All in Monarch Butterflies

TransMexico Norte Part 5: Cycling from Toluca to Izúcar de Matamoros, Mexico

TransMexico Norte Part 5: Cycling from Toluca to Izúcar de Matamoros, Mexico

Pedals and Puffins
Mexican High Plains, Wildlife, Bike Travel, Ecosystems, Bike Touring, Missions and Churches, Cycling, Bikepacking, TransMexico Norte, Pueblos Mágicos, Mexico City, Monarch Butterflies, Weather

After a break of nearly two months, we were finally back on the TransMexico Norte bikepacking route. We had spent much of the rainy season off our bikes, exploring Belize and Mexico City. But with a new, shorter deadline for cycling to the Guatemalan border, we had to get back on the road - even if it meant dealing with daily tropical downpours. Before long we had descended out of the high plains into lowland mountains shrouded in lush forests. Once again we discovered the pleasures of cycling through novel landscapes, and uncovering the hidden gems - like massive caves and offbeat museums - that other tourists rarely see.

TransMexico Norte Part 4: Cycling from Guanajuato to Toluca, Mexico

TransMexico Norte Part 4: Cycling from Guanajuato to Toluca, Mexico

Pedals and Puffins
Bike Touring, Bike Travel, Bikepacking, Cycling, Ecosystems, Mexican High Plains, Missions and Churches, Pueblos Mágicos, Sierra Madre Occidental, TransMexico Norte, Wildlife, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, Monarch Butterflies, Valle de Bravo, Volcanoes

From Guanajuato, the TransMexico Norte bikepacking route took us into the country’s central volcanic belt, passing between two majestic volcanos and through two of the country’s most popular tourist towns. Along the way, we cycled among the steep-sided foothills of towering cinder cones, as well as through fertile lowlands of sugar cane and agave. Ubiquitous, colorful murals proclaimed Mexico’s love for Monarch butterflies, which overwinter each year among the pines on the slopes of a few, high, volcanic peaks. Just as the rainy season began in earnest, we reached the city of Toluca, where we would take some time off our bikes to let the rains pass.

Pacific Coast Route, Part 4: Cycling from Marina to Encinitas, California

Pacific Coast Route, Part 4: Cycling from Marina to Encinitas, California

Pedals and Puffins
Bike Touring, Bike Travel, Bikepacking, Cycling, Monarch Butterflies, Pacific Coast Bike Route, Weather, Wildlife, Los Angeles, San Diego, Big Sur

The road from Big Sur to Southern California took us through a series of transitions - from wetter to drier, mountains to beaches, and wilderness to one of the largest metropolises in the world. Landslides and storms slowed our progress. But each day of cycling yielded more farms and pasture. And those eventually gave way to tourist-friendly shops, waterfront villas, and the 150 miles of white sand beach of surfers’ dreams that followed.

Pacific Coast Route, Part 3: Cycling from Brookings, Oregon to Marina, California

Pacific Coast Route, Part 3: Cycling from Brookings, Oregon to Marina, California

Pedals and Puffins
Bike Touring, Bike Travel, Bikepacking, Cycling, Ecosystems, Pacific Coast Bike Route, Weather, Wildlife, Coastal Redwoods, San Francisco, Monarch Butterflies, Avenue of the Giants

Cycling southward into California, we entered the realm of the coastal redwood forests. Dark, wet, awe inspiring, and infused with an ancient majesty, these temperate rainforests are a highlight of any journey on the Pacific Coast Bike Route. We pedaled through groves of trees as tall as skyscrapers, and trunks big enough to drive through. But the scenery was not all forest. The route passed sea cliffs, sandy coves, and even the metropolis of San Francisco, ensuring that each day was an adventure.