As I motored my way out of Stockton, I encountered my favorite kinds of roads. So far I had been able to avoid the interstates and was able to travel on two lane highways of rolling hills with a speed limit of 45 to 55 mph. Surprisingly, there was virtually no traffic. Each road was better than the next. CA-99 gave way to CA-88 which led me to CA-49. Shortly after I got on CA-49, there was a sign welcoming me to El Dorado county. I have found that road conditions on state highways can change immediately after entering a new county. I assume this has something to do with how state funds for highways are appropriated and the local municipalities put the money towards the state roads with greatest need. Well, in this case a really good road got even better. No sooner did I cross the county line, the road turned into brand new, smooth asphalt that couldn’t be more than a few weeks old. Penny purred like a kitten as I shifted into fifth gear and traversed what felt like 25 to 20 miles of motorcycle heaven. (This was in contrast to earlier in the day when on CA-4 I crossed into San Joaquin county and the road turned into a series of potholes and rough patches. I couldn’t help but wonder if the more well to do county of El Dorado gets better financial support from the state than San Joaquin county.) After a quick lunch at the Diamond Springs Hotel, http://www.diamondsprings-hotel.com, where I had a delicious turkey club sandwich served up by a really friendly staff, it was off to US-50, the road that would lead me into Lake Tahoe.
US-50 was another great road with tall trees along the route and plenty of turnoffs to allow me to stop and take in the sights and to let the speed demons who don’t appreciate the beauty of this road to pass by.
From there I picked up CA-89 which led me into South Lake Tahoe. Lake Tahoe has to be one of the most beautiful places in this state full of beautiful places. I road the 70 plus miles around the lake, taking in the grandueur of it all. I was pretty tired by the end of the ride but it was well worth it. All in all, I rode 298 miles from Redwood City to Lake Tahoe. Day 1 of the trip was everything I expected it to be and removed any of the doubts I may have had regarding whether this was a good idea or not. Next up, I continue on US-50 through Nevada on “The Loneliest Road in America”.
Penny and My Thoughts 