October 19 Day 25 Monterey, CA to Big Sur, CA (44.8 miles)

Best of day:  Short!! Coffee in Carmel!!  Incredible views!!

Worst of day: Long climbs with more tomorrow!!  No internet at lodge tonight (therefore no pictures today).

Quote of day:  Gentleman outside restaurant in Big Sur, when told we started in Bellingham said, "Why not just stay in Washington and pound nails in your hands?!!"

October 18 Day 24 Santa Cruz, CA to Monterey, CA (45.8 miles)

Best of Day:  Shorter and fewer hills than yesterday!  Incredibly warm weather, beautiful ocean beaches,massive farm fields filled with vegetables, barking sea lions, pelicans, and a fabulous lunch at Schooners in Monterey. 

Worst of Day:  Worried about conditions for the farm workers, wondering if the water in the sprinklers is from the Colorado River, and what exactly is being sprayed on all those fields?

Quote of the Day:  "Who has ever heard of deep fried artichoke hearts?" 

October 17 Day 23 San Francisco to Santa Cruz, CA (84 miles)

Best of Day:  Weather and beautiful beaches!   

Worst of Day:  Biked 72 miles before we found coffee!!  Friend had flat tire with 4 miles to go!   

Quote of Day:  "We will never again bike by a Starbucks without stopping!!"

October 16 Day 22 Recovery Day on Fisherman's Wharf (Zero miles!!!!)

Posted early in morning from Starbucks before the day of laundry and bike cleaning begins!! 

Best of Week:  Arriving in San Francisco!  Who would have thought!  On September 25^th that bridge just didn’t seem like a possibility!  We continue to watch the ocean (ever present) in all its magnificence.  The weather has been incredible.  We are so grateful!

Worst of Week:  Those daily elevations just don’t go away….and then we tackled some of the San Francisco hills yesterday (at the end of the day) as we navigated our way to the bridge.

People along the way:  The people we’ve encountered are incredible.  I often wonder how they see us (Oh my gosh, that looks like my Mom!!) and think about us ("There are so many of them") as we keep pedaling away!

Favorite pictures of the week:   

Ready to leave in a.m.
 

Loading van in a.m.
 

Map on van door
 

Preparing for dinner
 

Famous casserole "parking lot" technique

 

Misty morning ride

 

Winding roads

 

Sun setting on Pacific at Golden Gate

 

Cy, our new (very upbeat and enthusiastic) Guide working on a bike – we love her!   

 

October 15 Day 21 Bodega Bay, CA to San Francisco (73.8 miles)

Best of Day:  Riding our bikes across the Golden Gate Bridge! 

 

Worst of Day:  As we got closer to S.F., busy towns with many different streets and turns to follow on cue sheet!



Quote of Day:  While in one town, a gentleman with children in a playground, asked if we needed directions.  He was most helpful then asked "Is this ride some kind of bucket list or what??"

October 14 Day 20 Bodega Bay, CA ( 49 miles)

Best of Day:  Tom and Diane Judge, Pam Mansfield (Diane's sister) came to visit!  We drove to the Bodega  (rocky) Headland to search for whales and then to The Tides restaurant to look for Sea Lions.  Seeing friends from home was a wonderful gift! 

Worst of Day:  Hills were deep and steep!



Quote of Day:  One of the cyclists announced at map meeting that our "cumulative elevation (since the ride began) is 50,080 feet!"

October 13 Day 19 Fort Bragg, CA to Gualala, CA (60 miles)

Best of Day:  Easier riding than yesterday!  Coffee shop/bakery in Mendocino.  Lunch in Point Arena!!  

Rode by an Organic Valley Farm!! 

 
Worst of Day:  18% grade hill with hairpin turns (five of the group rode, while the remainder walked!)

 

Quote of Day:  Map meeting tonight, when discussing the 5 cattle crossings tomorrow, it was suggested we could always "jump them if they look too slippery!"