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Guest Contributor: Patrick McGrady Read Time: 3 mins - Short Film: 5 mins  When you surround yourself with people who do fun stuff … like a ride from NC to PA (“Why I Bikepacked 650+ Miles Through A Hurricane”), or are the videographer for a 100 mile race (“Belt Buckles & Beer or Cobwebs & Concussions: A 100 Mile Quest”) you get a certain itch to launch your own adventure. In June of 2023 I started formulating a plan to bike from San Diego to San Francisco and call this project “San to San”. Bikepacking up the California coast whilst filming the experience was the challenge, and completing a fulfilling project and making a film out of it was the goal. Every day certainly had its own physical and mental ups and downs, but looking back now, it was one hell of an adventure! It’s hard to sum it up into words, but here are the snippets from each day. Day 1: San Diego to San Clemente State Beach - 60 miles I started the day off at my friend Lewis’ place in San Diego. Had a slow morning with lots of pre-roll videography for the San to San film. Final feelings and thoughts were shared over a cup of coffee and then we were off! Day 2: San Clemente State Beach to Santa Monica - 85 miles Started the day at sunrise around 5:50 AM and broke down camp at San Clemente State Beach. Didn’t get much sleep so the mission was to get to Laguna Beach for breakfast and coffee. 2 flat tires burdened me today. Tough start but made it through the big city of Los Angeles.  Day 3: Santa Monica to Ventura - 64 miles Feeling it! Started my day in Santa Monica. 6:00 AM wake up was brutal but I got a complimentary breakfast at 7:00 AM which I definitely had to take advantage of. Got a boost from calling Mom and Dad this morning rooting me on from Austria! Onward to Ventura. Day 4: Ventura to Refugio State Beach - 57 miles Wet and flat! Another day in the books. Started the day in Ventura. Got an early start at 6:20 AM. I was rolling the wheels towards Santa Barbara. I reached the campground weaving through old trails around 4:00 PM. I was drenched. But the rain let off for a while.  Day 5: Refugio State Beach to Lompoc - 32 miles Short and sweet. Woke up to rainy coastland of CA at Refugio State Park! Hoped on the bike and hit Highway 1 until we got to Gaviota. This morning was hard to start. Feeling tired and just not motivated to get this stretch down. Cheers to halfway! Day 6: Lompoc to Morro Bay - 76 miles Getting into a groove. I slept for 10 hours yesterday. Much needed rest time meant for a big set of miles today. Around 6:30 AM I was on the road again. Around 3:30 PM we made it to Morro Beach Campground! There is this ginormous rock near the beach. This campground is sweet! Day 7: Morro Bay to Plaskett Creek Campground - 60 miles Today started out in pouring rain. Big drops and heavy winds made the breakdown of the camp not a dry one. When I thought it couldn’t go further up, the next turn proved me wrong. I was getting slower and feeling the legs from the past few days.  Day 8: Plaskett Creek Campground to Carmel by the Sea - 61 miles Big push today. There was a landslide on Highway 1 that closed the road north for us. However, it didn’t stop me from pushing through to actually see if we could cross it. So, with that in mind I got up extra early. 5:00 AM the alarm rang, packed up everything from the campground at Plaskett Campground and off I went. After what seemed like the longest time, I made it to Carmel by the Sea. Stopping at an inn tonight that is $100 - not bad for Carmel! Day 9: Carmel by the Sea to Santa Cruz - 55 miles This morning, I didn’t want to wake up, but getting up early has had me waking up naturally at 5:30 AM now. I had to move. Maybe muscle memory is hitting me. Absolutely defeated. I don’t know how I pushed through the final 10 miles. Kind of a blur. Focused on the route and landmarks to know if I was going the right way.  Day 10: Santa Cruz to Pigeon Point - 32 miles Easy peasy. Slept in for a whole hour hahah! Woke up at 7:00 AM and was on the road by 8:00 AM. I was still feeling my legs for the first 2 miles but was getting back into rhythm after. Overall, I expect to be emotional when I arrive tomorrow. Mixed feelings of accomplishment and pain will come. Day 11 (aka: Final Day) Pigeon Point to San Francisco - 58 miles Full circle. Today was the last day on the bike to finish the quest from San Diego to San Francisco. I woke up earlier than my alarm. I think I just could not wait to get up and go. The sunrise at the lighthouse was a spectacle! Greeted by the roomies with Delirium beer and some cheers made this a super nice ending to the trip. My mind is still racing from the past 11 days of riding. I’m going to sum it all together over the next week.  Each day was one to remember. Didn't have enough of San to San? Well, here might be a solution. There is a more detailed journal in digital download format that you can check out on my Pat McGrady Visuals website (Direct Purchase link HERE). The support around this adventure was an experience in itself. Let me know what you think about the film, this Journal, and about the next adventure that "San to San" inspires you to do. Always grateful to have people around me who are stoked about adventures like San to San and fuel more exploration to come! Here’s to surrounding yourself with like minds and many more adventures to come!  Journal - Biking the California Coast - San Diego to San FranciscoComments are closed.
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