US-50 Coast-to-Coast: Day 11

I slept in since it was Sunday and was on the road in Sacramento shortly before 9:00 AM.  I rode the 50 for the last few remaining miles and kept going on the 80 until I reached Dixon, California. I logged the end of my highway 50 at 3,424 miles.  It was really hard to leave the 50 after following it for over a week. It was like losing following until I arrived in Sacramento, California. The highway was always marked, regardless if it merged with other highways across the United States. I will truly miss the 50.

At Dixon, I went south on the 113 until I hit the 12. The 113 was rural and very interesting. It was remote but at 10:00 AM there were many cars.  

The traffic was very heavy on the eastbound 12.  We were bumper to bumper in construction traffic as I drove east towards interstate 5.

At one point I had to stop for a draw bridge to let a large ship cross. I stopped the engine and got off to shoot a few pictures.  I wish I was closer to the bridge as it rotated 90 degrees to let the ship pass.  This is the area where there are many water ways. Jeanne and I came through on the 12 last fall during the heavy rain storms. 

I rode to Lodi, California where I signed up for a wine club at a winery that Jeanne and I visited last fall. Once done at the winery, I rode straight south on the 99 until I cut over to i-5 at Stockton. The temperature was in the low 80s at this point and it looked like rain in the south. 

I headed to the 152 and went west until I hit the I-1 and went south through Carmel, and on to Big Sur. The temperatures dropped into the middle 70s as I hit the coast. I officially went coast to coast upon hitting Big Sur. 

Once in Big Sur the rain clouds moved in. It sprinkled lightly, soaking my jacket. The rain felt good after the heat of the last week. No need for rain gear. I stopped at the Big Sur Bakery to have a latte and muffin. The Big Sur Bakery is a favorite of mine, and the rest stop was much needed before the switchbacks going South. 

I have done Big Sur via motorcycle about 10 times. Big Sur never fails to deliver. Big Sur is where the earth meets the ocean in a dramatic and sudden fashion. I would rate Big Sur as one of my favorite places on earth.  I could not pass up an opportunity to go through Big Sur on my way home.

There were a gazillion people in Big Sur, stopping at each look out.  Cars were jammed into every nook and cranny.  There were always cars in front of me. Passing cars was pointless, because there was always another car around the corner. 

The smells on this part of the trip were incredible, especially with the rain.  Early on there were the smells of the strawberry crops. In Big Sur there were the smells of licorice from rain soaked vegetation.   Getting close to the ocean the smells were from the sea salt, or from the kelp washed up on the beach. There were also smells from the groves of eucalyptus trees as I entered Morro Bay. The smells are the best part of riding a motorcycle: they are always changing. 

Once into the southern part of Big Sur, the traffic got better and the last 50 miles was just great. I checked into my room in San Luis Obispo around 7:30 PM. I rode 387 miles today with 10.5 hours duration, and 7.5 hours of moving time. The ride today was great and was one of the better days on the coast -to-coast ride. Tomorrow I will finish the last part of my ride.