a pandemic trip from San Diego to Auburn CA, and back

[wanderer]

I made a 4 day weekend of MLKJr day. Head up to Auburn CA to visit my folks.

Day 1 Friday (15 Jan 2021)

San Diego to Auburn, 15h02m, 722 miles.

Hit the road at 4:15am. I always like to try to get through the greater Los Angeles / Riverside / lower San Bernardino complex by sunrise.

You may notice that I missed a left turn on SR-49 just after Jamestown, which added about 45 minutes on SR-108 as I blissfully puttered up into the Sierras until I noticed a sign with mileage to Carson City and thought "Carson City, huh? WTF?".

The above, earlier in the day (before that wrong turn) NW of Pine Flat Lake. The panoramic pic amused me with the sign to the veterinarian (it's blurry in this resolution, but trust me) in the middle of nowhere.

This pic looks down into what I've seen called "the Little Dragon", SR-49 south of Coulterville heading down to the Merced River. Fun stretch, except they sanded the road which had me a little nervous in the corners.

 

Day 3 Sunday (17 Jan 2021)

Auburn to Monterey, 6h27m, 288 miles.

I decided that a stretch of SR-1 should be good for the way back. Hopefully lightly traveled on the sparingly observed MLKJr Day in a pandemic.

Lodging in the pandemic is interesting. When I called different places, I got "You don't need a reservation, we have plenty of rooms, just show up", "Do you have a California ID?" (for residency) , and "Are you traveling on essential business? You could be fined, we could be fined."

I wanted to stay in that last one in Monterey, and they didn't take a reservation, so I decided to wing it and show up on their door and see what they said. At the Best Western, I got a mere "why are you traveling?" "I had to visit my parents and I am on my way home." "OK".

No pictures from the day, it was a pretty straight shot. The Santa Cruz mountains (SR-35) are pretty cool though.

 

Day 4

Monterey to San Diego, 11h49m, 487 miles.

The coast down to Cambria, cut over on Santa Rosa Creek Rd, SR41, Creston and "Rossi's Driveway" and then over SR-58 towards I-5 for the final leg home.

Above an SR-1 photo. My traffic guess was correct. While not exactly "empty", SR-1 had as little traffic as I've ever managed to see on it. It was a great route with very little traffic to hold me up.

Santa Rosa Creek Rd, pretty cool, remote ranches and beautiful country.

Stop at the Loading Chute (Creston) for lunch, before heading south on Rossi's Driveway (SR-229). They will directly serve you your "takeout" in their lovely outdoor seating.

I recreated my tracer900.net avatar at the southern terminus of SR-229!

End of the trip, 1548 new miles on the odometer. Which doesn't add up from the daily mileage logged above, which came from the Garmin watch!

Great trip. A couple of long riding days, and I managed to see my parents who in this pandemic hadn't had a familial visit since July. I also had a COVID test sample taken on Thursday 14 Jan, which didn't come back negative until Sunday night after I'd left the folks. Next time, if it matters, I will take the test 3 days before I arrive ... but I expect the older folks are vaccinated by then.

 

 

[johnmark101]

Looks like a fantastic trip.  Thanks for sharing.  Many of us live in places where winter is far too cold and wet to ride.  

My uncle lived in Del Mar and I always dreamed of living in a place like that where you don't have nasty winters.  I would move but have too much family here.

Edited January 25, 2021 by johnmark101

[koth442]

Fantastic ride. I really miss riding in CA. 

[wanderer]

I did get great weather. I got up to 5200' on SR-108 (the Sonora Pass route) before turning around, and I don't recall any snow. I've experienced far worse in So Cal before - I've gone over Tejon Pass (I-5 north of LA) in 40 degree rain, which turned to snow 4 hours after I went through. But that doesn't happen consistently all winter.

I was also lucky in that I just beat the wind storms:

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/19/weather/california-santa-ana-winds-power-shut-off/index.html

"On Monday, wind gusts of more than 90 mph were reported from Sacramento to the Bay Area"

"Several hurricane-force wind gusts in the mountains of Ventura and Los Angeles counties in Southern California were reported Tuesday."

Looks like I was about a day ahead of the worst of it. It was a little cold and windy eating in the shade in Creston, and I noticed a handful of gusts while riding, but overall I did not notice much and did not have the "exciting" experience of riding in 50-100MPH gusts.

[1moreroad]

Those are such great roads. I miss SoCal. 

