The Adventure Is Over...It was Quite A Ride!

Thursday, December 11, 2014

It has been almost a month since we got off our bikes in San Diego. Just like in 2010 at the end of our first big ride, we have mixed emotions about it ending. In some ways we are relieved but in many ways we are sad that the adventure has come to an end.

One of the things I would like to again do is a statistic page. So here goes.

State By State Statistics...

Washington = 602.46 km. in 10 days for 60.25 km. per day.

Oregon = 646.64 km. in 10 days for 64.66 km. per day.

California = 1817.94 km. in 30 days for 60.60 km. per day.

Overall Statistics...

# of Days Riding = 50 days.

Average Daily Distance = 61.34 km.

Days Off = 7 days.

Longest Day = 91.64 km.

Maximum Speed = 61.22 km. per hour.

Total Ride Distance = 3067.04 km.

Equipment Analysis...

Once again our Rocky Mountain bicycles were 'bullet proof'...they truly were work horses. We completed the whole journey without a flat...something that no-one else that we met could say. I suspect that we were lucky but the Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires we have are the 'Cadilacs' of bicycle touring tires. Our new MSR tent...I guess that I should quit calling it that, it is well broken in now...it worked flawlessly...well maybe it had some issues with the lakes underneath it in some of the torrential rains...but that was not the fault of the tent. Our Coleman stove 'bit the dust' but it was after all 'old'. Overall, our equipment again served us well.

Some Personal Observations...

The West Coast...Left Coast...is a world class cycling destination. It is a difficult ride...the hills just keep coming at you day after day...but the scenery is outstanding. I know that it is a cliché but it is true: words cannot describe the scenic beauty, only pictures can tell the true story. I hope some of our pictures do tell that story!

Oregon was our biggest surprise. Us 'Easterners' have been 'bombarded' with information and images of California...Oregon cannot take a 'back seat' in any way. Its beaches, it can be argued, are as nice as any in California, and a lot less 'disturbed' by human influence...truly amazing!

We were treated really well by everyone we encountered...with the exception of the San Diego Bike Shop owner...we will put that to rest! We also got to spend some time with other tour cyclists something that we had never experienced before. It was fun to spend time, swap stories, and realize that everyone has their own reasons for touring but that we all share an 'incredible' bond. We learned the term 'pay forward'...when someone helps you out...pass it on to the next person that is in need...a motto more people need to learn in the 'real' world.

Enough rambling...it is time to wrap this up! I would like to thank all of the people who have taken the time to follow the blog. It again has been fun to share our experiences with you.

I also would like to thank all of our friends and family who shared in and made our latest adventure possible. Without your help and support Sue and I would never be able to take on these journeys! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Our adventure is over...only the memories remain...but they are great memories! I have the feeling we are not finished with the bicycles yet...I suspect we will be back!!!

The 'Saga' Of The Bicycles is Over

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

The 'wayward' bicycles have returned home safe and sound. It is difficult to believe that it was such a difficult thing for the San Diego Bike Shop. A lesson was learned that is for sure. Do your homework before trusting the word of a total stranger. We are still unsure what the bike shop's problem was but in the end they are nicely tucked away in our basement ready for a cleaning and re-assembly.

I have been delaying the final thoughts about our adventure until we found out about our bikes...I guess I have no more excuses for delaying.

Stay tuned!

We Have Arrived Home Safely

Thursday, December 4, 2014

After a long day of driving from Sault Ste. Marie, we have arrived safely at home.

A wrap up of our 'Adventure' will be posted in the next couple of days...so stay tuned!!!

Ticking off The Kilometers

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

For the first time on this adventure the time change got me. My internal clock failed me by an hour. So we hit the road a little later than usual.

Unlike yesterday, the drive up and around Lake Superior was quite scenic. It does not matter how many times we drive through the area we are impressed every time. The road conditions varied today. We faced roads that were snow packed, to icy, to slushy, to wet, to dry. The sun shone at times and at other times it snowed hard with blowing snow greeting us as well. But the panoramic views of Lake Superior more than made up for the 'iffy' driving conditions. We made it to Sault Ste. Marie where we are staying at a Comfort Inn. And yes Neil we saw your 'landfill' sign or was that a 'scenic route' sign?

Just an 'update' on our bicycles. Last week I posted that there had been a bit of a 'mix up' or should I say a 'very large screw up' with the shipping of our bikes by the San Diego Bike Shop. We have some positive information to now pass along. After several attmepts to get in touch with them by email to confirm the shipping destination, cost etc., and then contacting them by telephone on 4 different occasions, I finally 'blew my stack' at the owner and mysteriously they were shipped that very day. So now they are in the hands of Fed Ex and are on their way to Port Huron. It is incredulous that his bike shop is the only place in the world that cannot recieve an email from us. Enough for now...every time I think or talk about the bicycle shop my 'blood boils'. So on the bicycle shipping front...progress has been made.

