Bike Tour in the USA (2007), Part 40

Saturday, Sep. 22, 2007

Half Moon Bay

?→Half Moon Bay State Beach 

Distance: 83.08 km, Time: 5:46:12 hrs, Total: 1,237.38 km

  On the right side beside the road I've discovered the signpost to the Half Moon Bay State Beach (95 Kelly Ave., Half Moon Bay, CA 94019, 650.726-8819). I followed it and came to a small wooden hut beside the entrance. In this was an elderly couple sitting working voluntarily. Both of them were very lovable and we immediately started a nice conversation. The husband confirmed me that this is the last state park before San Francisco, for the moment my final destination of my trip. It would be an extra 30 miles (or 48 km) before I would reach the "City by the Bay". He was so kind to draw me a simple map on a white peace of paper that I would not 'get lost' on my last stage of the tour. I thanked both pensioners a lot and cycled slowly to my assigned place at the Hiker & Biker part of the campground.
   The Campground has 52 individual sites for tents, trailers and RVs up to 40 feet. Because not far away from San Francisco I believe that over the weekends there are many city people here going 'country' and enjoy the break from the busy life.   

   It was still early afternoon, therefore no need to hurry. I took my still damp one man tent out of my bag and build it just to let it dry in the sun. 

   While I was busy I became acquainted with Jim walking his Labrador Dipsy, named after  the green Teletubbies character, a famous children TV series especially in the UK and the USA. He explained me that he watched me, the biker, for quite a time and wanted to learn more about me. Within a few minuted he told me about his own bike adventures which led him to many places in the USA and Canada. He had to admit that he should bring his own bike...

   The sun was still standing in the sky. Therefore I decided to find something to eat for dinner. When I left the State Park I took a photo from the sign. Later I found a shopping mall and bought my dinner there for eating it on the campground. Coming back to the Park I've discovered a bridle path right parallel to the State Park. Later I've discovered two Mexican riding instructors teaching an American family...

   As I arrived on my campground I've met a young English chap named Mark. For him it was also his first bike tour but in the opposite direction from the northern San Francisco to the southern Los Angeles. As an 'old timer' I was glad to share my experiences over a map which he noted in his small notebook. As with the daylight his light of the flashlight became noticeable weaker I gave him batteries as a gift, which I brought as spares from Taiwan. As a barter he gave me some cookies which were very tasty.

   

   Strangely even after many years after the end of the II. World War there is still so much talked and written about the relationship between Great Britain and Germany. Than Prime Minister Margret Thatcher was against the reunification of West and East Germany in fear of a strong Germany, the British were the first and only member who decided to leave the European Union. But today I've learned in the distant USA that the British can be quite contrary. It was so interesting to talk with him about his job as a business consultant or  to exchange views on the Premier League club Chelsea FC who had the German player Michael Ballack in their lineup and the situation about the just fired manager Jose Mourinho.

  The time passed on a fly and we went back in our tents after a very interesting evening at around 10:00 pm. My tent was dry like a piece of crispbread and my sleeping bag became the cloud of a newborn baby. 

(to be continued)  

Bike Tour in the USA (2007), Part 39

Saturday, Sep. 22, 2007

Rainy Morning

?→Half Moon Bay State Beach 

Distance: 83.08 km, Time: 5:46:12 hrs, Total: 1,237.38 km

         
      Actually I wanted to leave my small tent to greet the early morning cheerfully. But as I zipped open the door or entrance of my tent I saw a thick fog covering the surroundings and the strong wind still blew from the ocean. I wanted to crawl back into my sleeping bag but finally had to go out into the beastly weather...

   Of course the rain and fog made everything wet except the contents of my waterproof cycling bags. Personally I don’t quite understand that people insist on "natural materials" on their bike travel equipment. Many saddles or bags are sold prominently under British and American trademarks but in truly harsh conditions nothing beats man-made materials without zippers and bottoms, they are the only real waterproof materials.

   On the internet there are permanently discussions of real leather material on saddles or bags of waxed cotton duck with real leather applications but after several rain showers and real life usage these discussions seem meaningless to real bike tourists.

-  I bought a British original real leather saddle, an obviously popular no. B-17 model for bike touring. In the beginning it was comfortable but after some unexpected rain showers during my tour around Taiwan even with with extra proofing and a rain cover the leather broke on the rivets.

-  I used a bike bag made of natural waxed cotton duck which did not only develop mold in the high humidity in Taiwan but it was not waterproof even with an additional coat of wax.

   So, when equipment is useless in harsh conditions why take them into considerations at all? To be en vogue? Thanks, but I would like to pass...

