Monterey Coast
Trail Review
I biked from the Pacific Grove neighborhood (near Lovers Point) and biked on Ocean View Blvd to Sunset Dr to 17 Mile Dr, then retraced my route back to Lovers Point.
The riding was all on car roads, but because I went near sunset, there weren’t too many cars. It was a great ride and I did not mind the lack of a bike lane in most parts of the ride. I also saw only three or four other cyclists on my whole ride.
There is no shade, but the views were jaw-droppingly good. The sound of the surf dominated any other noises (not that there was much else) and I felt one with the beach.
I parked in a public parking lot in Pacific Grove which has a 2-hour limit until 8 p.m. There were plenty of open parking spots.
Media Consumed
Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer
What Happened?
15.1 miles, 1 hr 15 mins, 476 ft of ascent
I like doing different types of activities in a day as I get to push different muscles and maximize my time outdoors. On this day, I had completed a punishing hike earlier in the day, so I switched gears and arrived in Pacific Grove for a sunset ride. Unfortunately, the hike was much harder than I had thought it would be, so I started an hour later than I wanted.
The ride started out beautiful and improved as the miles passed by. And once I entered 17 Mile Dr (free for cyclists), the relatively few cars and people on the beach disappeared almost completely and I felt like I had the whole place to myself. I felt so calm and at peace, perhaps the most I had felt that on my bike—the road was smooth and there were no pieces of glass or sharp objects that could puncture my tire; the road contains no significant elevation gain; the lack of traffic (car, bike, and people) meant that I could worry less and just focus on the views; and the natural beauty that surrounded me was just perfect.
I stopped whenever I wanted to for pictures and short videos, but once I got near Seal Rock, I felt like it was getting a bit late (and I was getting hungry), so I turned around and biked back. I got back to my car with no drama and headed back to San Jose.