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[JCZ]

Alan, Mike, Babe & I left San Diego about 8:00 a.m. this morning and headed north out of San Diego on I-5.  A quick stop in Santa Ana at Danny Gray seats to replace a rider's backrest on Alan's seat and we were back on the road.

Lane split most of the way through Los Angeles over the next two or three hours but even with that, traffic was about as good as it gets in LA.  We stopped at the old stage coach stop, Cold Springs Tavern to get lunch and to hook up with Van.





Alan's 17 CVO Street Glide that he's already had the motor bumped up, stereo mods, saddle bag liners tricked out and a few other mods.....











and Van finally rolled in......

[JCZ]

And since this is Van's back yard, he's going to lead and take us a more scenic route than Hwy. 101....and he did!

Leaving Cold Springs Tavern we ride under the 2nd tallest bridge in California....that means this is a very deep canyon next to us, as we leave and pass under the bridge since we're also near the top.....

[JCZ]

Cold Springs Tavern was a stage stop and hotel back in the 1800s, a place to stop and eat, rest or even get a room for the night.  Next stop on the stage line was also the last stop.  At Mattie's Tavern is where people got off the stage and got on the train....

[JCZ]

Not the stage.......just a few saddle broken broncs....

[JCZ]

Van leads out again, taking us down Foxen Canyon Rd.   It may be a surprise to some but Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch is located in the next valley over.  You will also notice that with all the rain that we've gotten here in California that everything is so green.  Alan commented that it felt like we were riding the green fields of Ireland.  Well, since it is St. Patrick's Day it was easy to imagine......








This sign tells us this is going to be a very nice ride.....let's do it!

[JCZ]

Erin Go Braugh!........

[JCZ]

With all the bright colors.....not hard to imagine this place being off in Ireland.......









We arrived at the Best Western Plus here in Santa Maria at 4:00 p.m.  We registered and then stood in the parking lot talking for about an hour.  Van, being true to his reputation disappeared......nobody saw him again, once we turned in to the motel parking lot.      Looking forward to our ride tomorrow.  It was great t-shirt riding weather today and more of the same for tomorrow.

[CAmike]

Great pics! I ride through the central coast all the time and was on Foxen Canyon Road last week. Love the area and so many great canyon roads to explore and get lost.

[ptnlinda]

loved the pic's. Great day for it by the look of it.

[JCZ]

Yep, I spent the day in my t-shirt.  Plan to do the same on our ride today.  More pics will be posted tonight.

[Grizzly]

Thanks JC for another great ride report.

Even though it was hovering around 40°f here on St. Paddy's Day, there is still too much sand & chit on the road to take my "Green Dream Machine" ('91 Heritage) for a ride, but we felt like we were riding right along with you through the dales!

Thanks for sharing. 

[Joel]

Thanks for the report and pics.
We have gone from almost daily snow to daily rain. But whats new.
We are in the wash the de icer off the road season. And your post and pics help me look forward to riding season.
Ride safe.

[FLH91]

Wish I would have paid attention to this gtg...  My wife and I spent the night in Port Hueneme at the Holiday Inn Express.  We are going to be riding the mountains near Malibu today and then head back east towards Savannah tomorrow.... Rode in from 29 Palms yesterday to Santa Monica Pier, then to Ventura HD for a new tire.  I little foggy near the water but nice up top.  Great riding once out of the traffic....

[JCZ]

This Best Western Plus has one of the nicest breakfasts of any BW that I've ever stayed in.

Marty (110 mofo) showed up as we were finishing breakfast.  It was more foggy as we headed back to our rooms to get ready to roll than it was when we walked over for breakfast.  Of course the bikes were soaked so we wiped them down and got ready to roll....

[JCZ]

There were more wild flowers in bloom that I've ever saw in my 66 yrs.  The news says that the wild flowers are blooming at a record rate due to all the rain that we've had.....