Originally Posted by
JCFlack
No, I was born in DC and raised in Northern Virginia. But I do get out to Northern CA often - relatives in San Jose, and frequent professional conferences. Next visit will be Monterey in late June, probably with a run up to San Jose and maybe to Oakland. I'm also trying to get to go to San Francisco in October. I may pack the Tokyo on one or both trips - we'll see.
I'm in Pacific Grove, next to Monterey. The local bike path is just under 15 miles long, most of it adjoining the coast at the south end of Monterey Bay. It's a beautiful Pacific coast ride which is easily extended further south on slow speed surface streets around the Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach and Carmel shorelines all the way to Highway 1, where a short distance away is Point Lobos State Park. Big Sur is a another 12 challenging miles further south, but on a well-traveled highway with varying shoulder conditions. You could easily make a day of it from Monterey to Carmel (or even Point Lobos) and back. Unless you detour inland to climb some hills or continue south toward Big Sur, the route is relatively level.
Here are photos of the coast: