so today marks our second day of the bike tour, and after writing yesterday’s post, i realized that i left out a lot of details about my trip! the whole thing was so loosely planned, that we didn’t even know exactly what date we were leaving on until a day before. we still don’t know how long we’ll be on the road, but our destination is my hometown: redlands, ca. it’s about 60 miles east of los angeles, and we’re thinking we’ll get there after 10 days on the road, including days off. i know some people do the ride much faster than that, but we’re looking at this as more of a vacation, so we’re taking our time. i also noticed in the comments of my last post that people had various questions about my clothes and gear, so i promise to post more about my bike, panniers, and choice of clothing next week!
but for now, onto the ride: we woke up this morning to the sound of the ocean and the cool, damp air. i had gotten to bed pretty late, so i wasn’t in much of a hurry to get up. suffice to say, we got another late start after taking our time at camp and then stopping for a delicious brunch at a nearby cafe. this time, we also ordered some sammiches to go so that we wouldn’t find ourselves out in the middle of nowhere without lunch. the ride out of santa cruz to monterey is mostly agricultural and we were lucky enough to pass through endless fields of ripe, fragrant strawberries. but the nice part of this ride is that there are lots of bikable side streets, so we were able to avoid the busy highway for long stretches of the ride. once you hit monterey county, there’s a nice bike path for about 15 miles that leads you right to the fisherman’s warf. i’d say the ride today was about 40 miles, and even though it’s only our second day, we opted to check into a hotel. it is a vacation, after all!
blouse: j.crew chambray shirt
tank: outlier ultrafine merino wool tank courtesy of outlier
pants: women’s daily riding pants courtesy of outlier
shoes: jeffrey campbell oxfords courtesy of modcloth
gloves: giant crochet riding gloves
sunglasses: rayban round wayfarers
bike: surly long haul trucker
panniers: arkel grand touring
bagel sammich breakfast with a cafe au lait.
the traffic was so heavy on hwy 1 that bikes overtook cars at this point!
stopped in an artichoke field for lunch.
sand city, ca.
28 comments
I love Monterey! You're going to pass right through my hometown on this ride, so I hope you have fun!
Like the sand city, ca Picture! You've got a nice blog! Hope you will become a follower of my blog too?
xoxo
http://theonlyfashionprincess.blogspot.com
wow, seems like such a fun experience! so beautiful too. :) i live in marin county, so i think you're the closest blogger i know.
can't wait to read more!
xxoo elanor
missing-lovebirds.blogspot.com
That's The Farm Bakery, huh?! I love that place, and they have super cool locally made jewelry too! Good luck with the next leg of your trip!
(http://showersofsunflowers.blogspot.com)
This route is so familiar to me! My hubby and I just moved away from Monterey, so I know the well-beaten path along the 1 between Santa Cruz and Monterey. And the rec trail through Monterey totally rocks! If you're going down through Big Sur, definitely stop at at Deetjen's Big Sur Inn and Restaurant–best Eggs Benedict EVER!
This bike trip you're taking is so inspiring. I'd probably have to 1) get a bike and 2) get good with the bike before I plan on embarking on such a trip. DARE TO DREAM! BTW I'm stoked I won the small earth vintage $50 gift card. THANK YOU!
So inspiring.
I really want to do this, but in reverse: from San Diego to somewhere. It's funny though because there isn't really a bike culture down here, so if you mention this trip idea to anyone, they'll think you're insane.
It looks like so much fun! I love riding my bike, but I can never go long distances because they are not many paths where I live. It seems like the perfect vacation!
The Girl in the Paper Dress
the ocean must be so nice to wake up to!! My best friend lives a couple blocks from the Atlantic Ocean here in NJ but you can't really hear it when my family's spent the night there. I can imagine it is so wonderful to camp out and sleep by it!!!! How lovely!! It is good that you are taking your time to enjoy your vacation.
Looks like your having a great time! Daisy Dayz Home
Glad you're having a vacation! Nice to see the scenery (and the helmets). Momo is having fun too!
The photos are beautiful it looks peaceful over there. Hope your having fun && be safe.
xo
DOLLMEUP
This seriously looks like the best and funnest trip EVER! So glad that you are able to document it for us to see. You look beautiful even on a bike, gosh. The beach looks so pretty. x
dang I want to stop in an artichoke field for lunch. good luck with your trip.
How do you like the long haul trucker??? I was thinking about getting a cross check, only because I have a short torso, and the long haul trucker is, well, long! Serious props to you posting every day of your tour!!! Be safe!
i love the shot of you biking past all the cars! awesome!
This is such a great way to see the sights. And I want to have lunch in an artichoke field.
Love Grace.
Strange pair of shoes for so much biking.
I'm really, really enjoying your bike trip entries, Erin!!! It seems so amazing to me that you can cover that many miles in a day (but then again, I'm pretty wimpy when it comes to biking! ;). Looking forward to your next post!
♥ Casey
blog | elegantmusings.com
I used to live in CA and moved to the East Coast past year. One of my most favorite places to visit on weekends was Monterey, Pebble beach and Carmel. They are such pretty places to be. Love the picture travelog that you have got going on in this post, makes me want to take a trip too!!
looooks wonderful! is it just you and your bf? :( wish I could do something like that but I'm a very poor biker.
yes, do tell about the shoe choice! fashion over function? or is this some secret old fashioned riding shoe that I'm unaware of?!
You just gave me a great idea for my next road trip; bike tour in cali…destination: burning man!
i love the way you say sammich!
I was in Carmel/Big Sur this weekend and I noticed that E <3 C in the sand driving down. So funny realizing it was you who did it!
I had no idea you were from Redlands! I'm originally from Colton (ugh) and spent a majority of high school hanging in Redlands. I want to do a trip like this with my boyfriend soon, but I there is NO WAY I could make it down the entire coast. I'm so impressed!
That is QUITE an adventure to take on! I'll wave as you pass by my neck of the woods! :)
i live here!! in monterey!! i wish i would have known you were coming through, i would have loved to meet you. i've followed your blog for over a year now. you are one of the most interesting and creative people that i've never met. :)