We awoke to a fog and moisture, but it was still a beautiful morning. We could still just make out the lighthouse as we packed up camp and hit the road. About 10 miles south of camp we stopped to snack. The fog was thinning out and some patches of blue were noticeable to the east. By the time we reached Davenport the fog had rolled away and the sun was shining proud.
In Davenport we found quite the gem, Whale City Bakery Bar & Grill. We stopped to get some coffee and use the WiFi. The pastries there looked and tasted amazing and over the next 4 hours we found that our appetite for them was insatiable. While we surfed the net and filling our bellies we also put our tents and sleeping bags out to dry. After spending way too much money on tasty baked goods, and spending way too much surfing the net we finally left around 2pm. Only about 17 miles from camp it didn't seem like we would be making it too far today.
Somewhere about 5 miles outside of Santa Cruz there was a designated bike trail that led us along the coast and straight into town. I couldn't believe how beautiful the coastline there was. Although I had grown up within an hour of Santa Cruz, I don't ever remember seeing this area the way that I was seeing now. It was just stunning. I loved the bike trail and just the overall vibe of the city was great. I felt that if I had to work the rest of my life just to pay off one of the $2 million houses with a view that we passed by, at least a town like Santa Cruz would make it a tolerable existence.
We took our time to enjoy Natural Bridges Stats Park and Lighthouse Field State Park and mainly just meditated on the view. As we got closer to the heart of the city we passed by a surf competition, and the city seemed to be getting better by the pedal stroke.
Once downtown I was getting hungry, and I also wanted to stop by a bike shop to get a new mirror. I headed toward the bike shop and while I was there I received a text from Austen, the kid I had met way back in Newport, OR. He too had just got into Santa Cruz so we made plans to meet up. James and I got some pizza while we waited for the bicycle tourist from Anchorage, AK.
James and I had spent several hours in Santa Cruz, longer than I expected, but I didn't see it as a waste. Although we had only come about 27 miles, Santa Cruz is a cool place. By the time we finally met up with Austen, the sun was threatening to dive into the ocean, and we had to decide whether or not to continue on. Austen offered us up some contacts that he had in Santa Cruz, including somebody that was out of town but would let us stay on his docked sailboat. The offer was enticing, but I think James and I both weren't ready to throw in the towel after less than 30 miles. Austen on the other hand was Travelling another 35 miles down to a town called Marina. I wasn't sure if I was up to going that far, but it would be good to ride together for a while.
The three of us hit the highway, which in Santa Cruz was feeling quite a bit like a freeway during rush hour. I couldn't help but think that there must be a better route, but with the three of us and our lights I figured we'd be alright. The three of us joked and shared adventures, and the next several miles went quick, despite the relentless traffic and the hills.
Sometime after the sun had set and about 50 cars had honked at us, somebody finally pulled over to tell us that we weren't supposed to be on that section of the highway. The guy was actually quite douchey in the way he told us, and although he didn't have very good advice on an alternate route I appreciated the information, regardless of the source. Crazy Austen didn't seem to care, and he was simply focused on the quickest route to his destination. I felt like trying to find the alternate route, which could be quite a ways off of the freeway. I think James had the same idea as I had, but realizing that Austen, whose lights were barely visible, was heading back to the freeway convinced me if all three of us stuck since our lighting would be impossible to ignore.
A couple more miles down the 1 we were pulled over by the highway patrol. We chatted with the officer about cycling and mountain biking, and he actually seemed more like a surfer dude than a cop. He ended up helping us find a decent alternate route, which he agreed was lacking in effective marking for cyclists. He also put the "protect" in "to serve and protect" as he drove slowly behind, escorting us to the next exit where we would get off.
As we rode along, I started to realize that Austen and his BOB trailer were more like the tortoise and James and I travelled more like the hare. Austen didn't ride very fast, which I imagine would be harder pulling a trailer, but he covered 75+ miles a day. He spends a lot of time in the saddle, but obviously covers a lot of ground as he was now about 4400 miles into his trip.
In Watsonville we stopped so Austen could fix a flat, and I fueled up for the rest of the ride. We actually got turned around and took a bit of a detour but soon got back on track. We did have to take highway 1 for a short while, but eventually ended up on access roads which led right into Marina. From there Austen split off to the place where he was staying and James and I headed in the direction of Monterey to find camp.
We ended up a few miles past Marina at Fort Ord Dunes. I was super pleased with the spot we found which looked over the entire Monterey Bay, with the lights of the city shimmering across the sea and the sound of the waves crashing on the shore below. This was one of the best spots I've camped on the whole trip. It had been a long day, with lots of ups and downs but I was happy with progress we made. I still didn't feel like I had gotten back into the rhythm of the road, but was happy to be cycling. I once again had to set my tent up on the ground, and use my bike to help support it, but I slept comfortably well in my bed of sand.
Miles: 65
RRD: A beach ball
-D
http://www.trackmytour.com/b5k7d
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