"Kirby" <
[email protected]> wrote:
> I've previously
> stayed in Ventura and Santa Barbara and am now interested in locations
> between Santa Barbara up to about 100 miles north of San Francisco.
Well, you certainly have a wealth of choices in that region of
California. Not surprisingly, that's where we do all of our touring.
I'll give you a few regions to consider:
Solvang Area:
Lots of quiet rolling country roads to ride on, and at least one big
climb (Figueroa Mountain). You can easily do 3-4 days of riding here
without running out of options. There's one ride to the coast that's
pretty nice. It's still not too hot in May.
Paso Robles:
More country roads similar to Solvang, and a chance to ride along
the coast. Paso Robles is a pleasant town to spend a few days.
Carmel Valley:
A very nice, quiet valley community, just a few miles from the
tourist area of Carmel and Monterey. Several rides can start here,
going to Big Sur, over the mountains to the Salinas Valley, or along
the Monterey coast. We like to stay at the Los Laureles Lodge, they
are very accommodating bike people.
Santa Cruz Mountains:
This is our home turf, with some of the greatest variety of cycling
roads in one location. I'd suggest staying in one of the funky
communities in the redwoods (Ben Lomond, Felton, Boulder Creek).
Tons of riding options.
Russian River:
A peaceful, bohemian setting (the famous Bohemian Grove is here).
Many opportunites: deserted ridge top roads, Highway 1 along the
coast, the Sonoma Wine Country. We like to stay in Monte Rio or
Guerneville, for their comfortable atmosphere and access to great
riding.
Gold Country:
Lots of neat little towns tucked into the foothills of the Sierra. A
little hard to use a single base camp, it's more fun to move from
town to town every night. The riding tends to be challenging, since
you're riding up and down creek canyons. But what a great place to
ride -- if you're up to the challenge.
I've left off the Sierra for consideration, since that's still a bit
early. June is better. Riding in the Sierra is amazing, but the best
roads open up after Memorial Day (May 29th). We had planned our
first Eastern Sierra trip over Memorial Day weekend, but the snow
this year might make that trip risky. So now we're moving that trip
to the southern mountains: Los Padres Forest, Sequoia Forest, Giant
Sequoia National Monument. Most of those roads should be open by
then.
Let me know if you need any more details.
terry
--
Terry Morse --- Undiscovered Country Tours ---
http://udctours.com
Experience the best of California by bicycle
877.322.1667 --- 650.494.1635 --- 650.494.6272 FAX
2625 Middlefield Rd. PMB #562 --- Palo Alto, CA 94306
