Category: Uncategorized

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Finish driving to San Francisco, Biking SF to Monterrey.

~ jeffsbiketour ~ Leave a comment

IMG_2794

     I brought another cyclist I met at Manchester Beach to Stinson Beach.  We partied all the way, too much fun.  We stopped at one beach and the perfect California lifeguard was there.

I finally made it back to Russ and Jill’s place in Tomales, to drop off my car. My first night, there was another football game with the crowning of the Homecoming queen.   Of course I got a photo with last years queen and other Tomales High Celebrities.
Russ always talks about how lucky he is to have a steady stream of spring water, especially in drought ridden California.  Russ may have stopped milking cows years ago, but if you live on a farm, there’s still farm work.  I wasn’t much help because the doctor said I could only lift 20 lbs.  The yearly task is to scrap out the built up muck, out of the spring water box.  I tried my best to help Isabella lift out the heavy buckets.

YEA, SHE’S HAVING FUN
PACKING UP FOR THE BIKE TOUR

     Russ drove me to San Francisco and dropped me off.  I was so excited and somewhat apprehensive to be on the bike again.  I thought Sunday traffic would be somewhat quiet, wrong.  Highway 1 was lined with Pumpkin patches and corn mazes.  I booked 2 nights at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel.  I took a day and rode to Ana Nuevo Reserve, where as kids we camped out with HUGE bonfires, illegal now.  The beaches were covered with seals and I saw probably 150 Pelicans too, super cool.

NICE SIGN
PIGEON POINT LIGHTHOUSE
LAGOON FILLED WITH PELICANS
SEAL COVERED BEACH
MORE SEALS
THERE’S ALWAYS A BREWERY THESE DAYS

 I contacted an old high school friend in Santa Cruz, I gave it 50/50.  He called back! and we met for lunch and a couple beers.  He’s quiet the craftsman, he made the beer taps at the SANTE ADAIR BREWERY.  Part of my farewell America tour is to visit my old schools, the house I grew up in and the downtown area.  As kids we had only one store downtown that was 2 stories.  My brother and I use to bike downtown just to ride the elevator up one level.  I stopped by the library too, where my first & favorite bike was stolen from.  It was great to see the new bike facilities.  Known as Silicon Valley, it’s home to the most famous tech companies: Apple, HP, Google, Facebook, Netflix and many many others.  The Apple campus was HUGE.

PUB OWNER & CHRIS, BEER TAP MAKER
BIKE STATION AT FREMONT HIGH
SOLAR STUDENT PARKING
MY CHILDHOOD HOME
CHILDHOOD HOME BACKYARD
LIBRARY PARKING
HOME OF APPLE
AND MANY OTHERS
HOSTEL SQUIRREL

I take the bus out of Santa Cruz to Watsonville, to avoid all the cars and traffic. I ride past acres and acres of strawberry’s (strawberry fields forever).  I ride to Monterey and stop for a beer at the American Legion building, it’s Thursday night football- cheap beers and free burrito bar, killing it.  It’s dark & straight up to the campground, I opt for sleeping behind the building.

copyright 2010 Quang-Tuan Luong, all rights reserved. This image from http://www.terragalleria.com/photo/?ref=usca46707
FUTURE STRAWBERRY BEDS
CAMPING (for free!)
CALIFORNIA HATES TRUMP, IT’S EVERYWHERE
I LOVE PARK RANGERS!

Sorry to my Facebook friends for using some photos twice, (but they’re good!).
Thanks for reading,
Jeff
NEXT:  Big Sur, Sneaking around the Slide, Morro Bay! and San Luis Obispo

IMG_2674
AS SEEN AT THE AMERICAN LEGION

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Driving from Portland to San Francisco to go finish the bike tour. (part I)

~ jeffsbiketour ~ 1 Comment

The injury is healing fine ( though somewhat painfully).  I’m taking a week to get to San Francisco and hopefully heal more before biking again.  First heading to Bend Oregon for 4 days.   But first brunch at Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood.  It’s snowing and my car won’t make it up the hill.  I must park and take the bus up.

