Bicycle Paths At Their Best

Saturday, November 8, 2014

The sunset last night over the ocean was something to see. It almost made up for the car horn that sounded at 2:30 in the parking lot right beside our tent. This was not like our 'wimpy' car alarms. It was not a series of beeps but a full out blare of the horn non stop. It kept blaring until the battery went dead in the truck. To say the least, everyone in the campground was awake...except the owner of the 'bloody' truck! Justice will be served when it will not start for him today! And just for good measure a train went by at 6:00 blasting its horn just in case anyone was trying to sleep in.

We were on the road by 8:10 after saying goodbye to Bill. He had a much longer day planned than we did...surprise, surprise!

After a short distance on the expressway...where we 'were' legal we saw a sign that read "bicycles must exit the expressway". This came as a surprise to us as ACA had us on the highway for 6 more kilometers. What an unexpected but pleasurable surprise when at the end of the 'off ramp' we found a brand new bike path between the expressway and the ocean. We were barricaded from the highway and were able to enjoy a 'fast' spin along the waterfront. Due to the fact that it was a Saturday, we were not alone...nor for that matter were we that fast...as hundreds of 'roadies' were out spinning along the new path as well.

At the end of the bike path we popped out onto Highway 1 again. We thought we had lost it for good a couple of days ago but obviously we were wrong. On the side of this stretch of highway they allow RV's to camp. There were 127 spots and all were filled. They might be parked on the ocean but what an 'idiotic' place to camp when Southern California has so many beautiful State Parks to camp in.

As we rode through Ventura the bike paths and then the street path riding was quite nice. Again through Oxnard and Port Hueneme the navigation was quite simple. Do not get me wrong...I am still not a fan of urban riding!

We are staying in a motel tonight in Port Hueneme, the Del Playa Inn. It has seen its better days and says it has been recently renovated. If so I would not recommend the company that did it to put it politely. We are, however, by ourselves...whatever that means. We went next door to do our laundry and were surprised to find ourselves 'smack dab' in the middle of a Mexican Migrant worker area. The Plaza even has a US Immigration office. We have been to their market and are going to eat in our room tonight as the neighborhood could be sketchy after dark. As we were walking back to the motel we saw some really nice automobiles with some not so nice looking individuals in them.

Trip Distance = 52.30 km. Time on the Bikes = 3 hours 16 minutes. Average Speed = 15.96 km. Maximum Speed = 45.51 km. Wildlife Sightings = Willets, Western Grebe, dead Possums on the road.

RV's Lined Up Along The Ocean Camping

Surfers At Ventura Beach

Wooden Pier At Ventura

Anyone Who Likes Urban Riding Needs Their head Examined!

Friday, November7, 2014

It was nice to be able to enjoy a part day in Refugio State Park sitting in the shade of the palm trees and watching the waves crash on the shoreline. We were joined by Bill (from Colorado) who we last saw when we camped in the torrential downpour in Plasket Creek campground a few days back. We were also joined by a biker from Germany and one from California.

We were on the road by 8:00. We were again the first to break camp. For the first 20 kilometers we enjoyed an easy ride along the shoulder of the expressway Highway 101. It is, however, not blessed with opportunities to observe and enjoy what is around you as you are bombarded by cars flying by at 55 miles per hour or more.

We were forced off of Highway 101 as we entered Goleta. Bicycles and pedestrians are not allowed to be on the expressway through urban areas. The ACA route looked like a good one. Boy were we mistaken! It took us to a bike path that led through the University of California Santa Barbara Campus. We were actually looking forward to some nice bike paths. Boy were we in for a surprise. The ACA map's instruction read as follows. "Turn left onto bike path and follow it across campus". It should have added that you needed to be psychic to know which bike path to follow across campus as there must have been 25 branches to this bike path. The only reason we negotiated our way through the 'maze' of bike lanes was because Sue got a cycle path map from the information place on campus. ACA's next instruction was "as you leave campus turn left and cross Goleta Slough". There were no signs for this...being psychic might have helped again. We turned left onto a bike path that promptly took us back up to the road we had turned off of to get to the bike path to go through campus. We had ridden 6 kilometers and had by now only managed to circle an airport. ACA by this time was getting a failing grade from us...and we were only just getting to the big urban area of Santa Barbara. With a little bit of 'hair pulling' and a whole lot of 'foul language', we were able to navigate ourselves to Carpenteria Beach State Park in Carpenteria. It has an incredible beach. We are again in the Hiker/Biker site and are again camping with Bill (Colorado). There are also 2 British cyclists here. They are quite the story. They have ridden the Pacific Coast Route on fixed gear bikes just like I had as a kid. How in the heck you could climb the hills on the coast without being able to shift your bike down is impossible for us to comprehend.

Trip Distance = 64.01 km. Time on the Bikes = 4 hours 8 minutes. Average Speed = 15.49 km. Maximum Speed = 42.83 km. Wildlife Sightings = Red Tailed Hawk, Heerman's Gull, Western Gull, Western Grebe, Coots, Scrub Jay, Ground Squirrel, Great Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret.

