South of Sunnyside

For each of our church’s four years of existence, the congregation has packed up and headed to the coast for a weekend of camping. This year, we changed locations, heading south to El Chorro Regional Park just outside of San Luis Obispo. (This year’s trip was my first on the Harley, described in detail in an earlier post.)

A few highlights from the trip (mostly related to food):

Harris Ranch

When I worked for the food bank, I was able to get Harris Ranch to donate five gallons of soup for fundraiser, but this was our first stop on the ride out. The breakfast is great; I highly recommend the bacon (they’re very generous with it).

Parkfield (the earthquake capital of the world)

I don’t know if we saw more than three people in the town, but I have to bring Kim back to the inn for an overnight stay. It’s a beautiful area, and evidently the place to experience an earthquake (whatever that means).

San Miguel Mission

We only rode by, but it’s gorgeous.

Fosters Freeze

Okay, I now realize that we have Fosters Freeze in Fresno…

Indian Valley

A perfect route for the motorcycle—we saw less than 10 cars in an hour and a half (and the roads are nice and winding). I learned two lessons from this leg of the trip:

1. An insect that is trapped inside of a leather riding jacket and capable of biting, will.
2. On a motorcycle, with a gas tank capable of holding no more than five gallons (and I have large tanks), it’s very important to know the approximate distance to the next gas station, and to fill up before venturing onto back-country routes.

Baptism at the beach

One of my favorite parts of the annual trip.

Woodstocks Pizza

Next time you find yourself in San Luis Obispo, I recommend making your way to Woodstocks. Just don’t judge it by the decor (and read the carvings on the table before sitting down with your children).

Camp chili

I made a lot (see picture below), and it was damn good.

El Chorro Regional Regional Park

This is where we stayed; it was perfect for our group, and provided several recreational areas. My personal favorite was the dog park.

I could keep going. There were so many great experiences squeezed into a short trip—I’m ready for next year! For those interested in exploring some of these places on your own, I’ve mapped the route I took on the Harley.

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