IMG_2362

Continue reading “ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Driving from Portland to San Francisco to go finish the bike tour. (part I)” →

BIKING HIGHWAY 1 ON THE CALIFORNIA COAST, LIVING THE DREAM

~ jeffsbiketour ~ Leave a comment

IMG_1636

I started riding on Highway 1 and just 10 miles from Fort Bragg I was run off the road
twice.  If your thinking of trying bike touring? “ALWAYS” use a mirror they’re lifesavers.  I stayed at Mackerricher State Park, quail visitors for breakfast and whale skeletons.  There is a 3 mile bike path to Fort Bragg.  A great little town, organic breakfast, fun shops, good cards and a super rock shop.  I got my shredded shirt repaired by Sew & Sew, which was just bought by 3 lovely ladies a week ago, so I suggested it should now be Sew & Sew & Sew.
Continue reading “BIKING HIGHWAY 1 ON THE CALIFORNIA COAST, LIVING THE DREAM” →

BIKING THE OREGON COAST PART II: Yachts, Florence, KOA, North Bend/Coos Bay.

~ jeffsbiketour ~ 1 Comment

To set the record straight, the Coast Bike Route on highway 101 on the Oregon Coast, is no holiday.  The cars are fast and the shoulder is from nothing to 6 ft (9 meters).  I will NEVER-EVER ride the Oregon coast again.  I’m staying at campgrounds their max stay- 3 days, just to avoid getting back on the highway.   I stop at all rock shops and most art galleries, I’ve been sending myself souvenirs all along the way.  There’s a huge Methamphetamine and Heroin problem all along the coast,  very sad.  I finally got a hair cut.

img_0825-1
I FINALLY GOT A HAIR CUT, WITH AN AMERICAN FLAG CAP,E TOO FUNNY.

Continue reading “BIKING THE OREGON COAST PART II: Yachts, Florence, KOA, North Bend/Coos Bay.” →

BIKING THE OREGON COAST: Vernonia, Astoria, Manzanita, Cape Lookout, Newport.

~ jeffsbiketour ~ 2 Comments

I’m at the library in Florence Oregon on the Oregon coast.  I’m playing blog catch up.
I left July 15, exactly the day I wanted to leave.  I bummed a ride to the start of the Banks-Vernonia bike trail.  This tour I’m trying include many of the places I visited over the 42 years I lived in Oregon and one’s I haven’t.
I was a bike tour guide and use to bring people on this trail.  Starting the tour with no cars was great.  As I was biking past a large field, there were some Indians  (from India) playing cricket, that’s a hard game to learn.  The owner of the Blue House Cafe, a Mediterranean restaurant, he use to help me shuttle the van, back in the touring days.  They would always open the history museum too when I brought a tour through town.
Continue reading “BIKING THE OREGON COAST: Vernonia, Astoria, Manzanita, Cape Lookout, Newport.” →

PORTLAND REVISITED, WHAT HAPPENED?

~ jeffsbiketour ~ Leave a comment

I left Portland in July 2015 and moved to Slovenia, permanently I thought. My tenant left town and I rented my house from him for 3 weeks. I’m back in Portland now and A LOT  has changed.    Housing prices & rent have sky rocketed, marijuana is for sale all over town, the food carts are still the place to eat, and so much more.  My house with my pride and joy edible garden yard were way out of control.  I trimmed for 3 days and hired a crew to clean-up the mess I made.  I went to a Blondie/Garbage concert, camped at Oxbow Park, attended the Master Gardener show (I’m a master gardener too!).

