California 09 - Day two

After the first day in California, I could have gotten on a plane satisfied the ride had been worth the trip. It was that good a day.

Day two started with breakfast ( no pictures :P ) and a little talk of the ride ahead. The weather folks were predicting another perfect day with sunny skies and moderate temps..what more could we ask for?

We rode out of El Cerrito, through a local park which had the double benefit of a kickass mountain road and this view of the bay. Again, wow...

Since I'd planned to wind up somewhere along the coast Sunday evening, Cherie and I planned to ride for about half of Sunday and then go our separate ways. Keeping that in mind, we fired the bikes up and got moving. Heading south, we rode another group of perfect motorcycling roads with more fantastic vistas.

Stopping briefly for gas in San Jose, we decided we could afford a few more hours to ride a loop east and north. Taking Mt. Hamilton Rd. to the Lick Observatory we followed the contour of rock faces, working our way higher towards the blue, nearly cloudless sky.









After taking in the sights from the top of the mountain we headed back down, pausing briefly where a Harley had blown a corner and wound up off the road. The rider and his friends signaling that he was alright, we enjoyed the series of switchbacks that led down into the valley. Riding north on Mines Rd, headed for Livermore, we made one last stop for the day. A late lunch was a great way to visit just a bit longer, knowing soon we'd part company, me heading south and Cherie headed back to the bay. If you're in the area, The Junction is a great place for lunch, popular with rider of all types from the area.
After lunch, we made the most of the remaining miles of good road, spinning the bikes through corner after corner, finishing off the ride the right way :D

After two days of great riding, we said our goodbyes in Livermore and I headed down a couple of interstates to connect with 101, my destination Seaside, CA.

I really have to thank Cherie for getting this trip off to a great start. We rode for nearly two days and not once did I wish the road were better, there were less traffic or I was riding with someone else. Just a fantastic two days on two wheels.