The day after our hike at Pinnacles, the neighbors went to visit their son while we biked to Salinas. After several false starts and two calls to the local H-D store, we finally found it at 333 N. Main St. It turns out that there are two 333 N. Main Streets--one in Old Town, starting at the National Steinbeck Center, and the new N. Main which is also Monterey St. and CA 68 which is where the dealership is located. Whew! From there we found the Sports Complex and got our Rodeo tickets for the following Saturday. Too bad we didn't plan to play tourist here. There were some other Steinbeck-related buildings to explore.
We spent the next couple of days goofing off in camp, playing shuffle board and cards, and taking walks and photographs before we felt the urge to mount up and take a ride. When we opted to stay at this park we decided not to stay at the park near Morgan Hill. We decided to make a day trip to check it out. On the way I saw this sign. Last time I looked, Los Banos (ban yos) was Spanish for the bathrooms!
We took the long way around and ended up at Coyote Lake Harvey Bear Ranch County Park. Apparently the ranch was donated land and the lake is a dammed up creek or river. There are several entrances to the park, including this one for day use picnicking and boating, and overnight camping, and a horse trail entrance and parking,
Skier just to the left
The road was curvy and hilly this way but that's what we like.
We did a quick tour of the park (the guard gave us a free 30 min for a look-around) then stopped in the town of Morgan Hill for gas and a water break. I found this wall of (I think) Lombardy poplars very interesting in that it was about a mile long with no dead trees to offer a peek at whatever was on the other side. At the end it made a right angle and effectively blocked my view.
We picked up Dunne Ave. and rode up into the hills on the other side of town,
where we found Anderson Lake County Park. We enjoyed this view while we relaxed over lunch.
This view is unusual in that most fields in this area aren't square but rather long and narrow. This looks as if it came from the mid-west farm belt.
We took the shorter, flatter road home through Hollister. Too bad we didn't plan a tour of this historic town either. In 1947 the first motorcycle race held here were the basis of the picture The Wild One with Marlon Brando. Other than a few arrests for drunkenness and fighting, the whole affair was pretty quiet and orderly. Hollywood must have drama, however, so bike riders gained a bad (and mostly undeserved) reputation. We arrived here the day after the annual motorcycle rally....dang, we missed it. Need to do a little better planning in the future. Today Hollister is a sprawling city but the downtown area still retains some of its original architecture.
We can't leave the area without a few more bike rides. Stay tuned!
Louise and Duane
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