A good bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon has turned our day around. And to plagiarize again...life is good!

Santa Barbara

Great Blue Heron Fishing For Ground Squirrels On Our Campsite

Sunset Over Carpenteria Beach

The Last Big Climb...We Think

Thursday, November 6, 2014

We hit the pavement by 8:00 after 'devouring' the Continental Breakfast that the Travelodge offered.

The forecast was for high temperatures today and that is what we got. It reached 30 degrees by 10:00. Not what you want when you are climbing. We had read about the climb up and away from Lompoc and had been told by locals how hard it would be. It never really lived up to its billing. It was a long one, 25 kilometers, but a relatively easy one up through cattle country. What was different about this cattle area was that we actually saw some of the ranch buildings and corrals as well as lots of cattle. Considering what these cattle are grazing on they look really good.

With the temperatures around 30 degrees it was a welcome sight to see the sign that said that we were about to have a 7 degree downhill run for 3 kilometers. The descent was one of the best of the entire trip. We were able to 'coast' at speeds exceeding 50 kilometers per hour for the whole 3 kilometers. We did not have to touch our brakes...good thing as our brake pads are pretty much 'toast'! Today was the last big climb of this adventure...at least that is what we think.

The rest of the day was spent on the shoulder of the expressway Highway 101. Our constant companion through most of California, Highway 1, came to an end today. We were also blessed with a tail wind as we rode along the ocean once again. It was nice to be back out along the coast as for the last couple of days we had been playing up in the hills.

We are camping in Refugio State Park Hiker/Biker. The park is located about 30 kilometers north of Santa Barbara. We are steps from the ocean and set up under some palm trees. We arrived here by 12:30 earlier than we are used to getting to a campground. It is nice to be able to relax for the afternoon watching the waves crash on the sand/rubble beach.

Refugio got its name because it was here that Spanish smugglers took refuge from the authorities in the late 1700's and very early 1800's. Today it is a major oil producing area...at least it is out in the ocean. We can see 4 oil platforms from our campsite.

Trip Distance = 57.26 km. Time on the Bikes = 4 hours 1 minute. Average Speed = 14.26 km. Maximum Speed = 57.30 km. Wildlife Sightings = Coots, Mallards, Heermans Gull, Herring Gulls, Red Tailed Hawk, Hermit Thrush, Scrub Jay, Brown Pelicans, Ground Squirrels, Meadowlarks, unidentified Wren.

Calf Laying In Field...Green Grass They Were Eating Was Seeded Down

Oil Platform Off The Coast

Camping On The Ocean Under The Palm Trees

Slowing The Pace...Even More

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

We have taken the day off. We needed to re-supply our groceries and essentials and do that evil thing called laundry...again. So this morning we said goodbye to our Vancouver friends. They moved on and left us in the campground enjoying our second cup of coffee. It was great to spend time 'hanging out' with you guys. Enjoy the last few days of your adventure and take some time...off the bikes...to reflect upon your journey. It seems to Sue and I that you have caught the 'touring bug'. It is a good 'bug'!!! And for sure you have to ride Canada. You would love it.

We are slowing our pace a little bit for the next part of our journey. Now I know people will ask...How the heck can you get any slower? Well we can and we are going to. We are looking forward to meeting up with family in a few days. Mary Lou and Ken are coming over from Las Vegas to spend some time with us. We plan to meet them somewhere just south of Los Angles...somewhere yet to be determined. So we are going to 'burn' a couple of days. That will not be a hardship. We, after all, have lots of time.

Talk about slowing our pace down...we actually went backwards today going north from our campground back into Lompoc. We are now checked into the Travel Lodge. Now how is that for 'slowing the pace'?

Tomorrow we head off on the 'final leg' of our journey. There is a major climb that we understand goes on and on and on. We are ready...I think. I guess if we are not by now we never will be.

"Strawberry Fields Forever"

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

We had a good evening swapping stories with our young Vancouver friends and another cyclist from Montana who had also shared the site. There were two downsides to our evening. It got really cold. I always thought the temperatures were to be warmer as we went south. It is during the day but it sure as heck is not after the sun goes down and the sky is clear. We also had a 'really' and I stress 'really' strange guy on the campsite next to us. He was into the 'God Bless' this and 'God Bless' that! Heck, I was blessed a half dozen times...anyone who knows me understands that that particular ship passed a long time ago!!!

We were first to leave the campground hitting the road by 8:10 with the temperature hovering around 7 degrees. But one thing is for sure, it warms up here in Southern California quickly. By mid afternoon it was 27 degrees.

Once again we rode through one of California's vegetable and strawberry growing areas...particularly strawberries. We rode through hundreds and hundreds of acres. The fields went on forever...we rode for over 25 kilometers through these fields. It is astounding the scale of this considering that these berries are all picked by hand. Hundreds of people were picking. This area was far bigger than the area we rode through a few days ago. Even more interesting is that if they do not irrigate the do not grow.

