Palo Alto to Skyline Blvd to Tunitas Creek Road

Half Moon Bay, CA

    After coughing and spitting for Palo Alto VA Hospital's Microbilogy Lab, I motored to the Mitchell Park Temporary Library on Middlefield Road and check GasBuddy.Com for the lowest gas price on the SF Penninsula. As usual, the lowest prices were in Redwood City - though in the downtown area and not on the outskirts.
    After buying gas I though about visiting the Redwood City Grocery Outlet; instead I drove east on Woodside Blvd, took I-280 north to SR92 and headed for Half Moon Bay. Much to my surprise, bumper-to-bumper traffic occurs on weekdays as well as weekends.

    After eating lunch near the juntion of SR92 with Skyline Blvd, I headed south through a light drizzle caused by thick clouds which had moved inland from the ocean to just over the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains. But the ceiling was high enough to get a photo of the San Mateo Bridge -- as one can see in the photo to the right. [Click 1 or 2 times to zoom in.] Not only is the bridge visible, but the bumper-to-bumper traffic on SR92 to the summit is also visible.

 

    It would appear that this redwood was fallen by cross-cut saws rather than chain saws. But its removal did provide enough light for a plant species which require more sun: poison oak.

 

 

    It would appear that a small house may have occupied the area just off of Tunitas Creek Road. Reason? Perrenials like gladiolas or irises. Also thought I saw some honey suckle, but what I thought was honey suckle was a dark green rather than a light green.

 

 

    A small grove of redwoods just north of the road and next to a small tributary or gulley leading down to Tunitas Creek.

 

 

    Finally, a look up the road to where my rig is parked. Note the "heritage" guide post to the right. It's 8x8 inches and, while it may not outlast the new metal ones, this original has likely been around for as long as Tunitas Creek Road has been paved -- perhaps since the 1930s.
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Links:

• Wikipedia article on Skyline Boulevard
• Wikipedia article on Tunitas Creek

F 15 Jun Acutal Route: Palo Alto VA Hospital - Redwood City - Skyline Blvd - Tunitas Creek Road

Sa 16 Jun Actual Route: Tunitas Creek Road - Half Moon Bay - Golden Gate Bridge - Fairfax - Samuel P. Taylor State Park - Point Reyes Natl Seashore - Olema - [dry-camp near] Marshall

Su 17 Jun Actual Route: Marshall - Tomales - Bodega - Bodega Bay - Casini Ranch RV Park (near Duncans Mills)

M 18 Jun Route: Casini Ranch CG - Monte Rio - Guerneville - Cazadero - Fort Ross State Park

Alpine Road to Skyline Blvd to Half Moon Bay

Half Moon Bay

    The moral of the story for the three weekends I used to call Idiot Weekends, Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day, is to reserve your campsite well in advance or get there early on the preceding Friday if it's a campground with 1st Come, 1st Served sites. Because all of the state and county campgrounds were full for the entire weekend and the commercial RV Parks were charging rather high rates (nearly $50 -- or more) I chose to boondock on some San Mateo backroads.

 

    After the 1st boondock I drove to Skyline Blvd and drove north, taking the photo to the right looking toward the ocean on the west.

 

 

 

 

    This second shot was from a Vista Point overlooking the southern portion of San Francisco Day.

 

 

 

 

    Unfortunately, you won't be able to see the Dumbarton Bridge, which continues SR84; that state highway starts at the coast and passes through LaHonda and Woodside before reaching the bay. [Click 1 or 2 times to zoom in.]

 

 

 

 

    The fourth and final shot looks generally north up the bay, but you may not be able to make out much because of the haze [aka smog in the LA Basin! :-)>].
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Links:

• Wikipedia article on Palo Alto, CA

M 4 Jul Actual Route: Tunitas Crk Rd - Half Moon Bay - Pacifica - Pilar Pt - Tunitas Crk Rd (boondock)

T 5 Jul Actual Route: Tunitas Crk Rd - Half Moon Bay - Redwood City - Palo Alto - VA Hospital (boondock)

W 6 Jul Actual Route: Palo Alto VA Hospital - Santa Cruz - Pinto Lake Muni RV Park

Th 7 Jul Route: Pinto Lake RV Park - Santa Cruz - Pinto Lake