Berkeley, CA -> Santa Cruz, CA

Another day, another wake up at oh dark hundred hours for no reason. The others in the house gradually rose and we made breakfast with tea. Michelle and Amy had expressed interest in motorcycle rides and I was happy to provide. One of the greater joys of riding a motorcycle is sharing that joy. Michelle had a helmet so we suited up and were good to go. I found a loop that took us up through the (steep) hills behind the city to a vista. The route down was different. Michelle got a slow, but technical, ride through Cragmont. Amy got a faster run tailing a Corvette into downtown. They are both excelent pillions, light and easygoing.

After lunch I said goodbye and popped off to the city. Traffic was moving slow enough to necessitate lanesplitting which I am still getting the hang of again. I stopped at a higher speed until a group of bikers zipped by be between the lanes. Safety in numbers, I joined in. The 45 minute drive to Mission Dolores Park took 30 minutes. Even parking went smoothly. I caught up with Katie and her boyfriend Lucio. They've just moved into the city from East Bay and are loving it. He was in disbelief that I had done the whole trip on two wheels. It was easier to accept when I was a lone California plate. Now it takes convincing. After Dolores it was off to Santa Cruz. I took the one (I get to put 'the' before highway names now, feels nice) to get there. Wildly foggy. I had forgotten what real cold feels like.

I shivered my way into Santa Cruz where Raphael, John, John, Fiona, and I made dinner and drinks. Crazy loves company. 

Today's Distance: 84 Miles

Total Distance: 8433 Miles