Day 16 
Olema, CA to Half Moon Bay, CA  
Daily Miles - 69.0 
Cumulative Miles - 1,185.3 
Average Speed - 10.1 MPH 
Max Speed -  28.6 MPH 
Ride Time -  6 Hours 49 Minutes 
Daily Elevation Gain 3,773 Feet, Loss 3,760 Feet 
Cumulative Elevation Gain 49,757 Feet, Loss 49,840 Feet 
Flat Tires - 2 

It is pretty amazing how many different things you can go through in one day.  Thinking back on today's ride, I remembered the different weather, landscapes and population changes.

I started off in Olema, which is a town of about 75 people.  Later in the day, I went through San Francisco, which has a population over 870,000.  Outside of Olema, I went through Samuel P. Taylor State Park, where is was cool due to all the trees.  Just past the park, I went through Lagunitas where the temperatures were pushing 80 degrees.  Then after crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, there was fog and back into the 50s.  I start with a jacket, then remove the sleeves.  Put some sunscreen on, then take the jacket off.  That's before putting the jacket back on.  

I went through the really nice town of Fairfax.  The people were very kind and offered to help me with directions every time I stopped.  I thought I was closer to San Francisco than I actually was.  I still had about 15 miles to go.  I had a fellow cyclist stop and give me some great directions - if I could have remembered a quarter of them, I would have to be Rand McNally.  "Go to the gas station, make a left, then another left.  Follow the same road about a mile uphill, then go around the traffic thingy.  When you pass the market, turn right, go straight for a while, then turn left.  You will see the bay.  Follow all the other bicyclists since they are all going to the bridge as well."  I am totally serious.  Those were pretty close to what I remember him telling me. 

Before he came over to talk to me about directions, I had stopped because of this sign.

Seriously??? A traffic circle (or roundabout) on a bike path.  Not on the street.  It was on the actual bike path.

 My first glimpse of San Francisco.

And the Golden Gate Bridge.

San Francisco was a shock to my system.  I have gotten used to small towns and being virtually alone on the roads.  Right before the bridge, I went through Sausalito.  It was around lunch time and everyone was out at the restaurants.  Nice place but crowded.  It was only the beginning.  As I reached the bridge, there were people everywhere.  Walkers, bicyclists, tourists and a lot of vehicles.  To say it was crowded would be an understatement.

I didn't get lost, but that was only because I continued to stop and check directions from my list and Google Maps.  There was so much confusion.  I am so happy to be past that city.

On the south side of the bridge, the fog was waiting.  Sunny Sausalito turned into soggy San Francisco.  But what is San Francisco without some fog.  I reached the Pacific Coast (again) and it was dreary.

I got back on track with my directions and they said to be cautious approaching tunnel.  I remembered the last tunnel I went through and took the warning seriously.  It was not a long tunnel, but it was loud.  Especially when that nice driver decided to honk the horn.  It took me a while to get my gearing back.

A huge sigh of relief as I entered the El Granada / Half Moon Bay area.  Surfers!  I stopped to watch them for a while.  As you can see from the picture, the weather cleared up.  The water is obviously cold, since they were all wearing full wet suits.  It was so refreshing to see surfers enjoying the waves.  So far, these are the first that I have seen out in the ocean.

In Half Moon Bay for the night.  I have started to plan for a known detour in the next couple of days.  There was a massive mud slide in the Big Sur area that has closed down the coast highway since February 2017.  There are a couple of options for a detour.  I just have to find the right one.