Day 20 - Wednesday 9/30/2015 Cambria to South of Orcutt

A day of adventure and mishap.  We left the Vining home and started from downtown Cambria. Look, all matching coats today.  It is Scarecrow festival time in Cambria.  Can you guess which ones are the scarecrows?

The ride started out great - and then things got exciting.

 The first flat tire was in the small town of Cayucos - mile 15

A great opportunity for a cup of coffee and a sweet roll

About three miles down the road - flat number two.  And everyone lent a hand to help fix the flat.

But wait, yes, flat tire number three - right after a snack stop - just down the road.  All before lunch

 A great lunch stop at Pismo Beach

 What a day -
Posted by Patty with the car and the tire pump!

Jerry's notes:
About 15 miles out of Cambria I heard the infamous tick tick tick that means something is going wrong.  Luckily we were cruising down the main street of Cayucos.  I stopped and found the innertube was bulging  out of the quarter inch gash in the tire sidewall that occurred yesterday that I didn't see. As the pictures above show I stopped in front of the towns coffee shop and got lots of help & put on the extra strength tire that I bought in Aberdeen, WA .  One quarter mile out of town the tire goes flat. I guess the tube got pinched.  After fixing this we progressed to lunch which was in a field on the grounds of Cuesta College.  As we were eating one of Patty's famous cooler lunches, Tom notices that a "goat head burr" was stuck in the side of his SUV tire.  We both said,  "oh crap, let's check out the bikes, which we parked off the pavement.  Tom had 3 burrs in his front tire and I had 7!  I pulled mine out but was a little worried about how far they had gone in.  We started off and made it from one entrance of the college to another before the tire was flat.again..  At this point we had traveled about 30 miles in 3 hours!  What a day!  After going 3600 miles across the country with
Tom & Patty previously with only two flats each, this was absolutely incredible!  I blame it on Vining.

Notes from Tom:
One correction to Jerry's notes.  It was 3-1/2 hours before we made 30 miles.  I was wondering if we'd make our destination before dark.  During the post-flat-tires riding, we encountered a "detour" on the Adventure Cycling map.  What a disaster--way out of the way, poorly marked roads, and a TERRIBLE riding surface.  After surviving that we encountered an extra nasty crosswind for about 6 miles. We leaned into the wind just to keep the bikes going in a straight line.  Eventually that wind turned into a tailwind and we rode it all the way to Orcutt.

Stats weren't impressive--79 miles, 5 hours and 8 minutes, 2660 feet of climbing, and an average speed of 15.4.  If you haven't been keeping track, we've pedaled a total of 1445 miles.

Day 19 - Tuesday, 9/29/2015 Seaside++ to Cambria

A very busy afternoon - so a little late in posting.
A busy day with a few surprises.  We were up at 5:30, off to Denny’s for breakfast.  The cycling start for the day was at the junction where we picked up the guys the day before back onto Hwy 1 - no bike paths today.

Once again, the scenery was amazing.  Up and down hills, around bends, over bridges, through forests and fields, taking us through the towns of Carmel,Big Sur, Lucia, Pacific Valley, Gorda, San Simeon – to our lodging in Cambria, Casa de Vining.

Some signs are approximate - this one was for real.

 

It was a somewhat eventful day for the cyclists – a gear shift battery issue, a flat tire, and NO cell coverage the entire day.  Sometimes it’s helpful to be able to communicate when you are herding riders.  At one point, I waited with Jerry while he charged his battery and Tom went on ahead.  Then I went back and forth between the two for the next 20 miles, forward 6 miles, back 4, forward 7, back 5.  If I missed any scenery, I had several opportunities to revisit.  I did get to to see the Elephant Seals and the Hearst Castle on several passes J

Tracy and Kathi had gone ahead to Cambria and they certainly had the welcome mat out.  Tracy met us all in town, while Kathi was busy at the house getting things ready for guests and more guests, and more guests.  Surprise - Tracy had arranged to have a "few" friends join us at the house for drinks when we arrived and a great time was had by all.

Notes from Tom:

On yesterday's blog I said today could be a long tough day.  Unfortunately I was right.  We made a full century ride--100.8 miles, a minute short of 7 hours of riding, 6800 feet of climbing, and thanks to a nice tailwind for the last 20 miles, an average speed of 14.4 mph.  The last 1/2 mile up to Tracy and Kathi's place was the toughest part of the day  However, we were REWARDED when all the cyclists were greeted at Tracy's house by an excellent massage therapist who worked out all of our kinks for a full hour each.  THANKS Tracy.

