April 2008 - Spring is here and we’re heading for the hills!!!

The sun is shining, the birds are singing and MAN IS THE TRACTION GOOD!  It’s time to get the dual sport bikes out of the garage, dust them off, kick the tires, gas ‘em up and hit the trails!  What better way to kick off your 2008 riding season than attending the Yosemite Dual Sport Adventure?  This is the first event of AMA’s 2008 BMW National Adventure Riding Series.

Based out of Buck Meadows California, this event is a paved and unpaved, scenic, historical, street legal motorcycle event held at the gateway to Yosemite National Park, Buck Meadows California, in the Stanislaus National Forest.  It’s time to get your bike out of the garage, hit the road and show up for some FUN!!!  This event caters to ALL dual sport & adventure bikes, whether it’s a large adventure-touring machine or a small trail-bike.

Please see our schedule page for more information and to sign up for the fun!

Happy Trails!

December 2007 – Getting Ready for the Desert!

Hello again!

Just a quick not to make sure that everyone knows about our up-coming desert ride and adventure on the week between Christmas and New Years.

For the past several years we have been camping at the “Wagon Wheel” staging area (also known as “Charlie’s Place”) and riding the Spangler Hills OHV area maintained by the BLM.  This year’s dates will be December Saturday December 29th 2007 through Friday January 4th, 2008.  If you are interesting in meeting up with our group for a ride or just to say “Hello!” then please drop me a line.

We are also revving up for our 2008 Adventure Season with the long-anticipated Yosemite Dual Sport Adventure!  On April 12th & 13th, 2008 we won’t be able to get the smiles off our face while we take a group of adventurous souls into the absolute best that California’s Yosemite Valley has to offer.  For details regarding this adventure please see our website.

Happy Trails!

10/09/06 - Ride Report, Baja GPS Event

Just a short note to let everyone know what a great trip that we had to Baja this past weekend.  My email blast For a "riding buddy" created not just a “riding buddy” but four other daring souls willing to take a quick trip down South and experience what Baja had to offer and new friendships that will last a lifetime.

We wasted no time getting on the road for the long drive South on Friday morning.  During the drive we visited, chatted and got to know each other better.  Lucien and I hit it off well and shared many common experiences.  Crossing the border at Tecate was the usual secondary inspection to see what’s in the big box trailer we were towing (5 dirt bikes!  What else?) and we arrived at Santa Veronica at about 7pm, just in time to pre-register and get some diner at the Hacienda’s bar / restaurant.  The food was exactly what I expected and I did not even need to look at the menu to know what I wanted.  YUM!  We checked into our rooms and got some rest for the next days ride.

The next morning we estimated that there were about 60 or so people entered in the event and we took care of breakfast, getting our GPS download with the routes, gearing up and unloading bikes in record time.  We were ready to RIDE!  There was a short class and a walking course to get people familiar with using a GPS to navigate a predetermined route and then we were off to the starting point under the big arch at the well maintained Hacienda’s gate.  Entrant’s got the choice of navigating a single track or a two track course and since the single track would take longer, due to slower expected speeds, riders taking the single track were allowed to leave first in numbered groups about 2 minutes apart.  This gave each group a chance to navigate themselves without just following someone else’s rear wheel and allowed the dust to settle before the next group came by.

After Lucien, Shannon and all the single track people had gone it was time for the 2-track riders to depart.  Although our course was about 65 miles our ride was expected to take only 3 – 4 hours due to higher speeds possible on the 2-track.  We were the 3rd group of 2-track riders to leave, Neil (KTM525), my mom Janet (CRF230) and I (XR-440).  The trail headed through the little dirt roads of the village of Santa Veronica passing the school and the bull-fighting ring on the way out of town.  Shortly after getting started Neil had a radio problem and headed back to the Hacienda then went on to ride around the area for the rest of the day while Janet & I continued on the 2-track route.

What can I say about the rest of the trail that day….?  I think Janet said it best, “It had a little of everything!” (said with a big smile on her face).  I’ve been to Santa Veronica and ridden the area several other times but Kacey Smith (Lizard Lady Publications: http://bajagpsguide.com/index.php) continues to serve up the best routes at her events.  Kacey’s dedication to opening new routes by her friendly and professional rapport with the local ranchers and property owners and her love for the people there is evident in every event she has done.  We all made it back safely that night and Neil, Lucien & Shannon had such a great time on the trail that, after returning, they went back out on the trail to get some more miles under their belt!

