Originally posted by martylane
I plan to do my first tour this year. Or, at least what I think would be a tour. (You guys sound pretty hard core, and will probably think my plan is pretty whimpy.)
Anyhoo, my tour will be the credit card type, lasting four days. But, the route should be fun. It will start in my home, Chico, California, USA, which is in the central valley of California. I'll head west, entering the Mendocino National Forest at Newville, which is where the road turns to dirt/gravel. I'll ride up over Mendocino Pass (a bit over 5k feet elevation) and then down into Covelo, which is in Round Valley, where I'll check into a hotel. First day is 100 miles. Next day is pavement, and then some more dirt/gravel to the Pacific Coast, and then down Highway 1 south to Fort Bragg. 2nd day is, I think, about 50 miles or so. 3rd day I head back.
Fort Bragg has a really good beer brewery, which is the whole purpose of the trip. Naw, really, it's the shortest route to the coast from Chico. It gets really blazin hot here, and the coast is cool, so it'll be nice to ride there.
As I say, though, this'll be the first "tour" for me. I'd like to travel light. I'm open to any useful tips any of you might have.
MartyLane