   Out of one of my saddle bags I took my yellow one way rain jacked and continued to fight through the fog, rain and wind. To lighten my load a little I’ve decided to leave Highway 1 and followed the Pescadero Creek Road until I came to the farming community of Pescadero. There are only a few buildings beside the main street and between them is the Pescadero Country Store, http://pescaderocountrystore.com/. I did not want to fiddle with the rain jacket and walked wet and miserable as I was into the store and bought something to eat and to drink.

   As I was standing at the cash register with my goods in the hands the elderly checkout 'girl' looked at me and encouraged me with a smile: “Not a good day for a bike ride, right?” Considering my appearance I had to smile back to this early sunshine in the morning. After she told me that i did not rain for months and how much a farm community needs this rain I did not feel so miserable any more. Or, as the saying goes “One man’s joy is another man’s sorrow.” I wished her well and hoped that it might continue to rain for them. Of course, hopefully after I left...

   Researching for this blog I came over the sad news that the colorful store, which some called the heart and soul of the town, caught a devastating fire on Sep. 18, 2016 (http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2016/09/18/pescadero-country-store-total-loss-sunday-morning-fire/). It's a pity but the owner wants to fight to rebuild it and continue to serve the community and customers in the future. 

Pescadero Country Store

   As I already left the coast I continued to ride in the land along Stage Road. It was a true lonely back road, built to ease off the farmers work. There were no shoulders beside the road, but some steep roads to climb and thick forests to cross. Road signs were sparsely and most of the time non-existent. I followed a line of tall trees which lead to a big farm but generally it was an empty road. There were only sparsely cars and all of them were pick-up trucks with female drivers.  

  Finally I came to the cross of the Stage Road and Highway 84 San Gregorio. There on the crossroad is the San Gregorio General Store, apparently the center of this small town. On this early morning the store front was lined with pickups parking in front of this Mexican building.

San Gregorio General Store, http://www.sangregoriostore.com/

     On the right side of the road I discovered the guidepost to the Highway 1. On Highway 84 I followed the road until I came back to the familiar Highway 1. The road was smooth and the surrounding was rough and surprisingly flat. No wonder that many cyclists from the San Francisco area ride here during the weekends. 

   Coming from the south the exit to the State Beach was first from Highway 1 on the left even before the city of Half Moon Bay even started.

(to be continued) 

Bike Tour in the USA (2007), Part 38

Friday, Sep. 21, 2007

Stormy, stormy Night

Monterey→?

Distance: 118.30 km, Time: 7:34:14 hrs, Total: 1,154.30 km

   In the late afternoon I reached Santa Cruz, a very nice city. It is the largest city and the county seat of the same named county the estimated population is only around 62,000 citizens.

   When I arrived it was evening rush hour traffic and therefore the road become very busy and sometimes it got real tight between the cars. I tried to keep near the ocean and accidentally came to the Casino Arcade at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. It is the oldest amusement park in California and has everything from roller coasters and kind-friendly rides, arcade and skill games. I should stay for a while but today it got strangely dark very early.

   I continued to cruise along the coast but I could not find any suitable place. I do not want to ride in the dark but I had to continue to ride without light. As I passed a restaurant a guest came out, looked at me with big eyes and said: “Oh, a night rider!” I found it a kind of amusing.

   California is a car country like the rest of the USA. Unfortunately governments do not want to spend needed of money on road maintenance and in the dark the shoulders became so dangerously that I nearly fell of my bike two times! While I rode I clearly noticed a dramatically weather change; I could hear thunder in the distance. Even the song “it seems it never rains in Southern California” tries to suggest otherwise the heaven opened its gates and it actually started to rain. The wind from the ocean became very strong and I was glad that my daughter bought me a one-way raincoat before I left Taiwan. It offered some protection from the elements and today was the only time I used it during my whole trip. 

   It seems fencing every property and marking it with a ‘no trespassing’ and a 'gun' sign is a national sport in (the land of the free?) of the U.S. Therefore it took me quite a while to find a suitable place for the night. Behind some RVs and camping trailers I found a spot in a lay-by. The storm blew so strong that it was difficult to build my small tent; because of the rain I used the outer skin of it first time on this trip. I laid my bike in the shadow of the wind of my the tent; hopefully it would be there the next morning. My own weight and all of my bags were enough to keep the tent steady during this storm. 

   Despite the bad weather I had actually a very comfy night. The small, cheap and light one man tent was surprisingly water resistant and I was glad that I did not have to leave it during the whole night.  

