"The bicycle is a curious vehicle. Its passenger is its engine."
~John Howard
Riding the length of the California Coast on a bicycle was one of the main items on my Original Bucket List. I'm not doing this activity during my YEAR 77, but it is one of my favorite memories. During the years I was doing a lot of cycling, several of my friends and I talked about riding the California coast. Sometimes we would talk about riding the entire length of the state; other times just from San Francisco to San Diego. But the required time off from work to do such a ride was always a problem and we never seemed to get around to it. Then, in August 1983, Dennie, Jarrett, Merlin and I rode our bicycles from Monrovia to the coast and south along the coast to LaJolla (essentially San Diego). And on August 30, 2002, Dennie and I, along with Bonnie and Tracy as our sag-wagon drivers, drove to San Francisco to begin another piece of the California Coast, riding from San Francisco to Malibu.
Dennie and I set a leisurely pace, stopping at overlooks and historical markers, having a nice lunch along the way, and arriving at the overnight stop in the late afternoon. It was a wonderful adventure, and even though I hadn't trained as well as I should have, I found I was in good enough shape that I never had a problem. The up-hills were tough on my old legs, but the downhills were really exhilarating, and the scenery was fantastic. We began at the South end of the Golden Gate Bridge and rode primarily on the Pacific Coast Highway. We rode between 70 and 80 miles most days and stayed in some really nice places; San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Big Sur, San Simeon, Pismo Beach, Lompoc, and Santa Barbara (after reaching Malibu we stayed in a nice place in Monrovia). Despite really enjoying the trip, and being glad that I did it, there were a number of times that I felt very vulnerable along the narrow highway. Going up the hill at Big Sur was a beautiful sight looking down off the cliffs to the ocean, but when a bus would pass it would about blow you off the road. Since that trip I have been reluctant to ride on narrow highways.
Below are some photos taken while on the trip.
1st row- Leaving the Golden Gate Bridge on the first day.
2nd row- Looking off the highway at Big Sur, at the Big Sur River Inn after the days ride, ready for dinner at Big Sur River Inn.
3rd row- Our sag-wagon drivers, dinner at Big Sur River Inn, riding toward San Simeon.
4th row- Bonnie & Tracy visited Hearst Castle, leaving for Lompoc, arriving at Malibu on the final day.
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