This description for our method of travelling we heard twice during the last week! Once it was an elderly man, who helped us find the way in Mill Valley, just North of San Francisco (we are using a new map from American Adventure Cycling Association and its orientation is not north-bound and sometimes the details are too enlarged which makes it difficult to get an overview – we are getting accustomed to it, though) and once a family on the road describing to their children what we were doing. And the statement is true: our biking during the last days was more serious than in Southern California! For once we cycled eight days in a row, the road was pretty hilly (nothing true about the prediction from a cyclist we met in Big Sur that the roads north of San Francisco were flat… we did at least 900 m of altitude every day) and we had strong wind with gusts of up to 45 km/h to face. Also we had some rain and temperature during night fell below 5°C. The part about “not kidding” is only semi-true :-). We are still enjoying every day of our tour and are simply astonished how diverse the landscape along the Pacific Coast is. During the course of a day, we could cycle through hilly grassland with cows and sheep in the morning, pedal through thick forest of redwood trees (the highest trees on earth with ages up to 2000 years (!)) around lunch time and racing up- and downhill at the coastside – passing oyster bars, fishing harbours and rough beaches – in the afternoon. We very much enjoyed the “rough” and “wild” aspect of the coast in Northern California. It is less touristy as the southern part and people are genuinely interested in what we are doing (many times they are cheering to us from their cars or they gather around us if we stop for having a photo break or lunch and ask plenty of questions). Finding a campground or place to stay overnight also got a bit more adventurous: first, the population drastically dropped in the locations situated at the coast and second, it is not yet the main season. So it has happened to us that the Campground or Motel we were looking up online in the morning was actually permanently closed when we were standing in front of it in the evening… no kidding! Furthermore, we also celebrated Philipp’s 29th birthday this week and even found a small birthday cake with candle! Thank you for all the birthday wishes and loving words!
2 Comments
Heinz Schmid
2/5/2016 16:08:28
Liebe Fabienne, lieber Philipp
Reply
Ursi Stössel
4/5/2016 08:16:44
Hoi zäme!
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Blog Archive
September 2016
CountersKilometers pedalled
Hours on the bike
Meters cycled uphill
Flat tires
Burgers eaten
Bears sighted
Day by day statisticsFor those interested in our day by day activities and statistics, please download the following document.
World Clock
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