Day 19: Gualala, CA to Bodega Bay, CA

0 miles

Today I expected a 49 mile day of difficult shorter inclines and declines. I noticed yesterday that my rear brake was lopsided once again so I asked Cy, our trip leader, to check it before taking off this morning. The rear wheel was out of true, again, and she found two cracks in the rim.

I think I may have mentioned previously that these roads have been rough, no? It would be dangerous to ride a bike in this condition and, with no bike shops in Gualala or our next town, Bodega Bay, I will be riding in the van for a bit. I believe this may have been divine intervention of some sort. This will give my knees and other over worn body parts time to recuperate a bit before the last seven day stretch down the coast.

For those who did ride today there were precious few glimpses of the scenery as the fog was thick on the very narrow two-lane road, SR 1. In the van and trailer we were just as happy not to see the sheer dropoffs to our right. The van stopped in Fort Ross to wait for a trip leader rider switch. I perused the exhibits at the Visitor's Center. Fort Ross was a Russian-American Company settlement from 1812 to 1841. This commercial company controlled all Russian exploration, trade and settlement in the North Pacific, and established permanent settlements in Alaska and California. Fort Ross was the southernmost settlement in the Russian colonization of the North American continent, and was established as an agricultural base to supply Alaska.

The route was remarkably undeveloped with numerous sheep and cattle farms. Oyster farming is the most prominent industry in Bodega Bay, which is also known as the filming location for the movie "The Birds".