Tag: Overnight

Well that was a great weekend. Took the train to Menlo Park, and rode with five friends up for miles on twisty, narrow, mostly deserted Old La Honda, down along twisty roads, and stopped for artichoke bread and other lunch in Pescadero. Then on down Highway 1 to Pigeon Point Lighthouse, where there’s a hostel you can stay in… and a hot tub on a cliff overlooking the ocean. A whole pod of dolphins swam by, fins arcing, a whale(?) made a big splash, and at night with the lights out, you could see stars, the surf, and the beams of the lighthouse sweeping by every few seconds. ...

[ Finally posting a map and photos from a great group ride organized by K back in October ]: Amtrak to Sacramento with our bikes, then two leisurely days of riding back to BART via the Sacramento river delta. With drawbridges (and an impromptu tour of a control room), birds at night, a quaint old-timey hotel, a ferry, and old-town California. The route (about 95 miles, click through for a detailed map): ...

120+ miles, a group of 15 great people, sunny weather, lush farmland and shady redwood forests, a few exciting hills, the kindness of strangers, good beer, and an action-movie just-in-time finish… easily one of my favorites. Read on for a longer than usual writeup in story form, with photos and details… Back in December I’d floated the idea of an overnight ride up to Russian River Brewing Co during the two-weeks-a-year Pliny the Younger release. Interest blossomed, we hashed out logistics, and by the day of the ride we were a group of 15(!): people I’d done long rides with as well as new friends-of-friends, on loaded touring bikes and sporty road bikes, people who’ve ridden centuries and people who’ve rarely biked more than 40 miles… and even someone who hadn’t biked more than 7 or 8 miles in a stretch (I’ll admit, I was a little worried, but he was a natural). ...