Gold Wing Road Riders Association

Transcription

1 Gold Wing Road Riders Association Chapter AB-A A (Calgary) Newsletter June/July, 2011 Wing Wag BOW VALLEY PARKWAY Text by Lisa Miller; Photos by Colin and Lisa Miller M orning dawned bright and blue as has so often been the case during our various trips to Northern California. Our version of bright and early differs from many other GWRRA members as we usually don't get up until at least 9:00 a.m. and we finally get on the road about 10:00 a.m.; this is after all supposed to be a holiday. Once we were packed up and mounted up we headed for Boonville, CA on CA-253 which is designated as DH22 (Destination Highway 22). This twisting, winding road takes you through vineyards then up and over hills where more vineyards are hiding. The s-curves and sweepers are pretty much continuous and the views are fabulous even while the road descends into Boonville. From Boonville we traveled north on CA-128 for just a couple of miles. Then we turned west onto (Continued on page 2) Jun 13 Jul 11 Jul 29 Aug 1 Aug 8 Coming Events Monthly Meeting Monthly Meeting Region J Rally Begins Region J Rally Ends Monthly Meeting What s Inside Motorcycling to Napa-Part Motorcycling to Napa-Part News & Notices...4 Meeting Guest Speakers...4 Safety First...5 Meetings Information...5 Classifieds...6 Calgary Area Team Listing /50 Winner...6 Motorcycling to Napa-Part Motorcycling to Napa-Part 2...8

2 Wing Wag June/July, 2011 Page 2 (Continued from page 1) Mountain View Road which our Destination Highways - Northern California book identifies as Back on the bike, TE-E intersects with CA-1 (Pacific Coast Highway) just south of the town of Manchester and we continue south to the town of Point Arena. With a lunch stop looming we take a beach access road which takes us down to the harbour. This is obviously a popular location for the locals as even with the fog and cool temperatures there are people kayaking, other motorcycles (note the red and green sport bikes which will appear again later), and a number of cars in the parking lot. After a short stroll around to take pictures we retire to the second floor of a building which houses "The Pier Chowder House and Tap Room." It's a good thing we arrived early as the place becomes much busier as the lunch hour progresses. DH29 TE-E (the 5th Twisted Edge for this DH). This road crosses the Coast Mountain Range through impressive twists and turns with sections of this road narrowing to a single lane. More fabulous views are offered and we soon catch glimpses of the coastal fog which has turned the vivid blue sky to a slate grey. The moisture begins to condense on the wind screen and helmet visors and the increased chill in the air necessitates a stop to put on our heated jackets. Now those who know us know that neither Colin nor I like seafood but I really like soup especially when it is chilly outside and the only soup this place had was, of course, two types of clam chowder. I asked the waitress if there was a way I could sample their New England Chowder and received an affirmative. The sample was enough to win me over and although this is still not a favorite for me I would certainly order it again if I am ever back in Point Arena. With full bellies and empty bladders we continued south on CA-1 to Stewarts Point where we now needed to fill the tank of the Gold Wing. The gas station at Stewarts Point is small with only one pump. Some inconsiderate person had decided to park their car right in front of the gas pump to go into the convenience store completely blocking access to the pump; so there we sat waiting--so annoying! Eventually we got fueled up and headed off again in an easterly direction to cross back over the Coast Mountain Range this time taking the Stewarts Point-Skaggs Springs Road. As we move away from the coast the fog disappears and the blue sky, sunshine, and warm temperature return so we can comfortably remove our heated (Continued on page 3)