   Travelling by bike is great but sometimes there are obstacles to overcome. On this day the weather was a great problem. So bikers have to be aware of problems. I suggest that everyone should have some basic bike repair skills and take some basic spare parts (foldable tool set, tire levers, inner tubes, spare chain lock or missing link, long shifter & brake cable etc.) but also a suitable clothes like a good rain jacket and, if possible, rain trousers. 

   Reading this some people might think "What the..." or "Why do you do this?" In my opinion bike touring needs a special 'spirit' to face and overcome the odds Mother Nature and often men are throwing at us. In the digital age it is possible do 'things' in the comfort of the home, here in Taiwan many young people are addicted to their computer that they do not leave home for several weeks, months or even years. I think life should be more than this.

   Confronting challenges let us grow out of our children shoes and even a stormy night might sound challenging it is actually quite safe to do so. It might be wet and uncomfortable but the reward of a bike trip by far outweighs these difficulties and let, at least myself, look at my world and my life quite differently. I made this trip 11 years (!) ago and still let me travel the same tour in my mind!

   For the summer of 2018 I am planning a bike tour Belgium - Luxembourg - Germany - Netherlands - Belgium based on these experiences you are reading from 2007! The bike frame, the fork, the tent, the bags etc. are the same and therefore have been literally a long-term investment. I know there is still room for development to pursue an even a better cycling experience.

(to be continued...)   

Bike Tour in the USA (2007), Part 37

Friday, Sep. 21, 2007

Gone Country

Monterey→?

Distance: 118:30 km, Time: 7:34:14 Std., Total: 1,154.30 km

   I arrived at Salinas, a town of around 150,000 citizens. The city serves as the main business, governmental and industrial center of the region. The marine climate is ideal for the floral industry, grape vineyards, and vegetable growers. Salinas is known for its vibrant and large agriculture industry and being 'The Salad Bowl of the World' as the hometown of writer and Nobel Prize in Literature laureate John Steinbeck, who based several of his novels there (Wikipedia).

   Under a bridge of Freeway 101 and I accidentally found on the right side of the road the continuation of the good bike path which I followed from Monterey. I was between the Freeway 101 and the coast. Except for one racing biker, who overtook me easily, there was no other biker to be seen on this very flat bike path.

   After a while I came to the Marina State Beach, a very sandy affair. The wind blew strongly, maybe the reason for a very empty beach. Even a popular place for kite flying and hang gliding it was nothing special and therefore I did not stay for a longer time.

   Following the winding road I came to a fruit stall. It was a big building with an open front; people just parked the car and walked into it to get fresh fruit and vegetables. I ran into a female/male pair of Swiss bikers. We exchanged some stories and information in German. It was nice to meet other people from Europe, especially in September, out of season.

   While I was not sure about my further route I discovered on a bridge over the Freeway 101 a police car. As I came closer I noticed a Mexican sitting in the car taking pictures of speeding drivers with a camera and a computer on the Freeway.  Asking him about the route he wanted to help but, as a non-biker, was only able to explain me a road parallel to the Freeway 101. As I left I wished him ‘happy hunting’!

   I followed the suggestion of the cop and was overtaken by some heavy loaded trucks which all turned right into a large depot. On a sign I could read the name ‘Dole’ which is a worldwide team of growers, packers, processors, shippers and employees committed to consistently providing safe, high-quality fresh fruit, vegetables, and food products, while protecting the environment in which its products are grown and processed.

   
   The next town was Castroville, the ‘Artichoke Center of the World‘. California’s artichoke history began in 1922 when the first artichoke shoots were planted in the valley. Today nearly 100 percent of America’s fresh artichoke supply comes from California and nearly two-thirds of that is still grown here. The annual Castroville Artichoke Food & Wine Festival started in 1959 as a way to celebrate the iconic artichoke and the region known as the “Artichoke Center of the World.” Over the years, the festival became the primary source of funding for local non-profit groups that depend upon a successful event for their viability. Norma Jean Mortenson, better known as Marilyn Monroe, was named California’s first honorary Artichoke Queen in 1948 (http://artichokefestival.org/general-info/).

https://medium.californiasun.co/when-marilyn-monroe-reigned-as-californias-artichoke-queen-3017ce58c1a5

   After Castroville I returned on Highway 1 which is a Freeway. I rode on the Freeway until I sign told bikers to leave the road. There was no other road sign so I just followed the main road, direction north. On the side of the road I say an elderly Mexican couple leaving a field slowly walking the same direction obviously on their way home.

   A few minutes later I passed a golf course with imported cars of the high society jamming the parking lot. As I thought I’ve lost the direction finally a sign ‘Pacific Coast Bike Route’ appeared o the right side of the road. I went downhill but discovered some sand in the corners. Be careful!

(to be continued)