Santa Barbara

December 3rd to 5th

There are real contrasts moving down the Californian coast as you move out of the laid back, tree hugging, cannabis farming North to the La La land vortex of Ray Ban touting hollywood style posing... It's all getting very expensive. Camp site rates have soared from $3 per person to $5 and showers now cost 25c - it's all getting way too much. We enquire about rooms, but rates in Santa Barbera are in the $150 to $600+ range. We head back to the tent.

But Santa Barbera is just gorgeous.



The "American Riviera", coastline trends West to East, unique for the Californian coast. The palm tree lined town is backdropped by the beautiful Santa Ynez mountain range we just crossed, and enjoys it´s dream climate by a sea becalmed. The famous surfer dude beaches are further south where the coast resumes it´s more normal North South orientation where the waves pick up again.

Even the courthouse and former prison building here is stunning. Well, you can´t have the prisoners complaining can you....



You can take a free guided tour of the Spanish Colonial style building and see it´s facinating mural room, still a functioning courtroom. All four walls depict incredible historical scenes including Juan Cabrillo´s landing here in 1542 and the building of the famous Santa Barbara mission. There is a beautiful sunken quadrangle with gardens whilst the interior has Tunisian tiling and hanging lanterns in a Moorish style. It´s superb...



Hanging in the law library are ancient maps depicting California as an island some way off the coast of America.



Arriving back at the campsite we are warned we have outstayed our welcome and need to leave. Apparently there is a one night limit for tents to avoid vagrants moving in. We do manage to get a second night after persuading the gun toting ranger we only LOOK like bums, but it serves to highlight another side to Southern California.

Two other cyclists have moved in - Tim and Eddy from San Diego and we agree to leave together in the morning. Tonight a sunset... Tomorrow we ride in a pack....

Leaving Santa Ynez Valley

December 3rd

Santa Ynez valley is flat. But Santa Barbara is behind them there hills and the road suddenly starts to rise steeply.....



We leave the main road and take a more cycle friendly route, an historic 19th century coach road passing through scenic woodland and passing beneath the main road up on that there bridge....



Once you´ve spent nearly 2 hours and 7 miles climbing 700 vertical metres (2300 feet) it´s hard to believe signs like this....



And this....



But then this happens....



And apparently the road IS closed. And the work men absolutely refused point blank to let us pass, despite being only 50 metres from rejoining the main highway. Something about building a bridge and real danger and blah blah blah.
These guys just don´t know what real danger is.
Real danger is having to explain to Sue that with 50m to go we need to turn round, drop 700 metres, rejoin the main road and then climb back up those 700m again.

Still, gives us a chance to get the view from the top of that bridge back on to that road we took 4 hours ago....



Not gonna tell you what Sue is saying in this picture. Ooooh naughty girl. Wash your mouth out with soap....

Californian Mysteries

November 30th to December 2nd

Leaving Hearst Castle, it's back to a more earthy reality as the landscape turns green. Artichoke and sprout farms lush and leafy as far as the eye can see. This is farming on an industrial scale. Mile after mile of irrigated ranks of dense produce.
I never met anyone who likes sprouts! Not even a little bit. They're just something to leave on the plate on Christmas day so you feel like you can fit in a larger piece of Christmas pud. Just what is going on here? Where do they all go? Do people really eat this many sprouts? It's a complete mystery. We ride on confused - somethings are just beyond explanation....



And next Guadalupe.
It's like a ghost town. We ride through deserted streets and see no one. It's like everyone just upped and left. There's a real Mexican feel to the place though. Buildings are multi-coloured, bright and vibrant, supermercados advertise in spanish. But where are the people?



We ride out confused.

And next Solvang.
How do you explain Solvang? With it's windmills, statues of Hans Cristian Andersen and little mermaid fountain copied from Copenhagen....



Originally founded by Danish settlers around the turn of the last century, it now looks like a place trying so hard to look like Denmark, it's actually become the most Danish place on earth! There are fantastic bakeries wafting enticing sweet fragrances into the air.... and extravagant wine merchants threatening to seriously damage our budget. We need to leave fast.

This is the Santa Ynez valley - a flat spot between the Santa Ynez and the San Rafael Mountain ranges and famous as grape country. We camp in a county park on the beauteous Lake Cachuma, actually a reservoir serving the Santa Barbera area....



And admire the Bradbury Dam holding all that water at bay....



And watch the sky turn pink....

To Hearst Castle

November 28th to 30th

Leaving Kirk Creek; once more under sullen skies, we head along the final section of Big Sur towards legendary Hearst Castle....



Looking back at spectacular rugged coastal scenery, as the terrain flattens...



We pass the boisterous, raucous and rather smelly sea lion colony compressed on the beach at Ragged Point....



William Randolph Hearst; an American Newspaper magnate inherited a 40,000 acre estate from his father who purchased it for 7 cents and acre in 1865. Loaded, excentric and slightly crazy he travelled extensively throughout Europe. Upon his return he bought most of what he had seen, and set about combining these treasures in to Heast Castle upon "The Enchanted Hill". Driving Julia Morgan (his architect) to distraction, he frequently changed his mind on designs, and the castle was not finished in his lifetime.

The Neptune Pool was ripped out and rebuilt 3 times. But I guess it turned out alright in the end....



This is the small house....



And this is Casa Grande - the big house, modelled on a Spanish cathedral; 56 bedrooms, 61 bathrooms, 19 sitting rooms - I suppose the clue is in the title - it´s BIG....



Inside is a curious mix of styles and design, again not helped by the ongoing conflict between money bags and stoic designer. Parts do seem to indicate a clash between an overenthusiastic exuberance and a more phlegmatic style of restraint. Mainly it´s just exuberant....



