RTW - Day 16 - Santa Cruz to Carmel Valley, CA

74 miles, 3500 feet of climb (cumulative 1023 miles, 57300 feet of climb)

Our day started out cold and overcast, as have most of the last fifteen. Who knew that the Oregon and California coasts were so cold in September? This morning I wore a head cap, poly pro undershirt, my cycling jersey, a vest, arm warmers and a windbreaker and I was still cold.

Strawberry fields, forever

After cycling through Santa Cruz, stopping for breakfast along the way, we reached an agricultural area growing artichokes and strawberries. You could smell the strawberries as you were cycling through the latter.

A nice morning bike path

Once out of the agricultural area and past our first SAG stop, we reached a nice bike path that went on for over ten miles until we reached the outskirts of Monterey. Jeff, Mark, Tim, and I stopped for lunch in the Cannery Row area.

Reaching Monterey on the bike path

Lunch at Cannery Row, overlooking the bay

Another view of Monterey Bay

Next was a wonderful ride along 17 Mile Drive, cycling along the coast, going past Spanish Bay, Spyglass, and Pebble Beach golf courses.

Along 17 Mile Drive

The Lone Cypress

Pebble Beach golf course

We finished with a ten mile cycle through Carmel Valley to the rustic Los Laureles Lodge, where we are staying for the night.

Cycling through Carmel Valley

Los Laureles Lodge in Carmel Valley

Today's ride:  http://connect.garmin.com/activity/224053928

RTW - Day 15 - San Francisco to Santa Cruz, CA

92 miles, 5600 feet of climb (cumulative 949 miles, 53800 feet of climb)

A long day in the saddle with a good bit of climbing. We said goodbye to John and Barb Soley at the hotel this morning and will miss them this coming week. Both were fun to ride with the last two weeks and it was good to see them again.

It was a cold and overcast start leaving San Francisco and the climbing started at mile 3 when we reached the coast near the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge.

A cold and overcast start as we head towards the Golden Gate Bridge

Though we never exceeded 1000 feet in total elevation today, the ups and downs added up to a lot of climbing over the first 30 miles to the first SAG stop and it showed with a whopping 12.7mph average for that section. After the first SAG, we had another steep climb to get back to the coast at Half Moon Bay.

Pigeon Point Light Station

Finally, the sun came out as we headed south down the coast. At mile 61, I stopped at Pigeon Point Light Station, a 115 foot lighthouse on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built in 1872 after several shipwrecks off Pigeon's Point (then named Whale Point) and was in use until 1976 when it was replaced by a more modern navigation aid.

Pigeon Point and the lighthouse from our second SAG stop

This was our scenery the last 50 miles to Santa Cruz. For a coastal road, CA Route 1 undulated a bit.

Thereafter, we were able to pick up speed with a tailwind as we headed south along the coast on Route 1. The remaining miles were not flat, but the climbs over the last 30 miles were much smaller than previous.

Our speed picked up with the tailwind

We finished in Santa Cruz along a beach where folks were playing beach volleyball. Jeff, Mark, and I stopped and had lunch on a bench overlooking the beach. Then, it was past the amusement park and casino one final mile to the hotel. We didn't get in until after 4PM, which made for a long but enjoyable and satisfying day.

Today's ride: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/223679230

RTW - Day 14 - San Francisco, CA

Today was an "off day". No cycling. After sleeping late, I had a nice breakfast, did some laundry, and walked around town a bit.  In the afternoon I went to mass, and then back to Fisherman's Wharf to walk around again. No Ghirardelli ice cream though. I was also happy to watch USC and Lane Kiffin lose to Stanford 21-14. Take that, Lane! And I had my In and Out Burger Double Double fix with a vanilla milk shake.  The count is now Ice Cream 4, Clam Chowder 5. A nice relaxing day, with about 5 miles of walking, before the 90 plus miles to Santa Cruz tomorrow.

RTW - Day 13 - Petaluma to San Francisco, CA

52 miles, 3200 feet of climb (cumulative 856 miles, 48200 feet of climb)

The group heads up Nicasio Road in the morning

Another great day of cycling on Ride the West. We only had 50 miles to cover and with much of that on suburban roads with plenty of turns, we grouped up and rode together at an easy pace.

Leo climbs up Chapman Avenue

The morning was cool and overcast with patches of fog. But about twenty miles into the ride, the sun came out, it warmed up, and we had a beautiful day, being able to ride without windbreakers, vests, or arm warmers. We had a few nice early climbs on Nicasio Road and later had a great climb on Chapman Avenue through a really interesting neighborhood on a hilltop. Next, it was downhill to a bike path into Sausalito, where our group had lunch together.

Overlooking San Francisco Bay

Then, it was on to the Golden Gate Bridge with our approach underneath the road deck, followed by a short steep climb up to the north end of the bridge. We cycled across the bridge and over to our hotel not far from Fisherman's Wharf.

Prior to crossing the Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge, as we cycled to our hotel

After dinner, Mark Koltz, Jeff and I had ice cream at Ghirardelli's followed by a walk through Fisherman's Wharf. Tomorrow, we have our second (and last) "off day" of our tour.

