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5 Years Later: Another tour from San Francisco to Laguna Beach
Day 2: The Big Sur Coast

Date Starting Place Ending Place Author Last Update

04-16-09 Carmel,
California, United States
Kirk Creek Campground,
California, United States
ray 05-01-09 20:41:33

 
The first time I did this ride, I started the day in Santa Cruz. I rode south through Capitola, Watsonville, the farms along Highway 1 to Castroville, on bike paths to Monterey and then over the hump to Carmel before finishing the day with the extraordinary views of the Big Sur Coast.

The next four times, I decided to skip the part before Carmel and to start riding at the last shopping center in Carmel after a hearty breakfast for me and who ever drove me down there.



In the past, it was my friend Bob. Unfortunately, Bob passed away just after I returned home from last year's France trip. I still miss him and felt his absence as I started my ride. Instead, my good friend (and great guy) Bill drove me. Here he is holding my loaded bike. Note that the sky is overcast. It was also a bit cool--perfect weather for a bike ride.



My usual breakfast place had closed. Instead, another one was found and Bill and I caught up over it. Bill is the only person I've met whose retired life matches mine. He fills his time with golf, fishing, and boating, instead of bike riding.

Before leaving, I went over to the Vons Supermarket and bought a huge avocado sandwich and several bananas for that day's fuel. I also bought some broccoli for that night's dinner.

This sign shows the distances just past the shopping mall. I would spend the night in San Luis Obispo on the day after tomorrow.



I kept looking for pigs with red noses but didn't see any.



The Carmel river meets the ocean at Carmel River State Beach.





Just south of Carmel, the coastal views turn magical.



This is a view through trees looking north toward Point Lobos State Reserve.



This photo is shows that the road's shoulder is very narrow and the speed limit is quite fast. In truth, while there were a few cars and RVs on the road, they tend to clump together and I never felt in any danger. Though, I did keep to the far right at all times and constantly checked the rear view mirror on my helmet.



Even though I've driven and ridden down this road many times, the views are always stunning.



Here is the view 2 minutes later:



And, 2 minutes after that:



It was around here that I heard a song sparrow singing and, looking around, realized I was the only human able to hear it. I got to thinking about it and this line popped into my head:

Let those who can hear listen to my song.

I reflected on this for a while and realized it summed up much of my own experience. People always seem a bit confused in the choices I've made in life. I've gotten used to not being understood. Whether it was quitting law school, becoming a vegetarian, being self-employed, retiring early, or bike touring, people are always wondering having trouble understanding why I am doing something. I guess it having this kind of reflection while riding a bike in a beautiful place is why I bike tour.

One real advantage of riding North to South is the views you get from the side of the road.



For the most part, there weren't very many wildflowers. Thus, when I saw this patch, I took a photo.



The color of the ocean was beautiful. It went from an inky dark blue to a foamy, light blue when it hit the rocks.



All along the coast, there are streams running out of the coastal range. I believe this one is Garrapata Creek.



One striking thing about riding on the Big Sur coast is all the homes that are tucked away along the coast. In fact, there are very few stretches of coast between Carmel and Point Sur that are house-free.



The first place to eat comes at Rocky Point. I've never eaten there and have no idea of the price or quality of the food. Its website (rocky-point.com) shows both the menus and the prices (high, but normal by Big Sur standards).



Once around Rocky Point, you can see all the way to the next one.



In this view toward the north, you can just make out some houses along with the view.



Not a bad place for a second home (but, you have to drive to Carmel for food)!



Sometimes the road has no shoulder and you have to be very careful. Again, the cars were few and the drivers courteous.



By this time (12:10), the sun had come out and the color and clarity of the ocean was spectacular.







This view came with a banana break. The point in the distance is Rocky Point.



There are lots of streams that come out of the coastal mountains. Either the road goes along the cliffs and goes in and then out or the gap is spanned by a bridge. Note that the road continues off into the distance.



While I took other photos of dramatic ocean views, there was no end of them. This one really shows off the color and clarity of the water.



This is a look back (north) at the bridge and the intervening coastline. The view must go all the way back to Point Lobos!



I stopped at a turnout to eat the first quarter of the sandwich I had purchased in Carmel. Point Sur loomed to the south.