A banner day of riding!  That's 100.8 miles

Jerry's Notes:

The one thing that can go wrong with the electronic shifting system is that the idiot rider lets the battery run out of juice.  The battery is usually good for 3 months of riding - so said my friends, the bike shop boys etc.  I personally got 4 months of use out of mine before I recharged it before the trip. Of course that is not cycling daily for 80 miles per day.  When I couldn't shift between the little chain ring and the big chain ring I knew I was in trouble, because the bike is setup to make only 50 more shifts on the rear sprocket and none in the big sprocket.  I was in the middle of nowhere on the Big Sur coast, 15 miles from Lucia.  Luckily the front chain ring was in the little gear so I could go up pretty easily and coast down. I made it to Lucia with 40 shifts to spare!  45 minutes of recharging at the eatery in Lucia  (while eating lunch) and off I went in chase of Tom who left about 15 minutes before me.  A flat tire ruined any hope of catching Tom and I straggled into Cambria a lot later than the rest of the gang,  What a day!  The fun was only beginning however with a ride up to Tracy's house and a cocktail party upon our arrival.  Tracy had arranged for a massage for us riders which was incredible and got us ready for tomorrow.

Day 18 - Monday 9/28 - 10 miles North of Half Moon Bay to Seaside ++

After a great rest day at Lautz's, reality set in as we arrived at our motel in Santa Cruz yesterday afternoon.  All checked in, then a walk down the pier for dinner.  Sunset was beautiful, but no view of the lunar eclipse.  Tracy was the lucky one - he spied a whale right off the pier.

Today was a day of riders taking different routes from different starting points - but this time it was planned.  Tracy started right from the hotel in Santa Cruz, heading south along the Adventure Cycling route.  Tom and Jerry and I loaded our car, stopped at Denny's for breakfast (could be the slowest Denny's in the state) then headed back north on Hwy 1 to the drop off point - 10 miles south of Half Moon Bay - 35 miles.

A cool, foggy morning - or as many would say, the marine layer was present.  Great scenery, amazing beaches.

We re-convened in Santa Cruz - then headed to our lunch spot - the town of Capitola.  Found a spot right on the beach - the sun came out.

Kathi had gone ahead and found an amazing motel for the evening in Seaside,  Met up with Kathi & Tracy, who had just finished the ride for the day.  Jerry & Tom decided to ride to Tracy's stopping point - making it the longest day yet.  Here is where I picked them up.

Any golfers in the group may recognize this road :)

The end of another successful day.  We are sitting outside enjoying a beer and glass of wine with some chips and guacamole - home made by Kathi from the avocados she picked up along the way.

Cycling Notes:

Jerry's Notes:

Today was pretty goofy, in that we overestimated how far we traveled the day before yesterday and as a result had a significant backtrack to start our riding day.  It is a little discouraging to ride 46 miles before lunch and end up 5 miles down the road from where we woke up in the morning.  Of course our location for lunch couldn't have been better, Patty got the best parking spot right on the beach at Capitola, complete with benches and restrooms and the sun came out for us!

The ride was very tame by what we have experienced so far. Riding through the fields of artichoke, califlower, strawberries etc  was fun at first, but  it was incredibly slow because the route was so indirect - going around all the mile square fields as compared with riding on hwy 1. Of course Tom wanted to make sure that tomorrows ride (which might be our hardest), was doable, so after pulling into the motel in Seaside after 84 miles, he decided it would be good to ride some more to where Tracy stopped.  No problem except that it was at the top of the highest hill in Monterey.  Ugh, another 15% hill..

Tom's Notes:

Nothing like a 15% hill in mile 89 of a 90 mile day--talk about taking the wind out of your sails.  I'm sure the Beatles were on our route a least once--Strawberry Fields Forever.  The smell of ripe strawberries was enjoyable for a long time.

Stats aren't too impressive, except for the total distance of 90.6 miles--the longest of this trip.  It took us 6 hours and 25 minutes, we averaged 14.1, and we climbed 4000 feet.  Tomorrow looks to be a tough one, but we are planning to spend the night at Kathi and Tracy's house in Cambria tomorrow so we don't have to search for a motel for tomorrow night.

