Under what proved to be the slightly erroneous impression that we only had a short ride today we set off just after 10 this morning. We had been woken somewhat earlier by a group of unfeasibly elderly chaps starting up their dune buggies. There seems to be some kind of event on at Santa Maria this weekend and there were large numbers of vintage and custom cars (with their vintage drivers) in the hotel car park and on the road outside.
After a short hop along the very busy Interstate, we got onto the legendary Highway 1 which follows the coastline all the way to today’s destination and to San Francisco beyond. It also passes near San Jose, so if we had got lost it might have afforded us the opportunity to ask someone “Do you know the way to San Jose….”
The scenery was green and hilly with lots of prosperous houses, golf clubs, shooting clubs, National Guard bases and colleges along the way. We caught our first sight of the Pacific at Pismo Beach. There was a very cool wind blowing off the sea and it got quite chilly at times with the temperature veering between the 80s inland and the low 60s by the sea. At one point, when we passed through the shelter of some hills it got hot so rapidly that we both actually checked to see if the bikes had caught fire!
We stopped briefly at Cayucos, a small beach resort which seemed eerily like Saltburn – even down to being uncomfortably chilly and having a pier. There were a number of families doggedly erecting gazebos and wind shelters on the beach so that it began to resemble a tent city. We walked on the beach and I felt the need to dip my hand in the Pacific Ocean (it was far too cold to think about swimming) and managed to get my feet soaked in the process!
A bit further on we came to an elephant seal viewpoint. Expecting perhaps to see a few heads bobbing out on the water, we stopped off to find the amazing sight of a beach crammed with enormous seals basking in the sun. Occasionally one would ponderously roll over, emitting a flatulent grunting sound. It was really rather reminiscent of our hotel room each morning.
After that we continued along Highway 1, a spectacular route, with the ocean to the left, the Coastal Range mountains to the right and a narrow winding road in between. It seemed to go on forever with a combination of straights and tight bends as it followed the coastline. There was only one low point, when a cop coming the other way seemed to notice that I, err, might have been slightly over the speed limit and immediately spun round to follow me. Fortunately I had spotted him in my mirror and he soon got bored with following me at a sedate 45mph. The road was absolute biker’s heaven and I felt a real sense of loss at the end of it that I might never get to ride such a perfect road again.
Still on Highway 1 we passed through Big Sur (something of a hippy mecca in the 70s), Carmel (where Clint Eastwood was mayor some time ago – so no speeding there) and finally, after about 180 miles, our destination of Marina. This was a lot further than predicted because we took the coast road rather than the more direct inland Interstate.
We have just eaten at a very good Italian restaurant just across the road from the hotel and will now be getting some rest before an early start for San Francisco tomorrow.
Over the Hill and Far Away.......... 
Be forewarned, summer in San Fransisco is October. That is why I am visiting in July. Damn, school calendar. ;). Another reason to retire.
Don’t worry about not reliving the experience, the further north you go the more beautiful Highway One becomes. That’s if you have the will to leave San Francisco.