Santa Cruz

I rode some pretty major mountainous terrain yesterday coming out of Palo Alto towards Santa Cruz. The roads were almost deserted, steep, and beautifully tucked away into the hills. I enjoyed the climbing and the 30 mile descent down Highway 9 as much as I have ever enjoyed riding hills before, and I imagine it would have been even better without my trailer to weigh me down. I would guess I did around 3,000 total vertical yesterday, if not more.

I saw the Tea Party protestors on my way into Santa Cruz, and stopped at a coffee shop to get my bearings. I decided to stay the night with my Aunt and Uncle town, and will aim for Big Sur today. I'm not sure if I will make it that far because I am dragging my feet a bit and my knee was really hurting last night, but I look forward to a beautiful ride through Monterey and down along the coast today! The weather is great, around 68 degrees.


Point Montara Hostel


Point Montara Hostel


Palo Alto, seen from the Santa Cruz Mountains