Day 17 - Sunday 9/27/2015 Rest Day in Orinda, CA

Rest Day
A wonderful day with Laurie & Lindsay Lautz, our gracious hosts.  We all slept in late, all of us waking after 7:00 - a far cry from our normal 5:30 am alarm.

A breakfast of Swedish pancakes, eggs and bacon - there was some laundry doing and lounging.  Oh, and finding a motel in Santa Cruz for the night.  Football and golf on TV, the Vining  dogs enjoyed a day outside the car and the girls enjoyed visiting on the deck.  Beautiful.

Thanks again Laurie and Lindsey for providing a wonderful place for a well deserved (and needed) rest day.

As I post this, it is just about time to pack the bags, pack the car and head back west to our motel in Santa Cruz for the night.  The ride begins again tomorrow - about 10 miles south of Hwy 92 on the Coast Highway 1.

Day 16 - Saturday 9/26/2015 Junction Hwy 1/US Hwy 101 to North of Half Moon Bay

Logistics are important with any organized trip - and even more important when you are planning on the fly.  Our nights accommodations (thanks to Tracy & Kathi) were great.  Cars loaded, bikes on cars and a quick breakfast at the hotel.

We drove the five miles back to the Junction of US Hwy 101 and Hwy 1 - to start the ride across the Golden Gate Bridge to San Francisco.

Our first stop for the morning was across the Golden Gate to a cafe near the Presidio to meet some friends of Jerry's. On a short riding day, you can enjoy coffee and a pastry.  Yum

In the past weeks, Kathi and I have been pretty much on the same roads as the guys - well, maybe not all the guys.  Today, the cycling route did not follow a major highway, instead kept to smaller arterials - less traffic, a few less hills, our meeting point would be Pacifica.  A quick snack for the riders and off on the road toward Half Moon Bay.  The route today was helped along by an organized ride for the Arthritis Foundation - The California Coast Classic (CCC) - hundreds of riders all in the same jersey, with great signage for the route - going the same direction!  Sure helps to keep everyone on the right route.

Kathi & Tracy met up in Half Moon Bay, bike on the car and headed up Hwy 92 toward Orinda - our destination.  Tom & Jerry rode a few extra miles to round out 50 miles for the day.

Cycling Notes:

Jerry's notes:

Today was fun for several reasons.  First was riding over the Golden gate bridge. This was made even more exciting because literally hundreds of MS 150 riders were crossing the same narrow sidewalk going the opposite direction!  Dicey to say the least.  Second highlight was meeting with Greg and Joleen Edwards, good friends from home in a nearby cafe in Pacific Heights for coffee and rolls. Greg and Joleen are on an unusual mission in retirement, rent and live for several month in a different city every year, and they are now experts on S.F. Thanks Edwards for making the effort to visit us!

Tracy was right behind us most of the day with one exception.  We told him to follow the CCC riders in the green jerseys and with yellow signs marking the route.  They had several hundred riders spread out over many miles, were going to Santa Cruz and we simply had to follow them.  Well all of these riders including Tom & I managed to make a right turn and go around a giant headland overlooking the sea right before going into a tunnel on our way to Half Moon Bay, Of  course Tracy missed the turn and rode undaunted into the tunnel!  He survived and beat us to the town on the other side of the hill.  Dumb luck or sheer stupidity?  

Tracy' Notes: 

I had as much fun today as at any time on the trip.  Started off with a tough five miles through Sausalito on the way to the Golden Gate then across the Gate dodging hundreds of bikers going the other way.  Tom and Jerry led the way through Golden Gate Park and then a marvelous flat stretch through the fog along Ocean Beach.  Don't believe the stuff about getting confused with a tunnel.   Anyone knows that a tunnel through a mountain is going to be a shorter route than going around the mountain.  That was my choice.  It was also fun coming into Half Moon Bay--bumper to bumper traffic.  Loved just blowing by them.

Notes from Tom:

Today was one that I had worried about--not about hills or wind or rain--but about riding through or even close to a city the size of SF.  So much traffic and opportunities to get lost.  All of those worries were put to rest as the Adventure Cycling maps led us to the bridge, off the south end, through The Presido and Golden Gate Park.

