Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2013 10:37:46 GMT -5
I took a nice 1500 mile drive in the Blackjack Zero from the end of June to the beginning of July. I started in San Diego, drive highway 1 up the coast to Santa Barbara. There I caught highway 154 to Solvang. I saw the Classic Motorcycle Museum there and drove around the mountains. I even saw an old Moto Guzzi friend, Todd Eagan, by chance. I then camped at nearby Buellton. The next day I p...icked up on highway 1 again headed for San Francisco. Morro Bay was nice, but Big Sur was best. I drove the 17 mile drive at Monterey. That was OK. I have lots of rich houses to see here in San Diego too. I then proceded up the coast to my weekend rendezvous with some new Moto Guzzi friends at Mount Madonna County Park. I had a long day and was the last one to arrive Friday evening. Saturday had a choice of two rides, Big Sur or Alice's restaurant. I was just at Big Sur the day before so I chose Alices. I thoroughly enjoyed Skyline Blvd. The video doesn't do the redwoods and curves justice. Alices is a restaurant at the top of the mountain where a lot of tire kicking takes place and which has a lot of history. My compliments to Pierre, who organized the NATA Moto Guzzi Rally. He did an awesome job. Sunday I visited the "Winchester House" in San Jose, Ca. If you are an Architect, this is a must see. From there I had camping reservations at Pinnacles National Monument. It's a great place for hiking and climbing. Highway 25 is hilly and curvy with lots of farm land around. There are few towns so a full tank of gas is a must. I drove about 100 miles with no towns. The next day I had scheduled to visit Paso Robles and camp at Point Mugu Naval Air Station. It would have been nice, but I really wanted to revisit the Sequioas. After consulting my map I determined it was doable if I go on the road early. I set my alarm for 4:20, but the coyotes woke everyone in the campground at 4 AM. A pack of them hooping and hollering decided to strole through the camp. So I packed up in the dark and headed out in the fog. I had to make it across the California valley before the heat struck. I drove at dawn in and out of the fog. As I drove above the fog all the hills and mountain seemed as islands in a sea. I then would go back down. This cycle repeated itself many times. There was no traffic, towns or people. There were just cows grazing and suicide rabbits on the road. I got to Sequoia National Park by 9:30.
Sequoia National Park was awesome as always. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. There was about 3 miles of construction on the main road. This stretch had about a 7% incline on single lane gravel in slow first gear at high altitude behind a hundred other cars. This caused my motor to get warmer than usual, but exhibited no adverse symptoms. I was in no hurry and was determi...ned to enjoy the day among the Sequoias. The main road was in great shape except for the above mentioned construction. The branch roads were a bit bumpy and in need of repair in places. Overall it was a great drive. I then entered Kings Canyon National Park to the North which almost abuts Sequoia. Kings Canyon is the better park by far, but most people see both (see video). All the places I visited made me seem like I, or the car at least, were celebrities. I couldn't stop without cameras taking pictures and people striking up conversations. I'm usually fine with this, but sometimes I didn't have the time or I just wanted to enjoy the scenery in peace. For me, this vacation was all about "the drive". One older lady in Monterey was convinced that I was someone special. It took me a while to convince her that I just stopped to read my map. I'd often direct people to search Blackjack Zero on the internet for more information. If I were single, this would really be a chick magnet. Actually, it is, married or not, I just turn them down. Anyway, it's good for the ego.
Kings Canyon National Park is a must see in your lifetime. I actually prefer to see it in winter. There are no people, tons of snow and it's even more beautiful. They won't let you in without chains on your tires and the weather forecast is real important. You could be snowed in for days.
After thoroughly enjoying trees and roads 'till my heart was content it was time to go down the mountain into the heat. I thought I would just find a campground for the night, but it was just too hot. As I headed South toward San Diego on highway 99, I left the valley at 7:30 PM and it was still too hot. So I decided to find a campground near what the Californians call the Grapevine. This is actually the name of an exit on highway 5, but we use it to refer to the mountain area between the valley and LA. It did cool down as altitude increased, but by then it was almost 9 PM. There was lots of construction and signs warning of delays. San Diego was about 3 hours away. Construction and LA traffic don't mix well. So I decided to just continue through the night with the help of some strong coffee. I arrived home at about midnight.
