spinnaker

What through that "strawberry country"? If so I agree 100%. It really gets boring there.Boring pretty much from Santa Cruz till you hit Moss Landing. Seals are a lot of fun to watch and The Haute Enchilada is worthy of a stop.

But you got me thinking. If I do this alone maybe just jump on the train from Santa Cruz to Monterrey. and skip the boring parts. But I would .never answer my question on that intersection.

spinnaker

How far south do you go? Do you take public transit back or do a round trip?

The other ride I will likely skip is 17 mile drive. Nice but not worth the extra miles IMHO.

spinnaker

And it gets boring again pretty much just past Ragged Point. If there was a major town right nearby I would end it there. If I do this next year I would likely end it in San Luis Opsipo.

Cyclist0108

I wish there was one.

Cyclist0108

I went from Berkeley (where I was in grad school) to LA in 1988, and then in 1991 from Port Angeles, WA to Berkeley. (I flew to Seattle; I took the train home from southern CA).

I would suggest SF to Santa Barbara, and then take Amcrash back to Oakland.

Cyclist0108

I think you are taking that far too seriously. I read it as clearly being light-hearted.

spinnaker

Maybe. If so I apologize. . .

spinnaker

I need to get back to Pittsburgh. I will likely fly out of SLO. I plan to take Amtrak to Oakland from Pittsburgh. It is really the only thing that makes sense. That time of year going east, the last part of the Rockies might be in the dark. Coming west almost certain you will go through during the day. Plus I went west to east this year. It was fantastic. But I did it in June. We were late, it was already dark when we hit Denver. Good news it was still light enough to see all of the switchbacks coming down the mountain.


And you don't need to go to Santa Barbara to get Amtrak. There is a station at SLO.

prathmann

I remember coming down Thurwachter/McGowan road to the T-intersection with Trafton and seeing a Pacific Coast Bike route sign pointing both directions on Trafton. Going to the right leads you up a short but fairly steep section to Bluff Rd. while going to the left avoids that little hill but you end up on the other side of Hwy. 1. So when you rejoin it you need to make a left turn across sometimes heavy traffic while with the Bluff Rd. option you make an easier right turn to continue on Hwy. 1.

spinnaker

This intersection?

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.8713...7i13312!8i6656

Looks like the sign only points to the right but I belief WGScott's map shows a left at that intersection.

Do you remember how far off that intersection it was?

The one I am remembering, the foot of the hill started right at the intersection. Hill was right in front of the intersection. More of keep going straight than a turn. Hill was very, very steep. I may even had to push up the hill. The road to the right was a nice flat road with a bit of a curve to the left.

Not really important. I might even be mixing an intersection from some other tour somewhere.

spinnaker

The one thing I also remember about that section from Santa Cruz to Monterrey is how difficult it was for me. I was dead tired approaching Monterrey. I had only come from Santa Cruz! It is only 47 miles or so. I don't know if it was the boredom. It being as flat as it was or what. But go to the bike path that heads into town and didn't think I would make i tthe rest of the way.

prathmann

Yes, that's the intersection. Looks like a bike event was going on at the time the Google street-view pictures were taken and that big arrow to the right was probably added for that. I just remember Pacific Coast Route sign having arrows in both directions from my first ride down the coast many years ago since we did stop there for a little while debating which way to go. It was flat in both directions at that point but the route to the right was then followed by a left turn which took you up over the bluff (on Bluff Rd.) with a rather steep, but thankfully short climb.

spinnaker

Well that is not how I remember it but that has to be it. The hill certainly looks steep enough. And I did take Bluff Rd. I am just remembering a Y or some reason with the"other" option to the right. . But your mind can play tricks with you too.

Cyclist0108

Headwind.

spinnaker

That is what I was thinking but don't remember anything of significance. But before Moss Landing we had a hell of a tail wind. I remember doing almost 24MPH on flat ground and hardly trying.

I do remember entering that bike path and saw these crazy little animals darting about. No idea what they were.. They were too far away and moving too fast to get a good look. We would see them all over the place.

Then finally somewhere before Big Sur a good look.

Cyclist0108

Ground squirrels.

Because of the Bay, you can often get headwinds going in the opposite direction of the prevailing winds. In my 1988 trip, we ground to a halt at Sand City.