San Francisco Bay Peninsula: Alice's Restaurant (Woodside, CA)

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I had a difficult week and needed some quality time on the CB1100EX. The weather was perfect:



I decided to drive across the San Francisco Peninsula and visit Alice's Restaurant, a pub famous for a twisty road leading to it, redwoods, motorcycles, classic cars, tasty food, good music, and a relaxed vibe.

Check Out Alice's Restaurant

I completed my pre-ride check. The motorcycle was ready. I spent a little extra time focusing on tires and brakes. The road ahead had an interesting combination of highways, rural roads, high winds, and the San-Meteo Bridge, the longest fixed link bridge in California. It is a 50 mile drive (one way) from my California home. The bridge is beautiful:











I crossed the Peninsula without incident even with winds gusting over 25 MPH. I was delighted to have the weight of the CB1100EX.

With a gentle turn I left the highway behind and entered into an old growth forrest of redwoods. The road leading to Alice's Restaurant is two lanes with only a few turnouts. I stopped along the way to take a few pictures. It was breathtakingly serene:









Alice's Restaurant has been operating since the 1940s, a rarity in the United States. Because of its relatively remote location, it has become a destination for cyclists, motorcyclists, environmentalists, hippies, and  music lovers. It is impossible to just happen upon Alice's Restaurant--you have to make the effort. When I arrived, it made an incredible first impression:



There was a lot of people there, but the operations was clearly dialed in. There was seating inside and outside. The servers were organized, cheerful, relaxed, and remarkably fast. They graciously modified an offering for me to suit my dietary restrictions. The egg-white, potato Benedict's was delicious:



The restaurant has a long history of catering to motorcyclists. The wall art reflects that, but perhaps even more impressive is the gas station station and air pumps.







I parked my motorcycle in one of the designated areas. There was an interesting combination of Harley's, tourers, sport bikes, and adventure bikes. All the tribes appeared to get along with one another. When I returned after eating my brunch, some motorcyclists were standing by the CB1100EX. They wanted to learn more about the motorcycle and what it was like to ride. The marveled at the quality of materials, classic lines, and general appearance. One of the guys noted that he was behind me and had a much more difficult time navigating many of the turns. I told him that there are times when an upright riding position with a perfectly balanced motorcycle made for counter steering has some advantages.

An owner of a CBR asked me if he could take a video of my motorcycle so that he could share it on his Forum. I told him of course and that the CB1100, all vintages, represent the very best Honda has to offer:





I returned home. I spent 2 hours commuting and an hour talking shop with motorcyclists of all persuasions. Life is good on a CB1100. Enjoy your weekend. David