California Wine Country

For our last day, we pulled out the map and connected some arrows. We decided to go explore Armstrong Redwoods State Park, a park with old growth redwoods, and aim for lunch in Duncan Mills. We rode out of Occidental on Grafton Road, and then took Green Valley to Mays Canyon to Guerneville, where we headed to the park. The redwoods are all within a mile of the gate, so we didn't have to do any steep climbing up into Austin Woods. We parked the bikes and walked around the trails a bit to see the 1300 and 1400 year old trees.

The sun came out after we left the park. We stopped for coffee in Guerneville and then headed to Duncan Mills. We tried to take Duncan Road, but found a fence and no trespassing sign, so we took the old Monte Rio road, which was also very nice. Duncan Mills was a charming little crossroads with a few places to eat, shop and taste wine. We took the easy route back to Occidental, and then began to drive south to San Francisco. We stopped in Tomales for Strawberry Rhubarb pie, and then make a short diversion to drive up Mt Vision on Pt Reyes, before we headed into the city, where we stayed with friends, Richard and Elizabeth.

It was a short trip that left me with an appetite for more. It truly is a beautiful area. The climbs are certainly tough. I have a Specialized bike computer that shows % gradient, and it was fun to watch it climb up to 18% repeatedly. The descents are phenomenal and the scenery great. I just can't wait to go back and maybe I'll take John next time!