3 Wing Wag June/July, 2011 Page 3 (Continued from page 2) and an obvious speed trap that must net the county an incredible income as the sport bikers don't seem to slow down one bit. The "raceway" ends at the Lake Sonoma overlook and we pulled in to take a few pictures. Here again are the green and red sport bikes from earlier in the day. They are parked as the riders take a break after what must have been an exciting ride including a few close calls. During our brief conversation one of the riders confesses to having misjudged the apex of a curve and very nearly sliding off the road. All this seems rather reckless to me as the riders don't appear to be much younger than we are and we know that we are not indestructible. jackets before we continue. This connector road is poorly maintained, narrow, occasionally singlelane, and winds its way through forests and hills to connect with the Skaggs Springs Road. Remember those two sport bikes in the parking lot? Well they suddenly appeared out of nowhere closing far too fast for comfort on the back of our Gold Wing. Colin pulls over to allow them to pass and they disappeared as quickly as they had appeared in a blur of green and red, engines howling. We soon connected with the Skaggs Springs Road that has been designated as DH10. This road also goes by a nickname to those in the know as "The Skaggs Springs International Raceway." The reason for this is obvious as it is at this point that the road widens, the pavement smoothes out, and the engineering of twisty bits improves considerably with wonderful sweeping unobstructed curves and corners. Unfortunately it is also at this point that the speed limit drops to 30 miles per hour. This is actually a travesty A slight right hand turn sends us continuing along the main road which undergoes a name change to become Dry Creek Road. Riding along we pass an incalculable number of wineries as we approach Healdsburg and take US-101 south to Windsor. We arrived at our hotel in Windsor early and had the opportunity to do laundry. While we were waiting we spent some time in the pub at the bowling alley out the back of the hotel. The bartender recommended KC's Downtown Grill in Windsor Town Green for supper. Once our laundry was done we took the suggestion and walked to the nicely rejuvenated Windsor downtown that is ripe with restaurants and shopping. KC's Downtown Grill is decorated like a classic diner with red vinyl chairs. Movie and TV posters adorn the walls, and the tables are covered in old pages from catalogues and circulars. The menu is expansive, the serving portions are huge, and (Continued on page 7)

4 Wing Wag June/July, 2011 Page 4 1. Our Calgary Chapter has been asked to host the 2011 Region Rally on the August long weekend. Anyone interested in being involved please contact our Chapter Directors to express your interest. 2. Birthday Bash Ride June 23 to 27, If you have a birthday in 2011 this is the ride for you. For more information contact Jack Hill at or telus.net. 3. Leather n Chaps Ridin for SNAPS (Special Needs Association for Parents & Siblings) 2 nd Annual Motorcycle Poker Rally - Saturday, July 23, Registration and pancake breakfast at 9:00 a.m., Ride at 11:30 a.m. $40.00 per rider (includes poker hand) $25.00 per passenger; $15.00 from each registration is a cash donation to SNAPS. For more information please call Bike Week Canada is a unique gathering of motorcycle enthusiasts from Canadian and nearby U.S. cities which is to be held September , 2011, in St-Pie de Bagot at the Sanair Racetrack. As CEO I, Robert Végiard, would like to invite you and your group to participate in Bike Week Canada A free VIP ticket will be offered for the weekend, a 200$ value, plus Bike Week Canada t-shirt and cap to the organizer who gathers 10 person or more. If you are interested please contact me at bikeweek.ca or at Please note that accommodation is available on the site (camping) and in nearby hotels, for more information, visit WW Thanks to Harvey Matthews for his safety moment regarding safety when riding I the rain. WW

5 Wing Wag June/July, 2011 Page 5 If you are interested in attending any courses please contact Alex Middleton at rider goldwing calgary.com to express your interest or for additional information. Scheduled Courses: Trailering Course is full. For those already registered the course will be run on June 11. ARC not available at this time as no instructor is available. WW DAY/DATE June 13 July 11 August 8 MEETING SCHEDULE June Monthly Meeting July Monthly Meeting August Monthly Meeting Friends for Fun, Safety, and Knowledge Come ride with us...everyone Welcome! For the latest updates on what we are doing and where we re going, check out our website: Monthly Meetings Monthly meetings are held on the 2nd Monday of each month. This is a time to share information and to meet old and new friends who like to ride together for FUN, Safety and Knowledge. See you at the next meeting at the Fox Hollow Golf Club, 9th Street and 32nd Avenue N.E. 6:30; Meeting at 7:00 PM. Rain, snow or shine, we meet for breakfast every Sunday morning about 9 AM. This is a great year round way to stay in touch with your GWRRA friends. So, if you have missed the opportunity to join us for breakfast recently, why don t you come on over to the Fox Hollow Golf Club, 9th Street and 32nd Avenue N.E.

