June 3-8 2023 in Sunny Southern California!
We will be spending the entire ride at one hotel this year. We are staying at the Sycuan Casino and Resort. Check-in is Saturday June 3rd, and we will plan to meet as a group the evening of June 3rd to go over the routes, hand signals, how we ride etc. We will ride riding on Sunday June 4th through Thursday June 8th. We will celebrate our 20th Anniversary with a Banquet the evening of June 8th. Departure day is June 9th.
Below are the routes we will be taking:
Day One, Sunday, June 4th: We will leave the hotel very bright and early to avoid potential heat in desert part of the ride. Kickstands up at @ 7 AM! From Sycuan, the riders will head up Harbison Canyon Road, making our way Wildcat Canyon Road, heading to Ramona, CA. About an hour in, we’ll stop at the renown Dudley’s Bakery in Santa Isabel for a coffee and a delight from the bakery counter. Over the rolling hills to CA S2 and CA S22–one of the sweetest motorcycle roads with incredible views over Anza Borrego. In Borrego we’ll look for the amazing metal animal sculptures for photo opportunities before heading up the Banner Grade to Wynola for lunch. After lunch we’ll head down Hwy 79 through Cuyamaca State Park and make our way back to the hotel on Japatul Valley Road. Those with a thirst for more adventure can return via Japatul/Lyons Valley Road and Skyline Truck Trail, adding about 30 minutes to the day’s ride. This will be the longest day, and riders will likely collapse in the resort’s swimming pools before dinner. Ride time: 3:34 not including stops, or 4:00 via Lyons Valley Road.
Day 2, Monday, June 5th: Our destination today is the Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park. After a lazy morning, kickstands will be up at exactly 9:15 as we make our way to Hwy 94 along Dehesa Road and Willow Glen Drive, intending to arrive at precisely 10 AM on the Old Globe Plaza. After demonstrating our expert parking skills, the riders are invited to tour the Old Globe 3-theatre complex and explore the many museums in Balboa Park. Animal lovers can visit the San Diego Zoo next door as well. Lunch on your own at any of the restaurants in the park and zoo. At 2 PM, we’ll fire up our bikes (simultaneously) and return to Sycuan the way we came. It’s only 50 miles total for the day and 1:30 total time.
Day 3, Tuesday, June 6th: Today’s destination is the whimsical Desert View Tower, an historic roadside attraction. We will take Hwy 94 to get there. The road runs close enough to the border with Mexico that we could call it an international ride. Lunch at Jacumba Hot Springs if they have reopened by then. (Golden Acorn Casino is an alternative if they haven’t.) Home via Old Highway 80, with a possible stop at the Wisteria Candy Cottage in Boulevard. If that’s not enough sugar, we’ll stop at the Frosty Burger in Pine Valley for a soft ice cream cone. We have three ways back to the hotel from Pine Valley: by I-8 for the homesick; the now familiar Japatul Road from Day 1; or Lyons Valley Road, bypassing Skyline Truck Trail. The latter will take us by the scene of the famous Great Green Ice Flying Dismount. About 3 hours riding for the day. A little more if opting for the Lyons Valley Road.
Day 4, Wednesday, June 7th: Our destination today is the home of Co-Ride Marshal, Kate Schreiber in Valley Center, where a complimentary lunch by The Taco Guy will be provided. We’ll stop at Dudley’s Bakery again, then skirt the base of Palomar Mountain on the way to Kate’s. There is an option to climb part of Palomar for the Mohawks on the way. Back to the hotel via Pauma Valley Road and Wildcat Canyon. Total ride time is about 3 hours. We’ll be back at the hotel for a dip in the pool before dinner.
Day 5, Thursday, June 8th: On this, our last day riding, our destination is THE BEACH! It’s Southern California after all. Torrey Pines State Beach to be precise. Kickstands up around 9 AM for a 10 AM arrival, hoping to beat the traffic and the June Gloom–the fog that can obscure the beach when it’s bright and sunny only a block inland. We’ll take our chances. Wear your bikinis and speedos under your riding gear and take a dip in the cool waves, or just work on your tan. We will return to the hotel the way we came around 2 PM, hoping to beat the traffic again. You can’t call it a SoCal ride without dealing with freeways and traffic. (Note: lane splitting is legal in California, but not for the inexperienced or faint of heart.) We should arrive at Sycuan early enough to shower and get ready for the Long Reach Long Riders 20th Anniversary Banquet. You won’t want to miss this complimentary dinner with a cash bar! We expect several guests who have supported us all these years, along with riders from past rides who are coming to town just for the banquet. We will say our goodbyes now, because many will be heading home early in the morning. Thus ends the Dos Equis XX Twentieth Anniversary Long Reach Long Riders ride.
