Today was all about local rides in the Fortuna area. I started the day off meeting some of the other riders for breakfast and we discussed our options for the day. I wasn’t interested in anything too intense after two long days in the saddle and lobbied for a short jaunt through the Avenue of the Giants. This is more of a scenic road that winds through redwood forests.

That part was all well and good but then we decided to head out to a tiny little town near the coast called Honeydew. Honeydew is most notable for it’s reputation in the heart of northern California’s pot growing industry and for the fact it’s a waypoint on a notorious motorcycle ride called The Lost Coast. I’ve done the Lost Coast before and didn’t want to do it again but figured going as far as Honeydew would be fine.

Yeah, right. I had forgotten how bad the road to Honeydew was and how technically challenging it is for a rider on a sport bike. I got through it, but I was pretty sore afterwards. It’s mostly dramatic elevation changes (most of the time you’re going uphill or downhill) and tight, tight switchbacks over very rough and uneven pavement. On a sport bike with a suspension setup for smooth, high speed corners it’s a recipe for a very bumpy ride and a lot of time standing up on the pegs trying to avoid some of the worst of it.

Still, the views from up top are spectacular and that’s a payoff of sorts for enduring the ride. Afterwards we all converged at the house of one of our local riders, Dr. Gil for a BBQ and social session. It creates quite a collection of bikes parked along his street and causes people to stop and visit with us or stop to take their own photos.

After the BBQ I headed back to the hotel for a while to relax and rest, then walked over to our dinner spot for the social event that closes out the official portion of WCRM V. In the morning, we’ll all go our separate ways and I’ll starting winding my way back up the coast on Highway 101 as I head for Seattle over the next two days.