Topic: Carmageddon, Cambria, Big Sur & Off Roading (Read 9682 times)

GregKhougaz · « **on:** July 20, 2011, 02:14:54 PM »

For months, you could not go anywhere in Los Angeles without seeing / hearing warnings about the 405 Freeway closure from July 15 - 17, 2011. Seemed to me to be a good time to get out of town. Called Bryan, " - ..- ..-. --- / UFO_HOG" about meeting Joan and me in Cambria. Made reservations at the Bluebird Inn in Cambria for the 15th and 16th. The Inn is motorcycle friendly, BTW and a nice place to stay.

Picked up my BSR, Joan Friday morning, headed up the 101 to Thousand Oaks and then the 23 North to Moorpark. There, we took Walnut Canyon and back to the 23 which becomes Grimes Canyon. Grimes has great twisties and views and leads out into Fillmore and the Santa Clara River. Took Bardsdale Road east to Sespe south to S. Mountain Road west to Santa Paula.

This is The Warning Sculpture: "Minutes before midnight on the chilly evening of March 12, 1928 the St. Francis Dam failed. The dam’s 200-foot high concrete wall crumbled and collapsed, sending billions of gallons of raging flood waters down San Francisquito Canyon. About five miles northeast of what is now the City of Santa Clarita, the avalanche of water swept 54 miles down the Santa Clara River to the sea. No one knows the exact death toll, but more than 450 people perished in the disaster.

Shortly before 1:30 a.m. on March 13, an urgent message of imminent disaster reached the night telephone operator in Santa Paula and was quickly relayed to police officers, city officials and then homes in the lower portions of town. Among the many heroes of the flood that evening were two motorcycle officers who rode through the night to warn the sleeping citizens in the low lying areas of Santa Paula that a torrent of water was about to inundate their homes. Their heroic efforts saved countless lives. Their wild ride that night was stopped at 3:05 a.m. when the wall of water swept through Santa Paula on its way to the ocean.

Many stories of heroism and courage emerged in the aftermath of the flood. This monument represents one such act of heroism."

GregKhougaz · « **Reply #1 on:** July 20, 2011, 02:17:27 PM »

From Santa Paula, we took the 150 / Ojai Santa Paula Road north. It lead through a beautiful canyon and Upper Ojai Valley. IN the canyon is St. Thomas Aquinas College.

GregKhougaz · « **Reply #2 on:** July 20, 2011, 02:18:10 PM »

As the name suggests, its a religious school. Beautiful:

GregKhougaz · « **Reply #3 on:** July 20, 2011, 02:20:30 PM »

The 150 runs into Ojai and the 33 which we took north. Our favorite stop in Ojai is the Deer Lodge where we had an early lunch. The 33 north takes you into the Los Padres National Forest. Great views:

GregKhougaz · « **Reply #4 on:** July 20, 2011, 02:21:07 PM »

And of course, more great twisties:

GregKhougaz · « **Reply #5 on:** July 20, 2011, 02:24:59 PM »

The 33 is a very lonely road and eventually hits the 166 which we took west toward Santa Maria. Make sure you gas up in Ojai. If you don't believe me, ask Mark / Ironhorse. After a stop at Santa Maria HD, it was a relatively short jaunt up the coast to Cambria. It's a very cute, low key town. Bryan & Tammy met us there later that evening. Saturday, it was time to head up the coast. Beautiful but we were hoping for the Sun to come out.

GregKhougaz · « **Reply #6 on:** July 20, 2011, 02:26:28 PM »

Just past San Simeon, the road starts to get interesting.

GregKhougaz · « **Reply #7 on:** July 20, 2011, 02:27:35 PM »

There never seems to be a shortage of friendly bikers on PCH.

GregKhougaz · « **Reply #8 on:** July 20, 2011, 02:29:41 PM »

Stopped at the Ragged Point Inn, just north of San Simeon. Beautiful, quiet resort with great views, to say the least.

Still no sun, though.

GregKhougaz · « **Reply #9 on:** July 20, 2011, 02:30:54 PM »

View to the north and oh yes, Bryan & Joan.

GregKhougaz · « **Reply #10 on:** July 20, 2011, 02:31:42 PM »

GregKhougaz · « **Reply #11 on:** July 20, 2011, 02:33:15 PM »

Back on PCH, "The Cabrillo Highway," the Sun starts to peak through.

GregKhougaz · « **Reply #12 on:** July 20, 2011, 02:34:05 PM »

Bryan & Tammy

GregKhougaz · « **Reply #13 on:** July 20, 2011, 02:34:51 PM »

Sun! Turned out to be perfect weather.

GregKhougaz · « **Reply #14 on:** July 20, 2011, 02:36:46 PM »

Tremendous rains in CA this year and a mild climate so there are still plenty of colorful flowers everywhere along the coast. Impressive how the terrain changes along PCH.