The Boaters & Bikers Tour made it all the way from Florida and landed at South coast Yachts yesterday, for a fun BBQ and boats rides on San Diego bay! Congrats riders! – B
HULL OF A TOUR: Mission accomplished: San Diego Bay
After a grueling trailblazer through the desert the day before, our hardy riders were looking forward to trading in their dusty boots for flip-flops and riding on flashy Beneteaus in San Diego Bay, compliments of sponsor South Coast Yachts.
The highlight of the last stop on the 10-day, nearly 3,000-mile tour was an afternoon cruise on San Diego Bay aboard a new Beneteau sailboat and powerboat.
Within minutes of departure we were cruising toward the Palms to Pines Scenic Byway up California Route 74 north through the San Jacinto mountain range. What a stark shift from the parched brown and gray terrain of the desert. The verdant mountains were lush, fragrant and bursting with cheery spring colors, wild flowers dotting the roadways.
Adrenaline kicked in as we encountered a seemingly countless series of challenging mountain curves, twists and switchbacks as we zipped around mountains, past rolling meadows and horse-laden pastures and through charming towns, including Anza, Warner Springs and Santa Ysabel. We stopped for a brief respite and refueling in Julian, a historic 1870s town where California gold was discovered and a favorite among motorcyclists.
Our trusty, California-bred road captain, Phil Arnold, navigated us effortlessly to I-8 and to our ultimate destination, South Coast Yachts, at Sunroad Resort Marina on beautiful Harbor Island in San Diego. The dealership is owned by business partners Barrett Canfield and Rick Day, who opened their doors in 2009. Prior to launching the dealership, Barrett had represented Beneteau for 18 years in the market elsewhere.
