California Road Trip, suggested MG stops requested

[LaGrasta]

We're driving north with no reservations or agenda, see where the road takes us for 9 days. Looking to stay coastal.

SJSU (alum) show the kids my school
Stanford, show the kids their school
San Jose
Santa Cruz Beach
Stenston Beach
Monterey
Carmel
San Francisco
all Moto Guzzi or Caf� Racer shops
Mid Century Modern stores

And we'll be with the family, four of us, in the Astro. We have a cycle hitch, but I can't see bringing it only to leave behind the family to go riding alone.

[Chuck in Indiana]

If you are going to be as far south as Solvang, there's a wonderful motorcycle museum with a V8 and Bicylindricia (sp) among others.

[Adan]

The town of Mendecino is about 3.5 hours north of SF.  Worth it for the drive alone, but the town itself is a special place.  Lots of fog along the coast this time of year, can last through September and beyond. 

[Mark West]

Not much Guzzi related stuff on the coast that I know of. There used to be a Guzzi dealer in Santa Cruz that had some neat stuff on the show floor but went under several years ago.

Ed Milich, Guzzi racer and builder works out of a shop in SF but I can't recall the name.

[Guido Valvole]

Ed's shop is Werkstatt. If you're going further up north, there the Zen House in Pt Arena.
http://www.thezenhouse.net/
cr

[Tom]

Stop Andersen's for the all you can eat pea soup. 

[Daniel Kalal]

The places you've listed are all quite near each other on the central coast.  Are you planning on going up the northern California coastline?

If so, there are a good number of nice roads that you can take that cross back and forth over the coastal range.  Staying only on CA-1 is fine, but isn't necessarily the most interesting route.

[Tom]

Especially with a carload of kids.  You might want to do quick sprints off and on 1 from 5.

[LaGrasta]

We really have no roadmap so we'll go as far north as we like. The wife keeps mentioning Oregon. I'm not interested in that far north.

Mendocino sounds like a place worth stooping at, then making a U turn, northern most point of our trip. Great suggestion.

We'll check out The Zen House, another great suggestion, thank you. We'll stop at Munroe MG in SF too!

[Irn]

Not really into mid century, but those who are tell me this place is the shop in the Mission District hipster central SF.  https://www.stuffsf.com/

[LaGrasta]

The places you've listed are all quite near each other on the central coast.  Are you planning on going up the northern California coastline?

If so, there are a good number of nice roads that you can take that cross back and forth over the coastal range.  Staying only on CA-1 is fine, but isn't necessarily the most interesting route.

I was stationed at Travis AFB and graduated from SJSU. I guess I'm going back to places I know and would like to share with the family. We're wide open though really.

[LaGrasta]

Not really into mid century, but those who are tell me this place is the shop in the Mission District hipster central SF.  https://www.stuffsf.com/

This is exactly what I was hoping to discover. Terrific, thank you.

[Irn]

And "stuff" is just a few blocks from Munroe, a much more interesting shop just around the corner is Scuderia.  Let me know if you need ideas for dining, things to do with kids, etc. Happy to help just send me an e-mail iepstein(at)pacbell.net

[canuguzzi]

In SF, park close to Munroes and walk south 2 blocks. Belgium Fitz. What a place, great eats any time of the day.

If you make it as far north from you as Petaluma-Santa Rosa, I'm heading north on US 101 toward Mendicino on the Norge, family member is riding on a brand new Can-AM RT-S.

North of that, a quick jaunt to Marin Headlands, nice little beach.

Heading father north about 25 miles, there is Mammoth Sports and they service Guzzi's if you have need. Still heading North, take Rohnert Park Expressway and head west. Look for Hardcore Coffee about 5 miles into that route. Nice eclectic place to stop and have something to drink.

Heading west again you run to Bodega Bay. Nice ride and if you keep going, decently winding road with plenty of places to stop and gather the view. You can continue up the coast and run into Jenner and Salt Point. Salt Point is really nice right about now.

At Salt Point if you head east on Stewarts Point Skaggs Road you run to Lake Sonoma Rec Area and east of that Geyersville and you'll be at US 101 with headings back south or north to Mendicino.

[krglorioso]

Ed's shop is Werkstatt. If you're going further up north, there the Zen House in Pt Arena.
http://www.thezenhouse.net/
cr

What Guido said about the Zen House in Point Arena.  David Harris is a superb Guzzi mechanic and restorer of old Euro and Brit bikes.  When you pass Jenner going North on CA-1, Coast Highway, let your passengers do the looking around, while YOU keep your eyes on the (very twisty) road.  We lose riders and drivers regularly on that section.  Further up past Salt Point the road straightens out, but still is beautiful. 

Ralph

[Arizona Wayne]

If you are a MC road race fan at all you might like to see what Laguna Seca looks like. It used to be part of Ft. Ord Army base between Monterey and Salinas.   I see no reason why you couldn't see it if you wanted to.  Part of that base is now a State College.  A very unique terrain of Caifornia.    In July the World Superbikes & AMA will be racing there.  In the past MotoGP have raced there.

If you're a golfer there's the  Pismo Beach course ,Cannery Row, and Monterrey Bay Aquarium, not to mention 1 of the most beautiful coastal spots in the world accessible to the public.

And of course there are the National, State  Parks all over California too.

[F650RIDER]

Was with the family in San Franciso last summer and a co-worker had recommended R&G Lounge on 631 Kearny St, San Francisco for Chinese food.  It was excellent!

http://www.rnglounge.com/

[LaGrasta]

Thank you all for so many great specific places to see. I'll print this thread and hit as many of these as we can. I really wanted to go to europe or on a cruise, but am now really looking forward to this trip!

[LaGrasta]

We have returned! Next time I take this route, it will be on a bike, so, so many great cycle roads. We got as far north as Point Reyes, the lighthouse. As for cycle shops, we hit both Scudia and Munroe. I must admit, even though Scudia doesn't sell MG, it was a better visit with friendly staff.

[Adan]

[ We got as far north as Point Reyes, the lighthouse.

Actually, I'd argue that the best riding along the whole coast starts just north of there.   But it's good that you're appetite is wetted enough that you want to come back on 2 wheels.

Munroe Motors has the Guzzi's, but the culture kind of sucks.  I was in there recently, looked at some Duc's and then was sitting on a V7, the sales guy who was following me around comes says "I see you're determined to ignore my advice to stay away from Guzzi's."  I held my tongue, but just barely.

Scuderia, by comparison, is a classy outfit, and always burgeoning with Aprilia's.

[ibis1]

If you get to Southern California there is Newport Italian (Dealer) in Newport Beach. A nice small dealer. Tyler is a nice fellow. Not too far from there in Huntington Beach is Moe at Cycle Garden. He's in a small warehouse location towards the rear. He's got a lot of old police bikes and some really old rare stuff, plus lots of old machine equipment. Worth the trip if you are interested in the police bikes. Have fun. 

[LowRyter]

The road from Big Sur to Monterrey is pretty good.  Pebble Beach Dr.   There's some redwoods and nice beach in Santa Cruz.  And then up to Alice's Restaurant http://www.alicesrestaurant.com/

The road gets twisty N of San Fran towards Mendocino.  Then up to the redwoods N of Ft Bragg.  I think we found a motel in FT Bragg with its own beach. 

Just stay on 1   

[LowRyter]

returned? 

nevermind