The first day of school

A brief intro…

I’m down to just a few days left before I begin the trip.  I thought that some of you might be wondering where exactly I plan on going, and when I’ll be getting to each way-point.  Well, it seems to me that if I give you all of that information in advance of actually making the ride, then the shine will come off of the penny.

But, it also seems that I should be able to give you a little teaser of where I’m going, and what the route looks like.  So, I thought I would split the difference, and show you what day one is going to look like.

Day 1

Day 1 will start with a 6AM departure from Lea’s house in Alameda.  From there I’ll head East, towards Yosemite.  I’ll cross Yosemite, exiting on the far side, hopefully having enough time to stop for Fish Tacos at the Whoa Nelly Deli.  From the deli, I’ll continue East to Hwy 395, and then North until I see the turnoff for Bodie, California’s official ghost town.

The road to Bodie is about a 15 mile dirt road which I expect to be very hot and dusty.  I’ll spend a few hours at Bodie, and then head to Bridgeport, CA, where I’ll spend the night.

The last time I visited Bodie we were in an SUV, and we were not spending the night in Bridgeport.  So, on that occasion we retraced our steps to Hwy 395, and then went further North onto 395 towards our next stop.  This time however, since I’ll be staying in Bridgeport, I’ll be leaving Bodie on the “Back Side”, following an alternate dirt road to Hwy 395 further North, and then South to Bridgeport.

602-TheStart

So, that’s what day one will look like.

Sounds like fun, right?

 

About the Author

Cliff Musante

Cliff Musante is a technologist, business leader, motorcycle enthusiast, father, grandfather, and more. In June, 2013 his passion for motorcycles was revitalized, and he set out to ride across Patagonia. Since then, he's logged thousands of miles, ridden across the US, and on July 10, 2019, he began a 120 day trip through Europe, and then on to Russia, China, and parts East. This 'Blog is the story of all of his adventures.

Comments

  1. Hi Cliff,

    Sounds like fun. How are you selecting your whole route and timing?

    1. Hi Don,
      The entire route was created by adding a variety of points of interest to a map, and then connecting the dots in a way that allowed me to see and visit as many places as possible. I’ll be stopping at National Parks, State Parks, Historic monuments, silly tourist traps (the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD seems to fit this bill). And of course, I’ll be stopping at the homes of a number of friends.
      In addition to all of these sights, I’ve also made sure that I’ve included a good number of dirt roads, and remote back-country routes.

  2. Cliff,

    You may want to check out Travertine Hot Springs just on the south edge of Bridgeport off 395 (on Jack Sawyer Road). Basic hole-in-the-ground natural hot springs you can sit and relax in.

    I’ve done the road into Bodie on a Ducati ST3 many years back but did not dare go out the other side of Bodie. Have fun on the GS!

    Paul

    1. Hello Paul,
      I’ll look into it, but this first portion of the trip has me running a good number of miles on each day, and I’ve allocated just enough time for the landmarks and points of interest that I’ve already chosen.
      The idea of a hot spring sounds great, and I’ve included them at other points in the trip, but if I can work it in, I’ll do it.
      thanks for the suggestion,
      Cliff

  3. Cliff,

    Sounds like you might be passing through the remains of Aurora on the bake route out of Bodie. As we discussed that evening at T’Hill, Mark Twain spent a great deal of time in Aurora and wrote about in Roughing It. Wave to his ghost as you go by.

    Good luck,
    -PJ

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