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/).
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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)
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