LA to the Horizons Unlimited meeting in Petrolia

Onward!!

After a nice 4 day break of crazy highspeed travel I’m back on the road out from LA.  It is great to be back on the road — especially these roads.  They’re some of the best in the USA, I am actually thinking about getting a trailerlike this 5th wheel for sale california and take the whole family.  I’m headed to the Horizons Unlimited Petrolia meeting.  Horizons unlimited (if you don’t know) is a motorcycle traveler website.  Their user base is pretty international as well as are their trips.  It is a pretty good place for international motorcycling information if you can find it.

Oil! on the side of the road in Ventura by the coast

From the recommendation of fellow inmate Richard who not only let me stay in his RV but also recommended the route to and from his place.  The other sucker tourists were taking the 1 or 101.  Not me, I’m taking 33!

Highway 33 through Los Padres National Forest

Highway 33 through the Padres National Forest

This was a great road.  Tons of twisties that weren’t so tight that you had to ride in 1st or 2nd gear like the twisties I’m used to from riding in Central and South America.  Heh, in Texas, we don’t have any corners until you go about 90mph :).

Strangely everything was fine in the mountains but things flattened out and I came upon a cruiser rider getting hauled out by heli.

Heli Rescue

You can see the downed bike if you squint a bit

I was sitting by the fire fighter/flagger guy and talked about the incident while we waited for things to clear for about 20 minutes.  From looking at the skidmarks and tracks offroad, the guy was going into a very gentle curve way too hot.

dirtbike on gravel road on Soda Lake Road

Seeing a heli-rescue is always a wakeup call.  This is a dangerous activity I’m doing here… and I haven’t even left the USA yet!  Thanks to Richard’s recommendation, I finally found some gravel.  I’ve been riding these TKC 80s for 2000 miles and haven’t seen a spec of dirt.  Soda Lake Road was in great shape, but it was gravel that was navigable at highspeeds.

ALPACA!!! ALPACA@#!$%@#$% So fluffy. So cute.

After staying at Richard’s for a night and having some OK mexican food (I miss TexMex!), I found some of my favorite critters on the side of the road.  One day I will have my own Alpaca!  So cute!! You can house train them you know.

Pleasant country switchbacks on Santa Rosa Creek Road

I arrive at HU Petrolia at about 7pm after a very long day of riding.

Horizons Unlimited Petrolia

Horizons Unlimited Petrolia

Horizons Unlimited Petrolia

Horizons Unlimited Petrolia

I met a ton of great people there and took a daytrip with other like-minded riders.  This was the first time that in real life that when I talk about my trip people’s eyes don’t go either glaze over or look at me like I’m crazy.

Michelle

Smittie

Juan

I met 3 other riders from California at breakfast and we did a bit of dual sporting in Humbolt county.  No.  We didn’t find any weed.

Petrolia was a great location for the meeting.  Unfortunately there is talk of moving the meeting to central California to get more socal riders to attend.

I can’t remember her name, but she was working at the campsite and gave me free lambchops! Thanks!!