Hwy 1 is not too bad except for the first two miles or so north of Fort Bragg. I almost got terminated by an RV in that area. I feel the same way you do about cars. However, without a car in this region it's really hard to get around (there's one bus per day in and out of Fort Bragg). For example, to get to the 101 corridor (Leggett, Laytonville, Willits) by bike you have to go about 45mi over the coastal range (3000-4000ft depending on which road you take) or you can go south to 128 and then cut east to the 101 about half-way between Ukiah and Hopland (about 70mi). The village of Mendocino is an easy 8mi south of Fort Bragg, but you have to be real careful on the narrow bridges, and night rides are a hail Mary. So, eventually, I'll have to get a car. My bike isn't set up for trails, but I like riding easy trails when I can. There are some logging roads that go deep into the hills. Mostly, I just love to float through this region. Do you ever go Sierraville hot springs? There's a really nice place called Orr hot springs here in Mendocino county. I've been to both places. I'm going to try to bike up to Orr over the summer.

The Chehalis Western Yelm to Tenino Rails-to-Trails Bicycle Trail that begins in Olympia WA and ends in Tenino or Yelm WA.
The Chehalis Western Trail is 15 miles,and it intersects with The Yelm To Tenino Trail. Another 15 miles to Yelm,or 13 miles to Tenino depending if you go left or right.
It's a 100% Motorized VEHICLE-FREE Paved Wooded Bicycling Paradise!
VERY few Rollerbladers use it,and almost NO Mom's walking baby Strollers it's 98% Bicyclist's!

I'm with you, Candace. As a Sacramento resident, I take advantage of this stretch nearly every weekend. You go from flatland to foothills during this ride and it is great fun to watch the terrain and plant life change as you climb.

I've done the Tiburon Loop quite a few times. It's great for a scenic ride near the city (SF). I like the back roads through west Marin; Point Reyes, Tomales Bay, and the town of Tomales.

rats. sorry about the messed-up code. i don't see any way to delete my post or edit. wtf?

I lived in Bellingham WA for about 5 months; 1/06-5/06. I used to bike Chuckanut to Edison and back. That's a wonderful ride. Edison has several cool art galleries as well as a bakery, pub, and eateries. The population is only 133, but it's a cool place. I once road there on a day that seemed like it was only going to drizzle a little bit. By the time I got there it was raining steadily and I was soaked. So, I squeezed out most of the water and went into the bar (I forgot the name) and had a beer. The whole thing felt great, even on the ride home.