First, a bit of a disclaimer, The Run For the Wall (RFTW) is officially postponed to 2022. The Remember Our Fallen ride will likely have a good number of participants who regularly support the RFTW, and a good number of them may be wearing RFTW rockers on their vests, but the Remember Our Fallen ride is not the RFTW and is not endorsed by the RFTW or any other organization.
All of that said, it is great to be on the road to Ontario to join like-minded people in riding across our great nation to bring awareness to veteran’s issues and to remember those who have fought for our freedoms who have never come home. Today ended day four of my trip with Boilermaker (Dan Koster), a friend from Denver, and my daughter Crysten. While the trip to Ontario from Washington State can be easily accomplished in three days, or a little less easily in two, we chose to take the coastal route along the Washington, Oregon, and California highways 101 and 1 and to complete the trip in five days.
It has been rather epic. My father (Hands to some of you) rode with us from Olympia toward the Washington coast. We parted ways in Raymond where he turned back to home and we continued on to our overnight stop at the Inn at Otter Crest. We got to ride with Bob Dutcher, the brother of Charlie D, a Vietnam veteran with whom I enjoyed many riding and wrenching hours before he passed. Our riding community misses Charlie here in the Puget Sound, but we rode for him on this trip from Medford to Yreka. The leg was made possible by Dan’s desire to visit with friends in Yreka. Running South from Yreka we stopped in Willows where we enjoyed lunch at The Last Stand Bar and Grill and we took a photo in front of a small church my father used to pastor. We rode a super twisty section of roads from lake Berryessa into Napa wine country to be sure we could ride across the Golden Gate Bridge. When the bridge appeared out of the afternoon onshore fog, my heart skipped a beat. It was stunning. I’ve walked on the bridge, and I’ve photographed the Golden Gate, but I’d never driven or rode a motorcycle across its roadway until this trip. We climbed the super steep hills of San Francisco (with memories of Bill Cosby’s sketch in mind) without stalling the bikes or dropping them on the pavement. I’d be lying to you if I said that wasn’t an adrenaline-filled experience. We also saw the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and passed by the Presidio of Monterey, where I learned Arabic in the Army. There was one surprise in Monterey; motorcycles are no longer allowed to traverse 17 Mile Drive.
Today, saw us on the San Jose, to Santa Maria leg of the journey which had us riding through the aforementioned cities of Santa Cruz, Monterey, and then down the coast on Hwy 1. The twisties were grand, the sights spectacular, and the weather most cooperative, which was a far cry from the falling rocks onto a rental car the last time I was on this stretch of highway. We lunched at the River Inn in Big Sur but had to skip a tour of Hearst Castle, which is still closed for COVID.
Crysten has been a trooper. She’s maintained a great perspective as she’s endured the most miles back to back she’s ever done on a motorcycle. A case in point was this evening in Pismo Beach. We were trying to eat dinner at a restaurant owned by a person who regularly participates in the RFTW. While trying to connect with the owner, Crysten pointed out a WWII/Korean War veteran who was waiting in line. So, we walked over and struck up a conversation. Ninety-six-year-old Wayne, served in the Pacific Theater in WWII culminating with the battle for Guadalcanal. He was spry and had all of his faculties. When we thanked him for his sacrifice (he fought and he lost his brother in combat) for a moment he lost his jovial attitude and said “thank you, the kids these days just don’t understand”. To that Crysten was able to say, she understands that what his generation did “means everything, you fought for our nation’s freedom”. Super proud father moment and super emotional moment. All three of us had moist eyes. After several days on the bike, Crysten was focused on others, on the mission. I’d wanted to get a picture with Wayne but chose to not trouble him. It was a great experience for all of us.
Tomorrow we arrive in Ontario. We will ride down the coast to Santa Monica, diverting only to stop in Solvang for a short while. Upon reaching Santa Monica, our plan is to turn northward to enjoy a meal with friends, before finishing our journey.
Here are some photos from the trip so far. Click any of them to see a larger version.
