Coast Walkers seek travelers for next trip up coastline

Coast Walkers seek travelers for next trip up coastline

By Ron Williamson

La Jolla residents, and some fellow travelers, are pictured at the approach to the Golden Gate Bridge having walked there over six days from Santa Cruz, a distance of 58 miles.

The group, calling itself the California Coast Walkers, has a goal of walking from Tijuana to Oregon. With the crossing of the Golden Gate Bridge in November, they have walked half of the coastline of California simply by taking a series of walking vacations.

On each trip, the Coast Walkers rent a van to cart their gear from hotel to hotel. They dine in restaurants and stay in the comfort of their hotel rooms at night. They walk about 10 miles per day at a leisurely pace of about two miles per hour.

On their most recent vacation, taken in November 2011, they drove from San Diego to the little town of Davenport, an old mining town just north of Santa Cruz, where they began their 58-mile walk to the Bridge. On the their way, walking as close to the water as possible, they passed through Half Moon Bay, Pacifica, and South San Francisco.

The walk took six days.

Their next trip is planned to begin on Sunday, May 13. It is open to all who enjoy walking. The trip will start by flying from San Diego to the San Francisco Bay-area where the group will rent a van, or vans, depending on how many people choose to participate.

The walk will begin at East Fort Mason in San Francisco and proceed from there by following the trail to Stinson Beach. From Stinson Beach the group will follow the coast to Bodega Bay. The destination is Fort Ross.

The trip will take seven days, including air travel time. Anyone interested in joining can contact Ron Williamson at (858) 245-9338 or Nick Haritatos at (858) 454-7661.

Participants pay for their own airline tickets, hotels, and meals, arranged by Coast Walkers. The cost of the van and gas is shared. The van drivers are volunteers from the group. There is no travel agent fee; nothing is paid to Coast Walkers. The costs are simply shared equally by all participants.

If you go

What:

California Coastal Walkers

Next Trip:

Begins Sunday, May 13. Takes 7 days, including air travel time

Start:

Fly from San Diego to San Francisco Bay-area

Destinations:

East Fort Mason, Stinson Beach, Bodega Bay, Fort Ross

Contact:

Ron Williamson, (858) 245-9338 or Nick Haritatos, (858) 454-7661