Reaching the West Coast, FLHX Dave, BB, Willy D and Doug

It was 19 weeks ago that I first saw the east coast on this tour. Now I was to see the west coast.

I rode south out of San Francisco which has to be one of the most beautiful cities on the US. I hadn’t been there long, but I had grown to really like it. I could have left via one of the main busy roads that would have carried me swiftly away, but I chose instead to ride through the streets of South San Francisco to get a better understanding of what the whole city was like, not just the centre.

I had seen glimpses of the Pacific Ocean on my right side as I rode south, but the first main view I stopped to look at was near Pacifica....

It was a beautiful day. Warm and sunny wit a large swell in the ocean which caused huge waves to come crashing into where the land and sea meet. The power behind those big waves is immense. The breaking waves were causing a lot of spray and with so much moisture in the air a mist had developed.

The end of this pier near Half Moon Bay is ghostly in the mist....

The radar station at Pillar Point. The first thing I thought about when I saw it was that is a big golf ball. Silly really!....

Yachts in Pillar Point Harbor....

Further south I tried to take some pictures of the waves crashing onto the rocks....

The sun and mist were making this a little challenging and I was concentrating on trying to get a better picture, so I didn’t see this coming to my right....A wave that seemed to be much bigger than the rest hit the rocks I was standing on and I took this picture just as the water hit me.... I was soaked through....

Even though I was soaking wet, I couldn’t stop laughing! I dripped my way back to my bike but soon dried out as I rode.

There are many places to stop and look down at the ocean....

It was an impressive sight watching the waves rolling in and breaking on the rocks....

One of the things I have taught myself to do when riding is to sometimes look backwards in the direction that I have just come from. There are as many good views looking back as there are in the direction of travel. I did this at Pigeon Point and was rewarded with a splendid view of Pigeon Point lighthouse....

Just before arriving in Santa Cruz is Natural Bridges State Beach....

On the outskirts of Santa Cruz....

I really liked Santa Cruz. It has that marvellous blend of beaches and a small town atmosphere that I find very attractive. There are some terrific looking houses facing the water, a pier and enough tourist shops and restaurants to make spending a week or two here a great time. I think I would like to come back here.

This part of the coastline clearly produces some of the best surfing waves as there were hundreds of people surfing in the huge waves. In most places they are some way from the beach or cliffs, so taking pictures of them wasn’t really working as to save space, I don’t have my telephoto lens with me. At one place though, they were just close enough to capture with my 17-55mm lens....

Okay, they are very small in the picture, but I enlarged a few....

This is the same picture, but blown up....

I think this is the same guy....

This is an interesting way to leave a surf board....

Another early wave departure....

My absolute favourite surfing picture from today.... I was lucky to capture this.... it is a very elegant, although somewhat dramatic way of getting off a wave....

I wish there was some way I could find the surfer, as I am sure he would like a copy of this picture!

Even though it was a bright and sunny, due to the mist that was lingering all day, a lot of my pictures were disappointing when I reviewed them on the camera as they looked blurred. I looked around for different ways to photograph the ocean....

I was pleased with this shot....

It was possible to ride onto the pier in Santa Cruz, which I of course had to do. Having lunch on a pier is rarely going to be good quality and it wasn’t today, but I was enjoying playing at being a tourist. This is the view back to the beach and fair area....

Seals playing in the ocean....

I could hear seals barking (is that the correct word) so I went to find them. There is a deck on the pier that is lower than the main level and it was here that the seals rested and slept. It is fascinating to watch these creatures from so close....

My wife Jackie will like those pictures, I am sure of that.

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Due to the gritty style of writing, one of the bogs I really enjoy reading is appropriately called Road Grits Cafe. I knew that the writer, FLHX Dave, lived somewhere on the coast in California and I wanted to meet him. I was very pleased that I was able to do so today along with his wife and some of their friends.

Dave is an interesting guy who has a farming background, worked successfully in the IT business and who now has cast off many of the trappings of his computing work to now run a smaller business where he can enjoy life to the full. Dave is a very creative and gifted writer. His blog it seems is like his lifestyle – centred around friends and the people around him. From reading his blog and from talking to him, I think it is correct to say that he values friendships much more than material things. He says he is very content with his life and that is very refreshing.

This is Dave....

Dave’s friend Doug....

As a real bonus, Willy D showed up as well....

Of course, I wanted to meet Dave’s wife as well. That is BB above with Dave. Doug had to depart but the rest of us went to get something to eat and I had a great time with them. I get the feeling if you needed their assistance with just about anything, if they could help, they would. At a moment’s notice.

It was a privilege to meet them. Guys, if you ever come to the UK, you know who to call.