(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . A once-in-a-lifetime bike ride: HMB to SLO on PCH [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-10-11 Recounting the entire trip requires visualizing in my mind. And, what a journey it was! Getting across the San Mateo Bridge was its own adventure. Combined courage and ingenuity is what enabled us access. The whole experience was premised upon several factors, all of which had to fall into place and in the right order, mind you. The process, quite to my surprise, went like clockwork. Step 1. Print trip and contact data on 3X5 cards. Step 2. Post prominently on Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo kiosks. Step 3. Wait for any and all takers to contact me. Step 4. Make all pre-travel preparations. Step 5. Wait for the departure day to arrive. Step 6. Bike it to the community Amtrak station. Step 7. Load bikes and gear on northbound Coast Starlight. Step 8. Bon voyage! During the summer of 1975, I didn’t want to fly back east to Baltimore to spend the time with my folks and brother. I chose to remain in California for the sole purpose of enrolling in a couple of Cal Poly course electives. If I successfully completed these classes and those that followed in both autumn and spring, I could complete my program and graduate by then thus saving some time. Before I left Baltimore I had sold my automobile and soon after arriving in San Luis Obispo, I purchased a bike. The town and environs are conducive to bike riding. Knowing I could take some time off and since I wanted to see more of the Golden State and, since I figured no one else was going to give me the grand tour, I capitalized on the opportunity to do that myself. My ad, as impromptu as it may have been, seemed to matter not. It was answered by a then total stranger whose name is John. I was, by that time, a fairly well-versed bicycle rider and John brought with him the requisite camping skills. It was just what was needed to allow for a successful trip. So, we hopped on the train which left SLO station at about 3 p.m. presumably on a Friday afternoon. Our train arrived at Oakland’s 16th Street station right around 8 p.m. The journey had gotten off to a propitious start. Stepping off the train, John and I headed up to the baggage car, tucked in behind the locomotives and the train consist (a string of passenger conveyances) and gathered our belongings. Then it was about a 15-minute bike ride, our bicycles outfitted with reflectors and each of us donning a made-for-nighttime-bike-riding flashlight strapped to our left calves. We peddled our way through the streets of Alameda to a house owned by a friend of John’s where we spent the night. Once it was sunup, I think actually even before that, the two of us awoke raring to get going. Return trip — Day 1: Alameda to Santa Cruz’s New Brighton State Beach Our objective on the first day was to ride from John’s friend’s pad in Alameda to the San Mateo bridge which in the San Francisco Bay Area is situated along State Route 92. If we rode west on 92, it would empty out in Half Moon Bay and from there we could pick up State Route 1, alternatively known as PCH (short for the Pacific Coast Highway), a hilly and winding thoroughfare that along California’s Central Coast portion affords commanding Pacific Ocean vistas. So, that’s what we did, though with one minor variance: Neither pedestrians nor bicycles were allowed anywhere on the bridge. So, John came up with the idea to hitchhike across, and that’s what we did. Putting our thumbs out to signal to drivers our intent, before too long we found our ride: A guy in a pickup truck — which could easily accommodate two bikers and their bikes in back — obliged. We gladly paid the driver’s toll once we made it to that section of the Bay’s opposite side. Dropping us off at a suitable location in the town of Foster City, we climbed out of the pickup’s bed, off-loaded our bikes and camping gear and were on our way. This had been the only part of the entire journey that could not be bike-ridden. The day was mostly sunny with the air crisp and clean. I remember it being a virtually straight shot to HMB. All that was required though was a long slog on the road all the way up to where 92 intersected SR 35 at the crest. Piece of cake. It was literally all downhill from there. With the wind in our faces, the two of us rode into Half Moon Bay and, as I remember it, under overcast skies — typical conditions for coastal California during the summer months. This is where we most likely stopped to not only take a break but also to have lunch. That hill we had just moments before surmounted, would turn out to be one of a host that we would encounter once we were south of Carmel, an upscale area located south of Monterey. Our trek into Santa Cruz and Capitola-Soquel was pretty much all on flat terrain. Our ride had gotten us to New Brighton State Beach which is no doubt where the two of us chowed down on dinner after plunking down our gear and sleeping bags on the sand, our being lulled fast to sleep after dark to the sound of waves gently lapping the shoreline. What better way to end the day. Return trip — Day 2: