Central California: Around The World In Five Days
Somewhere in Hollywood, buried under a pile of discarded relics from the silent film era, is a location scouting map of California. Like a geographical butcher’s chart, the state is carved up into various portions that can mimic nearly any place on Earth.
Here, you can find everything from ocean to desert, snow-capped mountains, and people dressed up as Darth Vader popping into a coffee shop for a latte. This state has it all.
Some of the most picturesque, remote, and rugged terrain California has to offer is sandwiched between Los Angeles and San Francisco. “Rugged” sounds like an extreme word when describing a paved road, but the Golden State can be rough,
Case in point, one of the sections I rode for this tour just recently opened from a four-year closure due to repairs from a staggering level of storm damage.
Starting with the Unremarkable
If you want to get fired from a travel agency, book a vacation for someone in Taft. If you’re a motorcyclist, definitely go to Taft.
Positioned at the southern end of California’s Central Valley, Taft is an oil town surrounded by agriculture. You may have to travel many miles for the environment to change in this part of California, which is perfect when you’re behind the handlebar.
Motorcycles & Gear
2024 MV Agusta Enduro Veloce
2024 KTM 1290 Super Adventure S
Helmet: Arai XD5, Klim Krios
Jacket & Pants: Aether Divide, Klim Artemis
Boots: TCX Baja Mid, Forma Terra Evo
Gloves: Klim Inversion Insulated, Klim Versa, Klim Hardanger HTD
Luggage: MV Agusta hard cases, Mosko Moto Reckless 80
Comm System: Cardo Packtalk
Cameras: Nikon D850, Sony RX100VI
Like a sailor’s desire for the horizon, the massive fields stretching on for miles around Taft can have a mesmerizing effect. Each mile brings more of the same, until suddenly crops become cranes, meadows turn to metal, and the fields above ground give way to black gold below.
Jo’s Restaurant in downtown Taft nails the vibe of a quintessential “American” breakfast. The food was as deeply satisfying as the decor, and the chaotic assortment of classic Americana throughout the dining room felt like a crash course into the local culture. Even when looking out the window at our bikes on the lonely downtown street, we were staring through motifs of oil rigs painted on the windows.
Perhaps mostly importantly for riders, Taft sits on SR 33. Following this road from its western origin in the coastal town of Ventura provides some of the best motorcycling California has to offer. As SR 33 nears Taft, it straightens out, but another option soon appears.
North of Taft, SR 33 provides views of the massive oil fields still in operation today. While the road continues its trek much farther north toward Tracy, taking a left roughly 20 minutes outside of town onto SR 58 is highly recommended.