One Day Older...One Day Wiser...I Hope

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

The drive between Kenora and Thunder Bay is not that scenic in the Summer...it is even less so in the Winter when the lakes are frozen over and what little snow there is dirty. The drive was not exactly 'inspiring'. Even our stop at Kakabeka Falls was not what we are used to. It has the reputation of being the Niagara Falls of the North but today it was at least 90 % frozen over.

On the positive side, the sun shone and the temperature rose from minus 21 to a balmy minus 6...still not exactly San Diego weather but a heck of an improvement over the last couple of bone chilling days. We also made it past our intended destination of Thunder Bay and are in Nipigon for the night. We are again re-visiting a motel we stayed in while cycling in 2010. This time, however, we are not 'drowned rats'!

Sue asked me this morning how I felt about celebrating another birthday. My answer was "I feel one day older and one day wiser"!!!

Sunrise In Northern Ontario

Kakabeka Falls - One Of Sue's Favorite Places

After 2 1/2 Months We Have Returned To Ontario...But Still We Have A Long Way To Go

Monday, December 1, 2014

The truck 'groaned' this morning before it 'fired'...it might have been the minus 29 Celsius with a wind chill that was absolutely 'bone chilling'. Even the steering was 'stiff' and so was I by the time I finished fueling up the truck. Even the air from the heater was only 'luke warm' after 15 minutes. How people actually live and work in these conditions is beyond my comprehension. The sad part is it gets a heck of a lot colder later in the Winter than we faced today...unbelievable!

We made great time through the rest of the Prairies today despite the 30 to 40 kilometer per hour winds that we were facing...that is the advantage of an automobile...it just burns more fuel. We had aimed for Winnipeg but have actually arrived back in Ontario after 2 1/2 months away. We are in Kenora tonight re-visiting a motel that we stayed in when we cycled through in 2010.

But wait...we might be in Ontario...but we are still a long, long way from home!

Another Prairie Sunrise

No Chance Of 'Sweating' Today

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Loading the truck this morning was a 'chilling' affair. It was clear, windy, and minus 24. Pumping fuel was even worse. My 'full' fingered 'riding' gloves just did not cut it...my hands almost froze! Within an hour the temperature had hit minus 28 and never made it above minus 21 for the entire day...not exactly 'sweating' weather.

It was a typical drive across the prairies, long and boring...and it is not done yet. We saw lots of cattle still grazing in the fields despite the frigid temperatures and the snow covered fields. The highlight of the day was the sighting of a 'snowy owl'. It has been more than 20 years since I have seen one.

We are 'overnighting' in Regina...and it is still 'bloody cold' outside and getting colder! We are presently watching the Grey Cup!

Sunrise In Frigid Alberta

What Direction To Head - You Would Think We Were On Our Bicycles

Saturday, November 29, 2014

We found out this morning that Highway 3 east of us had been closed due to the heavy snowfall and winds. It was still not open at 6:00 am. So the head scratching began. Do we hunker down and stay tucked away in our cozy motel room...do we head south across the border in search of less snowy conditions as was suggested to us on more than one occasion (FYI: That route had just as ugly of weather as we were having in British Columbia)...do we wait and see what happens with the closure at the Crowsnest Pass? By 9:00 and after 'exhaustively' researching different options, we decided to at least move the 200 kilometers to Fernie and see what the conditions were like by then. The strange part was that there was no snow in Creston and the temperature was a 'balmy 1 degrees. That changed. Within 100 kilometers the temperature had plummeted to minus 18 degrees. The roads were snow covered but not that bad. The real issue was all the truck traffic that we suspect was a result of a backup from the road closure overnight.

In Fernie we decided to 'keep on truckin' as the highway had re-opened. The Crowsnest Pass area certainly had lots of snow probably 3 feet of new stuff and it appeared around Sparwood that lots of vehicles had been in the ditch including a snowplow that was still off of the road and a transport flipped onto it's side.

By the time we were into Alberta and into the Pincher Creek area there was little snow and the road was dry...convenient since that is when I was willing to relinquish control for Sue to drive (as everyone knows that is tough for me).

We are staying in Taber tonight a place that we have travelled through two times before. On both occasions and particularly on our bicycles the memories are less than spectacular. It was pouring rain both times. For once it is not...but, but, but...it is minus 23 and dropping. Ouch!!!

