Day 18: Sunday 21st July 2013 – Fairfax, CA to Fort Bragg, CA
After saying all my farewells to Graham and Sarah, the Trooper and I were back on the road again. Sarah had been kind enough to plan a route for me, which took me through the wine country of Sonoma and Napa, before looping me back to Highway 1 at the exact same point as we had left it the day before.
It’s no exaggeration that this is wine country. Vineyard after vineyard follows vineyard, almost right into the city.
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| From California, July 2013 |
When I arrived in Sonoma, I caught the tail end of a marathon that had been run between Napa and Sonoma, with a party in Sonoma Park in the middle of the city to celebrate the runners accomplishment.
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| From California, July 2013 |
I parked the Trooper up a side street, glad I had a bike as parking spaces were at a premium, and then ventured back to see what was going on in the park.
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| From California, July 2013 |
I’m not a big fan of crowds so I didn’t stay too long, but I couldn’t leave without a sample of the grape, which happened to be a fantastic Zinfandel. Only wish I could remember its name now.
The ride all the way from Sonoma, through Napa, and onto the coast is a real leisurely affair, riding past more and more vineyards.
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| From California, July 2013 |
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| From California, July 2013 |
Much as I love riding, a small part of me wishes that I’d been on a bus tour, able to stop and sample at every tasting room I passed.
Closer to the coast, the ride gets a little more curvy as you follow the Russian River on its way to the Pacific Ocean.
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| From California, July 2013 |
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| From California, July 2013 |
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| From California, July 2013 |
I rejoined Highway 1 just above Goat Rock beach and headed north without even stopping to say goodbye to the harbour seals.
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| From California, July 2013 |
The ride from there to Mendocino should have been excellent. Bendy roads and rugged coastal scenery. Unfortunately the fog struck pretty as soon as I had gone a mile up the coast, and continued for the rest of the day, just getting colder and colder.
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| From California, July 2013 |
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| From California, July 2013 |
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| From California, July 2013 |
By the time I got to Mendocino, I was frozen top to toe, longing for this day’s ride to be over. Despite this, I rode into Mendocino and all the hotels looked as if they would have a hefty price tag.
Perhaps I wasn’t as frozen enough yet, as I carried onto Fort Bragg. By then I was, and I stopped at the first motel I came to, $120 be damned. I flipped the heating on, and didn’t even want a cold beer.
ridingamericana 