# Pink flamingos, Big Basin, a pagoda



## JAishima (Apr 29, 2003)

*Ride report: Pink flamingos, Big Basin, a pagoda*

I took a day off and did a long ride today. Menlo Park, Pescadero, Rt. 1, Big Basin, then back. 112 miles, a good way to enjoy some dryness after all of the rains...

On Pescadero Rd., just west of Loma Mar and a small bridge, there is the Pink Flamingo house! It's still for sale...

It's spring here in California, cherry blossoms are out already!

I headed down the coast on Rt. 1, and stopped by Big Basin Redwoods Park, the ocean side.

Davenport for lunch at La Cabana. Yum!


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## JAishima (Apr 29, 2003)

*Big Basin*

Right after lunch comes Bonny Doon Road... Hard to tell from this picture, but it's probably 10%+ grade here! Heading up past Bonny Doon, then along Empire Grade, we can really see what the Santa Cruz Mountains are like.
All of a sudden, a monastery appears with a pagoda in the background.

Big Basin Redwoods State Park, I had never seen the side that's up in the mountains, so I rode along Rt. 236 to head up towards Saratoga. There are some very tall trees right at the Information Center. As the road headed up, it got foggier in places. Route 9 wasn't fun, as I was bonking the whole time. Finally, after cruising along Skyline and Page Mill, I got back to the flatlands, at Stanford University, just in time for sunset!


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## robwh9 (Sep 2, 2004)

*You should check out the flamingo house at Christmas...*

For every flamingo there's a big plastic candy cane. Quite a sight.


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

Incredible JAishima!!!!!!!!!!

What a ride report. Flamingos, cherry blossoms, wave and redwoods... you've captured the essence of our road riding area. Looks like you won the sunlight lottery yesterday too. Great ride, great variety.

francois


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

robwh9 said:


> For every flamingo there's a big plastic candy cane. Quite a sight.


He also puts out dozens of toy nutcracker soldiers at christmas. Last time I rode by there the place was up for sale.


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

Nice shots! We live in such a great area for riding. If you took Empire from Bonny Doon, you probably came down Jamison Creek. The easy way! That's one hell of a climb going up.

We ride through Big Basin every once in a while but we started taking a small road off 236 called Lodge Road. It's easy to miss coming up the hill, but a lot easier to find if you are coming from the park HQ. It's a cool little road, with almost no traffic, that takes you through a lot of big trees. Try it next time you are in the neighborhood.

http://www.pashnit.com/roads/cal/LodgeRd.htm


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