At the Ghirardelli Chocolate factory

Tonight's Dessert

Today's ride:  http://connect.garmin.com/activity/222670247

RTW - Day 12 - Cloverdale to Petaluma, CA

71 miles, 2900 feet of climb (cumulative 805 miles, 45000 feet of climb)

Sonoma County

Today was a beautiful day in Sonoma County. We went past scores of vineyards and wineries, including Fritz, Dutcher Crossing, Raymond Burr, Quivira, Armida, and Korbel among others. The grapes are about ready for picking this year. We stopped and tasted a few off the vines, and they were very sweet. One vineyard was in the process of picking their grapes this morning.

Korbel Winery

Oh yes, we also cycled today. I rode with Mark Koltz and Jeff Douglas all day and we took our time, making many stops along the way. Our first stop was at Korbel, where I tasted some of their Brut. Very tasty.

The grapes are about ready for picking and were very sweet.

Next we stopped at the Union Hotel in the town of Occidental, where they had sticky buns that must have weighed a pound each. Very good and filling.  We also stopped at Joseph Phelps vineyards (they also have vineyards and a winery in Napa) but did not do any tasting there.

On today's route

In all, it was a very relaxed pace today and we did not get done until well after 2PM. A very pleasant day in wine country riding with old friends. Tomorrow, we reach San Francisco to conclude the second of three legs of our ride.

Jeff, Tracey, Mark at mile 52

Today's ride:  http://connect.garmin.com/activity/222366483

RTW - Day 11 - Ft. Bragg to Cloverdale, CA

76 miles, 4700 feet of climb (cumulative 734 miles, 42100 feet of climb)

Whereas most cyclists considered yesterday the more difficult ride in comparison to today, I had a much tougher time struggling up the final hills under hot sunny skies today.

We started with cold foggy conditions for the first hour out of Ft. Bragg. At mile 17 we left Route 1 for Route 128 and entered the Navarro River Redwood forest, where it was beautiful, quiet, clear, and still cold. Once emerging from the forest, around mile 30, we immediately entered the vineyards of Mendocino and Sonoma counties, and where the temperature immediately jumped 15 degrees and eventually got into the mid 80's. The last 25 miles featured a couple of steep 300 to 500 foot climbs where the altimeter reading on my Garmin did not increase as fast as I thought it should. Eventually though, the road headed back downhill into Cloverdale.

In the Navarro River Redwood Forest

At mile 39 we reached the half way point of our tour, at a fruit and produce store serving fantastic apple cider. I rode with Mark Koltz, Mark Weisbarth, and Jeff until the second SAG stop at mile 47 when Jeff and I went on ahead to Cloverdale. The wineries we passed included Roederer Estate, Handley Cellars, Goldeneye, Yorkville Vineyards, and Lone Oak.  (I have some of the Roederer Estate Brut at home and it's pretty good.)

The half way point at Gowan's Oak Tree fruit and produce store

One of the many vineyards in Mendocino County

Mike and Karen, disappearing into the distance

Jeff and I finished up with lunch in Cloverdale, as we had to wait for the luggage van to arrive at the hotel anyway. Others went to a frozen yogurt store down the block. A much more difficult ride for me today. Tomorrow is supposed to be 69 miles to Petaluma with less climbing than today. I'm hoping tomorrow turns out to be easier than today was.

Lunch with Jeff near the hotel in Cloverdale

Today's ride: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/222040980

RTW - Day 10 - Garberville to Ft. Bragg, CA

69 miles, 5500 feet of climb (cumulative 658 miles, 37400 feet of climb)

Before talking about today's ride, I have to go back to last night.  Jeff and I took another walk into Garberville for ice cream shortly after dark and the place was closed down except for the local supermarket. That place, inside and out, was full of hippies, those that weren't already bedded down near The Hemp Connection, a block away. Shirley overheard one of them saying, "Dude, like I have been wasted for three days." An amazing place, Garberville.  The BBC calls it "the marijuana heartland of the US".

The ABB van at the second SAG stop

Dude, our route today was on US 101 and also on side roads until mile 24, when we turned on California State Route 1 which featured a four mile climb and a two mile climb before reaching the ocean. We had great views of the ocean the second half of the ride. I rode with Jeff and Mark most of the day.

A view from the second SAG stop

Today was the highest amount of climbing we have had to date and some of the cyclists suffered. At 80 feet per mile, it was also the highest ratio of climbing feet to cycling miles to date, and is similar to many of the North Georgia rides I do on Tuesday's/Thursday's with my Lifetime Fitness friends. I didn't have a problem with the climbing and rather enjoyed it. But a few others struggled to get in with the many small but steep ups and downs with headwind towards end of the day.

Another view, around mile 57

A hot shower, cleaning and lubricating the chain on my bike, a pizza buffet at a local restaurant, and a one mile cycle downtown for ice cream concluded the day.  I'm ready and my bike is ready for the 75 miles to Cloverdale tomorrow. The clam chowder and ice cream count is up to 5 and 2, with ice cream gaining.

You might just be able to see Mark, with Jeff behind him, to the upper right

Today's ride:  http://connect.garmin.com/activity/221698758