6 Wing Wag June/July, 2011 Page 6 Classified Ads The Classified ads are free to all members and associates of the GWRRA. While advertised items do not have to be Gold Wing related, we do insist that all ads pertain to motorcycling. Ads will appear on a space available basis for one month. Should you wish to continue to run your ad for a second or succeeding month, you must resubmit or renew your ad. Deadline for submission is the 25th of the month preceding publication. To post an ad or if the item is sold or the offer withdrawn, please contact Lisa Miller at: goldwing calgary.com FOR SALE Honda Gold Wing GL 1000 in excellent condition. Lots of chrome accessories; running lights around hard-sided luggage compartments. Low front running lights as well as floorboards with toe-heel gear shifter. Good paint with few imperfections. Never been dropped. Must be seen to appreciate. $ obo. Call Ted at Calgary, Alberta, CA CALGARY AREA STAFF Chapter Director Ron Syroishka (403) Chapter goldwing calgary.com Assistant Gary & Susan Premech (403) Chapter Directors assistant chapter goldwing calgary.com Quartermaster Barry Lammle (403) goldwing calgary.com Newsletter Editor Lisa Miller (403) goldwing calgary.com Treasurer Eric Roberts (403) goldwing calgary.com Ride Coordinator Terry Collin (403) ride goldwing calgary.com Rider Education Alex Middleton (403) rider goldwing calgary.com Rider Course Terry Burrell (403) Instructor goldwing calgary.com Social Coordinators Carol Myers (403) social goldwing calgary.com & Susan Premech (403) social goldwing calgary.com Webmaster Darryl Minsky (403) goldwing calgary.com Membership Tracy Boyda (403) Enhancement goldwing calgary.com Coordinator May 50/50 Winner GWRRA TOLL FREE NUMBER (CANADA & US) NATIONAL LEADERS Executive Director Mike Stiger (623) Asst Natl Director Rider Ed Milt Sorensen (403) Region J Directors Phil & Margaret Craven (250) District Directors Ross & Audrey Woolsey (780) Ron Myers NOTE: addresses in this publication are displayed in a manner that will deter automatic address harvesting programs. This step is taken to reduce unsolicited to any addresses we post. We regret any inconvenience caused for our legitimate visitors. REMOVE ALL THE SPACES IN THE ADDRESS TO MAKE IT WORK.

7 Wing Wag June/July, 2011 Page 7 (Continued from page 3) the food was excellent! This is definitely a place where sharing is in your best interests, but we will definitely return if we find ourselves in Windsor again. Stuffed beyond comfort, and barely capable of movement, we walked slowly back to our hotel and rolled into bed to welcome the end of another great day of touring. We awoke the following morning to another bright blue day. This is the day we have planned to meet our friends. Since we don t have far to go to get to our destination for the day we are not in a hurry so we don t check out until 11:00 a.m. A short ride south along US-101 then south-east on CA-12 brings us to the city of Napa. When we arrive it is still very early in the day, probably too early to check-in to our hotel so we take a side trip to see if our friends have arrived at the campground they have booked. Our friends, Terry and Tina, are traveling in a truck and 26-foot, flat-tow, trailer. The city of Napa has an Exhibition and Fairground that includes a small, 26-site; RV Park with concrete pads for RV s to park on and full hook-ups. The Napa Expo RV Park doesn t have a lot of other amenities but the location is very convenient. As we near the campground we can see that our friends truck and trailer are there and we drive in to say hello. They had arrived about an hour earlier and in that time had gotten set up. We visited for a while and then headed over to check-in to our hotel with plans for Terry and Tina to join us in about an hour for a snack, then we would all go exploring the city and find a place to have supper. Terry and Tina s chosen RV Park is only a short distance from the hotel we had chosen to stay in called The River Terrace Inn. The regular rates at this hotel are rather high but they had a special offer that made it much more reasonable. By staying and paying for 2 nights we got the third night free. Included in our nightly rate was a great hot breakfast each morning served in the lobby and on the lovely terrace which also serves as a restaurant serving lunch and beverages in the afternoon and evening. After settling into our lovely river view room Colin and I head down to the terrace to order a beverage (what else but a Napa wine) and await Terry and Tina. The terrace is at ground level and backs onto the river which has a walking path that is lined with grape vines dripping with fruit and eucalyptus trees the smell is wonderful. It s a straight view from the back terrace to the front door and we easily spot our friends who join us for a glass of wine and we all order something from the menu which features local meats, cheeses, and produce; all of which are extremely tasty. Sated and ready for exploration we four started walking over to the Oxbow Market which is much like Eau Clair Market in Calgary with a few notable additions. Most people have heard of wine and even beer tasting but one booth offered olive oil tastings. Colin and I had done this a few years ago while in San Diego but this was a new one for Terry and Tina. Instead of drinking the olive oil you dip small squares of bread into the olive oils of your choice and the choices are many. There are multiple grades of olive oil and also infused olive oils, it is surprising how different they can be. My personal favorite was a lime infused olive oil and Terry and Tina graciously agreed to transport a bottle of the oil home for us as we had no room on the bike for such an endeavor. Also on offer was a selection of balsamic vinegars, none of these was particularly remarkable in my opinion. Another unique feature of the market was a chocolate sauce tasting booth. All of the chocolate sauces were fabulous but particularly pleasing to both Colin and I was a Chocolate Cabernet Sauce which had my eyes rolling around in my head YUM! We had to buy a bottle of that too and thank goodness Terry and Tina were willing to play courier for us once again. (Continued on page 8)

