My Version of Happy Hour: Salt Point

I’m not a city guy, I’ve come to that realization over the past several years. But one of the best things about San Francisco is the proximity to leaving it all behind. 30 minutes North or South and you can be walking in a grove of redwoods, or watching waves crash against sea cliffs. One Friday, I decided to head North along Route 1 after work. No planned destination, just letting the road unravel in front of me.

My company hosts a happy hour every Friday at the office, but this week I had different plans. I left the office around 6:00 and headed North, passing the Golden Gate bridge and taking the Pacific Coast Highway through Muir Woods and passing Pirates Cove. This section of coastline mimics the cliffs of Big Sur, but surprisingly is not too common a destination. I guess those city hipsters are too busy with their peasant tacos and quince mojitos to know what they are missing. Yeah I’m a dick, you should just stop reading my blog and GO OUTSIDE.

As the sun began to go down and I was treated to my own personal Happy Hour. By this time I had made it to the Sonoma Coast, a beautiful stretch with  jagged rocks  jutting out of the water. I stopped and watched the sunset with a few of the locals. Imagine walking across the street with your family each night and seeing this:

 

As I traveled further North dusk began to envelope me and the cliffs became steeper. I came around a blind corner and almost hit a cow that was crossing the street. He gave me a look “Dude, this is my spot.”

I ended up at a campsite at Salt Point. I stumbled upon this site just as the Ranger was closing up for the night. Salt Point State Park is a rocky coastline that extends out into the Pacific Ocean, and also includes an underwater reserve. Exactly 100 miles North of San Francisco along Route 1, Fort Bragg is another 80 miles North. There are several RV sites in the area, but I found a quiet site and fell asleep listening to the roar of the waves just 100 yards away.

I woke up early and explored Salt Point and started making my way South. I enjoyed riding back along the Sonoma Coast in the daylight, and posed the Triumph for a few glamour shots. A quick but satisfying trip, I could really get used to these Happy Hours.