home | articles | rides/meets | forum | guestbook | calendar | contact us First, Last, & Everything  02/10/08 by Glenn Contains Soundtrack   To make a long story short, I have dreamt of riding to Cook's Corner, and Hells Kitchen ever since Sonny flashed photos of these places.  Today, I'm going to look for the answers of my dreams.  We met at Ohgie's at 8 a.m.  The temperature this morning was a comfortable 54 deg F and warming up.  There's plenty of sunshine with slight traces of clouds.  Delia had prepared breakfast and the hot links were the spiciest I have ever had.

The plan was to take the Super Slab (I-5) southbound and after a quick stop at Gudy's,  proceed to Santiago Canyon Rd to our first stop at Cooks Corner.  We also made a quick pass at Mojeska Canyon for a sneak peek of the area, and it doesn't look so bad anymore since the green landscapes have blanketed the charred areas. 

Incidentally, that is Doug's newly acquired baby, an Electra Glide Classic.

Cook's Corner is considered to be one of the famous biker destinations of Southern California.  It was named after Andrew Jackson Cook who acquired 190 acres of Aliso Canyon on a land trade in 1884.  In 1946 Cook bought an old mess hall from the Santa Ana Army base and the tavern was born.  Fast forward many years, and in 1970 a motorcyle accessory owner puchased it and it emerged to what it is today, an old fashioned roadhouse.

It was about 78 deg F in these parts.

We had a blast!  All types of makes and models, but dominated by HD's.

The 2008 Can Am Spyder was also on display.  It's available for rent at $160 a day (ins. incl.)

It was about10:30 a.m. when we left Cook's and off to our next stop, Hells Kitchen via Ortega Highway.  Ortega Highway(SR74) was a blast to ride.  It was constructed in the 1930's for recreational purposes, primarily to provide access to beaches in Orange County, Lake Elsinore and various recreational areas in the Cleveland National Forest.  It's a two lane mountainous road with curves and steep slopes which carries approximately 10,000 vehicles per day.

Hells Kitchen is a motorsport restaurant.  Hells is located in Riverside County and outside of Orange County up in the hills and trees of Ortega.  Hells Kitchen is a borough in New York, famous for its melting pot of various cultures all in one area.  It's known as a rough and tumble part of town. This place is one hell of a busy place.  We had one hell of a time in this place.

Above is a Ridley.  Notice the missing clutch lever.  It's fully automatic.  It uses a CVT technology.

After getting the hell out of Hells the road takes us to a spectacular vista over looking Lake Elsinore making it difficult to keep one's head straight as it flows windingly downhill towards the town. 

Then we took Temescal Canyon Rd toward Tom's Farm for a late lunch.  There was so many people in the Farm it was horrendous.  We had a hard time looking for a parking space and it took about 30 minutes to get a burger, but it was worth the wait.  I am not an expert with meat but it was at least USDA Choice!

Total miles for the loop was 200 miles.  This ride was definitely the answer of my dreams.  It was everything I thought... "my first, my last, my everything." 

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The first, the last, my everything
You're the answer to all my dreams
You're my sun, my moon, my guiding star
My kind of wonderful, that's what you are
I know there's only, only one like you
There's no way they could have made two
You're all I'm living for
Your love I'll keep for evermore
You're the first, your the last, my everything

And with you I've found so many things
A love so new only you ,only you could bring
Can't you see it's you
You make me feel this way
You're like a fresh morning dew on a brand new day
I see so many ways that I
I will love you until, until the day I die
You're all I'm living for, your love I keep forever more

First, my last, my everything

You are my everything
All the joy all the joy you bring

 You're my reality..I'm lost in a dream..First, you're last

I know there's only one, one like you

There's no way they could have made two

Youre all I'm living for, Your love I'll keep forever more

First, last,  my everything