1 hour ago, wanderer said:

On Monday, wind gusts of more than 90 mph were reported from Sacramento to the Bay Area

Came back to LA from Salt Lake once with huge, sustained cross winds. Very surreal to pass a Goldwing steadily leaned maybe 30 degrees to go straight then realizing that I must have been leaning about the same amount for hours but got used to it. 

[wanderer]

I once had an experience like this on my CB500x (prior bike, now for sale), except I stayed on the road. Quite exciting to pass a tractor-semi and exit the wind shadow!

 

[keithu]

Looks like a great trip! If you have to make a wrong turn somewhere, accidentally riding up CA-108 is not a bad place to do it. 

[2and3cylinders]

Where are you in SD?  I left in 81 and life has been such I've never been back!  I'm from Crestwood near 1st & Upas.  Loved the Chicken Pie Shop for weekend brunch, and Rudford's 24 hour diner for munchies after a late night run up to Palomar on my Matchless cafe with my copilot squeezing me so tight I could barely breath as she screamed for me to slow down on S6 on the way down back to 76.  I remember eating at the Rongbranch in Julian when a small quake kit.  Actually I didn't feel it because I must have been shaking myself in the john but realized it hit due to the swaying hanging fixture when I returned to the table and my bride-to-be and best man being white as a sheet.

SDSU  and GD Convair alum too.  It was a different time but the roads must be much the same, just more congested.  However, don't ever get me started on the way people have changed.  My wife accuses me of being a bitter old man.

My buds, most have passed (life on the edge of the fast lane I guess), and I used to Cannonball from SD to Donner Lake for Xmas.  They'd all be in souped-up cages except Crazy Ed and me.  Only rule was no rules and no super slab.  I don't remember the 60s and little of the 70s due to the smoke and purple haze so I can't say for sure they were fun.  I do recall they were challenging times with seemingly endless possibilities.  Again, if I knew then what I know now when I was younger...

I'm planning on getting back this year or next, health and pandemic permitting.  I'll warn you'all if and when I do!  I heard your gov ended your lockdown yesterday.  Go for it while you can is all I say with no regrets.

[wanderer]

15 hours ago, 2and3cylinders said:

Where are you in SD? 

Scripps Ranch, just east of I-15 from Miramar MCAS.

There are some good rides around here, including up Palomar. The South Grade has the awesome curves, and the East Grade has a great view overlook I always like to stop at, look out over Lake Henshaw, have (no alcohol) drink, take a nap.

But eventually one always wants to explore further!

[2and3cylinders]

Fa'shor!

SD county is huge and so diverse in micro climates.  CA was like a dream for me, I didn't want /need / have a car for years.  Two vintage Brit side hacks for laundry, groceries and hot dates though!

[maximo]

What a great trip! And who amongst us has not missed that Hwy 49N turnout at Jamestown? The way it's designed, it makes you think it's just the Downtown Sonora exit. But if you're going to miss a turn, that's a great one to miss! 

[keithu]

12 hours ago, wanderer said:

Scripps Ranch, just east of I-15 from Miramar MCAS.

I frequently travel to Rancho Bernardo for work, but unfortunately I'm always in a rental car. One of these days I want to bring the bike down. Lovely area!

[2and3cylinders]

1 hour ago, keithu said:

I frequently travel to Rancho Bernardo for work, but unfortunately I'm always in a rental car. One of these days I want to bring the bike down. Lovely area!

I house sat in RB for 9 months before moving back into SD with a girlfriend.  Hotter up there and fires were always a concern.  Close to the Wild Animal Park though, and faster to Palomar, Julian and Lake Henshaw, and beyond.

[wanderer]

1 hour ago, keithu said:

I frequently travel to Rancho Bernardo for work, but unfortunately I'm always in a rental car. One of these days I want to bring the bike down.

Pre-pandemic, I had regular work travel to Santa Clara CA (Bay Area), and for several years I have not caught a flight but always ride. Anchor it to a weekend to have a two day trip one way, and just jet up/down the other way. E.g. ride up I-5 Wednesday afternoon/evening, stay Thursday and Friday, have a fun ride down on Saturday and Sunday with a stay somewhere in the middle.

Oregon to Rancho Bernardo is a little further though.

Of course, one could rent a bike locally as well.

[keithu]

53 minutes ago, wanderer said:

Of course, one could rent a bike locally as well.

I've rented a bike on a work trip to LA, but not San Diego. I think I've been to RB ~12 times over the last ten years, but only once have I been there over a weekend where a bike rental might be worthwhile. And in that case (January last year) my wife flew down for the weekend so we could celebrate our anniversary and do touristy stuff. The last time we were in San Diego together was 30 years prior and she was picking me up from a ship at North Island.