Two Wheels in Transit: Cycling the Left Coast: Another Really Wet Night

Saturday, November 1, 2014

All that can be said about last night was that IT WAS WET! The rain started about 3:30 just after we set up the tent. It rained hard all night at times a torrential downpour. We survived it...barely...15 1/2 hours in a tent is a little much...so is 2 meals of bagels and peanut butter in one day. It was raining too hard to cook! But you know it is all part of the adventure.

The rain stopped about 6:30 this morning just in time for us to pack up our 'sopping' tent and hit the road by 8:05. Again we were the first to break camp. It turned out that another young couple from Vancouver had arrived after we were in our tents. They had camped with us the night before...they were not the party group.

Two major climbs met us in the first 25 kilometers and they tested our now strong leg muscles. After 'making haste' of them both...well maybe not haste...we were treated to the most beautiful flat ride of our entire trip...30 kilometers with the wind at our back...the ocean lapping to our right...and cattle grazing to our left...what a dream.

We were also treated to a once in a lifetime 'show' by the Elephant Seals. They were right on the shoulder of the road and seemed to know that we were photographing them...what a treat! We also got distant views of the Hearst Castle, William Randolph Hearst's castle on top of a hill overlooking the countryside below (that I am sure he owned) and the ocean...heck he might have owned a piece of it too!

When we arrived in San Simeon Village we were looking to buy some groceries to continue on to a campground outside of town. We quickly realized that the sunshine we had enjoyed all day was being replaced by one of the ugliest skies we have seen on this journey. We bailed into the Courtesy Inn that we just happened to be standing outside of contemplating what to do. As we were checking in one of the other guys that had camped with us for the last 2 nights and we had cycled with off and on all day arrived to check in as well. Robert is from Eugene Oregon and is an interesting character. We went next door to a pub with Robert for dinner. While waiting for our food to arrive and enjoying a couple of 'refreshments' the young couple from Vancouver limped into the parking lot. He had a major tire issue and it actually blew when he was walking the bike to their room. They also joined us for dinner. What a great fraternity this tour cycling is!

Trip Distance = 56.41 km. Time on the Bikes = 3 hours 56 minutes. Average Speed = 14.32 km. Maximum Speed = 51.00km. Wildlife Sightings = Hummingbird, Great Egrets, Red Tailed Hawk, Hermit Thrush, Pelicans, Elephant Seals.