California Dreamin' - North Coast Tour

Duration: 8 days, 7 nights (Sun-Sun)

Assembly Point: San Jose, CA
(airline service to San Jose, Timberline Adventures van shuttle to and from airport prior to and following tour)

Pickup time: 2/28- 3pm Drop off time: 3/8- 6pm

Tour Cost: $2,700
(includes all lodging, breakfasts and dinners, support van, van shuttle, leaders, tour maps & narratives)
Single Occupancy Lodging Cost: $645

This quintessential California experience combines the Santa Cruz Mountains with California’s storied Highway 1, as it snakes south hugging the Pacific shoreline. We'll also explore the rolling, verdant valleys to the east that comprise one of the world’s great wine-producing regions (with appropriate stops at a few choice tasting rooms). We hope that you will agree that this California Road Trip is a cyclist’s dream.

Day 1, we ride over the Santa Cruz Mountains ending in the surfing mecca of Aptos. We will climb almost 6000 feet of elevation on back roads, ending the day at the award-winning Sparrow Cafe for a well-deserved dinner. Day 2 is a special day: taking a break from the saddle we will hike in Pinnacles National Park (America's newest National Park).

Next up Day 3, we'll follow the Pacific coast trail through lush strawberry and artichoke fields, ending the day with the thrill of cycling the famous 17-Mile Drive. Day 4 brings the excitement of Rocky Point and the many arched bridges and spectacular headlands that extend to Big Sur and beyond. We’ll spend our third overnight south of Big Sur at the sublime Ragged Point Resort overlooking the ocean. We continue south along the coast through San Simeon and a visit to California royalty at Hearst Castle eventually settling in the lovely Cambria on Day 5.

On Day 6, we’ll leave the coast for our first of several forays into the wine country to the east. Early into our ride through the hills east of Cambria, you’ll know why we’ve chosen a spring date for this bike tour. We can’t imagine anything greener or more beautiful than the hills that we’ll encounter as we ride to Paso Robles. We’ll explore several of the region’s local vineyards, and a bakery or two, before settling into the beautiful Paso Robles Inn in the heart of town.

It’s back to the ocean on Day 7 as we ride to Morro Bay and then visit charming San Luis Obispo. We’ll linger in this historic town well into the afternoon before continuing to Pismo Beach, where we’ll spend our next two evenings in the lovely oceanside setting of the Shelter Cove Lodge. We’re headed to the Edna Valley on Day 8, to visit a few more vineyards. We’ll climb gradually to the Lopez Lake Recreational Area and then return to Pismo Beach. We’ll wrap up the tour mid-afternoon in Pismo Beach and van shuttle back to San Jose where our California Dreamin' Cycling Tour concludes.

Total Cycling Mileage: 331

See our website for details including daily mileage. Bicycle rentals are available.