Snow Near Sparwood...Where The Highway Had Been Closed

Back Tracking To Avoid Weather Problems...We Hope

Friday, November 28, 2014

While enjoying our coffee this morning we decided to substantially alter our planned route for the day. Instead of heading north onto the Trans Canada we decided to back track south to Highway 3. There was a heavy snowfall advisory and travel warning for the Lake Loiuse, Banff, and Calgary areas today. The southern route, Highway 3, had an okay forecast and since our routes are never 'written in stone', we headed in that direction. Although it rained heavily most of the day, the driving was okay. It gave us a chance to continue to 're-trace' our 2010 cycling route. Again we 'marvelled' at the climbing that we had done on our bicycles...in fact at times we were 'dismayed' by some of the extended climbs. We are not sure if we would have the abilities to do such climbs today...but then again, we have 'no' intentions of a 'Cross Canada repeat performance'.

We are staying in Creston tonight at the Creston Valley Motel. It is a really nice little place that I would recommend to anyone passing through the area.

PS. It was impossible to take any pictures today since the rain was to say the least never ending!

Enjoying The Okanagan

Thursday, November 27, 2014

It was kind of a sad beginning to the day as we had to say our goodbyes to our good friends Nancy and Gashaw. Thanks guys for going out of your way to look after us.

We were on the road by 7:50 and it was raining...imagine that...raining in the Vancouver area! It was fun to be able to retrace part of our cycling route from 2010. As we headed up into the mountains out of Hope, we soon realized why we had struggled so badly that first day in the mountains. We had climbed about 4400 feet...makes the west coast climbing 'pale' in comparison. But this time we were in an automobile, the more 'sane' way of travelling through the mountains.

A couple of days ago 2 to 3 feet of snow had fallen in the mountain passes but the roads had been cleared and our travels were good. Even the Osoyoos area had snow, a rare occurrence for the only desert area of Canada. We stopped at a couple of Wineries and enjoyed a couple of tastings. Yes Jan, can you imagine, we even bought some to bring home! We continued on to Vernon, our destination for the night. We have family in Vernon so we were able to have a visit with Neil and Jenna and the kids, Emily, Avery, and Isaac. Thanks guys, it was great to see you.

Tomorrow it appears like the weather could begin to present a 'new' challenge for us...we will see...but like the rest of our adventure, we will take it one day at a time on the journey home.

Snow As We Drove Through Manning Park

Descending Into Osoyoos

Bambi

Getting Ready For The Final Leg Of Our Adventure

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

We have had a liesurely day today. Gashaw again made us breakfast with his 'oh so good' coffee while Nancy went off to work.

The rest of the day has been spent getting our gear ready and the truck ready for the drive home. It seemed like a good idea to drive to Vancouver in mid September but I might not have 'thought through' the return part of the trip real well. Driving across Canada in the early December might be a challenge...but then again, this whole journey has been a series of challenges.

So tomorrow we say our goodbyes to our 'special' friends Nancy and Gashaw. We really appreciate your support and enduring friendship.

The 'final leg' of our adventure is about to begin.

A Major Hic-Up

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

We have encountered a 'major hic-up'. Our bicycles are still in The San Diego Bike Shop. The cost to get them home seems to have increased. Being the 'trustworthy' person that I am, I always think that people should be as good as their word. I might just have to 'adjust' that belief! Once again business ethics seem to have been replaced by greed! Let me explain. When we dropped them off a week ago Monday we were told that there was no problem, "we do this all the time". The first indication that something might 'screw up' was that they had not been shipped when we stopped in on Thursday. We were reassured that they would go out that afternoon. Today, and now that we are back in Canada, we find out that they will be more expensive than they had first indicated. Angry with the bike shop, disgusted with 'sleazy' business practices, not pleased with human nature, and very angry with myself are only a few of the emotions that consumed me most of the day today. To make things even more complicated it is now the American Thanksgiving...a major holiday.

In the end I suppose it will work out, at least I hope so. The new plan is that they will be shipped all the way home to Ontario. I am really 'pissed' off!!!

Back To Canada

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Sleeping on the train was a bit 'iffy' at least for me. I was awake early (no surprise) and watching the lights go by as we left Northern California behind. After a good breakfast we enjoyed the views from our room. We had left the coast behind yesterday so were able to enjoy some of the mountain scenery of Oregon. We were 15 minutes early to get into Seattle, our destination for the night. A short taxi ride and we were to our hotel for the night, The Belltown Inn. It is an old hotel that has been refurbished. It is quite nice but like lots of places should be a little bit more honest about their Wi fi abilities or outright lack of a useable service. Enough said everyone gets the picture...Wi fi is a 'spotty' service at best.

Monday, November 24, 2014

We were back on the train and heading for Vancouver by 7:30. It was a short 4 hour ride mostly along the water (Puget Sound). We were back in Vancouver by noon. After quickly clearing Canadian Customs we were met by our good friend Gashaw who whisked us back to Maple Ridge. It is nice to be back in Canada and amongst old friends.

