I'm in Northern Humboldt. Basically, the roads are unmaintained. The same steel criterium bike that I did most of my road riding on in Seattle is almost unrideable here. Knocks me like a jackhammer. I'm mostly riding an old Vitus these days, but after my track and crit bikes it makes me paranoid because it always feels like a tire's going down!
101 is essentially what you're going to be riding on the coast. Going inland it's hard to make a loop ride less than 100 miles or so if you want to stay on pavement. However, some of the dirt roads are a welcome change from what passes for pavement!
The scenery is awesome and the roads are fairly uncrowded.
Later
Mel