the Mother Ship

In its purest form, I say that a moto-journey should begin and end at the garage. Having never been a proponent of trailering a bike anywhere, I continue to age and am trying to mellow. Kicking and screaming in equal measure, I reluctantly loaded the two wheeled vehicle into the four wheeled vehicle and hitched it on up to yet another 4 wheeled vehicle, transiting to Santa Cruz CA. The up-side is that a camping spot is considerably less expensive than hotels in this neck of the woods and over the course of the week, the savings add nicely to the next-new-bike fund. So, to and from the Mother Ship I shall loop, for the next few days.

Idyllic little roadside cafes are the favorite eateries of many who ride. That warm greeting, friendly service and simple good food make a difference in how your day goes. I seek them out and far prefer them over the corporate joints. Today found me at the Cadillac Cafe listening to Motown and thoroughly enjoying everything that Hector cooked and Karla placed before me. It’s a definite yes, when in Watsonville CA.

Moss Landing has been known to be bad news among the ling cod, yet good news for those who pursue them with hooks. King fish meet a similar fate here.
It’s important to have your gear in order. Some meticulously prepare at home, the night before. However, my newest little friend, Connor, likes to sort things out on the shore.

As any capable fisherman would do, Connor and his brother Luke, occasionally help their dad catch fish, too. Dad Nate will tell you that their help enables his untangling and un-snagging skills to remain in practice. Nate also mentioned something about bird nests. In between his split shifts at work, Nate takes these two fishing. Whenever they ask … they go. That’s something that makes a father into a daddy.

Flat light and cool temperatures ranging in the 60s, accompanied me on most of the day’s ride. The brush fires raging inland belch smoke toward the sea with an offshore flow. The mix of smoke and marine-layer fog rob the coastal vegetation of its color, rendering a washed out look to most surrounding elements.

Miles of tended fields provided a backdrop for much of today’s ride. Peaches, strawberries, avocados and many diverse other crops grow here and feed the world. It’s harvest time for much of the produce items and the pickers are stooped in the fields. Watching them reminds me that it’s very hard work and I have great admiration for those that perform it and feed me.

The Reijn family is on holiday from Holland. A 16 day trip has/will take them through San Francisco, CA Central Coast, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon and Los Angeles. It’s amazing who you can meet and what you can learn while explaining that the mysterious plants growing in the field across the road… are artichokes.

Dinner on the wharf at Santa Cruz concluded a great day. I ate a bucket of steamers while overlooking Steamers Lane.