The Little Sur River meets the ocean just north of Point Sur. In this photo, note the road on the other side of the river. To get over this river, the road stays along the cliffs and than goes over a bridge. On windy days, you have to climb the other side with a headwind.



Here is the river flowing into the ocean.



A closer look at the spit of land separating the Point Sur from the mainland and its beaches.



At Point Sur, the road turns inland. Also, the wind died down to a light breeze and the views became farmland and hillsides.





As you get closer to Big Sur, you begin seeing redwood trees. The road is built between stands of trees and has no shoulder.



Pfeiffer Big Sur has lots of services. It has public and private campgrounds, stores, restaurants, hotels, and gas stations. I've never eaten at the River Inn but I've eaten in front of it several times, including two more wedges of my Avocado sandwich.



Just next to the River Inn is a well stocked General Store. It has a burrito bar in the back, lots of lunch items, some fruits and vegetables, beer, candy, and lots of other items.



While I was eating and resting here, I met two lightweight bike tourists from Davis, a college town near Sacramento. They were staying in hotels and carried all their gear in two panniers. I never did catch their names but saw them several times in the next two days. Like me, they had started in Carmel and they were staying at Lucia while my destination for the day was Kirk Creek Campground, a few miles away.

Due to fires in 2008, the State Park was closed. In fact, all the public facilities and hikes "above" the road, were closed due to the fire.



Big Sur is very different than the coast. It is warmer, less windy, and full of trees. The Big Sur River runs next to the Highway.



Right after the entrance to the State Park, there is a steep 2 mile climb that is a low gear grind. Here is the view inland near the top of that climb (taken on one of the several rest stops I took on the way up).



When you finally crest the hill and go by all the expensive, private resorts, you get back out to the coast. It was now about 3pm and wind that was so strong north of Big Sur has dropped to almost nothing.



The views from here south are very scenic but not as spectacular as those north of Big Sur. This is looking back at the road that comes out of Big Sur.



The entire top part of this house's roof line was made of glass.



There were not many wildflowers out. But, as I went south, I saw more golden poppies.



While this view south seems like a typical Big Sur vista, note that there are no beaches in view and the hills seem to fall into the ocean. As becomes clear as you ride further south, the hills are falling into the ocean. You see much evidence of previous landslides.



This is look up a canyon where a stream was flowing. The picture was taken while standing on the bridge that spanned the stream.



No matter how one judges the views, this one is spectacular.



I was getting a bit tired by this time but I still managed to stop and take a photo of something this pretty.



I saw these two palm trees and wondered who planted them and if this beach disappeared at high tide.



Another look north.



Lucia is 23 miles south of Big Sur and the next place to buy food or find a place indoors to stay. Here is a look at the single building that makes up the entire place.



This building holds a bathroom, small store and a high-priced restaurant. There also are cabins for rent that are tucked behind the headland.



I've never eaten at the restaurant or bought much at the store. The store is full of overpriced fast food aimed at RVers and I've learned to carry everything I need for the night. These cabins were the destination of the two lightweight tourist I had met in Big Sur and are one place where credit-card tours could put in for the night.

My stop for the night was a few miles down the road at Kirk Creek Campground. This photo, take just down the road from Lucia, shows the RVs parked in Kirk Creek.



The campground, which is usually sold out, has 5 hiker/biker sites. On this day, two of the five sites were taken by people who clearly had driven there, parked their cars outside the campground, and walked in. I wondered what would happen if all 5 sites were taken by such people and a biker rode in needing a place for the night. I wanted to ask the camp host about this but never found him to ask. I'm sure it would be sticky situation.

Here is my camp site all set up for the night



and the view I had as the sun set into the ocean.



By 6pm, I was set-up and cooking dinner--a meal of pasta, broccoli, and a sauce of olive oil, granulated onions, fresh garlic, crushed red peppers, and Parmesan cheese. As it got cold, I retreated into my tent and started reading the Micheal Connelly novel I'd brought along.

I didn't take a shower because there isn't one at Kirk Creek, though, yet again, the campground host (I saw him when I checked in before I saw the situation in the hiker/biker sites) told me that they were schedule to have showers soon. This was the same thing he had told me two years earlier, the last time I camped there, though.

After about an hour, I went to sleep.



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