Because I had insufficient spousal credits to make this happen in April or May, and because only a handful of people appear to be interested this dawn patrol, I have decided to break with tradition and invite you nice folks on one day of my Tour de California this year.
I will stay overnight on Friday, July 15 at Randolph Hearst's old ranch house, described here. If you make yuor reservation now, you can get a Tower room for $65, which is a steal. The cowboy rooms are $30, but you'll have to get up and go
(no bathroom in the room).
The weather should be good, and the driving too. I will have fresh Yoko A022s, so I highly recommend that you have reasonably sticky tires as well. This will be a brisk drive requiring concentration and skill, but we will relax from time to time as well.
I will likely modify my normal route based on the group's preferences. In particular, I may decide to end my day in the Sierra foothills rather than driving all the way to LA on Saturday. Some of you may want to book Saturday night at the Hacienda as well, since the ending point will be within reach of there.
We can meet around 7 PM Friday for a casual dinner at the Hacienda restaurant (I typically order the New York steak dinner at $14 complete!), then retire early to be fully rested for the drive. We should depart by about 6:30 AM, driving through one of the most scenic areas of the state to reach the coast about 45 minutes later. At 7:15 AM we should have Highway 1 all to ourselves.
At the Hearst Castle we can turn inland and view the Central Coast wine country. Both the roads and the scenery are fantastic. Those who don't want to drive an entire day can bail out just after the Hearst Castle, since our route will be near Highway 101. But I guarantee that you will do so regretfully, because this area of central California is driving heaven: there are terrific roads in every direction.
Post here or PM me if you are interested in attending, and we can figure out the best route for everyone.
I will stay overnight on Friday, July 15 at Randolph Hearst's old ranch house, described here. If you make yuor reservation now, you can get a Tower room for $65, which is a steal. The cowboy rooms are $30, but you'll have to get up and go
(no bathroom in the room).The weather should be good, and the driving too. I will have fresh Yoko A022s, so I highly recommend that you have reasonably sticky tires as well. This will be a brisk drive requiring concentration and skill, but we will relax from time to time as well.
I will likely modify my normal route based on the group's preferences. In particular, I may decide to end my day in the Sierra foothills rather than driving all the way to LA on Saturday. Some of you may want to book Saturday night at the Hacienda as well, since the ending point will be within reach of there.
We can meet around 7 PM Friday for a casual dinner at the Hacienda restaurant (I typically order the New York steak dinner at $14 complete!), then retire early to be fully rested for the drive. We should depart by about 6:30 AM, driving through one of the most scenic areas of the state to reach the coast about 45 minutes later. At 7:15 AM we should have Highway 1 all to ourselves.
At the Hearst Castle we can turn inland and view the Central Coast wine country. Both the roads and the scenery are fantastic. Those who don't want to drive an entire day can bail out just after the Hearst Castle, since our route will be near Highway 101. But I guarantee that you will do so regretfully, because this area of central California is driving heaven: there are terrific roads in every direction.
Post here or PM me if you are interested in attending, and we can figure out the best route for everyone.