No impressive stats, but here they are.  49.6 miles, 3 hours and 46 minutes, a surprising 2800 feet of climbing, and 13.1 mph average speed.

Rest days are a chance to not only rest, but do something other than get up, eat breakfast, ride, eat, ride more, eat more, and ride to the end.  Then get to the motel, shower, relax for a few minutes, before eating again and then doing this blog.  At 5:30 the next morning it all starts again.  Hooray for this rest day.

Our night destination:  Orinda - on the east bay at the home of Lindsay & Laurie Lautz.  As I begin the blog, the USC v Arizona State game is on and not much enthusiasm for the blog.  Duh!

Tomorrow is a full rest day.  No alarms, just relaxation and visiting with friends.

Day 15 - Friday 9/25/2015 Jenner to Junction Hwy 1 & US Hwy 101

This morning we got to sleep in till 6:00am.  Pack the cars and have a quick continental breakfast at the Ocean Cove Lodge.  In the car and head back to Jenner - um, otherwise known as the white knuckle drive.  Tom drove and I helped/guided him through each turn.  Well, at least I thought I was helping - not sure he saw it that way.  Stopped in Jenner for a sit down breakfast, then the riders were off.  

Today's drive for me was a bit different - but we still didn't have lodging for the night - but rather than head straight away, we agreed to that we stick together for some miles, then I would head towards the junction of 1 and 101 - and go searching.

Thanks to Tracy for getting a headache, he and Kathi were able to find a hotel off the 101 North - in Corte Madera - about 3.5 miles north on 101.

Notes from Tom:

So if I complained about yesterday’s climb at the end of the day, I should apologize for whinning.  Today was much worse.  We had a pretty nice ride from Jenner, through Bodega Bay, Valley Ford, Marshall, Point Reyes, and Stinson Beach.  A few steep little hills but no major climbs—until after Stinson Beach.  What a climb.  Similar to yesterday’s climb, on the side of the hill, 600 feet above the ocean, but much steeper.  That’ll teach me to complain about one day’s ride.

Stats were not impressive, but here they are.  70.8 miles, 5 hours and 8 minutes, 4800 feet of climbing, and an average speed of 13.8.  The average speed is higher than I figured it would be.   I went 5-6 mph for a long time on the last climb.

Notes from Tracy:

I may not be as dumb as I look.  I had a headache leaving Jenner which only intensified as the morning went on.   It was one of those that felt like you had eaten your ice cream too fast.  It was so bad that I didn’t even notice the flocks of sheep outside of Valley Ford.   Kathi tried some first aide in Valley Ford (aspirin and rubbing my head and shoulders) and that helped some.  I took off in the direction of Bodega Bay and in search of The Birds.  That lasted about 4 miles.  “Kathi come and get me.”  I threw in the towel.    Some lunch at Pt. Reyes Station helped a little bit but not enough.  On to Mill Valley.  Oh my Lord!  The worst hill climbs of the trip.  No sane person would attempt to  navigate this passage on a bicycle.  There was absolutely no way I would have made it and I had doubts about Tom and Jerry.  But they did.  We all know that there is only one Superman and they are both too old to be Superboy.  Maybe one of them is Superwoman.  (Guess which one?)  Anyway, they are both my heroes.

Here comes Tracy

 Jerry’s notes:

 Just like Tom said all was well until Stinson Beach.  Despite the fact that I used to go to this beach all the time when I was stationed in Alameda in the Navy, that was 45 or more years ago and I honestly could not remember the horrible route it took to get from the beach up, up and up and then down to Mill Valley.  I have not had to stand up in the peddles in low gear yet, until this hill.  Ugh. It went from 11% grade to 15% for a short while, but it was long and never went under 9%! 

Day 14 - Thursday - 9/24/2015 Fort Bragg to Jenner

A late post due to lack of wifi at the motel in Jenner

The day began at Denny’s – breakfast at 7:00 am.  Maps on the table, plates of waffles, bacon and eggs, coffee, juice.  And no where  to stay at the end of the day.  So, here’s the plan.  Kathi, you are sweep and support for the riders and Patty, you drive forward down the coast.  At about 60 miles or so, start looking for a place to stay that’s clean and resaonable.

                                     

After a quick stop for gas and Starbuck’s, we head south to the starting point about 18 miles south of Fort Brag.  Cyclists on the road, Kathi hanging back and I’m heading south.  Again, what a beautiful drive today.  Clear and sunny.  We were hoping to find something around the town of Jenner.  

