Finished in La Jolla this afternoon!  I'll do a wrap up post in a few days, so here's a ride report for the last few days. The riding and experience changed significantly in this last section through southern California.  On the good side:  great weather, flat terrain (although hills are fun and give great views, legs are tired), miles of beachfront riding on off-street bike paths, surfers,  beach activities to watch  and lots of public art.   On the not so good side:  lots of traffic when on streets, limited camping, fast moving traffic, a bit monotonous (all those beaches), and did I mention the traffic? 7 miles on the interstate was annoying, but not too dangerous. Found excellent beer in Oceanside Heading home on Saturday.  Looking forward to not riding for a few days!

After a nice visit with my brother, sister-in-law and nephew, Mo and I met and rode out of San Francisco through Golden Gate Park (added to my places to explore list).   Camping on the beach in Half Moon Bay. The route led us through field after field of Brussels sprouts and strawberries, plus other crops, and reminded me of the labor it takes to supply our produce. We camped just past Santa Cruz and rode through Monterey down into Big Sur. Not only was the scenery spectacular, but the road closure meant light traffic. We, as have many other cyclists, rode through after work was done at 6 PM. Good wildlife on this section!  Stopped to see elephant seals twice, saw sea otters and my first California condor (species 1100 for my life list)! We're just north of Santa Barbara and have 5 or 6 days left to ride.  

Before crossing the Golden Gate Bridge we rode through dairy country... stopped for grilled oysters in chipotle bourbon butter along Tomales Bay,  and climbed many hills! Unfortunately the museum of mountain biking wasn't open. Sausalito homes on the water, literally. Enjoying a relaxing day in Oakland today, then off for Half Moon Bay tomorrow.

Until a couple of days ago US 101 was the backbone of our route, but we're now on California 1 happily.  Although 101 has a better shoulder usually, there's more traffic and it's faster.  The 1 is quieter and stays closer to the coast, so it's more scenic.  It's also much hillier and has very little cell service (explaining the lack of blog posts). Before getting on the 1 we rode the beautiful Avenue of the Giants (redwoods). We also rode by a massive lumber company in Scotia, the biggest of those we've seen. The coastal scenery returned in force as we rode south through Mendocino and Fort Ross, the Russian settlement in CA. Last night we were wined and dined by cyclists we met in the campground who weren't carrying everything on their bikes! Lastly, racoons have been raiding our camp the past 2 nights even though ou

Southward we went and more scenic vistas appeared. And some kitschy tourist traps as well... Redwood riding is neck-straining and beautiful. Wibke from Germany joined us a few days ago. The Pacific Coast tour is her "rest" between a successful Tour Divide race and an upcoming Baja Divide ride!  Al's on his way home as planned so we'll still be 3 riders. Guess it really is California... Touring meals aren't always glamorous... But the touring community is fun! Rest day in Arcata today and off to the Bay Area tomorrow.