Both good ideas -- I might actually sign up for the Tierra Bella after looking at the website. It wouldn't hurt me to be less of an antisocial ******* every now and again.
As for the coastal route, I'm intrigued, especially by the scenery. But how bad is that wind on any given day? I went out for what I thought would be a 20-mile sprint this afternoon (locally, in San Jose and Santa Clara) and it turned into a brutal slog. Thirty-mile-an-hour winds are no fun.