Gypsy General, Pacific Coast Bicycle Route

Pacific Coast Bicycle Route – Day 34 – Elk to Gualala – on Thunder Road

Similar to our stay at the Westport Hotel a few days ago, we had a “first breakfast” delivered to our cottage room at 8:00 (coffee, ) and the second breakfast at 8:30. This little cottage (Sacred Rock Resort) is so nice it is hard to pack up and leave but leave we must as we have made reservations for the next four days down the coast.

Within a few miles and a downhill run outside of Elk, we were climbing our first hill on switchbacks up the hillside, tight curves and steep roadway, close to the cliff.

Climbing the first hill, leaving Elk
Climbing the first hill, leaving Elk
Steep curves
Steep curves
Switchbacks
Switchbacks

We met a unicyclist from Montreal named Vince. He is working on his Masters in Physics – and is taking time to cycle from Vancouver to Mexico – with a short break to fly to Calgary to present at a conference then he will travel to Miami to cycle up the Eastern coast to return home to Montreal. Quite a balance act when he cycles!

Vince B - unicyclist
Vince B – unicyclist
Interesting topiary - Manchester
Interesting topiary – Manchester
lady under the topiary tree
lady under the topiary tree

Our route today was totally on Route 1 and had those rollers up 300-400 ft than back down to the coast with a few curves thrown in.

I told you it looked like Ireland
I told you it looked like Ireland
Cows on the ridge
Cows on the ridge
Schools aren't any better in CA
Schools aren’t any better in CA
Thank goodness this was a downhill
Thank goodness this was a downhill, Point Arena, A

At the stop pictured above, there were at least 60 sports cars that headed north and within an hour they must have turned around as they passed by us a few at a time. Along with the motorcycles and these sports cars apparently on a rally, it was like Thunder Road.

White cows on the ranch
Ranch lands near Gualala

We are settled in Gualala for tonight and I was able to visit the local bookstore called the Four-eyed Frog. The owner’s dog was snoozing and the coffee was brewing. I love these small, independent bookstores.

Tomorrow we have a long ride, close to 50 miles to reach Bodega Bay. We’ll be staying in an inn run by the son of the woman who rented us the Rose Cottage in Guerneville, CA when our kids did a Triathlon there.