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Tour the California Redwoods

Touted as California’s toughest “century” (a 100-mile bicycle ride), the Tour of the Unknown Coast lives up to its appellation. Held annually in early May, the TUC attracts both sightseeing tourists and serious cyclists who relish the challenge.

The event starts in Ferndale, located in the heart of Northern California’s redwood country. Rolling just after sunrise, riders wind their way through small picturesque valleys before diving into the redwoods. Twenty-five miles later, they enjoy a rest stop at Immortal Tree Gift Shop in the Avenue of the Giants.

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Climbing westward over 2,700 feet, Panther Gap awaits the riders before the plunge down to the Pacific. Post-lunch at A.W. Way Park (mile 63), the confines of the forest give way to panoramic vistas of the breezy coast.

Riding north along the coast into a prevailing 20-mph northwest wind makes the flat road feel hilly. At the 80-mile mark, the Wall (a 22% grade) is negotiated and the route turns back inland over the coastal mountains. The grand finale is a welcome four-mile downhill swoop back to Ferndale.

While the masochistic riders are toiling throughout the day, more intelligent visitors can relax and sightsee in Ferndale, a turn-of-the-century Victorian village. Replete with antique shops and art galleries, Ferndale is an ideal base from which to tour the historical sites of Humboldt County.

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Touted as California’s toughest “century” (a 100-mile bicycle ride), the Tour of the Unknown Coast lives up to its appellation. Held annually in early May, the TUC attracts both sightseeing tourists and serious cyclists who relish the challenge.

The event starts in Ferndale, located in the heart of Northern California’s redwood country. Rolling just after sunrise, riders wind their way through small picturesque valleys before diving into the redwoods. Twenty-five miles later, they enjoy a rest stop at Immortal Tree Gift Shop in the Avenue of the Giants.

Sponsored
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Climbing westward over 2,700 feet, Panther Gap awaits the riders before the plunge down to the Pacific. Post-lunch at A.W. Way Park (mile 63), the confines of the forest give way to panoramic vistas of the breezy coast.

Riding north along the coast into a prevailing 20-mph northwest wind makes the flat road feel hilly. At the 80-mile mark, the Wall (a 22% grade) is negotiated and the route turns back inland over the coastal mountains. The grand finale is a welcome four-mile downhill swoop back to Ferndale.

While the masochistic riders are toiling throughout the day, more intelligent visitors can relax and sightsee in Ferndale, a turn-of-the-century Victorian village. Replete with antique shops and art galleries, Ferndale is an ideal base from which to tour the historical sites of Humboldt County.

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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