Originally Posted by
raybo
That is the route I was describing. Note that on a foggy day, the ride "Up the headlands", as the locals say, is not worth it as you won't see anything.
Good to know. Niles H also noted that July, when I was originally thinking of going, is commonly foggy in the morning but tends to clear by mid day. So, I could sleep in a bit, start out mid-morning, end up at the headlands about mid-day hoping the fog has lifted, and finish the ride by mid-afternoon. That could work quite nicely.
Originally Posted by
raybo
The place to ride through redwoods might be Samuel P. Taylor State Park between Fairfax and Olema. The latter part of the ride from Fairfax to Samuel P. Taylor is on a winding, shoulderless road that weaves through redwoods and there is a bike path through the park. It is an enchanting ride if done when traffic is low and the sun is dabbling through the trees.
Thanks for the suggestion. I checked it out on Google Street View. The road through the park is a little rough but the views of the redwoods would be worth it. I initially mapped out a route that turns back on Platform Bridges Road and backtracks. But it only adds an additional mile and one more climb to go out past Nicasio Reservoir and come back that way. The road looks decent and the grassland/farmland scenery looks nice. What do you think of the route?
Originally Posted by
raybo
I don't know about wooden bridges (that is more an Oregon thing) but the area north of Fairfax/Olema has some older towns with lots of interesting buildings and vistas. Once you are on the coast, the views are stunning. It will be a challenge to see much desert without driving a long way, though dry scrub abounds in some areas. While there are coastal "mountains" all around here, the big Sierra-sized mountains are hours away by car.
Ah. Those were just examples. I'm not necessarily seeking them out on this trip. The last tour was through the high desert Rockies and the tour before that was the Berkshire Mountains up into Vermont to tour the covered bridges.
Originally Posted by
raybo
A hub and spoke tour from SF makes no sense as the only real way to go is north and you won't see much difference in what you can see a day's ride away.
I'm beginning to understand that. Always helps to get the perspective of locals. :-)
Originally Posted by
raybo
I recently rode from Mendocino down to Petaluma (a day's ride from SF) in 3 days. I rode along the stunning coast and then inland at the Russian River and then south through farmland to Petaluma. The ride from Petaluma to SF is via Fairfax and with a bit of a detour, you could get to Fairfax through Samuel P. Taylor Park and the bit of second growth redwoods there (note, there are a few "saved" first growth trees in the State Park, I believe). You can read about
my recent ride down the coast, if you would like to see what that might be like.
Great travel log and stunning photos! Nicely done. Looks like a great trip.