California

Me and a friends Norton 750 Commando.

My 73 FX Superglide.

While in California I tried to enjoy it, knowing I may not go that way again. I would ride every evening after work and most Friday evenings I would load up my sleeping bag and head out in one direction or another. Occasionally with someone, either as a passenger or on another bike. Usually though, I was alone. I cant say I preferred being alone, but I did enjoy my time. Sometimes I would meet interesting people along the way, sometimes we would spend time together, talking or riding. Sometimes I got into situations that I could of done without.

After all that I'd heard about the state, to actually be there....it was just amazing! In the evening nothing could compare with riding up and down streets like Sunset Strip or Hollywood Blvd. The sights, sounds and the people were awesome. During the day I would occasionally ride thru Beverly Hills. I saw Jack Benny getting out of his Rolls and another time saw Marlo Thompson in her yard. Once when at Big Bear near Arrowhead Lake I saw the man who played Barnabus Collins on the series "Dark Shadows", I believe he was driving a 1957 Chevy.

Remember the series "Along came Bronson"? Remember Hwy. 1 and the long bridge next to the ocean that Bronson crossed at the beginning of each show. well I crossed it! Well, for me it was exiting, that show was another reason I started riding, and crossing that bridge was something I had to do.

I remember Lopez Lake and camping beneath the stars there and on up the road was Pebble Beach and Pismo Beach. Me and a friend camped at Pebble Beach on the sand. We didnt have a fire so our neighbor, a hippy girl driving a VW Van asked if we wanted to share hers. My friend by that time was a little drunk and wanted to sleep but I accepted the offer. She had some fine wine. The Van was much nicer than the sand, an experiance I'll never forget.

Santa Barbara was a really cool place as was Fresno and San Luis Obispo but Big Sur Park was the place to be on a weekend. Groups of bikers would spend the weekend or an evening there. Lots of Harleys, Triumphs and choppers of all makes. It was motorcycle heaven and the scenary was indiscribable, absolutely beautiful and spellbinding.

It was difficult to not visit the coast on weekends but I did break away and spent time in the Yucca Tree Forest, Angeles and Big Bear Mtns. and of course the High Desert. The road going west out of Adelanto was like a Roller Coaster in places. We called it the Roller Coaster Highway, straight as an arrow in places and if you got up enough speed you could almost come off your seat at the top then the shocks would bottom out at the bottom! Very entertaining and luckily I never hit a Jack Rabbit.

I had a friend that bought a Nortin 750 Commando, an awesome bike if you could keep the pipes from falling off. On his first long ride we had to stop numberous times to tighten bolts. I kept telling him he needed a Harley.....then one of my rear shocks broke off in the Angeles Mountains and I had to ride back with him.

I could go on and on about my experiances in California but I wont, after all this is a Biking Arkansas blog, heres a couple of pics, one of me and my 73 Superglide and one of me sitting on my buddies Nortin.