OXBOW WITH THE VALHAUERS
HIKING TRAIL TO CAMPSITE
OXBOW CAMPING
PARTY RAFT AT SANDY RIVER-OXBOW
SHE WANTED ME TO PHOTO THE BREAST FLOAT- WHICH ONES?
MASTER GARDENER BIKE ART
MASTER GARDENER BIKE ART
MASTER GARDENER BIKE ART
MASTER GARDENER BIKE ART
MASTER GARDENER BIKE ART
MASTER GARDENER BIKE ART
DEBBIE HARRY OF BLONDIE
GARBAGE LEAD SINGER SHIRLEY MANSON
CONCERT T-SHIRTS
LOX AND BAGELS-AWESOME
EGG BREAKFAST WITH ASPARAGUS
THAT’S ME, CARRYING THE WORLD
I BOUGHT MY FIRST JOINT HERE
MANUAL TRIMMING IS OVER
THERE’S A BEER FEST OR 2 EVERY WEEKEND IT SEEMED.
THE LINE IS 3 TIMES AS LONG AS I REMEMBER.
FOOD CART WORKER

I got to hang with many of my long time friends.  I enjoyed several nights of comedy, eating & drinking out almost every night.  I went to the Water Front Blues Festival and saw Chris Issak-awesome.  I rode the famous Sunday Parkways, my favorite bike event in Portland.  I made the Blazers draft night party, free food and beer and it’s showing.

BEFORE THE COMEDY SHOW WITH MARY
HANGING WITH THE FUNNY GUYS
STEVE ENJOY STEAK AT THE A-CROP
SUNDAY PARKWAYS
ONLY IN PORTLAND, SOUP DELIVERED BY BIKE TO YOUR HOME
RED MY FAVORITE COLOR
BIKE ART
BLAZERS MC OF THE MODA CENTER
HAD TO HAVE THIS PHOTO
CHRIS ISSAKS GUITARIST IN THE CROWD
LOVE BOMB GO GO
PORTLAND’S FINEST
HANGING WITH (ON) MATT
JIM & HANMI ON OUR WAY WALKING TO DINNER
MY GOOD FRIEND ANDY
NO MORE VEGETABLES IN THE GARDEN
PORTLAND’S FAMOUS PAINTED INTERSECTIONS
SWIMMING WITH DRY ICE AFTER SUNDAY PARKWAYS

I did bike tours around Portland 2012-13, everyone commented about all the homeless camps.  That was nothing, it’s become homeless heaven, they’re everywhere, I was a little shocked.  I heard that the homeless websites, tell readers, “move to Portland”, that’s not helping the situation.,  They say 100 people a day are moving to Portland, only making securing a home even harder.

Most people I meet in Europe, if tell me they’ve been to America it’s usually Florida or New York.  People, the west coast is the only place to visit in America.   The best vacation you can have of America from somewhere else is?  Fly to Seattle, buy a vehicle and drive to San Diego stopping at Mt. Rainier, Portland, Oregon Coast, Crater Lake (my favorite),  San Francisco, Yosemite, the beaches & so much more. Sell the vehicle in San Diego and fly home. Give yourself 6 weeks at the minimum and 2 months if you can pull it off.  That’s the best way to see the best America has to offer, when you have limited time.

Portland is still the Berlin (hipster city) of America.  It’s a bummer what’s happen to housing prices, but they’re just catching up to the other west coast cities, SF, LA, Seattle.

I’m currently in Newport Or. riding my bike to San Diego.  This blog is my attempt to get caught up to today.
Thanks for Reading,
Jeff

THE AMERICAN FLAG IN ALL IT’S FORMS

~ jeffsbiketour ~ Leave a comment

IMG_3652
I bought flags in every country and put them on my bike.  I got lots of honks and waves where I was.  But my Albanian Flag stirred the most reaction, The Albanians LOVE their flag, I never remember America being so obsessed with the American Flag.
I’m here over the July 4th Independence Day Celebrations, so there may have been a few more flags than normal.  They were so interesting that and kinda surprising considering how poorly Trump is representing America on the world stage.  But then again American’s seem more concerned about America than the rest of the world.  Anyway here’s the flag images that caught my eye of my new I-phone 7.
Continue reading “THE AMERICAN FLAG IN ALL IT’S FORMS” →