My girl and I are heading out on Thursday from the Santa Cruz area. What route are you thinking of taking?

__________________
Every road is an adventure.

Hey - thanks for the reply. I haven't planned a route yet. Do you have any ideas?

Hey guys! I'm on a black BMW R1100GS, and I'll be leaving from Phoenix this Saturday.

Probably stay the first night at the USA Hostel in LA, then ride 1 up the coast. Wing it, explore, just gotta make it to Yosemite by the 25th. I'll be camping all 3 nights at the event, might even stay Wednesday night onsite.

Anyone along that route-ish want to meet up along the way somewhere, let me know! Not in a hurry, so I'll most likely take my time. Never been to Cali before, and I'm told the 1 is a beautiful ride. But I also love to ride fast, so any type of rider would be cool to team up with for a stretch

It's quite a slog from San Francisco but this route should keep you off most of the freeway.

Time Mile Instruction For Toward
Summary: 212.9 miles (5 hours, 46 minutes)
9:00 AM 0.0 Depart San Francisco on US-101 [Van Ness Ave] (North) 120 yds
9:00 AM 0.1 Turn RIGHT (East) onto Grove St 0.3 mi
9:01 AM 0.3 Bear RIGHT (South-East) onto Hyde St 21 yds
9:01 AM 0.3 Road name changes to 8th St 0.4 mi
9:03 AM 0.7 Turn LEFT (North-East) onto Folsom St 1.1 mi
9:06 AM 1.8 Turn RIGHT (South-East) onto Essex St 0.1 mi
9:07 AM 1.9 Take Ramp onto I-80 5.2 mi I-80 E / Bay Bridge / Oakland
9:13 AM 7.1 At exit 8A, turn RIGHT onto Ramp 0.5 mi I-880 S / Airport / San Jose / Alameda
9:14 AM 7.6 Keep RIGHT to stay on Ramp 0.5 mi Maritime St / West Grand Avenue
9:14 AM 8.1 Keep STRAIGHT onto W Grand Ave 0.7 mi
9:16 AM 8.8 Bear RIGHT (South) onto Mandela Pkwy 0.4 mi
9:17 AM 9.3 Turn LEFT (East) onto 14th St [International Dr] 2.0 mi
9:23 AM 11.3 Keep RIGHT onto E 12th St 0.3 mi E. 12th St
9:24 AM 11.5 Turn LEFT (North-East) onto 4th Ave 0.3 mi
9:25 AM 11.9 Road name changes to Park Blvd 3.1 mi
9:33 AM 15.0 Turn LEFT (North-West) onto Mountain Blvd 0.3 mi
9:34 AM 15.3 Turn RIGHT to stay on Mountain Blvd 0.3 mi
9:35 AM 15.6 Bear RIGHT (North) onto Colton Blvd 0.7 mi
9:38 AM 16.2 Turn RIGHT (South-East) onto Balboa Dr 0.7 mi
9:40 AM 16.9 Turn RIGHT (South-West) onto West Circle 120 yds
9:41 AM 17.0 At near Eastport, return East on West Circle 120 yds
9:41 AM 17.1 Bear RIGHT (East) onto Balboa Dr 0.1 mi
9:42 AM 17.2 Turn RIGHT (South) onto Paso Robles Dr 0.1 mi
9:43 AM 17.3 Turn LEFT (East) onto Shepherd Canyon Rd 1.0 mi
9:45 AM 18.3 Turn RIGHT (South) onto Skyline Blvd 4.1 mi
9:56 AM 22.4 Turn LEFT (North) onto Redwood Rd 5.7 mi
10:09 AM 28.1 At near Eastmont, stay on Redwood Rd (East) 6.5 mi
10:22 AM 34.6 Turn LEFT (East) onto Castro Valley Blvd 1.0 mi
10:24 AM 35.6 Road name changes to Local road(s) 21 yds
10:25 AM 35.6 Road name changes to E Castro Valley Blvd 2.2 mi
10:27 AM 37.9 Road name changes to Dublin Canyon Rd 5.1 mi
10:35 AM 43.0 Turn RIGHT (South) onto Foothill Rd 0.5 mi
10:36 AM 43.4 Turn LEFT (East) onto Stoneridge Dr 3.1 mi
10:41 AM 46.5 Turn RIGHT (South) onto Santa Rita Rd 0.8 mi
10:43 AM 47.3 Bear LEFT (East) onto Valley Ave 1.1 mi
10:45 AM 48.4 Road name changes to Local road(s) 21 yds
10:46 AM 48.4 Road name changes to Bernal Ave 0.4 mi
10:47 AM 48.8 Turn LEFT (East) onto (E) Vineyard Ave 4.1 mi
10:54 AM 52.9 Turn LEFT (North-East) onto Vallecitos Rd 0.2 mi
10:55 AM 53.2 Road name changes to Holmes St 1.0 mi
10:57 AM 54.2 Turn RIGHT (East) onto Concannon Blvd 2.1 mi
11:01 AM 56.3 Turn RIGHT (South-East) onto CR-J2 [S Livermore Ave] 0.7 mi
11:03 AM 57.0 Keep STRAIGHT onto CR-J2 [Tesla Rd] 13.0 mi
11:18 AM 70.0 At near Midway, stay on CR-J2 [W Corral Hollow Rd] (East) 8.0 mi
11:27 AM 78.0 Turn RIGHT (East) onto W Linne Rd 3.0 mi
11:31 AM 81.0 Turn RIGHT (South) onto S Chrisman Rd 2.0 mi
11:34 AM 83.1 Turn LEFT (East) onto (W) Durham Ferry Rd 7.2 mi
11:43 AM 90.2 Keep STRAIGHT onto CR-J3 [Airport Way] 1.6 mi
11:45 AM 91.8 Keep STRAIGHT onto CR-J3 [S Airport Way] 4.1 mi
11:50 AM 95.9 Turn RIGHT (East) onto E West Ripon Rd [W Ripon Rd] 3.3 mi
11:54 AM 99.2 Keep STRAIGHT onto (E) West Ripon Rd 2.5 mi
11:58 AM 101.7 Keep STRAIGHT onto (E) West Ripon Rd [W Ripon Rd] 0.2 mi
11:58 AM 102.0 Turn LEFT (North) onto N Jack Tone Rd [S Jack Tone Rd] 0.9 mi
12:00 PM 102.8 Road name changes to CR-J5 [N Jack Tone Rd] 0.2 mi
12:01 PM 103.0 Road name changes to N Jack Tone Rd 0.5 mi
12:02 PM 103.5 Turn RIGHT (East) onto E River Rd 11.2 mi
12:17 PM 114.6 Turn LEFT (North) onto Henry Rd 0.5 mi
12:19 PM 115.1 Turn RIGHT (East) onto (E) River Rd 4.9 mi
12:28 PM 120.1 Road name changes to Rodden Rd 0.7 mi
12:29 PM 120.8 Keep RIGHT onto Local road(s) 76 yds
12:30 PM 120.8 Keep STRAIGHT onto Rodden Rd 1.0 mi
12:32 PM 121.8 Turn RIGHT to stay on Rodden Rd 4.8 mi
12:40 PM 126.6 Turn LEFT (East) onto Orange Blossom Rd 5.3 mi
12:50 PM 131.9 Keep STRAIGHT onto Sonora Rd 0.5 mi
12:51 PM 132.4 Keep STRAIGHT onto Sonora Rd [Main St] 1.1 mi
12:54 PM 133.4 Turn RIGHT (South) onto Sonora Rd 0.6 mi
12:55 PM 134.0 Turn LEFT (North-East) onto Sonora Rd [Kennedy Rd] 0.4 mi
12:55 PM 134.3 At near Knights Ferry, keep STRAIGHT onto Willms Rd 7.2 mi
1:04 PM 141.6 Turn RIGHT (West) onto Warnerville Rd 0.5 mi
1:05 PM 142.0 Keep STRAIGHT onto Crabtree Rd 6.9 mi
1:14 PM 148.9 Turn LEFT (East) onto CA-132 [Yosemite Blvd] 15.0 mi
1:32 PM 163.9 Keep STRAIGHT onto CA-132 [State Highway 132] 5.4 mi
1:37 PM 169.3 Turn RIGHT (East) onto Merced Falls Rd 1.2 mi
1:39 PM 170.5 At near Blanchard, stay on Merced Falls Rd (South-East) 11.5 mi
1:51 PM 181.9 Turn LEFT (East) onto CR-J16 [Hornitos Rd] 16.1 mi
2:08 PM 198.0 Turn LEFT (North) onto Local road(s) 2.6 mi
2:16 PM 200.7 Turn RIGHT (South) onto Local road(s) 0.5 mi
2:18 PM 201.1 Turn RIGHT (West) onto Mt Bullion Cutoff Rd [Mount Bullion Cut Off Rd], then immediately turn LEFT (East) onto CA-140 [State Highway 140] 0.6 mi
2:19 PM 201.7 Turn RIGHT (South) onto Guadalupe Fire Rd 2.7 mi
2:27 PM 204.4 Turn LEFT (North) onto Wilburs Way 3.4 mi
2:38 PM 207.9 Turn LEFT (North) onto Old Hwy 0.7 mi
2:40 PM 208.6 Keep STRAIGHT onto Old Hwy [Yosemite All-Year Hwy] 3.9 mi
2:45 PM 212.5 Bear LEFT (North-West) onto CA-49 [State Highway 49 S] 0.4 mi
2:46 PM 212.9 Arrive near Mariposa

