US Costal Route 1

So we’re back from our trip up the coast, and I can’t remember the last time I was as wet and cold as I was today; I woke up at 5 am to the sound of rain, when we left the motel at 8:30 it was raining and it pretty much rained the whole way back – apart from the foggy bit when I couldn’t see far enough to know if it was raining or not! We’d taken lightweight waterproofs ‘just in case’ as it was such a warm sunny day yesterday – hah!!! After two hours I needed gas so we stopped for lunch; two hot chocolates, a burger and chips later and the cold was still steeped into the still wet bones! The idea of seeing the stunning Californian Coastal Route 1 from the opposite direction today was just that – an idea! Apparently the sea was to our right but who knows!

Yesterday thankfully, was a different story; the day although chilly when we set off, turned out to be blue and cloudless. (Well, until we got nearer the top end of the route anyway!) We stopped to watch huge elephant seals do, well, very little actually; at this time of year they come ashore to rest before the mating season, and apart from the odd scuffle for the best bit of beach and the occasional clumsy flicking of sand to protect their wobbling carcasses from the direct sunlight, they couldn’t have been less entertaining if they’d tried!

The road, once away from the towns and out onto the very edge of the earth, was biking nirvana; twisty and hilly enough to make the 55 mph speed limit almost fast enough for a change. The view really did change around every corner and over every brow; from miles of golden beaches, gentle waves seemingly lapping at the wheels, to waves crashing against the rocks hundreds of feet below, the sheer drop also seeming to lap at the wheels, to open meadows and darkened forests ignored by the sun. Apart from the odd roadworks to repair recent landslides, and a mild smattering of traffic, the pace was uninterrupted, smooth, brisk and flowing!