MC Donalds is your kind of place

We had our second SCARS ride today. Since it was on the upper Santa Ana trail, I decided to ride over and take the train back.
Things went well until I got to Rialto. It started to rain. It has been cloudy all week long (we call it the "June Gloom"), but it's usually just low lying fog trapped by the mountains, not actual.
So I kept on going.
I decided to do a little tour of downtown San Berdoo.
Orange Show fairgrounds:

From 6-13-2009

The Inland Empire 66'ers Stadium

From 6-13-2009

an old office building:

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Finally, I came to what I was looking for:

From 6-13-2009

What you say McDonald's is from Chicago? well now, but in the post war period. Dick and Maurice McDonald had a virtual gold mine at 1498 E St. So much , they had four milkshake machines. A certain milkshake machine named Ray Kroc wondered what a place the middle of the California desert needed four milkshake machine for. the rest is history. Except for the McDonald's cook, Glen Bell. He really liked Mexican food (As in Taco Bell) his cooks, in turn started Del Taco. so a lot of history happened here - here's a link I'd urge to stop if you're ever in San Bernardino

From 6-13-2009

From 6-13-2009

and there's an old motel across the Street:

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some more old motels and neat old church:

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From 6-13-2009

I did eventually get to the ride start, still raining:

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From 6-13-2009

We did have two rider from Yuacaipa pull in and decide not to ride in the rain. Maybe they were afraid that thier Carbon fiber would delaminate....
I decided to ride sweep, that is to position myself behind the last rider. We always kid Steve Albano about his being our paparazzi. I decided to turn the tables on him

From 6-13-2009

when we crossed under the 60 Freeway, the rain cleared out. We made to our eventual goal, the Santa Ana park

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We encounter several different kinds of riders. I talked with hime for good fifteen minutes (the rider not the horse. Wilbur!)

From 6-13-2009

We started to head back. I took of a photo of the aqueduct bridge over the Santa Ana . Doesn't look like the Roman one , though:

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The railroad bridge does. This is supposedly the longest arch bridge in the western US

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We stopped to decide to have lunch in Riverside or San Berdoo,to do some wrenching and to regroup:

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We ran into a Animal Control officer, who had trapped a young Coyote:

From 6-13-2009

We decided to have lunch in riverside, Steve and Ted needed to go home

From 6-13-2009

From 6-13-2009

I was going to conclude with some photos of the San bernardino station, but Rachel
offered to take me home(She also lives in Rancho Cucamonga)

The Jacarnda tree

Today is almost like feburary here - rain and high only in the 60's
I decided to take my old bike. The problem was which ride to do. The Fontana Days half marathon was today , and my bike club usually run support for it. But It's and early start, and probably a late finish, and I need to go to BentUp in Van Nuys to get some stuff.
So I was going to do the "grind" ride. But I woke up at 4:45 tossing and turning. So I got up and decided to see if you could up to Lytle Creek Road by 6:15. I made it at 6:45 oh well!
I got to the coffee shop early, so I went inside and got some joe. My mascot had stay outside:

So I did the medium version of the grind. I didn't want to teh long version with the climb up Mt Baldy road since I had ridden the bike since my accident, only except there was no one there at the turnaround point:

It was that bad, But I think my girly part need to get used to being sat on! I also noticed that I spinng a lot more.
I made it back and found Bruce Taylor and Tom Tisler conversing (apology's for the condesation on the photos)


I had wondered what happened to Bruce and thought about e-mailing him. It turns out he had been hit by a car, too. I order my usual coffee and cookie (although I made a mistake and order an iced coffee)
i went by the bank to cash a check. and rode home. I remembered to wipe my lens and took a photo of a Jacaranda tree (we had talk about the ubiquitous trees at the Bikejournal reunion), ate, and took off for Van Nuys.

and of course, I forgot some stuff I went out here for until I got back here. I decided to stop by REI while I was out. when I coming down Day Creek, a Rancho Cucamonga Police car pulled out in pursuit. I only mention this beacuse it was set up for filming the TV series "Cops". They had pulled some one over in front of REI (probably for shoplifting in Victoria Gardens) I thought about going to Wal-mart, but maybe another day
Why Jacaranda tree? They bloom this time of year , and I thought it was nice reminder that it is indeed spring

How to turn 80 miles into 60

Well, today was the date of our first recumbent only ride
The only problem was that I wanted to 60 miles, no problem, just get there early.
And then my settlement check arrived - I didn't want to leave that big of a check waiting until Monday
So I decided to ride to the ride and take the Metrolink back to Rancho
Thankfully the sun was out about 5:30. or maybe it was , as we are having the "june Gloom".
I had to help with our gates (not they're not open, and then try a less potholey way to Fontana.
I managed to find a way and stopped to take a pic at the AutoClub speedway

From 5-30-2009

It wasn't as bad going through Fontana and Rialto as I thought it would be. I did get lost in Colton , and was wondering if I would make it to the ride in time. Thankfully, I did:

From 5-30-2009

We took off and made a stop at the Redlands library:

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From 5-30-2009

We started climb up through the hills and the nice houses , before taking a break at the Mormom Temple:

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From 5-30-2009

We did some climbing to get to the Greenspot store, and then had the treat of descending Greenspot road

From 5-30-2009

after Greenspot, The group ws going to ride somewhere and have brunch. I decided to see if I could catch the 11 train from San Berdoo to La. I'm not sure what was the biggest challenge, the pavement in Highland , or the bums in downtown San Berdoo. I was just about to the train when I turned off Mt Vernon and found out they had torn out a block of pavement! the dirt was hard enough I could ride it. Then I found out there was a shopping center between me and the station! I finally mad to the station, and found the ticket machine.
To continue my tale of woe, I found out that there was two trains at the station. Thankfully, there was a conductor, so I asked him.
I was concerned that my bike waould fit on the train, no worries

