We are getting to a matter of weeks from the Avon walk and I'm still finding distances greater than 12 miles to be ....well...not fun. Solution: eight miles out, brunch, eight miles back (a walking $200 burger). The end result should be 16 miles with rest and nutrition half way. The venue: The gorgeous Monterey Bay.
Now it just so happens that a few years back the entire Monterey Bay area was one huge military base, Fort Ord. The US Army have long since moved out but there are still quite literally hundreds of boarded up army buildings, abandoned shooting ranges and, hopefully empty, ammo dumps. The roads that connected some of the facilities (along with a reclaimed railroad that used to service the sardine canning industries down on Cannery Row.. yes, Steinbeck, the same) have been turned into cycle paths. The route for today would take us from the Fort Ord Dunes State Park, down to Fisherman's Wharf in down town Monterey.
The day started cold, foggy and in light drizzle. For those of you familiar with Northern California, no surprise right? For the rest of you....long story.. trust me, bring a sweater. The path was just spectacular heading off for mile after mile undulating up and down, left and right with none of that nasty camber that killed me while "Leaving Gilroy".
The routes passed by a few ammo dumps before dropping down onto the coast and hugging the beach behind huge dunes. As the path dropped out of the "clouds" and down to sea level, Monterey started to come into view in a thin band of land sandwiched between the grey of the ocean and the grey of the sky.
A few miles along the edge of the beach proper and destination, Fisherman's Wharf and brunch!
So those of you that know me, know that I'm a frustrated meteorologist. You have no idea how difficult it is to stop myself from explaining Monterey fog!! I'll resist. Suffice to say that most of the time it clears back to the cost by lunch time or early afternoon revealing one of the nicest stretches of coastline you can imagine. Finally! California!
Overall, a truly spectacular walk. Well worth the 5am start to get it done and well worth doing again...soon. More importantly, a 16 mile total for the day and perhaps a hint, just a hint, that if an 8, pause, 8 is possible now then by the time the real walk comes around, an 8, pause,8, pause, 8 might just work. Progress, fun and a wonderful way to shrug off some stress. Walk....breathe...smile...
Thanks for following.....