Dusting Of Snow in Southern Oregon

The Train Ride

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Morning came early today...4:00 am...even for a 'morning' person!!! We dragged our baggage to the train station and jumped aboard 'The Surfliner' for the beginning of the next stage of our journey. After 3 hours we were in Los Angles after enjoying seeing some of the roads we had ridden and some of the campgrounds that we had stayed in. In Los Angles we changed trains to our sleeper accommodation. We were a little startled at the size of our room...or should I say the 'lack' of size of our room. Compared to our Cross Canada train accommodation this room is truly tiny...but it is private with great views of the countryside.

We spent some time in the 'Parlor Car' enjoying the 'panoramic views' of the Ocean...but only at times. Calling this train the 'Coast Starlight' is a bit misleading. We are not on the actual coast very much but it is great to see some of Southern California somewhat inland...or as much as you can see from a train window!

While sitting in the Parlor Car, we met a couple from Los Angles. We had a great conversation while enjoying the 'wine tasting' and joined them for dinner. Thanks Marc and Cindy for the 'openness' of your conversations and your genuine interest in our adventure.

Speaking of meals, the food is quite good just like it was on the train across Canada. And yes the wine is not 'too bad' either!

California Angels Stadium In Anaheim

A Date With A Brit

Friday, November 21, 2014

We did not have any particular plan today except to make sure that we were prepared to start the next part of our journey tomorrow. Our train leaves rather early (6:10 am) and it is a 30 minute walk to the train station.

A couple of days ago I realized that Chris our British cycling 'mate' might actually be passing through San Diego while we were still here. So through his blog on Crazy Guy On A Bike, I contacted him. Sure enough he was arriving in the city on Thursday and wanted to get together today to catch up on our experiences. For those of you who do not remember, Chris is from the United Kingdom and has cycled all over the world. We camped with him off and on north of San Francisco and rode with him the day we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge. He is on his way to Argentina, or as he likes to say, "somewhere south".

We had a great afternoon sitting in the Kansas City BBQ restaurant/bar swapping stories and solving all of the world's problems. FYI. One of the famous bar scenes from the movie 'Top Gun' was filmed here.

Chris has had a quite an adventure since we last saw him. He spent quite a bit of time in the Ventura and Los Angles area...no wonder we beat him to San Diego...because we all know it has nothing to do with our 'blistering pace'! Thanks Chris for sharing part of your journey with us. Your travels are truly inspiring. Good luck with the rest of your travels south...or wherever your journey takes you. We will be living 'vicariously' through your adventure.

The Left Coast Cab Sauv...I Guess The Blog Title Is Not That Original!

Gaslamp Quarter, Our Home For 6 Nights

The 'Kissing' Statue

Kansas City BBQ...An Afternoon Spent With Our British 'Mate'

A Tour Of An Aircraft Carrier

Thursday, November 20, 2014

We spent a good deal of time today climbing about the USS Midway, a decommissioned United States Aircraft Carrier. It was in service longer than any other aircraft carrier in history starting in quote "the uncertain post war years" (do you suppose they are referring to the years of Soviet Union?) "to the liberation of Kuwait in Operation Desert Storm" (their words). That was 47 years and here I thought only the Canadian Military used 'antique' equipment!

The ship, simply put, is huge. We put on earphones and went for a self guided tour. Whatever I think about war, and most people know that it is not positive thoughts, was temporarily swept aside by the shear magnitude of this vessel and the logistical nightmare it must be to operate such a vessel. Truly amazing! And sitting in it's 'belly' and up on the 'runway' were a lot of the fighter planes that flew off of this giant over the years. It was a fun experience...still does not change my mind about war and the military however!

Tonight we are off to get some 'culture'...well maybe not culture...we are going to see a show called 'Boomers' that highlights 1960's music. I just hope we can stay awake past our usual 8:00!!!

The USS Midway - A Decommissioned Aircraft Carrier

Take Off And Landing Strip On the USS Midway

Tall Ship Used In The Filming Of Pirates Of The Caribbean

Star Of India - Iron Hulled Merchant Ship Of The 1800's - It is Still Sailing Today

US Navy Ship Heading Out Of Port

Petco Park - Home Of The San Diego Padres

The World Famous San Diego Zoo

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Today we visited the 'world famous' San Diego Zoo. I have always been skeptical about zoos but being that we were in the city that has one of the 'best' zoos in the world, (so we are told) we had to go.

Since we now consider ourselves 'fit' after 7 weeks on the bikes, we decided to walk the 5 miles to the zoo and the 5 miles back from the zoo. We covered the 100 acres that makes up the area of the zoo in about 5 hours. What was I saying about being 'fit'? We may be fit for riding a bicycle but our 'hiking' muscles were 'groaning' by the time we returned to our hotel at the end of the day!