From 5-30-2009

I had about 10 minutes to wait and half hour later, I was back in Rancho:

From 5-30-2009

I made to the bank and spent about an hour divvying the money up into various accounts before heading and getting the wheels for my upright bike trued up

A reunion for people who have never met each other

One of the regular features on the BikeJournal.com is a thing called the reunion. Basically, it gives the folks who post on the forum there a chance to get together and meet each other.
This year, it was hosted by my friend Bernie Barge. We had it as part of the Great Western Bike Rally in Paso Robles, Ca
I drove up to "paso" on Friday. The event is held at the mid state Fair grounds. I dod nit bother to check and see where we were supposed to set up camp, and I did not find any obvious sings of Bike journal, so i went ahead and set camp and took a walk around the fair grounds:


I eventually found everybody and we had supper:

The next morning, the local lions club was having a pancake breakfast. one of the more colorful "characters" on bikeJournal is Pansy Palmetto. she decided to have breakfast in her PJs:

We all met at 9 for tour of Paso Robles and country hosted by Bernie.Pansy decide to do the ride a Tutu:

One of the problems was that most of us were not famalar with the Area, so we sepnt a lot of time waiting around:


At one of the Stops, a Ferrari pulled up and came to a stop. And then another Ferrari, and another. We think it was a car club on a run

Here's Bernie (aka Homey)(in Red, white and blue) and Mike(ZenLC) and Tiffany:

and Steve may:

and Pansy in Full tutu:

The group getting ready to leave:

and we finally made it back into town:

We had very late lunch at a Pizza joint, followed by some more socializing. We were goig to have a barbque at Bernie's "ranchette" at 5, it was was 3:30 and I had not had a shower for the day. I was going to ,until I saw the line. Everyone said I smelled fine, but behind my back?
I had agreed to carpool Nancy and Randy (Pansy and Mr. Pansy) to the ranch. I had to stop for gas, and we ran into another car club, this one for antique Cadillacs (sorry, my Camera malfunctioned)
Bernie place is bit like a Jeff Foxworthy joke. It's 20 miles out of towm, and you get there going down a dirt road. We arrived , and he was busy fixing Lamb. why Lamb? His family raises lambs:

Bernie, Tiffany, Mike, and Michelle (Bernie's sister):

The view from the front porch:

After supper, but before sunset, we walked up to the top of the ridge:


we had cake before heading home (and I had moved my tent to the correct place

I was going to a century Sunday morning, but I had the flu earlier that week ,and was still doing some coughing. Several folks had decided to drive over to Cambria an ride up the coast to ragged point and back. This is real treat as this is where the Hearst Castle is. Even Better than that is that William Randolph Hearst built up a 250,000 acre ranch, which is still owned by the Hearst Company. This means a 20 mile ride along the coast, with almost no development until you get to Ragged Point.
we did stop for coffee before hand

This is Brian (BDSDVM) and Jamie (BiffDaddy) from Arizona. it was about 40 degrees:

Ragged Point is a 4 star resort that sits on top of a cliff. The coast highway does a have a nice steep climb up, which had me worried, as I had never done anything that steep on my recumbent. I had some of what is called "recumbutt" (sore muscles you know where), and pulled over in a abandoned motel (apparently , Willie wasn't able to get his hands on everything) and waited it out. I made it up to the inn, but Robert Baldino ("Roborider") beat me there. we sat around and had some more coffee , and waited for everyone else to show up:

Thom, Nancy, Steve, Jamie, Robert, Brian, Randy, Veronica and myself:
The fog still hadn't bruned off, but we had a nice wind to out backs on the return trip. I took a photo of some off shore rocks:

The Piedras Blancas light house:

and the Elephant seal area:

Coming back into the town of San Simeon. I ran across Bernie and his group. He wanted me to go into Cambria and reserve a table for 10 at Barbecue plcae. I found the place, and found out that the did not take reservation, or plastic money, which was a problem, as I had only brought along $10, and between the coffee and a set of Earring I bought at Ragged Point, I had spent it. Thankfully, there was a Quickie mart with an ATM next door
I had a Tri tip sandwich and about a week's worth of fries Bernie had recommended I try the fries.

Several groups split up after lunch. I was feeling good enough to ride back to Paso, But I still had my car at the beach. My initial plan was to ride dwon to Cayucos and back. The sun had came out, but so had the wind, so that the 30 mile trip would take me about 3-4 hours.
We had all kidded Bernie about of his routes, since it had several section of 20 % grade. Most of the riders played it safe and went back on highway 46 (only 6%), but Bernie convinced me to ride with group until it go to steep for me to ride. It was worth it for the views:



While I didn't make it as far as Bernie thought I should have , I enjoyed it. I took a Photo of Downtown Cambira on the way back:

and finally made the Coast:

I then drove back up Santa Rosa creek road. I would say not being able to see the road out of the car qualifies as steep! I did run into Bernie, Glenn (GW_12)< Michelle, and Brian one one of the steeper sections and home:

at 4:30 Pm, I finally made to the showers. The rally folks had promised a catered Barbecue dinner. It turns there I idea of Catering was thet provided the wood , and you cooked you own meat! we went for Pizza again.
Some folks were going to ride today, but I decided to get an early start to see tif could avoid any traffic Jams. Made it home about noon.