Added the town to the GPS in my car and she (Toots) said it was about 60 miles.  At about 2.5 miles before the intended destination, I found a great little motel, Ocean Cove Lodge – Bar & Grill.  The views amazing, hot tub and reasonable rates (read cheap!)  Booked rooms and headed back to share the good news that we weren’t going to have to sleep in the car afterall.

Notes from Tom:

The day we left Garberville, we had a major climb early in the ride, and descent was fun.  Today we got paid back because the major climb was at the end of the ride—actually the last 8-10 miles.  The climb was really OK, and the views were spectacular, but the road was hung on side of a cliff about 600 feet above the Pacific, with virtually no shoulder and NO guardrails.  The road surface wasn’t great so we couldn’t really even enjoy the downhill like we did the day before.

So stats for the day.  82 miles, 5 hours 52 minutes, 5400 feet of climbing, and an average speed of 14.0.

Full Disclosure:

So - driving from the motel down to Jenner to pick up Jerry & Tom, I developed white knuckle syndrome.  Whew - I breathed, tried not to look at the non-rail shoulder on my right that provided about 13 inches of shoulder then plunged down at least a billion feet to the ocean - Argh.  Corners, curves, steep up, steep down and at times, the road appeared to go straight off the cliff.  I made Tom drive back down to Jenner on Friday morning.  

Sincerely,

White knuckle Patty

Notes from Jerry:
Patty's white knuckle event was even worse for us.  Caltrans is rather cavalier about their use of guardrails.  I finally figured out that they don't use a guardrail if you can fall 500 ft and land on dirt, but if you fall 500 ft and land in the ocean a guardrail is warranted.  It is bad enough to be cycling on the last 1 ft of road before weeds start and then a cliff, but when you are looking down at the road and in your line of sight is a direct view straight to the ocean on your right, that is a little disconcerting.  Worse yet when Patty was due to pick us up and somehow I had gotten through the flagman ahead of Tom and was way out in front, I couldn't find a place to pull off and wait for Tom.  I had to keep going up and up, then down and down.  No wonder we did 82 miles!

Day 13 - Wednesday 9/23/2015 Garberville to Fort Bragg

An early alarm – oh, yes, they’re  all early – 5:30am.  Up and organize the suitcases and off to breakfast .  You gotta love small town diners.  All the locals walk in at 6:45 and say “hi Shirley, how are you?”.    The guys left from the motel right onto 101 south.

As we always do in the morning, we talked about the first rendezvous point.  You know, ride 20-25 miles, we meet and they have a snack, then off again down the road till lunch.  This morning it was, “yes, some hills, so let’s say we’ll meet in about two hours in Leggett.  So, they are off.  I packed the car, made my coffee and off I went.  Knowing I had a bit of time, I met Kathi at the Historic Benbow Inn a few miles down the road – just for a looky look in the lobby.  A beautiful historic hotel.  Then I was off to the agreed upon meeting place.  Arrived about 15 minutes early, got my book out and started reading.  Kathi showed up, then Tracy – but no Jerry and Tom.  Knowing that Jerry and Tom were a bit ahead of Tracy and both Kathi and Tracy were sure they were further down the road – I headed on.  Up hill, up hill and more up hill – no cyclists, turned around to head back to be sure I hadn’t missed them – nope, so turned around again and back up the hill I went and up and up and up.  Over the top and down the other side. Voila!  At the bottom of the hill, there they were.  We had a short discussion about map reading and  meeting arrangements.  Then off they went.

Jerry’s Notes:

Today the big unknown was right after Hwy 1 branches off from Hwy 101 before Leggett.   The maps showed  a horrible looking climb for several miles.  Sure enough the climb was a little daunting at first as I kept on shifting down until I yelled back to Tom, “uh oh - no more gears  left.  Luckily that was the nastiest part of the climb  at 9.9% according to Tom’s Garmin – it got easier from there.  After 5 miles or so of climbing we hit the top and we were in for an “E” ticket ride.  This downhill was perhaps the most fun I have ever had on a bike. For what seemed like 6-7 miles I thought I was in Hobbittland with the sun streaming through the trees and Tom and I were tearing down the most twisting 7% downhill I have ever been on.   No traffic to speak of because we were out in the middle of nowhere in the mountains heading to the coast with only tourists on the road.  Our own private bike path! We almost froze from the wind chill in the shadows going 30 miles an hour, but it was worth it.

