Day 32 - Plaskett Creek to San Simeon - Riding the California Dream

October 11, 2022

Day 32 - Plaskett Creek to San Simeon

Another foggy, overcast morning. With a short day planned — only 33 miles — we had a relaxed start to our day, not departing camp until after 9:00 am. And I was looking forward to the sights today — we would stay along the coast on Hwy 1 with constant ocean views, and we'd have an opportunity to view the elephant seals at Año Nuevo State Park.

Although we didn't have a lot of miles to ride, we had some significant climbing to do during the first half of the ride (as you can see from the elevation profile on the route above). The climbs were curvy, and this portion of the highway didn't have much in the way of shoulders. Fortunately, there wasn't a lot of traffic, and drivers were cautious while passing me as I wobbled up the steepest of the hills.

And, of course there were always the fun downhill runs, which (for me) make the climbs worth the effort.

The view as I left the Plaskett Creek campground and headed south on Hwy 1.

View of Ragged Point. I can't look at this without seeing the head of an elephant. Do you see it?

Ocean view at Ragged Point, just past the rock outcropping in the previous picture.

After all that climbing, it was a relief to see this rolling ribbon of road stretching out before me.

I caught up with several of my tour compadres at Año Nuevo State Park, at the elephant seal viewing platforms. At this time of year (from roughly September to November), the beach is full of one to five-year-old juvenile elephant seals, in what is known as the "fall haul-out season."

These seals are HUGE. I read that the largest males can weigh up to 11,000 pounds — a size I can hardly fathom — though the elephant seals that live on the Pacific Coast are less than half that size at 4,500 pounds.

It was fascinating to watch the elephant seals and hear their croaking sounds. If you've never seen them, check out this video.

Finally, as I neared San Simeon, I happened to look up and to my left and saw... zebras?

Apparently, zebras were originally brought to Hearst Castle by William Randolph Hearst to inhabit his zoo, and the ones I saw are part of a herd of about 120 zebras that roam the acres belonging to the Castle. (The zoo was dismantled, but the zebras remained behind.) As a native Californian, I probably should have known about this, but I was surprised when I saw them.

I arrived at my destination, and checked into the San Simeon Lodge, about two miles north of the campground where everyone else would stay the night. I was pleasantly surprised by the accommodations of this budget motel — the room was spacious and clean, and there's laundry, a restaurant and small market on site. It felt so good to be dry and warm. Needless to say, I slept well that night.

Ocean Zen from Big Sur…

Today's ride: 33 miles (53 km)
Total: 1,312 miles (2,111 km)

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