Bay Area: Alice's Restaurant (Woodside, CA)

[Lunchbag]

Thanks rdprdp01 for the nice ride report, and for bringing back memories.  When I lived in Saratoga I had just enough juice in the Royal E-field to ride up Big Basin Way and Skyline Blvd to Alice's and home again.  What a beautiful ride Skyline is, with views on both sides, although clouds often obscure the view towards the Pacific.  Some mornings I would ride up through a cloud layer on the south bay side and be greeted by sunshine on the way up.  The warming effect of leaving the moisture and entering the sunshine was magical.  One of those mornings is captured in the first photo below.  Both photos were taken facing the South bay, somewhere on Skyline east of Alice's.

I recall having to be careful sometimes when the moisture from the pacific side would run up and over the slope and drip on the shaded parts of Skyline.  I think a lot of riders hurt themselves on this road.  We would sit on our deck at home on the weekends and hear a group of riders scream up Big Basin Way, then a few minutes later we would hear an ambulance go up after them.  Fast cars go up there too.  There are many land preserves and trailheads along the ridge for hiking and biking.  I once backpacked with my sons from the ridge at Castle Rock SP to the Pacific coast.  I don't think you can do that now, after the big fire destroyed Big Basin Redwoods SP.  Anyway, I digress, but thanks again for the story and pictures.  I didn't leave my heart in SF, but I may have left a piece of it in the Santa Cruz hills.

Oh, I just looked at your route map and I see you took 280 to 84.  Next time I would try 35 (Skyline) to Alice's.  After your meal, continue southeast on Skyline for more great views, then return via 9 (Big Basin Way).