Touring - Destination Recommendations (1-2 week tour)

Hello all!

I'm looking for some suggestions on a good 1-2 week tour for either next Spring or Summer (perhaps even sooner). Last Summer I went from San Francisco to Santa Barbara and loved every minute of it. I'd be fully loaded and camping along the way. I'm also located in Santa Barbara, CA so it would be nice to have a starting point within driving/train distance, although I'd consider taking a plane somewhere if it was a really great ride!

Thank you for any suggestions!

The Oregon coast is really nice, as is the California coast north of San Fransico.

We've just finished cycling from Bangkok to Phuket in Thailand. It would be a wonderful two week tour with good very cheap hotels all along the way and the Phuket airport supplies bike boxes for free.

You can get low cost airfare into Bangkok and out of Phuket on expedia.

http://www.vwvagabonds.com/Bike/sitebuilder/images/BikeRouteThailand4-626x813.jpg

If you want to stay close to home...

How about taking a ride down the coast to San Diego, then go east following the Adventure Cycling Southern Tier route for a bit. Detour north and take a loop ride through the Anza Borrego Desert, then return to San Diego either the same way or go over the mountains through Julian. Roll your bike on the Amtrak Surfliner and return to SB.

You could do this trip any time of the year (except summer for the desert!...or winter if you visit Julian). You'll ride through lots of contrasts--beaches, cities, mountains, desert, poor and rich areas--and never get bored. If you hit Anza Borrego in the springtime, you'll get treated to massive displays of wildflowers.

But the part I like best is No Car or Plane or Boxing your bike...just you, your trusty steed and mass transit.

This sounds like an interesting trip! I was originally avoiding going south because the ride through LA and Long Beach didn't sound so good. I've never been east of San Diego and it might be a good opportunity to check it out. I could easily take the train there and back. Thank you for the suggestion!

I too don't like to drive, there was something very special about just riding away from your home with a loaded bike and then returning the same way.

This sounds like an interesting trip! I was originally avoiding going south because the ride through LA and Long Beach didn't sound so good. I've never been east of San Diego and it might be a good opportunity to check it out. I could easily take the train there and back. Thank you for the suggestion!


Don't let LA scare you off...hey, I live and bike there :D .

Most likely, you already have the "Bicycling the Pacific Coast" book. There are only a few areas from SB to SD that need extra mentioning:

--Malibu to Santa Monica. A little stressful--no shoulder, fast traffic, off and on construction. No way around this. Get an early start.

--No campgrounds in the South Bay down to OC. You could stay at the Santa Monica hostel or look up a member of the warm showers list. (There's 3 of us in that area. :) )

--PCH. Busy from Torrance to Long Beach. Don't follow the book's recommendation of using PCH all the way. Here's a discussion about getting through LA/Long Beach:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=239312&highlight=long+Beach+pch+anaheim

Use Adventure Cycling's detour taking Anaheim St. As an alternative, you could catch the Green Line in Redondo Beach, transfer to the Blue Line and end up in downtown Long Beach. Easy and you avoid the congestion. Goes through some rough areas (South Central), but an interesting experience and I've never gotten hassled. No bikes allowed during rush hour, though.

--Long Beach. A little confusing because of the Harbor/Naples, but no biggie if you follow the book.

--Laguna Beach. Follow the books detour going through the cute historical neighborhood above and below PCH. Don't attempt to bicycle though the heart of Laguna. IMHO, it's suicide.

--San Clemente. Confusing residential streets. Don't go crazy by trying to follow the book. Just follow the well marked bike signs.

--San Diego. A little confusing because of the bay and bridges, but following the book will get you there.

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I've only been through the Anza Borrego Desert once touring, but it was a great experience. IMO, It's such a stark contrast with a place like Big Sur, but I would rate it just as beautiful. Borrego Palm Canyon State Park has $3 hiker/biker sites too! You can pm me if you need help planning your route.

Forgot to mention...

If you enjoy lonely desert roads and steep mountain climbs, you could take the Surfliner to San Diego, bike your way northeast to the Grand Canyon, then loop back down to Flagstaff and hop on the Amtrak Southwest Chief back to LA. (You have to box your bike, though). It would take about 10 days. Biking along the rim of the Grand Canyon, through Indian Country to Sunset Crater is absolutely beautiful.