All tagged USA-California

Baja Divide, Part 1: Cycling from San Diego, California to Vicente Guerrero, Baja

Baja Divide, Part 1: Cycling from San Diego, California to Vicente Guerrero, Baja

Pedals and Puffins
Bike Touring, Bike Travel, Bikepacking, Cycling, Ecosystems, San Diego, Weather, Wildlife, Baja Divide, Border Crossing

Baja California has a special allure for travelers, and cyclists are not immune. Since its inception in 2017, the Baja Divide bikepacking route has captivated off-road cyclists with the promise of pristine ocean shores, grand desert crossings, friendly cultural connections, and up-close encounters with weird and wonderful plants that grow nowhere else in the world. How could we resist? After traversing the urban sprawl of San Diego, we were thrown into a new world of adventure. Each day brought fresh challenges and surprises as we cycled through remote mountain passes between colorful, laid-back towns on the backroads of Baja.

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.