So close, yet seeming so far away. Surrounded by towering redwood trees, a lush green open meadow, and even a small pond of some sort, you might momentrily feel as I did today. That is, you might think you’re in Mammoth, or Yosemite, or perhaps some far-reaching section of Washington State. But no.
Today took our group less than 40 miles south of San Francisco, to the well-known outdoor biker-dominated eatery known as Alice’s, at Hwys 84 & 35 in the mountain town of Woodside, nestled in the tree-lined terrain between Hwy 280 and the Pacific Ocean.
Today was a Homoto Motorcycle Club ride. That’s who I mean when I refer to “our group.” About a dozen of us took off from the Castro, headed south on Hwy 1 through Half Moon Bay, then West on 84 to our lunching destination. We passed several people riding the kind of bike I myself was riding yesterday, as in the kind that burns calories! After throttling past all those hard-working bicyclists, our motorcycles arrived to Alice’s parking lot to join all the others. Fortunately there were tables for us, roomy picnic tables in fact, out on the back desk overlooking that green open meadow I mentioned.
Alice’s menu is plentiful and thorough. It took me a few minutes to decide between a breakfast item or one of the numerous listed burgers. I opted for the former, and fortunately the sizable portion managed to satisfy my demanding appetite. The passion iced tea is a fine choice to wash it all down, unless you go for a very attractive $5.95 bloody mary, which in this particular instance I did not. Nevertheless, Alice’s offers a full bar that clearly calls out to any thirsty passer-by on any day of the week! I’ll be sure to go back and sample the bar before too long, perhaps when I’m not traveling via motorcycle.
Booze or iced tea, breakfast or lunch, Alice’s is full of life and energy all its own. I highly recommend this quick mountain escape to anyone looking for a short change of scene.
Ryan R. Sanderson 