Day 12 - It's really about the Journey not the Destination

In the end it really was the Journey, the Golden Gate bridge was the Destination, but really...the destination was a nightmare of tourists on rented Bicycles that they didn't know how to ride! Just a big crush of people going both ways on the bridge. But we made it and we rode from one side to the other. We had a bit of lunch and then I left my three younger companions to tour San Francisco on their own. When Lee suggested we ride down Lombard Street, I said I'M OUT! Lol! I'm currently on the Ferry to Larkspur where my Knight will be waiting for me in a rented van to hold my chariot. I've gained strength (and pain) in my legs that I have never felt before. I've got saddle sores like you never want to experience. I have tans lines that make me look like a panda bear. Fueling this biking body has been interesting. I've definitely gained muscle, and lost no weight. We ate and ate and drank lots of beer #bikesandbeers Tomorrow we head North towards home, wiser, stronger and feeling a sheer sense of accomplishment.

Day 10 - Things Change

Today we were supposed to be entering San Francisco, but that would have meant making that 100 mile day last week and that just didn't happen. So here we are one more night of camping. Tonight we are in Bodega Bay. We had a great dinner at La Bodegita, great food and awesome margaritas. Now we are sitting at our camp site with a couple from Austria, an Italian that lives in Canada and a guy from New York. Tomorrow is the home stretch, we will turn off of Highway 1 and head for San Rafael. Friday morning we will head into San Francisco.
The sites are simply beautiful, the hills are brutal. My legs are killing me. Such an adventure a time to never forget.

Day 9 - And I thought Yesterday was Hard.

1 August - This morning we got a late start, which means a late end, but I'm jumping ahead of myself. Since our camp site in Cleone was just 2 miles away from the town of Fort Bragg, California, we decided to eat a nice hot breakfast in town instead of a camp side bowl of oatmeal. We road along Haul Road, which is a no motorized vehicle path from Cleone to Fort Bragg. We had a really good breakfast at Cafe One and then went to the Fort Bragg Bike shop to get a resupply of inner tube, since we had been through a few of our spares. None of the hills were as high as yesterday but there was so much up and down, that it added up to about the same elevation. We got separated at some point today and no one was quite sure where anyone else was. Our end point was Anchor Bay but we wound up in Gaulala at a camp site with a lot of folks speaking various languages. Next to us was a pretty amazing French family with 2 young boys doing the same trip we are and then some. They had been all over Oregon and now the coast line to San Francisco, with 2 kids on bikes! I found it hard to believe.
As I said our day started late and so we were just pulling into our camp site at 7:45 pm, way too late to still be riding. But we made it in. I am forever grateful to Lee, who always has that last bit of energy when no else does. Lee grabbed a pizza in town and beer and got it back to our camp site, since no one was in the mood to cook anything. He is a rock star.
As we would say in the Army, "one more day and a wake up".

Day 9 - And I thought Yesterday was Hard.

1 August - This morning we got a late start, which means a late end, but I'm jumping ahead of myself. Since our camp site in Cleone was just 2 miles away from the town of Fort Bragg, California, we decided to eat a nice hot breakfast in town instead of a camp side bowl of oatmeal. We road along Haul Road, which is a no motorized vehicle path from Cleone to Fort Bragg. We had a really good breakfast at Cafe One and then went to the Fort Bragg Bike shop to get a resupply of inner tube, since we had been through a few of our spares. None of the hills were as high as yesterday but there was so much up and down, that it added up to about the same elevation. We got separated at some point today and no one was quite sure where anyone else was. Our end point was Anchor Bay but we wound up in Gaulala at a camp site with a lot of folks speaking various languages. Next to us was a pretty amazing French family with 2 young boys doing the same trip we are and then some. They had been all over Oregon and now the coast line to San Francisco, with 2 kids on bikes! I found it hard to believe.
As I said our day started late and so we were just pulling into our camp site at 7:45 pm, way too late to still be riding. But we made it in. I am forever grateful to Lee, who always has that last bit of energy when no else does. Lee grabbed a pizza in town and beer and got it back to our camp site, since no one was in the mood to cook anything. He is a rock star.
As we would say in the Army, "one more day and a wake up".

Day 6 - Days all seem to be running together now

Woke up slowly but surely in a comfy Motel 6 bed today. No one wanted to get up, it's was too comfortable, but we did. We rode into the Arcata square and had breakfast at the Alibi. A really good breakfast, check it out if you are ever there. Then it was off to the Avenue of the Redwoods. I must say that the last two days have been the most beautiful and scenic. We rode through lots of farm country. Lots of "California Happy Cows" as a young Ian would say. We saw two strange cemeteries, all of the plots were above ground, I guess because of water levels like in New Orleans.  We stopped for Gatorade in the small town of Loleta, known for the Loleta cheese factory according to the Loleta Market owner. But we also heard that Halloween III, was filmed there. Then we rode into the town of Ferndale. Simply wonderful little town, we stopped for lunch at the pizzaria and in the distance heard the sounds of a mariachi band playing. They were actually marching up the street playing and behind them came a young woman and some attendants in a Cinderella horse drawn carriage. We couldn't tell if it was a wedding or a Quinciera. Whatever it was it was pretty cool. Then we were off to Weott and the Burlington campground. A hilly ride at times but simply awe inspiring to look at the majestic trees as I rode by.

Day 5 - Sort of a rest day

So the plan was for two nights in a hotel in Arcata, but like I said before, that didn't quite happen, but we did get done relatively early in Friday, about 1:00 and we did spend the night at Motel 6. The ride to Arcata was my favorite ride so far as far as scenery goes. We were off of 101 most of the way on scenic bypasses. We even rode for quite sometime on an actual bike path! That was like heaven. We heard and saw sea lions, saw surfers and other cool stuff along the way.
We caught an Taxi (well most of us, Lee insists he will not get in a motor vehicle until we are done with the ride) from our motel to the Arcata square... center whatever they call it and hand dinner at a nice restaurant called Abruzzi's. Afterwards we played a few rounds of pool, had a few drinks and realized, HEY, we have to get up in the morning and ride. Well that's no fun, but we acted like adults and headed back to the motel, and promptly crashed. As I began to doze I heard Tom Bodett say, "We'll leave the light on".

Day 1 Complete - 2017 Most Excellent Cycling Adventure

Well we finished day 1, stopping at the Spinreel Camping area outside of Lakeside. Today's take away? Hills are no joke! And it started immediately, we crossed the Siuslaw bridge and immediately hit our first hill and they just kept coming. We stopped in Reedsport for a long leisurely lunch at the Waterfront restaurant, recommended to us by a guy at a auto shop on 101. We asked for good food and beer and he said that was the place to go. It was good. Bud and Buy-in were the primary brews, but they had a local brew that we all went for. It's was good. So far the shoulder for us to ride on has not been too bad. The motor homes whizzing by are not bad, the log trucks are the worse. The young folks are beating me up the hills every time, but I haven't stopped just moving slow.

2017 Most Excellent Cycling Adventure

San Francisco or bust! Me and three 20 something's will be riding from Florence, Oregon to San Francisco. Follow our adventures here.