We saw lots of exotic animals...at least they were 'exotic' to us...from all over the world but mostly from Africa. We were constantly reminded that these animals were being kept in the conditions that they would experience in the 'wild'...but, but, but...elephants on dirt piles over top of concrete...birds in confined spaces that if they could fly sure could not fly far...monkeys on platforms and climbing on man made ropes...Koalas sitting in artificial trees eating eucalyptus branches that were provided for them...and a polar bear with temperature controlled water walking around on concrete that was supposed to look like the Artic Tundra with no ice in sight. You get the picture...it was interesting to see animals and birds from all over the world but they sure as heck do not look like they have enough territory to 'mimic' their real environments. I personally came away still skeptical of zoos and their purpose. But we can now say that we have been to the 'World Famous San Diego Zoo'!!!

Tomorrow we are off to visit the 'USS Midway' a United States 'retired' Aircraft Carrier.

Female Monkey (one of the many that we do not remember their name nor where they are from...we do know that it is endangered)

This Is The Male Of The Same Species...And They Call This A Natural Setting!

Hippopotamus

Red Panda

Giant Panda

Cougar

African Elephant...We Saw An Asian Elephant As Well

Giraffe

A Trolley Tour of San Diego

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

We decided to get ourselves 'acclimatized' to San Diego today. What better way to do it than to take a Trolley Ride around the city. It was a 'fun' and 'informative' way to be introduced to the city and be able to draw up a plan for the next 3 days of our stay. We jumped off the trolley in Old Town San Diego (the original settlement from the 1700's) and enjoyed a couple of hours wandering the Historical State Park. We enjoyed an authentic Mexican lunch washed down by a pitcher of Mexico's finest Margaritas. We then jumped back on the Trolley and were dropped off where we began which just happens to be right below our balcony at our hotel.

Just in case anyone thinks today was 'all fun and games', think again. We are presently sitting in a Laundromat doing that necessary evil called laundry.

Tomorrow we are off to the Zoo!!!

Saloon In Old Town San Diego...No we Did Not Partake Here...But We Did Next Door

Christmas In San Diego

It Seems Like All The Pictures I Took Today Had A Common Theme...Not Sure What That Means

A Day Of Important Errands

Monday, November 17, 2014

Up and on the...no...wait...we are not doing that any more!

Our morning was not the usual scramble to get the bikes loaded and hit the road. Instead we enjoyed 2 coffees with an 'infusion' of Baileys just for good measure. What a great way to start off the day! A little time on the computer and our plan was set for the day. We located a bike shop that advertised 'boxing' and 'shipping' bikes so we went to talk to them. Sure enough, they told us to "just drop them off and we will handle the rest". We then proceeded to the Sante Fe Train Station to have our boarding passes for Saturday morning printed. We had booked the return train 'excursion' online a couple of days ago. Then it was off to the Post Office to purchase a shipping box and some tape. A couple of hours later we wheeled our bikes into the bike shop, filled out some paperwork, gave them our credit card information and walked out the door. This is the moment that it truly hit us that the cycling part of our adventure had drawn to an end. So in a few days 'we hope' that our bicycles are re-united with us in Maple Ridge.

Then it was off to the Post Office 'lugging' a 42 pound box filled with our gear. It is being shipped home or at least back to Ontario.

FYI. For those of you who have been waiting for the 'fall count' to hit 'one', you are in luck! While walking to the Post Office carrying the rather heavy and awkward box, I tripped on a curb and landed headlong on the sidewalk...no great surprise to anyone who knows me...walking is when I am most clumsy!

So it is for real. Our gear is gone. We are now 'travellers' on foot. The rest of the day was spent relaxing sittting on our tiny balcony watching the 'nightlife' below!

Congratulations On The Fly

Sunday, November 16, 2014

We were on the road by 8:00. We were concerned about todays ride as we knew once again it could be difficult to navigate the 'urban jungle'.

It was a nice quiet ride out of Encinitas, through Cardiff By The Sea, and through Solana Beach. It was a Sunday so we were not really playing with a lot of traffic. The shoulder also had a dedicated bike lane. It was primarily us and the road cyclists out for their Sunday morning rides. We were able to watch hundreds of surfers carrying their surf boards to and from the ocean and riding the waves...or whatever it is that they do...actually they spend an awful lot of time on their stomachs on their boards and very little time standing on them...now remember this coming from a guy who has no idea about enjoying the water!

As we left Del Mar we plunged down into a large valley and as per usual when you go way down you have to go way back up! Sure enough we faced a long 2.5 kilometer climb up and over a headland to get to La Jolla. It was on this climb and as we entered La Jolla that numerous road bikers slowed to talk to us as we rode along genuinely interested in what we had experienced on the road for the past 7 weeks. We were led into La Jolla by two cyclists who gave us numerous suggestions of what we should try to see and do in San Diego. Eventually they had to leave us behind because they had tickets to the Chargers game later in the day. We had been warned that the ride through La Jolla could be a 'messy' one but although complicated was not too bad. We understand that we were lucky to be riding through the area on a Sunday as most cars were not out on the roads. It was through this area that we were passed by a cyclist who a few minutes later we realized was taking our picture while on the fly. She again slowed and wanted our blog address so she could send the pictures to us. They are posted on her Flicker Account. Now I just have to figure out how to access them...for me that could be a challenge!

