Raven's Roads
Living an interesting life: the travels and musings
of motorcycling author Linda R. Moore

May 25, 2003

25 May 2003

Filed in Blog

Miles Today: 28.2
Miles This Month: 242.1
Miles This Year: 346.4

There

After a lot of faffing around, I forced myself out the door. I was tired and not in the mood, and it’s only a day later that I realise why: I stayed up late watching a movie, so my body clock, which was starting to be tuned up nicely to early mode, was very puzzled and low-energy.

It was quite cool when I set out, and I thought we might get a thunderstorm. It changed, though, becoming not hot, but rather muggy. I rode down Maude to get fuel, just as the fuel truck was exiting. I discovered that I can control the bike more confidently in u-turn like manoeuvres if I keep my feet down, which surprises me, and I’m sure that is not the way it’s meant to be done. I’ll run with it for a while and see what happens.

After that it was over to Mary and Central, then San Tomas Expressway. The traffic was not particularly heavy, being a Sunday, though I really didn’t feel as if I were riding well, or concentrating well. Bad. Even so, it seemed like no time at all that I was taking Saratoga Avenue.

Landmark #447

I found this landmark with little difficulty, as I had been there just a few days before. I pulled into some company car park, and immediately some guy in a taxi asked me if I needed a ride to the Chinese church opposite :: giggle :: He was being shuttle. I thought it was quite good, actually, as it’s a busy road and I suppose the church had no car park of its own.

The marker was right there by the roadside, so I put my lid on top, and my number identifier, and got my pics. For once I managed to get one that more or less had me and the title of the landmark in it, too.

Gubserville was an important restocking stop on the way between cities.

And Back Again

I had another landmark to pick up, which I thought was at Congress Springs Park, just after the intersection with Highway 85. Nope. I walked around that strange little sports park (baseball fields, ranges, you name it) but not a landmark in sight. The guide book said “intersection on highways 9 and 85″ but there is no such intersection, so I guessed at “85 and Saratoga”, and since Saratoga was once known as Congress Springs, I thought…maybe. But nope. Never mind. I had a nice walk, it wasn’t too hot, and I do need to remember to pack something to walk in other than my motorcycle boots. They hurt my feet very quickly.

So, I set off back home on Sunnyvale/Saratoga, scratching my head, having collected only one landmark. I made it home safely, and went searching on the Web, which I might have done beforehand. The landmark is nowhere near where the book says, but on Los Gatos Road. I looked at the map and planned a long ride starting with Blossom Hill Road (Almaden Vineyard), through Los Gatos, up to Saratoga, and home. Preferably when I’m more connected to my riding and in the right mood.