion statement....my Sunbrella Sun Shirt, cool vest and cool snake around my neck....color cordinated to match my bike of course. Hey, at my age and at these temps we couldn't care less about the look good....it's the comfort that we're after.

Honest ranger.....I just forgot to put my helmet on.....it's right here in my back seat.....see!

ultra98 · « **Reply #23 on:** July 04, 2016, 03:42:38 PM »

:2vrolijk_21:Wow thanks its on my bucket list

JCZ · « **Reply #24 on:** July 04, 2016, 04:07:07 PM »

We rode the valley floor and then on over to the hotel. Here's Miguel in the restaurant of the hotel....

JCZ · « **Reply #25 on:** July 04, 2016, 04:08:00 PM »

Did I mention that Yosemite was crowded?

Bridelveil Fall

JCZ · « **Reply #26 on:** July 04, 2016, 04:09:19 PM »

JCZ · « **Reply #27 on:** July 04, 2016, 04:09:57 PM »

JCZ · « **Reply #28 on:** July 04, 2016, 05:02:38 PM »

Wawona was our next stop....

JCZ · « **Reply #29 on:** July 04, 2016, 05:03:18 PM »

The lady told Miguel she'd let him up on their little mules, Big D. Miguel was having a bit of a hard time getting up on him...couldn't even reach the stirrups. But after four or five times of trying to jump up on him.....he finally made it. When the lady told us this mule's name is Big D, her and the other lady begin to laugh...so I knew there had to be something more to this. I asked "why do you call him Big D?". She said "well you can call him Richard if you'd like" and they both busted out laughing. Those girls been working around the studs to long....or been deprived of studs for to long.

Miguel is lucky this is their small mule!

JCZ · « **Reply #30 on:** July 04, 2016, 05:04:25 PM »

Left Yellowstone behind and headed down through Fresno and back out on to Hwy. 99 and homeward bound.

We rolled in to San Diego Harley Davidson to a holiday sales party. They had some of the dancers from Pure Platinum strip club doing the bikini bike wash.

JCZ · « **Reply #31 on:** July 04, 2016, 05:05:28 PM »

And inside the dealership was a different caliber ladies....

JCZ · « **Reply #32 on:** July 04, 2016, 05:05:51 PM »

Back outside and what do we have here....

It was a great four days and 1450 miles and we look forward to the next ride....

Jock · « **Reply #33 on:** July 04, 2016, 05:51:00 PM »

Quote from: JCZ on July 04, 2016, 11:12:09 AM

Just didn't feel like carrying my Nikon around and so it begin with my cell phone and many of those pics are on my facebook page. However, once the babes started rolling out.....well, I just couldn't let Jock down so I went back to my bike and got my Nikon.

That's right! Blame it on me!

Jock · « **Reply #34 on:** July 04, 2016, 05:53:48 PM »

Quote from: JCZ on July 04, 2016, 11:12:09 AM

I didn't know they made em this tall......

That is one tall glass of water and I am mighty thirsty!

JCZ · « **Reply #35 on:** July 05, 2016, 06:51:59 PM »

Yea, me too!

Author Topic: Journey to the 2016 Hollister Independence Rally and Yosemite National Park (Read 7158 times)