 Once we hit the coast it was just as good because the views were world class.  We rode 80 miles to a bit past Mendocino and climbed 6,000 ft,  but it was worth every bit of it.  What a day!  A good pasta meal and a glorious sunset capped it all off.

Tracy’s Notes:

Another great day.  Got a good workout between Garberville and Leggett and then succumbed to some help up the next BAH.  Descent was incredible.  Actually had to stay on the brakes  just to keep the bike on the road.  Then another BAH.  More help.  Caught up with two pros when then took a time out.   Stayed with them into Westport where we all took a break.   I had lost the chain twice and was having trouble in super low gears.  Tom took a quick look at the bike and found a missing screw that was supposed to secure the guide for the cables to the shifter.  He put the guide back in place and I took off.  Everything was good until the first hill, about a quarter mile down the road.  I downshifted and dropped the chain again.  So much for the ride.  Car ride for 15 miles into Ft. Bragg and a bike shop.  Mark had the cable replaced and the guide screwed in place within an hour.  Enjoyed a great dinner and a fantastic sunset.  Now for a glass of wine and some shuteye.   Got some miles to make up in the morning.

Tom's stats:

A long, hard, but really fun day.  As Jerry said, 80.4 miles, 5 hours and 59 minutes, 6001 feet of climbing, and an average speed of 13.4.  Our highest elevation of the trip was at 1700 feet at the top of the long climb.  On the long descent, the whole scene was incredible--huge redwoods with the sun shining through them, a steep and curvy road with a pretty good surface, and very few cars.  What a ride!!

Day 12 - Tuesday 9/22/2015 Arcata to Garberville

Another foggy morning to start!  No surprise guests this morning.  Guys got on the road early, I made a trip to the local grocery store, had some coffee, packed the car and headed out.  After a few texts and phone calls, finally caught up with the guys in Rio Dell - I was a bit late, Jerry had already fixed a flat tire and Tom had already had coffee and a cinnamon roll.  Guess the road and wind conditions were good for a fast ride.

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Tom’s riding notes:

As Patty said, the conditions were favorable, except for all of the “marine layer” I kept wiping off of my glasses.  We had set a bit of a stretch goal for day—making it all the way to the hotel we had booked in Garberville, but we really expected to stop short and have to rely on the Patty Shuttle Service to get us to the hotel.  Even with a flat tire and a coffee break, we made it all the way to the hotel.  We made so much progress today that we cancelled the hotel for tomorrow night because it’s only 25 miles ahead—we’ll find a place around Fort Bragg to stay tomorrow night.

So here’s the stats--80 miles, 5 hours and 5 minutes, average speed of 15.8 mph, 2700 feet of climbing and a net elevation gain of almost 600 feet.  Today we passed the half way point of the mileage.  Our total as of the end of the day was 901 miles—what a coincidence—three SC grads making nine-0-one miles. 

 In Scotia we finally found where all of the log trucks were going to unload.  We saw log trucks going in and lumber trucks coming out. 

Notes from Jerry:

This was supposed to be a long steady uphill to Garberville and we were anticipating a difficult day.  The gods were with us today as we had smooth roads and a bit of a tailwind to help us up the hills.  Better yet, the overcast broke as we headed inland and it got warmer and warmer.  Sun!  The scenery is so much better with sun. 

Garberville is really not what we expected at all.  It is in the hills and right out of the 60’s, with a hippie vibe, 5 blocks or so of unusual stores and places to eat and two giant gas stations at the center of town that are hopping due to the fact that the town is right off hwy 101.  Lots of characters hanging around, so we fit right in.  We had a “fix the innertubes” afternoon on our little porch with beer and munchies before we scouted out where to eat and have breakfast tommorrow.  All good!!

A scenic route:

Today, I had a window of time and decided to drive the Avenue of the Giants – from Redcrest to Miranda.  Of the 31 mile “avenue”, I drove about 15.  This drive parallels and intersects Hwy 101 with its 51,222 acres of redwood groves.  It is surrounded by the Humboldt Redwoods State Park which has the largest remaining stand of virgin redwoods in the world.  I stopped at Founders Grove and took a short half mile hike through some amazing trees.