From my apartment, I cycled west through Golden Gate Park all the way to the Pacific. This is looking back into the park.
From the same spot, on the west edge of Golden Gate Park, Looking north up the coast
Looking south, the direction I'd be biking
From the outskirts of Daly City, looking north to the Marin county hills (to the left) and the west half of San Francisco (to the right).
Past Pacifica, this bike path paralleled the busy route 1. Route 1 was quite dangerous going through Pacifica, and I would find detour next time.
Snack break overlooking Pacifica State Beach
Lunch break near Poplar Beach Park, south of Half Moon Bay
My last break of the day, I had a snickers and a coke at the San Gregorio general store. As I went to fill up my water bottle from the jug inside, a local poured the jug's entire contents into a dog bowl, saying loudly “I hope the dog's okay with this fuckin' bicyclist water.” As you go down the California coast, it's amazing how quickly you move from progressive, bike-loving San Francisco and Santa Cruz to rural areas where cyclists are hated by many.
After 55 miles of cycling, I arrived at Pigeon Point Lighthouse where I would spend the night at its lovely hostel. Later in the evening, I would share the hostel hot tub (overlooking the ocean) with Rob, a firefighter from Edmonton, Alberta. He was spending his vacation touring the American Southwest by motorcycle. I asked questions about the firefighter occupation and explained how I'm trying to figure out what to do next for work.
From the lighthouse, looking south at the next day's road
The setting was spectacular, with a beautiful sunset, low tides for exploring tide pools with pink sea urchins and a red starfish, and huge crashing waves.
Waves crashing on the rocks (note the seals)
Is was quite chilly with no direct sun -- I bet they were cold! Seals are warm-blooded (like humans) and have a thick coat of blubber to insulate them.
Built in 1872, it still operates but has been closed to visitors since 2001. It's in serious need of restoration and repairs.
No longer operational, the Fog Signal Building was built in 1899.
Big crashing waves during a beautiful sunset
The next morning, soon after sunrise.
Majestic brown pelicans flew close together in a line, just above the water
The hearty ground cover was beautiful green-orange-red in the morning sun, reminding me of New England fall foliage
Back on the road for a shorter (30 mile), less-hilly day into Santa Cruz. Even though there are large trucks and fast traffic, riding on Route 1 usually isn't too bad, and often has a wide shoulder. Nonetheless, I intentionally rode during the week to avoid weekend traffic.
I pulled into the little town of Davenport for my last snack break before Santa Cruz, and found this striking Catholic church
Arrival at my destination: Liza's cute apartment
Looking down from her apartment ot the garage
A beautiful restored house, it's one of the few in Santa Cruz that survived the 1989 earth quake. The top floor window is Liza's bedroom.
From Liza's balcony
After spending the night in Santa Cruz, Liza drove me back to San Francisco. On our front steps, Jess and I soaked in the warm, late-morning sun.