After getting our gear off and cleaning up we went to the restaurant for a great buffet diner.  Kacey was soon sitting on the bar in the front of the room thanking her awesome staff that helped put the event on and handing out TONS of goodies from her sponsors including GPS’s, mapping software, Fox riding boots, gift certificates, tubes, jersey’s, t-shirts, hats…  The list goes on.  Kacey made sure that EVERYONE left the event with something!  Afterwards we hung out, chatting, telling stories (bench racing) and meeting lots of old friends for the very first time.  Later I commented that some of the coolest people on the planet ride motorcycles…

The next day we slept in a little later but still got up early enough to enjoy the buffet breakfast laid out for us and get in an hour or so’s riding before loading up and heading home.  Getting across the border coming home was the same experience as always, long lines waiting to go through inspection then the usual secondary inspection to see what’s in the trailer…  The drive home was full of talking about our experiences, calling friends and family and telling them what they missed out on and in silent appreciation of the awesome experience that we were able to be a part of.

If you would like to enjoy an experience with family and friends (or with people that just seem like family) similar to the one that you have just read about then please contact me to learn more about joining us on one of our upcoming tours in California or Baja.  We are currently seeking people interested in accompanying us during a 10-day tour of Northern Baja during the SCORE Baja 1000 Off-Road Race from November 10th – 19th 2006.

02/01/05 - "Getting Ready for Baja!"

Hello friends.  Were getting ready to ride Baja!  The staff of Family Off-Road Adventures have been riding, traveling and exploring Baja for many years now but at the end of February we'll be taking our first annual adventure tour South of the border in conjunction with the 2005 SCORE San Felipe 250 Off-Road Race.

This adventure will consist of two separate but consecutive three day adventures.  Baja is a land of contrasts and these adventures will be no different as we'll ride from sea level to an altitude of over 10,000 feet into the pine forests and "High Sierra" of Baja then back to the crystal clear and pristine beaches and bays of the Gulf side of Baja.

Both adventures start and end in San Felipe, the first adventure will start on Saturday February 18th .  We'll ride through the Laguna Diablo to lunch in San Matias then on up to world famous Mike's Sky Ranch and meet our support truck for diner, a shower and a bed.  The next day we'll ride out to Melling Ranch for lunch then on up to the National Observatory perched on the pinnacle of the San Pedro Martir National Park.  After visiting the observatory we'll return to Mike's "the back way" for some more of Blanca's great cooking!  The next day we'll backtrack our way to San Felipe touching on some of the racecourse for the upcoming SCORE San Felipe 250.

Once we return to San Felipe that adventure has ended but there is still plenty of fun ahead for those who chose to GO BIG and stay for the second adventure and those just joining us.

Tuesday morning the next adventure will leave heading south from San Felipe.  Again we will touch on some of the race course on our way to a lunch and fuel stop with our support truck in Puertecitos.  After a hearty meal of hotdog's and soda at the famous "cow patty" we'll continue South along the Gulf side coast.  The rugged beauty of this coast is amazing.  After a full days ride we'll arrive in Gonzaga Bay for a seafood diner and a clean, comfortable room.  The next day we'll explore the Gonzaga Bay area and visit many local points of interests such as Coco 's Corner, the Oasis, Punta Final and Calamajue Mine then return back to Alfonsina's for diner.  The next day we ride back up the coast to our base hotel in San Felipe.

Now you would think the fun is really over.  But wait!  There's more!  Today is Thursday and all the fun and excitement of the race starts on Friday!  If you bought the full six day adventure or joined us for the second three day adventure then your hotel room for the race is included!  The price of these adventures is practically worth the hotel rooms alone!

If you've never been to one of these races you'll want to make a point of doing so soon!  The smell of high-octane exhaust along with the sound of race engines revving and mariachi bands playing in the setting of a marketplace festival fronting the beautiful Gulf of California in a foreign land is awesome to behold.  And this is just the tech inspection and contingency row!

The next day the bikes get an early start off the line for a short afternoon ride in the desert.  A little while later the 4-wheeled vehicles, lead by the trophy trucks, get off the line and launch into the desert.  The race is a 250 mile loop in the desert around San Felipe so it's all over within a few hours.  We will have the unique opportunity to watch the race from just about anywhere since we'll have our bikes, radios and support vehicle with us the whole time.  You have got to try this sometime, the only better way to watch a race is from a helicopter!

After the race is over we'll join in all the after race festivities then head back to our hotel room for our last night in Baja.  The next day will be Sunday and we're heading home.

If you can't join us this year then please consider joining us next year or perhaps on one of our upcoming California adventures.  The Dual Sport to Yosemite adventure will be at the end of April and will be a mix of adventure, history and scenic beauty that few have ever experienced.

Happy Trails!