8 Wing Wag June/July, 2011 Page 8 (Continued from page 7) From the Oxbow Market we headed into the historic downtown but we had barely crossed the street when we chanced upon our first wine tasting room. Wine tasting is big business in Napa, these are not free tastings and you will pay anywhere from 10 to 20 dollars (US) for each tasting usually including an average of four wines. On the up side they usually allow sharing by a couple and that is what we did most of the time. Because we couldn t transport wine with us on the motorcycle it didn t seem prudent for us to purchase more than one bottle of wine for each evening we were going to be in Napa, so we only purchased one bottle during our exploration that evening. Terry and Tina, on the other hand, had the luxury of having their truck and trailer and purchased a bottle or two in many of the rooms we visited. They also knew that they had several more weeks of travel during which they would be able to consume the contents of those bottles with their suppers before they had to cross back into Canada. This however meant there were several heavy bags of wine, olive oil, and of course chocolate sauce, to say nothing of cameras, that needed to be carried back to our hotel and I think we were all feeling the effects of our tastings to some degree. To get to the hotel we had to pass the restaurant called Cuvee which was across the parking lot from our hotel. This is a very nice restaurant with wonderful food, and fabulous service, and for some reason the bread and butter offering was so good I just couldn t get enough. The butter was so creamy and fresh that I though it had to be a local product but it turned out to be Darigold butter from Washington State. I don t remember what everyone else ate but I know I had a fillet mignon and I like my steak well done, I hate to see blood on my plate. As is so often the case my steak was under cooked and had to be sent back. As a result I was offered a complimentary desert for the inconvenience. When I did get my steak it was perfect and still very moist and tender and we all enjoyed our meals greatly. We walked out of the first shop and down the street less than a block before we found the next tasting room where we stopped to sample the product. There is actually a map of all the tasting rooms in the downtown and we were using it as a general reference to keep us going in the right direction. Along the way to the next tasting room we encounter a statue to commemorate Napa Birthplace of the Loudspeaker and the Magnavox Corp., who knew? Some of the tasting rooms had closed by the time we got there as it was a weekday but we kept wandering and sampling until there was nowhere left that was open. After dinner we all returned to our hotel room which had a sitting area where we sat and continued visiting for a while until it was time for Terry and Tina to return to their RV Park. Tomorrow was going to be an early day as the limousine we have hired to transport the four of us around to the Napa vineyards has been booked to arrive at 9:00 a.m. for the start our planned and much anticipated day of wine tours and tastings. Editor s note: To be continued in the August edition of Wing Wag. WW