65km out of 2569km so far

Today, was a great day. I set my destination to Santa Cruz, not far from Pigeon Point, so I took my time to see and enjoy the places on the way. I had a good night sleep, I had a good breakfast and I was out of the door by 10am. The weather thermostat was set to the optimal temperature of 23c making the ride very pleasant. The scenery around me fairly dry, with sparse trees and bushes. The road followed the coast and on every turn the cliff revealed a different beach.

I’ve been seeing farms all along my trip, but further up north I always remembered larger scale farms, producing just a few different crops. The southern I go, the smaller farms I see producing a bigger variety of vegetables and fruits. Since I left San Fransisco, apart from pumpkins, I see many strawberries. A couple offered me a little box last night at the hostel. This morning on my way I came across this strawberry farm, selling jam and other goods. The sign indicating 10% discount for cyclists, attracted my attention. I stopped to have a closer look and the little shop was a nice surprise. I tried many different jams and got my self a strawberry jam scone for later. Very interesting was the fact the shop was operating an honesty tilt, without anyone to serve me.

I was looking for a lunch spot and a shadow so I turned off the highway to Wilder Ranch State Park. A historic 200 years old range that was donated to the state and it’s now open to the public. I wondered around a bit and had a stop under a tree, where I met Bill who gave me plenty of advices for the next couple of days of my trip, including a nice cycle path that would take me straight into Santa Cruz.

The bike path was indeed just around the corner and within a couple of kilometers I crossed the boundaries of the city and entered into a whole different vibe. It was like the time went back and it was summer again. The temperature had climbed to 30c and everyone seemed to be out and about. People in flip flops and tShirts, surfing, cycling, playing beach volley and all the rest. Santa Cruz with the iconic roller coaster and the pier at the main beach, looks like a play land from a different era. It’s a mixture of Mexican architecture, Western lifestyle and plenty of wild life.

All along the coast, hundreds of pelicans gathered on top of rocks and other were flying in formation. Other birds would dive into the water to catch fish. Seals swimming around, screaming, climbing on to rocks and on the structure of the pier. Someone even pointed out to me a whale into the distance.

I stopped by a supermarket for supplies and moved on to the campsite of New Brighton State Beach, where I spent the night. A good spot, but maybe a little noise next to the highway. It had a good access to the beach though.

39km out of 2504km so far

The night was cold and my thermometer went down to 6c sometime before dawn. The humidity was also very high and my tent was dripping water in the morning, but luckily the morning sun was strong, so by the time I packed my stuff and had breakfast it was all dry and crisp.

I left the campground and I went by the town of Half Moon bay which was a little to the east of the highway. I think the southern I go, the more nice towns with influences from Mexico I find. Public plazas and churches are now very frequent, adding more character to the towns. There happened to be a contest for the biggest pumpkin in the central plaza. I didn’t go within the crowd to have a closer look, but from the distance I noticed a small crane lifting one giant pumpkin. Over the past couple of days, I keep seeing farms full of pumpkins. Halloween is just around the corner, so everyone needs one.

Even if it was cold over night, it got really hot during the day, reaching 24c. That was good for my wet shocks drying at the back of my bike, but maybe a little too warm for going up the hills. But of course I can’t complain for the sun, after all these rainy and stormy days I went through a few weeks ago. The terrain continued to be hilly, but not as bad as the days before San Fransisco. The scenery was mostly dry and full of farm lands, taking advantage of the sun.

Just after noon, I was debating where to have lunch and how far further I should cycle for the day. Even if it wasn’t far, I didn’t want to get to Santa Cruz yet, so I was aiming for a campground half way. While I was looking for a lunch spot, I saw a nice lighthouse and minutes later I noticed the familiar sign of Hostelling International. All along the coast I haven’t seen a single hostel so far, so I was surprised to see one today. After having a closer look to the hostel, I decided to call it an early day and spend the night there. The location and the facilities are just perfect. The historic lighthouse is at Pigeon Point, a fairly remote area. Next to it there are a couple of tourist information buildings, the four houses of the hostel and nothing else. The views all around the light house are just beautiful. The price for one night is $30, but with the membership I have and the extra discount I got as a cyclist, I paid $25. A really good deal for such a location, considering it has showers, kitchen, wifi, a comfortable lounge and a hot tub right by the last rock, looking at the ocean.

I checked in for a night, I had a shower and spent the rest of the afternoon in shorts, tShirt and flip-flops , enjoying the ocean view and the sun in comfort. Happy days!