Sunny and breezy all day.
Picked up my trail heading south on Hwy 1, following the coast and enjoying the eye popping scenery. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be like one of those wall-eyed lizards that could keep one eye on the road and the other one bugged off scanning the scenery? They do look kind of goofy, though, and only another wall-eyed lizard would ever consider taking you out for dinner and drinks.
Somewhere near Salinas… (I’ve always wanted to be able to say that)... I stopped for lunch. It was in Monterey, actually. Another one of those tourist meccas that I am making a point of visiting.
Snacked at a pretty spot on the shore just on the edge of Cannery Row and watched the seagulls dance with the pounding surf.
Took a little walk along Cannery Row just to see if my legs still work. It is a busy, kitchy, and colourful place, that occasionally gives tribute to the Steinbeck novel which made it famous.
Took a little walk along Cannery Row just to see if my legs still work. It is a busy, kitchy, and colourful place, that occasionally gives tribute to the Steinbeck novel which made it famous.
I was looking forward to cruising the 17 Mile Drive, a fabulously scenic bit of shoreline with the Pebble Beach golf course at its southern end. I have driven and bicycled it a few times, once with The Mikoman sitting in a little milk crate fastened to the back of the bike. The bad news was that motorcycles are now prohibited from the Drive! I suppose some irresponsible sportbike yahoos tore up and down the twisty road so the local administration decided this was a good way to put an end to it. I personally don’t see the justice in it, but the fellow at the gate was in no position to do anything but recite the policy.
Did a quick run through the funky and narrow streets of Carmel on the way through, then smacked my lips as I headed for Big Sur. This is a run that I have anticipated for many years, and I was not disappointed!
I was advised to gas up before getting started as the services along the way take advantage of their position as being the only show in town and double their prices. Literally. So I did, and they were right.
It is an excellent bikers’ highway. Apart from being very easy on the eyes, it is as curvaceous as a Vegas chorus line. Lots of sharp, linked and well engineered turns on a good surface. I had some fun. I will admit that the abrupt cliff edge and a 1000 ft drop was a bit disconcerting and it certainly compromised the spirit of the ride from time to time.
My progress was slowed by my compulsion to stop and take pictures at every outlook. And there were many. I am running out of superlatives to describe the beauty of the landscapes I am encountering. I promise I will not rant any more about the surf… except for this: the monster waves I have seen and raved about so far were pipsqueaks compared to what I saw today. These were walls of water that I imagined tsunami must look like. That wicked storm to the north of us has really stirred up some action and it is an amazing sight. I did manage to capture some video of waves exploding on the rocky shore and tossing spray up the height of an apartment building, but I think the file is too big to load on this blog.
So many pictures I didn’t take! Wildflowers of every colour form a carpet over the rocks and occasional dunes, punctuated by spears of pampas grass. Sandy little coves appear, many with streams that slice through their beaches like miniature canyons.
