Day 19: Gualala to Bodega Bay, CA

Sunday's 50 mile ride to Bodega Bay continued along the California coastline with lots of rolling hills and some pretty treacherous switchbacks that made for some white-knuckle riding. Along the way we encountered morning fog which obscured the beautiful coastline for the first 30 miles of the ride.  We also had a long stretch of teeth-rattling rough roads that made for slow going. Towards the end of the day the weekend traffic picked up and although the ride was beautiful, it was difficult to enjoy with so many cars on the road and long stretches of road without a shoulder or even guardrails between us and the sea below. I've never been happier to roll into the hotel parking lot as I was during today's ride to Bodega Bay. 

First sag stop of the day at mile 20

While we refill our water bottles and grab a quick snack, our bikes also get a break.

Fog shrouded coastline

More interesting rock formations along the California coastline

Flying fish greeting us as we ride into Bodega Bay

In Bodega Bay where Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" was filmed, one can't help but feel a little nervous around so many seagulls. I don't know if this one way eyeing me or my french fries, but I decided to toss him the rest of the fries so that I wouldn't end up like Tippy Hedren and nearly pecked to death! BTW, although I haven't seen it, there is a new film titled "The Girl" about Tippy's relationship with Hitchcock and his unwanted advances.   

Would you believe that inside these dutch ovens is lasagna? With only 2 burners in the trailer, this is the main method of cooking.  

Below is the elevation profile and map of today's route from Gualala to Bodega Bay, CA.  The big blue blob in the center was the climb from Fort Ross to Jenner. The sharp cut off afterwards was a screaming descent with lots of switchbacks and some tight hairpin turns. I love to race down on the descent, but even I was a little scared with this one. 

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