New Brighton to Big Sur Campgrounds New Brighton to Big Sur on Day 2 took us along and through some really diverse scenery. Scenery that included expanses of artichoke-planted fields in Castroville, the front roads, the back roads and those in-between roads of Seaside, Monterey and PG or Pacific Grove. We passed golf courses with spectacular views of the mighty Pacific Ocean, rolled through lush pine-forest-laden countryside, peddle-pushed our way along Monterey’s marine-merchant quarter made famous by acclaimed writer John Steinbeck and identified by its many warehouses in various states of repair (some good, others not so much), past tony but conservative-looking beachfront property in Asilomar as well as among the super posh homes that dotted the Seventeen Mile Drive and the stretch of Highway 1 that traverses a very appealing and highly popular Carmel. The jaunt through these well-heeled communities made for some relatively easy-going riding, though there were some ups and downs thrown in to add to the overall trip experience. The day was uneventful, us making our way into Big Sur and the Big Sur Campgrounds where John and I would overnight it on Day number two. The ride so far, very accommodating and quite satisfying indeed! Return trip — Day 3: Big Sur to San Luis Obispo (and home!) Rise and shine! Day three turned out to be the most grueling. And, to add to the struggle each of us took a spill. Not hard to do when you’re biking along what seemed to be more-narrow-than-normal stretches of roadway; roadway that follows at times super curvy, extremely hilly alignments that can test the strength and endurance of members of the most seasoned of the professional bike-rider class, which neither of us were a part of. What I found to be the most rewarding part of the whole adventure, was the fact that every time we faced a really steep climb, we did so under an overcast sky. And, then, like it was made to order, the clouds vanished from view opening the skies up to full sunshine. It never failed; it was like that every time. I mean how lucky can one get?! And, it was pleasant to see others on bikes doing likewise, only instead going oppositely. Getting through all of those up and downs definitely had its challenges, like when John in negotiating a part of the road that was perched above the ocean on a high shelf with what I would say was, easily, a 900-foot drop, hit a gravel patch at, apparently, too fast a speed for conditions present, causing him to lose control with the bicycling slipping out from under him. He was okay except for maybe, possibly being a little shaken up. But, all was good. And, after a quick wheel-spoke re-truing to get the bicycle back in sound working order, he got up, got back on the bike and we were “off to the races,” as one might say so as to try to lighten the mood. Soon thereafter, the both of us resumed our stride. It was as if it was there all along. Right at about brunch time, we had happened upon the really, really sparsely populated town of Lucia. I think, in English, the name translates to Lucille or Lucy. But, please don’t quote me on this. We spotted a restaurant with very nice views with both indoor and outdoor seating available. Even though we opted to dine indoors, it quickly became apparent that we had made the incorrect choice. We hadn’t washed in three days and to others around us, they surely didn’t appreciate their being reminded of that fact by the stench that we must have been giving off. Funny thing was, neither John nor I smelled a thing. Afterwords we felt really bad about not chowing down outside. After wolfing down the delectable repast, it was a matter of saddling back up, in a manner of speaking, with us being on our merry way. The good news was that for the rest of the way, as long as we didn’t encounter a strong headwind, it would be smooth sailing, which it was. We finally got to the place where the roadway worked its way down from the highlands to coast level. We passed the Piedras Blancas Light Station, a beach that was a popular seal-lion and elephant-seal-watching tourist attraction, the expansive Hearst Castle grounds, the nice beachside towns of Cambria and Cambria Pines, Cayucos, Morro Strand and Morro Bay (where the Rock the town is known for resides), all before ending up where we started from in San Luis Obispo (which is affectionately known as either “SLO-town” or just simply “SLO),” it turning out to be the longest of the three adventurous days. John and I sorted through all the gear, his taking what belonged to him, us thanking each other exchanging banter centered on the trip itself and the time we spent, followed by our bidding each other adieu, that punctuated by a hearty handshake. First thing I did after entering my apartment’s front door, was to take a shower, have a bite to eat and then retire to bed for the rest of the evening, my now once-in-a-lifetime bicycle adventure now behind me. That trek, though, was never to be repeated. It’s an experience I’ll never forget! [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/10/11/2198732/-A-once-in-a-lifetime-bike-ride-HMB-to-SLO-on-PCH?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/