As we entered the Mission Beach area the riding got 'ugly' on a bike path along the ocean. There were way too many people walking and unwilling to share their space with tour cyclists. Now I know that the pedestrians have the right away on these shared paths...but but but...whatever happened to 'common courtesy' I will never know. People would look at us and just continue walking 3 and 4 abreast. We managed to slowly weave our way through he 'people Jungle' until we got to the harbour area of San Diego where we had had enough of playing 'dodgem' and walked our bikes the rest of the way to our hotel.

We are staying in the Historic Horton Grand Hotel in the Gas Lamp district of Old San Diego. It is an area of restored buildings that has an unbelievable number of restaurants as well as Petco Park where the Padres play.

We plan to spend a few days of 'downtime' in the city being 'travelers'...just 'taking in' what there is to 'take in'! Like when we finished our ride across Canada, we are a little tired. Tomorrow will be a day to figure out the 'logistics' of getting our gear, our bicycles, and ourselves back to Vancouver. Maybe we should just go throw all of it in the harbour...probably not...I know we are not finished with this touring thing yet!!!

Trip Distance = 58.50 km. Time on the Bikes = 4 hours 22 minutes. Average Speed = 13.38 km. Maximum Speed = 42.23 km. Wildlife Sightings = Steroid 'enhanced' muscles on 'wanabee' body builders all along the boardwalk areas.!!!

The blog will be back in a couple of days so please stay tuned.

Surfin USA

Surfin USA

The End Of The Biking Part Of Our Adventure

We Have Arrived!!!

Sunday, November 16, 1:14 pm....We Have Arrived

Stay Tuned. We are heading out for a celebratory refreshment...or maybe more than one!!!

3000 Kilometers and Counting...But Not Too Many More To Go

Saturday, November 15, 2014

We were out of the park and on the road by 8:00. It seemed that our neighbours last night talked for half the night...it probably was half of our night...not all campers on Friday night want to get in their tents at 8:00 and go to sleep like tour cyclists are inclined to do!

The ride today could have been a 'navigational nightmare' but it was not. It was an easy ride out of Dana Point and through Capistrano Beach. We found a bike path that was not on any of our maps and took it. It kept the 'water to our right' which has been the goal of this whole trip! We were dreading the route through San Clemente as our maps showed it would be a right/left tour through subdivisions. To our delight, we never once had to consult our maps. For the first time on this entire trip the Bike Route signs were all visible and we simply followed them through the hilly streets. It even 'popped' us out onto a bike path/old highway along the side of the expressway. Being that it was a Saturday we again rode along with hundreds of cyclists out on their road bikes. We talked to some while we rode and others while we were stopped resting. We also travelled for a while with a couple from Austria who started their ride in Anchorage Alaska and were heading for Argentina.

One of the more unique experiences we have had on this journey was riding through Camp Pendleton, a United States Marine Base. We had to produce our passports as we entered and never saw another uniform until we exited the base 15 kilometers later. We saw lots of training facilities and 3 different housing areas each the size of small towns. We also saw a 'full fledged' mall before we made our escape from the base.

The rest of the ride was along the coast and The Pacific Coast Highway...or was it the North Coast Highway...or was it Carlsbad Boulevard...you get the picture...like yesterday, this road has way too many names!

We passed 3000 kilometers for our journey today. We do not have many more to go. With a little bit of luck we will arrive at our destination in downtown San Diego tomorrow. It is hard to believe that the cycling part of our 'journey' is drawing to a close.

We are staying in the Rodeway Inn in Encinitis tonight. What few campgrounds that exist through this area are really busy and do not have Hiker/Biker sites. So the camping part of our adventure ended last night in the 'sands' of Dana Point.

Trip Distance = 65.01 km. Time on the Bikes = 4 hours 14 minutes. Average Speed = 15.34 km. Maximum Speed = 41.63 km. Wildlife Sightings = White Crowned Sparrow, Godwit, Pelicans, Great Egret.

Sue Setting The Pace On Bike Path/Old Highway

The Strand In Oceanside...Better Lunch Spot Than Normal

Kids Enjoying The Waves At Oceanside

Polar Opposites

Friday, November 14, 2014

After a conversation with a German motorcyclist on a New York to Argentina around the world Journey, we hit the road by 8:00. Today's ride was made up of two parts...and they were polar opposites. The first 30 kilometers we enjoyed a bike path. At times it was along the side of streets but most of the time it was out in the middle of the beaches. We cycled through the rest of Long Beach, through Seal Beach, and then through the long and drawn out Huntington Beach. Huntington Beach probably has the widest beach we have encountered on our entire journey. If there was a downside to this part of the ride it was the headwind that we fought.

