Day 15 Van Damme State Park to Salt Point State Park, CA

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Seattle to San Francisco

Day 15 Van Damme State Park to Salt Point State Park, CA

Grass and Sky
Grassy California Coast

The rain is gone. We had blue skies all day.

I got on the road early today. I wanted to make as many miles as possible to position myself to arrive in San Francisco on Monday. The riding was tough as evidenced by my average speed of only 10.4-MPH.

The coastline here is steep headlands interrupted by frequent creek canyons. The "1" hugs this coast. I spent all day climbing in and out of these creek canyons. Adding to the difficulty of the terrain is the lack of a shoulder on the 1. This made today's ride both physically challenging and mentally stressful.

Cliffs

The scenery, however, was magnificent. The vegetation is mostly grass with occasional trees. This allows many scenic vistas. I found myself stopping frequently for pictures.

I rode near the Point Arena Lighthouse. But I did not stop there.

I bought groceries in Gualala (I believe they pronounce it wa-la-la). Shortly after entering Sonoma County I stopped at a small beach for lunch.

California Coast
Magnificent Vistas

I continued on to Salt Point State Park where I am the only occupant of the hiker/biker site. I hiked about a mile to Gerstle Cove before starting supper. Tonight I made spinach fettuccine with sun-dried tomatoes and olive pesto sauce. It was yummy.

Tom and his bike near the ocean
Tom

As best as I can figure, I am about 100 miles from San Francisco. This is an easy 2-day ride. According to my cyclocomputer, I rode 1,000 miles so far on this trip. My trip is winding down. I have mixed emotions about the end of the trip. Part of me feels a sense of accomplishment and excitement at the thought of crossing the Golden Gate. Another part of me hates to see this adventure end. Yet another part of me is anxious to get back to my friends and family.