SUMMARY
Driving distance: 212.9 miles
Trip duration: 5 hours, 46 minutes
Driving time: 5 hours, 46 minutes

__________________
Every road is an adventure.

Thanks Jimmy!

Is that your planned route? I'm a new, but fairly decent rider, on a Honda CB500X, and I would appreciate riding with some other folks for company and to be as conspicuous as possible.

Hey Jimmy, yer' pullin his pud, right mate?

That's a very complex route for a NOOB rider to follow. You wanna get him killed? (not to mention some of the UGLIEST parts of California) We always AVOID the central valley, but to get to Mariposa, you have to ride across. Best to minimize your pain. Cross it quick and easy.

I'd keep it much simpler and straight forward. Fewer turns, fewer course changes.

Here's my idea:
Head South out of the City on 280, take Pacifica turn off over to Highway One. Head South! Riders Pay to ride this route! Ride to Santa Cruz.
Easy peasy.

Gas up and get a bite in Santa Cruz, maybe take a ride past Steamer's Lane?

Continue on Highway One South to Watsonville. Take highway 152 EAST. Follow 152 all the way to Chowchilla (another crap hole)

Jump on Highway 99 at Chowchilla for a few miles, go NORTH to Merced. Exit and go EAST on highway 140 to Mariposa. Done.

It ain't pretty but it's simple. Actually, the first part is beautiful as you pass through the Salinas Valley after Santa Cruz, the most fertile valley in the entire USA. It's quite beautiful in harvest season. Once further East it becomes corporate Agri, quite bleak, hot, dusty and polluted.
Mariposa is slightly better.

Safe riding! and remember, if you're too conspicuous ... bleary, tired or drunk drivers ... MAY HEAD STRAIGHT AT YOU. It's called Target Fixation. A very real issue.

Ask any CHP motor cop about this. Things like flashing headlights, super bright lights, bright colors ... all can be a source that triggers Target fixation. Use caution.