The original plan was to follow the Google Maps directions to Santa Cruz. Well, we decided to follow the cyclists over the Golden Gate Bridge ($6 toll!!!). It was pouring rain (again) and traffic over the bridge was creepy crawly slow. We really weren't sure we would make it to Santa Cruz in time to see the race.
The rain let up before we hit Santa Cruz but we were really crunched for time. We called the hotel for directions and tried to follow them only to find a race route in the middle of our directions and road closures all around. We called for new directions and found more road closures. The third time was the charm--more or less--and we made it around the race route only to get spun around into a beach parking lot that forced us down a one way beach road and back out to where we had come from. It was a little frustrating, but at least the second time we knew where all the turns were. We got to the hotel and went in to the lobby to find several people waiting to check in. I was starting to freak out because it was 12:58 and the ETA for riders was between 12:56 and 2
Except my watch was still on Tucson time and it was only 11:56. We trucked the bags all the way up to the fourth floor--which turns out to be the floor immediately above the lobby. I can't explain it, it's just the way it is.
We walked down to the race route and decided to wait about 300 meters before the finish because they were just putting up the barricades there and we were able to get right on the course. I'm glad we brought the ponchos down with us because the clouds that had been hanging over the hills decided to move and they passed right over us dropping rain on the way. It didn't rain for long, but after it quit the weather remained windy and cold.
We ended up waiting well over an hour for the bikes to come in. The rain really held the riders up today. Levi and Tom Peterson came flying through with the main field only about a minute behind. It was fast finish. I overhead a guy comment that it was an awful lot of waiting for a few seconds of bikes. True. But worth it.
Santa Cruz is probably a bustling town in the summer. We wandered around a bit and the street we were on really reminded us of Traverse City. We found a multi-use path that followed the river down to the ocean so we took that route back. It was a nice walk, but really cold. We cut through Neptune's Palace Arcade to the beach and walked up a bit to our "Dream Inn."
We had to stick around the room awhile because I had to log in to hold class. Of course, the best laid plans and all. I couldn't get logged in to the chat section. It just wouldn't load. I shouldn't be surprised. I sent out an email and waited for replies and then we cut out to find a restaurant for dinner. We decided to drive out to the end of the pier to see what we could see. There were a number of restaurants out there but we picked Stagnero Brothers. It has been there since 1937 and the food was excellent. Really excellent. After dinner we waddled out to the car and back to the hotel.
Tomorrow we hope to make it to Santa Rosa for the start of tomorrow's stage. On the extremely rare chance that the weather will be good we might skip the race and do some sightseeing. I don't want bad weather, but I want to see the race, too. We'll see what happens tomorrow, I guess.
