Morro Bay

The morning along the coast of northern California was typical for the month of September, partially clear skies with just a hint of fog hanging on the coastline. We packed the saddle bags on the motorcycle and we were on our way south towards Morro Bay, CA. The ride down the 280 highway is always a beautiful short route that eventually merges to the 101 via 85. Our 4 hour trip took us past Paso Robles over highway 41 right into Morro Bay.

The countryside seemed to be stuck in time, untouched by the modern world. The short ride on highway 41 has just the right amount of curves and was evenly paved for any seasoned rider. It was however a very short 15 minutes as we rolled into the embarcadero at Morro Bay to have lunch. The Tiki Hut on the docks wasn’t the best food, but it got the job done. Shortly afterwards we headed to the Inn at Morrow Bay. The driveway was lined with red bricks and the landscaping was well kept. It was actually very pleasing to eye upon arrival.

Day one was all about relaxing, so after the long ride and lunch we got back on the bike and headed to Serenity by the bay spa where a 90 minute massage was calling to us. It was long overdue. We recommend Serenity by the Bay with both thumbs up as we would visit them again without question.

Back at the Inn we enjoyed a few drinks by the bar that had a fantastic view of the cove and a jazz band. The fresh catch of the day was Sword fish. It was so fresh off the boat that they were actually carving it to order in the kitchen. Hours old the taste of the fish seemed to stimulate the senses as it melted with every bite. The bartender had a heavy pour with my 15 year old scotch as we enjoyed conversation with him throughout the night.

The second day started with a ride to the local coffee shop, Top Dog Coffee. This had to be one of the best coffee shops I have been in for some time now. Each brew was fresh roasted by the owner Pat which we had the pleasure of meeting on our last day. Then as we rode off to one of the local gas stations we met a group of riders from Denmark called the Wildhogs of Denmark. They were on the tail end of their 2 week trip though CA.

Our last day at Morro Bay was spent at the Top Dog Coffee shop where we enjoyed a couple of hours of conversation with the owner Pat. He extended on open invitation to come down and ride with him and a few friends next time we are in town. During our 6 hour ride home the roads were busy with more riders than I expected for a Monday. We met one group from Rochester, New York. They were making their way north to San Francisco.

Just over 500 miles and over 10 hours of road time the weekend excursion was more than we expected and ended up being a trip of new friends and some pretty good stories to be told at a later time.

Ford F150 4x2 vs. Tacoma 4x4

Recently I have been looking at the the Ford F150 as a replacement to my 2008 Tacoma 4x4 Deluxe Cab. Don't get me wrong the Tacoma is a fine truck and it has been reliable so far, but I feel like there is still something missing. So before I get into it here are the spec's

The Tacoma: 4x4 Club Cad (4 doors) with a V6. Typical equipment, CD, AM/FM Power windows and locks, cruise control, sliding rear glass, alarm and tow package. Nice truck on the exterior, however the interior is somewhat boring and lacks comfort, especially for those long trips which I do often. Almost 20K in 6 months. I average about 19.5 MPG. This was kind of a shock, as I expected better from a smaller truck.

Ford F150: 4x2 extended cab with V8. Most of the same equipment as the Tacoma with the addition of blue tooth synch, back-up assist, power rear window and seats. Also a nice truck on the exterior and by far nicer than the Tacoma on the interior. More leg room and features and a full instrument console. This truck averages about 21 MPG

Taking it from the interior the F150 has two thumbs up offering a easy to read instrument console that is driver friendly. I don't find myself fumbling around looking for radio stations, cruise control, and radio stations like I do in the Tacoma. The Tacoma dashboard is boring and clumsy. The stereo is hard to read as it sits too high on the dash board and the lighting dose not offer any visibility at all.

The interior lighting of the Tacoma is practically non-existence. No dome lights as you open the doors and hard to get out of at night.

Over all I rank the F150 far superior to the Tacoma in every way and if I had to do it over again I would choose the F150 over the Tacoma hands down. But this will have to wait as I am still owing on the Tacoma, but as soon as I can the Tacoma is out the door and the F150 will soon be in my driveway.

100 miles a day

I started a new job 5 weeks ago which is quite some distance from my last place of employment. So instead of a 15 mile commute that only took me 20 minutes, I find myself now doing a 50 mile commute to San Jose in just under an hour. The upside is I get to spend more time on my motorcycle everyday. Seriously, the ride down 280 every morning is one of the most beautiful scenic routes I could take, especially this time of year. By the time I reach the highway the sun is just starting to warm the roads with its brilliance and the sky is full of vibrant colors.

I do admit it does get chilly, however, being witness to that kind of beauty every day is well worth the few moments of cold. The only down side is I now spend 2 hours a day on the road which gives me less time to spend with my amazing girlfriend Elise. She is one of the most understanding women I have know and I thank my lucky stars that we are in each others lives.