Day 2: Santa Cruz to Big Sur (Miles 51-125)

With a good night sleep under our belts we all rose early and were eager to get in the saddle. After a quick jaunt in the car we arrived at our starting point where the team would embark while Chris and I drove from Santa Cruz to Monterey where we would park and ride back towards the group. In theory riding back towards the group seemed like a great idea and a great way for the sag drivers to get a few miles in. Of Course Chris and I somehow missed the rest of the group and rode 10 miles further than we should have. Once reunited in Monterey Tommy drew the short straw and had to bike the 2.5 mile hill up to the car while the rest of the team made our way to 17 Mile Drive, which is a public road that encompasses several of California’s nicest golf courses including Pebble Beach and Spyglass. With a strong head wind we all greatly appreciated Bruce’s valiant effort as he lead the peloton most of the scenic 17 mile drive.

The ride would then turn to the mountainous region of the coast as we headed into Big Sur. All of the riders dug deep and pushed their way up some of the most difficult climbs of our journey. After reaching the top the views more than made up for the effort it required to get there. Nearly five hours of pedaling and 75 miles later we finally reached our stopping point for day two, The Big Sur River Inn.

The Big Sur River Inn was certainly no Ritz Carlton, but the suite did offer an excellent king size bed and the original trundle bed (I called the king bed, but somehow ended up on the trundle). Once we were settled in we explored the town to find something to eat. Thank goodness for us as we were staying at the River Inn, which also took on the role of local bar, grocery store, deli, restaurant, spa and gas station. With so many excellent choices for dining we settled on the hotel restaurant/bar. Shortly after our arrival at the bar we were able to drive out the mountain men who paid for drinks in cords of wood and had never seen a razor. With the bar almost exclusively to ourselves we ate, drank and were merry. Todd and I even decided to participate in one of the local’s favorite activities, shotgunning Hamms (see photo below). With the longest and most challenging day coming up we all regretted spending so much time at the River Inn Bar.

(More photos of today are on there way)