Not wanting to risk a slow ride with lots of lane splitting on the Four Oh Five during Friday morning rush hour, we spent Thursday night in Del Mar at an overpriced hotel. At least we were close to the Fish Market and had some amazing clam chowder for dinner.
The run started Friday @ 12 noon at San Diego Harley Davidson, the one that now occupies the original Price Club building on Morena Blvd. I lived a couple of miles from there umpteen years ago.
Deja vu all over again.
The run started Friday @ 12 noon at San Diego Harley Davidson, the one that now occupies the original Price Club building on Morena Blvd. I lived a couple of miles from there umpteen years ago.
Deja vu all over again.
Riding the 27 miles on Interstate 5 to the Mexican border resembled something from the movie It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Getting into Mexico isn't usually a problem, unless you're on a motorcycle. Rows of what looks like upside down mixing bowls stand between you and Tijuana. A bike close to us went down, then another one. We were very careful. Once across, we got behind about 10 bikes and figured they would get us to where we needed to go. They did. Safely across the border in TJ
Opened to the public in 1924, the Rosarito Beach Hotel was a favorite haunt of Hollywood stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Lana Turner, and Kim Novak. A sign above the lobby entrance states: "Through This Door Pass The Most Beautiful Women In The World." Still holds true today.
While waiting in a very slow line to check in, hotel employees brought out trash cans full of beer. The guy behind me looked thirsty too. Turns out we knew each other - sort of. He and his wife live close by in Simi Valley. And he and my wife have the same bike - crushed ice pearl Street Glides. Simi Valley Harley Davidson only sold two bikes in that color last year.
So there we were in Rosarito marveling at the coincidence. He, his wife, me and my wife got to hang together all weekend - plus another couple they are good friends with.
I love being lucky.
While waiting in a very slow line to check in, hotel employees brought out trash cans full of beer. The guy behind me looked thirsty too. Turns out we knew each other - sort of. He and his wife live close by in Simi Valley. And he and my wife have the same bike - crushed ice pearl Street Glides. Simi Valley Harley Davidson only sold two bikes in that color last year.
So there we were in Rosarito marveling at the coincidence. He, his wife, me and my wife got to hang together all weekend - plus another couple they are good friends with.
I love being lucky.
Saturday - we almost missed the Toy Run.
My wife forgot her gloves, so I had to fetch them back up in our room. The elevators at the Rosarito Beach Hotel are agonizingly slow. Our apologies to the two drivers whose mirrors we hit trying to get through traffic to where we needed to be. Luckily we barely made it and were able to cut in the line of bikes already under way on Blvd Benito Juarez. Whew . . .
It was quite a noisy spectacle inching our way through town. Lots of folks taking pictures and videos of the bikes. By the way, fishtail pipes are really fucking loud. My ears are still ringing.
Hundreds of children and their families jammed the parking lot at the Toy Run site. Several MC's formed what looked like a Bucket Brigade and passed down box after box of soccer balls and boogie boards.
My wife forgot her gloves, so I had to fetch them back up in our room. The elevators at the Rosarito Beach Hotel are agonizingly slow. Our apologies to the two drivers whose mirrors we hit trying to get through traffic to where we needed to be. Luckily we barely made it and were able to cut in the line of bikes already under way on Blvd Benito Juarez. Whew . . .
It was quite a noisy spectacle inching our way through town. Lots of folks taking pictures and videos of the bikes. By the way, fishtail pipes are really fucking loud. My ears are still ringing.
Hundreds of children and their families jammed the parking lot at the Toy Run site. Several MC's formed what looked like a Bucket Brigade and passed down box after box of soccer balls and boogie boards.
Dozens of bicycles that had been pre-assembled adorned the stage in neat rows.
Anxious faces looked on.
Then one by one, the children were called up to claim their treasures.
For more information about the annual Rosarito Toy Run, go to https://www.rd4c.net/ and https://www.facebook.com/RD4C.net/
Anxious faces looked on.
Then one by one, the children were called up to claim their treasures.
For more information about the annual Rosarito Toy Run, go to https://www.rd4c.net/ and https://www.facebook.com/RD4C.net/
After the Toy Run, our new friends invited us to join them for a late lunch in Puerto Nuevo. Turns out, Puerto Nuevo is the "Lobster Capital" of Baja and a gorgeous 20 minute ride south. Guzzling pitchers of margaritas and scarfing down lobster with friends all while overlooking the Pacific Ocean is something I want to do again, and again. Street vendors offering free shots of "homemade" tequila completed a perfect afternoon. Although I suspect their motive$ were not entirely gratuitou$. 12 lobster tails plus shrimp, fish, scallops and calamari
Papas & Beer on a Saturday night looks sort of like a scaled down version of Times Square on New Year's Eve. A couple of blocks from our hotel, Papas & Beer is known for being the Spring Break Capital of the West Coast. Hundreds of wasted 18 year olds must be a sight to behold.
A big thanks to Charros MC for letting us hang in their area at Papas & Beer. After we parked our six butts on some unoccupied stools, we realized our mistake. Finally one of their members came over and asked where we were from. When I responded "Los Angeles" and then added we had attended the Toy Run earlier that day, the ice was broken. Thank you Pyro and Charros MC for the hospitality.
A big thanks to Charros MC for letting us hang in their area at Papas & Beer. After we parked our six butts on some unoccupied stools, we realized our mistake. Finally one of their members came over and asked where we were from. When I responded "Los Angeles" and then added we had attended the Toy Run earlier that day, the ice was broken. Thank you Pyro and Charros MC for the hospitality.
When the promised "escort to the border" didn't show up at Papas & Beer on Sunday morning, the six of us headed north on our own (luckily, our friends had done this before). We learned the secrets and shortcuts needed to get back into the US on a motorcycle on a Sunday in around 30 minutes.
Not wanting the fun to end, we all stopped for lunch at the always crowded Old Town section of San Diego.
We found parking for our bikes right in front of a Mexican restaurant. I love irony.
And I love being lucky . . .
Ozzie, Marlen; Jose, Patty - we had a blast!
No biker deserves to be bored . . .
Not wanting the fun to end, we all stopped for lunch at the always crowded Old Town section of San Diego.
We found parking for our bikes right in front of a Mexican restaurant. I love irony.
And I love being lucky . . .
Ozzie, Marlen; Jose, Patty - we had a blast!
No biker deserves to be bored . . .
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