When we got to Newport Beach things changed and not for the better. We were forced onto The Pacific Coast Highway...or was it the West Coast Highway...or was it (if you can believe it) the East Coast Highway...all of them Highway # 1. So forgive us if at times we were frustrated with the route. At one point we were riding on a 8 lane expressway. When it narrowed to a 4 lane highway in Laguna Beach, we again were forced to contend with cars flying past us at 50 miles per hour on our left and parked cars on our right. There was nowhere to ride except out in traffic. And did I mention the hills? They surprised us and we spent some time visiting 'Granny' again.

Laguna Beach reminded us of the Malibu area that we had passed through a few days ago. The 'silly' traffic was one reason but we were back into an area where multi million dollar homes were 'perched' up in the hills. We saw a sign for a new subdivision that said houses would start at 4.5 million dollars...what a bargain! The car dealerships I suspect also were a reflection of the wealth in the area. We saw dealerships selling McLaren's, Audis, Ferraris, Mercedes, Lamborghinis, and Porsches. Where the heck the common person would buy the Fords, GM's, and Toyotas we have no idea!

We are camping in Doheny State Beach Park in Dana Point. Dana Point was the surf spot that the Beach Boys immortalized in their hit song 'Surfin USA'. We are on a regular site as the Hiker/Biker Site is both 'awful' and could not be occupied until 4:00 pm. The campground is not very nice but it is on the beach and we just witnessed another of the West Coast's beautiful sunsets.

Trip Distance = 65.19 km. Time on the Bikes = 4 hours 39 minutes. Average Speed = 14.02 km. Maximum Speed = 42.83 km. Wildlife Sightings = Great Blue Heron, Great Egrets (by the hundreds), Herring Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Coots, Ground Squirrels.

Ships Lined Up To Get Into Port Long Beach

One Of The Many Oil Platforms We Saw...How To Screw Up A Beautiful View

Multi Million Dollar Houses In The Hills

Sunset at Doheny Beach State Park...At 4:45 In The Afternoon!

Spending Some 'Down' Time In Long Beach

Wednesday, November 12 - Thursday, November 13, 2014

We have had some 'quality' down time for the last 2 days. Mary Lou and Ken joined us shortly after lunch on Wednesday and we wondered down to the Shoreline Village for some afternoon 'appetizers' and 'refreshments' overlooking the yachts. We then moved to a seafood restaurant for dinner. Our table was outside overlooking the water and the Queen Mary...nice!

We all went for a walk this morning back down to the ocean and then said our goodbyes to Mary Lou and Ken. Thanks guys for sacrificing 2 days of your holiday in Las Vegas to come join us and be a part of our adventure.

Sue and I spent the rest of the morning walking the 2 miles to the Queen Mary and spent some time admiring the old luxury liner up close. Moored just behind her was a modern cruise ship. It was interesting to see an old luxury ship so close to a modern luxury ship. The Queen Mary is big...but...dwarfed by the size of today's cruise ships.

We are presently sitting in a Laundromat getting everything clean for our final few days on our bikes. It is difficult to 'wrap around our brains' that the cycling part of this adventure is drawing to a close. Tomorrow morning we will jump back on the bikes and again head south. San Diego here we come!!!

Wildlife Sightings = Western Grebes (by the hundreds), Coots, Pelicans, Spotted Sandpiper, Willet, Long-billed Curlew, Surf Scoter.

The Queen Mary

The Queen Mary And A Modern Cruise Ship

Russian Submarine On Display Alongside The Queen Mary

Tuesday Night Neil and Mary Lou In Las Vegas

Wednesday Night Mary Lou With Sue, Kevin, and Ken In Long Beach California

Birdwatching on The Los Angles River

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

We delayed our departure this morning because again we knew that we had a really short day. So we hit the road at 8:45.

ACA did a terrific job of their route out of Redondo Beach, through Torrance, through Carson to Long Beach. To keep it simple this 'is' Los Angles even though technically it is not. We rode through mostly housing subdivisions and then through an industrial area (Carson). There were some large plants which we understand have something to do with the Petro Chemical Industry. The most fun we had was on the bike path along the side of the Los Angles River. This river has obviously been engineered to say the least. It has concrete walls and we rode up high on top of the berm along side it. It is also as straight as an arrow. The real bonus for us was that the river was 'teeming' with birdlife. We spent a lot of time trying to identify the ducks and the shorebirds. Who would have thought that with all the wild coastline we have encountered that the best bird watching would take place in the middle of the biggest 'urban sprawl' in the world. FYI. Los Angles does have the largest 'footprint' of any city in the world if you include all the cities and towns that are attached to it.

