Day 15 – San Simeon to Mill Valley, CA

25 July 2014

I’ve been on this trip for half a month and I haven’t even started heading east yet. That comes tomorrow.  I’ll be checking out Muir National Monument and walk some of the Golden Gate Bridge, then I’ll be heading to Turlock, CA before I get on US-50.

Today was pretty action-packed.  I rode through Big Sur, hiked a couple trails, checked out a lighthouse, saw some elephant seals, ate a great carne asada burrito, and hung out with some squirrels.

There are some pretty tough trails in Big Sur.  One that I tried for a little bit was Redwood Grove.  This one featured some angles and dropoffs I’ve never seen on a park trail before.  I was definitely underprepared for it, and I’d recommend you go with a buddy.

Along Highway 1 was an elephant seal vista point that was pretty touristy, but for good reason. There was a large pack (?) of them – probably more than you’d usually see in one place.  Several of the males were fighting, and making a noise that sounded like the last dregs of water going down a drain.

Just up the road from my hotel in San Simeon was a vista point with a whole bunch of very friendly squirrels. Initially scared into the brush when I rolled up, they quickly came back out once I killed the engine. I saw six at one point hanging out near me, and several were bold enough to come right up to me.

I had a great carne asada burrito for lunch at Papa Chevo’s Taco Shop in Seaside (just northeast of Monterey). They’ve got a 4.5 from Google, and I’d say it’s well deserved.

Pigeon Point Lighthouse was a picturesque stop, but unfortunately the lighthouse is closed off to the public and is in disrepair.

Obviously going over the Golden Gate Bridge is an impressive experience. I missed golden hour for photos, but I still got a couple photos from the adjacent northern vista before it got too dark.

 

Until tomorrow.