SF - Carpinteria 2021

Day 1: North side of the Golden Gate bridge to Francis Beach in Half Moon Bay

Saturday July 24, 2021

Best memories: Kids love riding! ♢ Soooo many gusts produced one crash and several close calls with the side of the bridge (imagined tumblings into the ocean) ♢ well-deserved deli breakfast ♢ Google Maps chose a great route through the city ♢ beautiful, sunny day ♢ gorgeous coastline ♢ nobody is used to balancing bikes with packs ♢ scariest part of entire trip: incessant, fast, loud, CLOSE traffic just south of Pacifica (the ascent to Devil's Slide) ♢ everything tastes so delicious ♢ beautiful multi-use trail approach to Half Moon Bay ♢ first camp setup went smoothly, plenty of space and trees to prevent morning moisture ♢ rangers charged our phones ♢ Kids love riding!

Day 2: Francis Beach in Half Moon Bay - New Brighton State Beach in Capitola

Sunday July 25, 2021

Best memories: Kids love riding! ♢ 3AM explosion near my head turns out to be our first potentially catastrophic mechanical failure: a front tire blowout on oldest bike in the group (my mom's epic ride companion from 1980-something. Tires last replaced in the 90s? Do we want to go through this again?) ♢ camp companions found someone selling a 27" tire and they were willing to drive it to us from 45 minutes away. ♢ 12:30 start after replacing front tire ♢ Micaela goes "monstruo" and decides to pull us to Capitola, giving us one extra day on our schedule ♢ Why are pies so expensive? ♢ Are there REALLY no campgrounds between Half Moon Bay and Capitola? ♢Can she actually get us to New Brighton? It's five o'clock and we still have 25 miles to go! And we're hungry. ♢ Awesome approach to Santa Cruz and trails/bike lanes all throughout the city (Google Navigation comes through again) ♢ 9PM arrival after amazing burger in Santa Cruz ♢ Met a couple of groups and individuals to leapfrog with for the next few days ♢Revisiting our first overnight destination from several years ago: Monterey to New Brighton Beach to Monterey ♢ Today provided a view into the impressive mindset and resolve of my kids. ♢ They love riding!

Day 3: New Brighton State Beach in Capitola - Veteran's Memorial Park in Monterey

Monday July 26, 2021

Best memories: Kids love riding! ♢ Late start with dry equipment, ready to duplicate first overnight trip from a few years ago. ♢ Donuts for breakfast ♢ One unconquered hill, second attempt (this time with packs) ♢ Organic strawberry place is closed. Again. No lemonade stand this time. ♢ Reminders on shifting and cadence ♢ Beautiful scenery ♢ Leapfrogging with a couple from Alameda ♢ excellent lunch at Moss Landing State Beach and later strawberries at Moss Landing Harbor (mangos and kiwis for later) ♢ Ice cream in Marina ♢ Picked up second 27" tire (REI Marina) while kids went ahead, caught them in Monterey ♢ confused directions separated us (kids disappeared up the trail but eventually came back); shorter than expected climb up to Veteran's Park ♢ met by AWESOME wife and pretty good Costco pizza, electronic charging bricks, a warm car (pizza shared with entire campsite) ♢ good conversations with couple from Alameda and others ♢ Ready to go into the Big Sur Internet Void ♢ Kids love riding (and three days is NOT enough...they want more!)

Day 4: Veteran's Memorial Park in Monterey to Pfeiffer Burns State Park in Big Sur

Tuesday July 27, 2021 and Wednesday July 28, 2021

Best memories: Kids love riding! ♢ Another late, dry start

Day 5 (Rest Day): Pfeiffer Burns State Park

Day 6: Pfeiffer Burns State Park in Big Sur - Plaskett Creek Campground

Thursday July 29, 2021

Great views, up and down all day, amazing Big Sur Bakery bread loaf and butter from Gorda, cracked rim sealed so far with a cereal box. Forty miles to Cambria and a potential rim fix.

Day 7 Plaskett Creek Campground - San Simeon Creek Campground

Friday July 30, 2021

Cereal box held the rim together all day, Big Sur ended, elephant seals, flat riding in SLO county, Cambria energy coming together to fix all our mechanical problems,

Day 8 San Simeon Creek Campground - North Pismo Beach Campground

Saturday July 31, 2021

AM Micaela's bike fixed, pm my bike fixed in SLO , late arrival at North Pismo Beach , no Hiker Biker sites, Laura gave us tent spot.

Day 9 North Pismo Beach Campground - Gaviota State Beach

Sunday August 1, 2021

Pismo Beach North to Gaviota State Beach, Hiker Biker, nice tailwinds, no camping in Lompoc, screaming descent into Gaviota, hot and dry day, cheap strawberries.