As we left the River Bike Path and were entering the harbour area of Long Beach we stopped to look at our maps. We did not have to get them out. A couple on recumbents stopped to talk to us about our journey. They were musicians who have lived here for 14 years. He is originally from New Orleans and she from New Mexico. Maps were not required after that. They led us along a series of bike trails being tourist guides for us and gave us some must do's and must see's while we are here. We said our good byes at the Shoreline Village area, an area of restaurants and shops at the harbour. We probably spent 1 1/2 hours with them.

We had lunch at a Mexican Restaurant overlooking some large yachts. When we started heading toward our destination for the night we were stopped by another cyclist who asked if we were lost. We were...sort of. He directed us to go to the next set of lights and we would find our motel. He is from Long Beach and tour cycles. We must have chatted with him for 30 minutes. Nice People these 'Long Beachers'!

We are booked into the Rodeway Inn for the next 3 nights. Mary Lou (Sue's sister) and Ken are coming over from Las Vegas tomorrow to spend some time with us. Looking forward to it!

Trip Distance = 30.81 km. Time on the Bikes = 2 hours 23 minutes. Average Speed = 12.90 km. Maximum Speed = 30 .22 km. Wildlife Sightings = Snowy Egret, Great Egret, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, Blue Winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal, Green Winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, American Wigeon, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Great Blue Heron, Kingfisher, Pelican, Coot, Turkey Vultures, Western Grebe.

Los Angles River And The Bike Path - Great Bird Watching And We Had Lots Of Time To Do It!

Two Ends Of The Spectrum...From Absolute Opulence To Homelsessness

Monday, November 10, 2014

We were slow leaving our 'nice closet' this morning as we knew that we had a short day. It turned out to be even shorter than expected. We hit the road by 8:20 after enjoying a second cup of coffee, something we rarely do when we are touring.

We coasted down to the ocean bike path to resume our trek along the beach. What a change from yesterday. On a Monday morning on an overcast day we 'more or less' had the bike path to ourselves. Yesterday the path was busy with walkers as well as hundreds of cyclists. We were not alone however. We were 'stunned' by the number of people who were obviously homeless. They are allowed to camp out on the Santa Monica beach.. Yesterday we saw such 'incredible' wealth and today we saw the people at the other end of the spectrum. I guess if I was a homeless person I would choose Southern California over Minneapolis St. Paul...yes we know about the snowstorm...any day! But it defies logic how there can be such incredible disparity within this country. This is not the first time we have saw homeless people on this trip. It has been evident in just about every urban centre that we have passed through. Today it was on a much larger scale. Do not get me wrong, I know we have a problem in Canada as well. 'Wow', the two ends of the wealth scale that we have experienced over the last couple of days is 'mind boggling'. There is a touch of guilt that we have the 'health' and the 'financial ability' to take on these adventures.

The ride today can only be described as 'leisurely'. We were on the bike path meandering on the beach for the entire day. We purposely rode really slowly...yes even slower than normal!!! We stopped at a concession stand on the beach for 45 minutes and enjoyed a third coffee while watching surfers 'ride the waves'. Shortly after resuming our ride we were at our destination for the night...it was not even noon yet! We had booked a motel last night just a couple of short blocks from 'The Pier' area of Redondo Beach. To kill time we walked our bikes around The Pier area and enjoyed a leisurely lunch. Then we pushed the bikes to our motel, the Redondo Pier Inn. Brian and Pat, I think you already know this but it is located at the corner of Garnet Street and The Pacific Coast Highway.

We are in their 'Wheelchair Accessible' room...no it is not because they thought we were disabled...although some people do question our mental stability to want to take on these adventures! They actually try to give cyclists this room because it is the only room that they have that is on the ground floor. So our view of the parking facilities and the commercial washing area is less than spectacular. However, the room is very large. The dining area is bigger than our whole room was last night!

Trip Distance = 28.09 km. (It was actually 5 kilometers shorter than we thought it was going to be). Time on the Bikes = 2 hours, 37 minutes. Average Speed = 10.66km. (You would think we were climbing hills all day...we were not). Maximum Speed = 32. 01 km. Wildlife Sightings = Black Crowned Night Heron, Pelican, Herring Gulls, Heerman's Gull, Great Blue Heron, Western Grebe, Pied Billed Grebe, Oyster Catchers, Willets, Godwits, Great Egret, Snowy Egret.

Bike Path On The Beach...A Great Way To Ride!

Surfers Waiting For A Wave

For Those Of You Who Think We Are Just Taking These Pictures Off Of The Internet, We Are Really On The Beach In Southern California!