The travels of the Rambling Roses: Monterey to (near) Lucia via 17 Mile Drive and Rt. 1 November 18

64 miles in 6:15.....November 18.... Happy Birthday Buddy!

I've got to say, for the first time, there was too much scenery today. I took over 50 pictures, and didn't even come close to covering everything I want to remember about this ride. I left the fairgrounds in Monterey, and headed down towards the shoreline, and followed the water the rest of the day. The Monterey Peninsula is famous for so many things, especially the scenery, if you watch movies, TV, look at magazines, or follow golf. This is one of the golf Meccas of the world. There were courses that I never heard of that were beautiful, but the headliners are Pebble Beach, Spanish Bay, Spyglass Hill, and Cyprus Point. If you had a billion dollars, and love golf, this is your spot to play till you die. Judging from the homes around the courses, there are lots of people who think this way. 17 Mile Drive is the road I took to see these places, and an exclusive Drive it is! It cost $9.50 per vehicle to enter a gate, but bicycles are free! And don't even think about riding your motorcycle! Too loud! Not allowed! The ride never left the sight of the ocean, as every hole on the courses and every home had an ocean view. Incredible. I climbed a little, and got to look down on Pebble Beach before I exited 17 Mile Drive at the Carmel Gate. I winged it and followed back coastal roads through Carmel and Carmel-by-the-Sea. And by the way, its Car MEL, not Carmel. I asked a biker directions and said it like the ice cream topping, and the kid looked at me like I was Willie Wonka, and he corrected me. Okay. I popped out on Rt1 after riding about 21 miles, and the ride was just beginning.

Rt.1 through this area is everything they said it was. Hills, ( I climbed and descended about 4400 ft, a big total), cliffs, high vistas out over the ocean, pullouts everywhere so people could stop shoot a photo and gawk, big mountains on the inland side of the road, coves, waterfalls, gorgeous homes, desolation in spots, spectacular bridges, blue skies, clearing blue and green waters in tidal pools and swarming over rocks. I'm going to let all the pictures and videos tell the story. The traffic was healthy at times, but generally it was very cooperative with bicycles. I did see several 18 wheelers and big RVs that weren't recommended on that road (according to CalTRAN, any motor homes over 40' are BANNED), but it is possible if the driver has California buckeyes in his shorts.

I rode with one other biker for a few miles, a kid riding from San Fransisco to L.A., but I caught up to him late in the day, and he pulled off at a campground near Big Sur, before the big climb that took me 750 ft above sea level, and kept me up almost that high for quite a few miles before gradually descending.

Pam Jeeped out to pick me up because of the $$$$$$$ rooms in the area, and she just HAD to see this, even though she was driving. We rode back to Monterey during sunset, and it wasn't the best because of clouds moving in, but it was still pretty cool to witness an entire Big Sur sunset.