The Blackjack Zero did well. I burnt out two tail light bulbs and gained many small chips in my paint from rocks. The powder coated steel parts were fine, but the fiberglass parts in front now show signs of age. It's not new anymore with 10,500 miles on the odometer. I get 37 miles to the US gallon. I'm very happy with the car. There are still things I'd like to change, but that's just personal preference. I've got a real glass windshield figured out, but haven't bought the materials yet. That only took 2 years and I'm still not done. Then a top will be next.
Well, that's it in a nut shell. I usually don't write much. I'm usually building or fixing something in the garage. My Moto Guzzi motorcycle has been sucking up a lot of my time these days. It seams my V11 Roso Corse was not designed for high mileage. Keep the rubber down and drive
For pictures see my Blackjack Zero Site on Facebook.
www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Blackjack-Zero-Kit-Cars/162739830425180?filter=1
Kurt
Sequoia National Park was awesome as always. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. There was about 3 miles of construction on the main road. This stretch had about a 7% incline on single lane gravel in slow first gear at high altitude behind a hundred other cars. This caused my motor to get warmer than usual, but exhibited no adverse symptoms. I was in no hurry and was determi...ned to enjoy the day among the Sequoias. The main road was in great shape except for the above mentioned construction. The branch roads were a bit bumpy and in need of repair in places. Overall it was a great drive. I then entered Kings Canyon National Park to the North which almost abuts Sequoia. Kings Canyon is the better park by far, but most people see both (see video). All the places I visited made me seem like I, or the car at least, were celebrities. I couldn't stop without cameras taking pictures and people striking up conversations. I'm usually fine with this, but sometimes I didn't have the time or I just wanted to enjoy the scenery in peace. For me, this vacation was all about "the drive". One older lady in Monterey was convinced that I was someone special. It took me a while to convince her that I just stopped to read my map. I'd often direct people to search Blackjack Zero on the internet for more information. If I were single, this would really be a chick magnet. Actually, it is, married or not, I just turn them down. Anyway, it's good for the ego.
Kings Canyon National Park is a must see in your lifetime. I actually prefer to see it in winter. There are no people, tons of snow and it's even more beautiful. They won't let you in without chains on your tires and the weather forecast is real important. You could be snowed in for days.
After thoroughly enjoying trees and roads 'till my heart was content it was time to go down the mountain into the heat. I thought I would just find a campground for the night, but it was just too hot. As I headed South toward San Diego on highway 99, I left the valley at 7:30 PM and it was still too hot. So I decided to find a campground near what the Californians call the Grapevine. This is actually the name of an exit on highway 5, but we use it to refer to the mountain area between the valley and LA. It did cool down as altitude increased, but by then it was almost 9 PM. There was lots of construction and signs warning of delays. San Diego was about 3 hours away. Construction and LA traffic don't mix well. So I decided to just continue through the night with the help of some strong coffee. I arrived home at about midnight.
The Blackjack Zero did well. I burnt out two tail light bulbs and gained many small chips in my paint from rocks. The powder coated steel parts were fine, but the fiberglass parts in front now show signs of age. It's not new anymore with 10,500 miles on the odometer. I get 37 miles to the US gallon. I'm very happy with the car. There are still things I'd like to change, but that's just personal preference. I've got a real glass windshield figured out, but haven't bought the materials yet. That only took 2 years and I'm still not done. Then a top will be next.
Well, that's it in a nut shell. I usually don't write much. I'm usually building or fixing something in the garage. My Moto Guzzi motorcycle has been sucking up a lot of my time these days. It seams my V11 Roso Corse was not designed for high mileage. Keep the rubber down and drive
For pictures see my Blackjack Zero Site on Facebook.
www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Blackjack-Zero-Kit-Cars/162739830425180?filter=1
Kurt
