Skyline (Hwy 35) From Alice's to Bonny Doon, Mountain Riding

I generally start off my rides at Alice's Restaurant . It's a great pitstop, whether you need a little fuel for the bike, or a little fuel for yourself, to grab a bite to eat.

From there, you can jump on to Highway 84 (La Honda Rd) to San Gregorio at the Highway 1 coast or stay on Highway 35 (Skyline Boulevard). Today I chose an old favorite south on down Highway 35.

It's called Skyline Boulevard for good reason. At an altitude of 2100 feet, you are literally riding on the top of the mountain through the redwood trees. This can only be described as the quintessential motorcycle ride that draws motorcyclists from around the world. After a nice ride through the Redwoods, hang a right onto Highway 9 heading into Big Basin.

The fun route is to stay straight on highway 236 (Big Basin Highway) instead of hanging the left to continue on Highway 9 at the cross road. This part of Big Basin Highway is only about a car and a half wide, and fairly twisty with blind turns, so watch out for tourists.

A word of warning! I took a short cut down China Grade Road off of Highway 236. DON'T DO THAT ROAD! Unless you're rather adventurous, or just nuts like me 😉. You never know what you will find there. Anything from fallen trees, missing asphalt, streams running across the road, or even landslides are quite common on that stretch. Best just to stay on Highway 236 and cruise through the Big Basin Park loop. When you come out the other side hang a right onto Jamison Creek Road. This is a fairly twisty, yet well traveled by the locals, stretch of road that will take you across to the tee at Empire Grade, where you hang a left and head on down toward Santa Cruz.

Empire Grade is a nice meandering open road that becomes much more straight-line and less wooded as it drops down the hill towards UCSC. I prefer to hang a right at Pine Flat Road on down the hill a bit into Bonny Doon. Pine Flat Road becomes Bonny Doon Road, and tees back into Highway 1 at the bottom of the hill. At this point it's your choice. Hang a left and head to Santa Cruz, or hang a right and head toward Half Moon Bay. I'm heading back Highway 1 toward Half Moon Bay, but taking the long way around through the dozens of little side roads that zigzag through the mountains and back home. But that's another route post for another day.