Egyptian sarcophagus sit incongruously alongside roman marble, it´s a fascinating spectacle that was enjoyed during it´s 1920´s and 30´s heydays by Hollywood´s 'A' list. Being the largest private zoo in the world, animals were brought in by the truckload from Africa and Asia. Today Zebras and other exotics can still be seen, presumably blinking in astonishment at their change of scenery...

Parts of the estate were donated to the State of California in the 50´s and it´s been a tourist attraction ever since, with the family retaining and still living on carefully screened hidden acreage. It´s definitely a must see destination, even if it does leave this European slightly confused at it´s massively mixed styling.

Central California

November 21st to 28th

Leaving San Fran we resume our State Park hopping. Each has a "hiker/biker" campground where you can pitch a tent for $3 a person; saves a bunch of cash compared to private sites charging $20 to $30.

We leave via Golden Gate park complete with European style windmills....



Sinuous highway hugging fractured coast line....



And finally find the fog.....



Central California is a real change from the Northern part of the state. From huge redwood forests and laid back industrial towns you start to see the money as you get closer to Southern California. Santa Cruz has beautiful ocean front property away from the more famous amusement arcade and fun fair....



Prices rise in Monterey with tasteful government buildings and yacht filled harbour....



We window shop in Carmel with it's historic Spanish founded mission dating back to 1770. Decent houses start at around $2 million so we move on....

When you see a sign saying "Hill Curves - Next 63 Miles" you know you are in for something spectacular. This is Big Sur and I've been wanting to take this road for a very long time.....



But again rain stops play and we hole up under soggy canvas for a couple of sodden days....



Playtime again....



As the sun graces stunning vistas - these are the days....



Complete with late evening light show as we camp sur mer at Kirk Creek Campground, the sound of crashing waves lulling us gently to sleep....

To SF

November 15th to 20th

Now it's the sunshine state!

We've got open top bicycles, we're on highway 1 and it doesn't get much better than this as we climb towards Bodega Bay....



Dazzled by beauty as we drop back to the ocean....



There's always one....



As we head towards Marin County it becomes clear why the mountain bike was invented here....



Highway One rejoins Highway 101 and the two become one in a four lane, fast moving swath of traffic funneling towards the famous bridge. We move less fast as the gradient rises. Then the shoulder narrows and disappears. And wagons pass within inches at 60mph! Now we're in trouble. A point of view that is confirmed when a nebulous voice booms "You guys can't be on here!!". The shock is nearly enough to force a swerve under a passing 18 wheeler, but that's nothing compared to the shock of turning to see a police cruiser complete with flashing red and blues joining a low speed 4mph chase after 2 errant cyclists. I suppose he thought we were just too dumb to bust, and finally helped us to an alternative route with slightly less death potential.

OK - the bridge.
Crossing the Golden Gate by bicycle IS cool. Especially when you've rode all the way from Canada. Sue definitely thinks so....



Not sure who started the "whole fog in the bay" myth though.....



Required tourist shot of Alcatraz and the "Streets of San Francisco"....



SF is a fantastic place - it's my third time, and we revisit all the highlights, Fisherman's Wharf, Lombard Street, Union Square etc..... But this time we also have stuff to sort out. My laptop bought in Portland died on the road, and after visiting all 4 Radioshack outlets in the city I finally manage to convince one to do an immediate replacement rather than their preferred option of a repair. I explain it gets tricky trying to re-unite said repaired laptop with a traveling man, so thanks to them.

Sue replaces her trusty road touring steed for something a bit more rugged to deal with gravel roads further south. Hers was just too fast and I couldn't keep up with her so we replaced it with a mountain bike style tourer. Nice and slow again now!!
REI helps us out with a 26 inch wheeled "Novara Safari" that will take some more meaty rubber and hopefully be a bit more controllable when the roads fall apart. Her Dawes Galaxy is left with a bike shop to be sold on commission.... I wonder if that money will ever catch up with us.....



Onwards - got a new horse to break in....

Northern California 2

November 9th to 14th

After Eureka, we head off on "The Avenue Of the Giants", another Redwood forest in Humboldt Redwood State Park...



Before Garberville our luck runs out and one of Sue's tyres explodes with a resounding rifle shot crack! A one inch rent in the rubber. I use the old dollar bill inside the tyre trick to block the hole and we limp slowly into town.Of course it's a Sunday and we lose another day waiting for shops to re-open.

Local knowledge holds that the rain stops at Leggett - a small town where Highway 101 splits and Highway 1 reappears on the map. It's a climb to 2000 feet followed by one of the best downhill sprints on twisty, sticky black stuff. Narrow roads and traffic only add to the adrenaline rush...



Stopping for resupplies at Fort Bragg, we must have a bedraggled look as a supermarket manager donates free pizza and wishes us good luck. Readers please note - all free food is MUCH appreciated....

At Jug Handle State Park we hike into 1000 year old pigmy forests where fully grown trees are even smaller than fully grown Welsh women!



Then the coast gets pretty in a mean, moody, broody kind of grey way near Elk....



And we climb back inland....



To Manchester!
Now I come from Manchester back in England.
Anything English being bigger than it's American counterpart is to be celebrated - it doesn´t happen every day!
And Manchester England is bigger than Manchester California (population 462!) - by about, ooooh 3 million people.
And that's a lot.
So I celebrate....
And this is my "smug" photo....



But it's always good to visit a Manchester, and not surprisingly - this is the place the sun finally comes out. Now we have a sunset....



And to be fair, California has a San Francisco, and that's probably as good as Manchester.... and that's where we're heading next.....