This morning I awoke with the taco challenge on my mind! It’s now consuming my riding, and apparently my sleep as well. I awoke muttering something like the “ride is the destination.”
Even before that first cup of coffee I’m now thinking this Taco Challenge is big, New York pizza type big. Who would’ve thought that riding with friends on motorcycles to eat tacos would be such a big deal.
Apparently Jerry Seinfeld does. He does the same thing for coffee. Only he picks up one passenger at a time in vintage era cars and has funny conversations along the way before and after the caffeine induced high. Hey I say, my riding Bike Bro’s do something similar, only we do it with Packtalk and Tacos.
Our rides to tacos start out by several of the group meeting up at a well appointed Chevron gas station at the height of rush hour traffic. Don’t worry about it. This is all part of the challenge and charm. At the Chevron gas station Kevin shows off his new Denali sound bomb horn. It’s twice as loud as a regular motorcycle horn. I next show off my new Corbin comfort seat. Guess you now know what our priorities are.
Soon Elvis and his son Aaron arrive. Finally, Kevin’s brother Ky arrives on a cool looking R18 BMW rental from Hertz BMW Motorcycles, Riverside.
Just like Seinfeld I say. And then we ride off down the 215 freeway in nasty heavy rush hour traffic only we’re eating it up; moving like butter on a hot skillet. Kevin leading, on occasions I hear him testing out the new ear splitting Denali. I’m sweeping the back of the riders but, can hear the horn a quarter mile away, with earplugs, hood and a helmet on.
In California it’s called lane splitting which equates to about as much fun as pole racing. If you don’t know lane-splitting it actually is good for bikers. We don’t necessarily like the idea of getting rear-ended by distracted drivers in our heavy stop-and-go traffic.
I mentioned Packtalk. It’s this intercom device on a helmet that allows everyone to talk to each other. We ride and converse much as Seinfeld does with the likes of Larry David the Comedian who gave him the original idea for the show “Seinfeld” from just hanging out together. Apparently there are also other knockoff car and food or drink type shows out there like there may one day be for Bike Bro’s and Tacos.
Here are the others: “Carpool Karaoke,” “Alec Baldwin’s Love Ride,” “Comedians Watching Football with Friends,” “Funny Uber Rides,” “Clergy in Cars Getting Coffee,” “Hiking with Kevin,” “Politicians in Cars Getting Coffee,” “Comedians on Bikes Getting Soup,” “Coffee Break,” “Coffee Run” and “Cougars in Cars Getting Cosmos.”
Today’s Taco Tuesday ride is to Temecula for tacos at Texas Lil’s Mesquite Grill. This is ride number 44 of 52 planned rides. I am counting backwards from 52 so this is actually only the eighth taco location that we’ve reviewed as a group ride.
The rest of the riders are meeting us at Texas Lil’s. Save, Benny, Gus, Tony, and Jack are present. Here are the cast of characters as is I now recall; there are two brothers; a father in law and a son in law; a father and son riding team; two Jewish Bike Bro’s lifelong friends. Jack and yours truly. Truly an amazing group of friends developed over the past three years of riding.
The father in law rider mentioned is a 73 year old rider from Connecticut. He is in beautiful SoCal visiting his daughter and son in law. The two younger of the group are well entertained by the ever changing conversations. Today we are three days away from Christmas. The day after Christmas two groups diverge; other riders will join as both groups head off on multi day MotoCamping rides; one to Death Valley and the other to Cabo San Lucas.
The City of Temecula – The town square is like a Cowboy town only now it’s all lit up for the holidays. Translated the name means “Where the sun breaks through the mist”. Appropriately named by the Spanish as its only 17 straight miles to the ocean; and a 25-30 mile ride to the closest beach. The Temecula Valley enjoys this wonderful microclimate because it’s location is sandwiched between the Salton Sea in the Anza-Borrego Desert to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west.
The Salton Sea serves as the low pressure area to the east as it pulls in air from the Pacific Ocean, the high-pressure area. Temecula’s climate was found to be similar to Napa Valley and the great wine producing regions of France. Thus the Temecula Valley Wine Country was born. The rest is, as you might say, history of Temecula.
A RIDE OPTION: The Palomar Mountain Road loop. From the 16 freeway take the 79 Temecula parkway towards Morettis Junction; turn right at Mesa Grande Road and continue until you reach Highway 76 Pala Road turn right at E Grade Road, S7, continue until S6, South Grande Road, returning back to highway 76 , Pala Road before returning to S16, Pala Mission Road, returning back to your starting point.
Taco Reviewed: Texas Lil’s Mesquite Grill.
One star is considered poor; two stars is good, three stars is very good, four stars is great, five stars is excellent!
1. Scenic Historic Location – 5 stars, as Temecula is truly a historic town
Fairly subjective and a wild card rating
2. Value – 4 stars
Value for your money.
3. Food Flavor and Texture – 5 stars as every bite consumed from the various items ordered was served to perfection.
4. Food Presentation – 5 stars- picture is worth a thousand words here. Two items at a time were brought out as the group voiced their approvals to the Texas sized portions amid the colorful dish presentation
5. Service, Setting and Cleanliness – 5 stars; as this is Covid outdoor seating under a tent the wait staff is to be commended for their outstanding work. Compliments to the Chef!
Our format for a ride and Tacos I hope continues for years to come, at least until we reach 52 Tacos visited. One for each week of the year.
Seinfeld’s vintage car and comedian shows are now off the air yet the real stars of the shows are the cars like that vintage 1952 VW Beetle (Larry David, first episode) and that 1969 Lamborghini Miura (Chris Rock), and that 1976 Ford LTD Country Squire (Sarah Jessica Parker), a 1970 Plymouth Superbird (Will Ferrell), a 1967 Mazda Cosmo (Margaret Cho), a 2004 Porsche Carrera GT (Eddie Murphy) and many more.
My desire is to produce a book of 52 Taco Rides that will remain, long after the Bike Bro’s stop riding to Tacos. Each story like this one is written to entertain but, can easily be duplicated by anyone needing some ride inspiration to get out and explore Southern California year round. Part of the fun of riding is also in the planning.
Going down memory lane I now recall our first taco run; on the first of several Presidential debates. That’s when we opted for tacos instead. The weather at 5:00 p.m. was 104 degrees in the shade (5:00 p.m.) at the Chevron station on Hwy 60 and Haven Street. Coach Ho to promised to take us to some of the best street tacos this side of Tijuana.
My first nighttime ride in the past twenty years. We’re now into this pandemic for almost a year and my riding friends have all proven that they have impressive immune systems and motorcycle riding skills to match. We started out with the following riders. Coach, Elvis, Jim, Jack, Javier, Evan, Tiny, and yours truly. On the first ride I didn’t even wear a Packtalk. I recently read that I even referred to it as a Pac-walk. ……I looked up and there it was – as if by magic it’s the Hollywood sign. No it’s not lit but, it’s a full moon……….And even though I consumed roughly four quarts of water since four p.m. today I don’t yet have to pee! See. Told you I had a healthy immune system.
Never regret a day in your life; because the good days will always give you happiness, the so called bad days give you experience,
……and those so called worse days in your life, they give valuable lessons, but, the best days, they give real meaning to what true friends are all about.
Here’s to saying good bye to a Covid 2020 year; even though it’s been quite a ride and the year is not yet over.
The country survived the elections, the covid vaccine is now available and people are getting vaccinated.
To a Lifelong of Making Memories!
Trawlercat
Trawlercat Blog Dispatches 