We were fondly looking at the berries and hoping we would find a place to purchase some when we were flagged down by a guy on a motorcycle standing in front of a stand. He was munching on a large box of berries. He was from Lithuania and was riding a motorcycle from New York to San Francisco. He had been on the road for 5 weeks. He was an interesting character and simply wanted to share his berries with us and converse with someone who he probably considered crazier than himself.

The day had been nice and flat but as most days have been on this adventure that did not last. When a road is called 'Harris Grade Road' you have to know that something is coming that is not good for cyclists. We climbed for 4 kilometers up and over to get us to our destination in Lompoc. We are camping in River Park RV Park in the edge of Lompoc. It was supposed to have a Hiker/Biker Site but it was closed back in June. Funny how their website makes no mention of this...how difficult could that be to change? However, our young friends from Vancouver arrived and shared our site. We beat the system. Hiker/Biker Sites usually cost $5 a person. This site was $15 split four ways.

Trip Distance = 82.10 km. Time on the Bikes = 5 hours 26 minutes. Average Speed = 15.07 km. Wildlife Sightings = Gold Finches, Red Tailed Hawks, Turkey Vultures.

One Of The More Unique Gates We've Seen

"Strawberry Fields Forever"

If They Do Not Irrigate They Do Not Grow

In Search of Fire

Monday, November 3, 2014

I like this time change...at least in the morning. We were on the road by 7:35. However, and it is a big however, we did not have our porridge or more importantly our coffee...and me without coffee in the morning is like a bear with a sore paw. I guess an explanation is in order. Last night when I went to prime 'old faithful', our Coleman stove, it made some 'screeching' noises that sounded like steel on steel...and I am sure that is exactly what it was. The 'primer' was 'pooched'. We managed to cook dinner with what little pressure we had but 'old faithful' was of no use to us this morning. So off to San Luis Obispo we went...but that was 20 plus kilometers away...in search of fire...well maybe not fire but a new stove.

The ride to the city was actually quite nice. We went up through the hills through cattle country then followed a valley where intensive vegetable growing took place and then came upon a large wine producing area. In the middle of all of this was this really intensive oil rig area where they were drilling a whole bunch of new wells. Other than one steep climb and a blast downhill, the ride was pretty flat. The caffeine deficiency was not too serious...not as bad as we had feared. We found a coffee shop and began to research where in town we could buy a new stove. We came up with a few choices and surprisingly they were not far off route nor were they difficult to find. We are now the proud owners of a new MSR stove. It is eerily like the one I left at home so that I could bring 'old faithful' instead. We are $150 poorer for it...oh well...that is the life of a tour cyclist!

For a city of just under 50,000 people, San Luis Obispo was a good urban riding experience with its dedicated bike lanes. I am actually grow fond of these lanes to get through urban messes. We then rode the short distance to Pismo Beach to start the urban mess all over again. We again stumbled upon an Information Office that told us how to get to a grocery store and to the State Park.

We are camping at Pismo Beach State Park Oceano Campground. We were about .5 kilometers from the park when we met our young Vancouver friends coming back from the park and heading for a not so nice RV Park. They told us that the Hiker/Biker site had been shut down. So we decided to share a regular site. After arrival another cyclist from Montana appeared and he is also camping with us. It made the cost the same as a Hiker/Biker site would normally be.

Trip Distance = 56.08 km. Time on the Bikes = 3 hours 50 minutes. Average Speed = 14.60 km. Maximum Speed = 53.18 km. Wildlife Sightings = Willets, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Western Grebe, Ground Squirrel, Yellow Rumped Warbler, Meadow Larks, Bluebirds, Kingfishers.

Camping Under The Eucalyptus Trees

A Strange Elevation Summit Marker

Tolosa Vineyards

Homes Above Pismo Beach

What Time Is It Anyway?

Sunday, November 2, 2014

I was up at 6:00 this morning...no wait...Sue asks: "Did you remember to set the clock back last night"? I ask: "Why would I do that"? "Well it is daylight savings time" Sue says. I ask: "How do you know"? Sue says: "Well we talked about it last night over dinner". "Oh" I say. "I guess I missed that part of the conversation".

So we were on the road by 9:20...no I guess it was really 8:20. I am not sure about this time change. We will be able to leave earlier in the morning...Sue will not like that. But we will be in the dark by 5:30...I sure as heck will not like that.

Thirty minutes into our ride we stopped for our second breakfast...this being able to eat as often and as much as you like sure is nice. The rest of the ride can only be described as special. The riding was flat, the sun shone, it was warm (despite the fact that at 6:00 am or was that 5:00 am?...it was 7 degrees outside), it was a short riding day, the wind for the most part was in our backs, and once again we were riding through cattle country. (It is a mystery what these cattle are eating because absolutely nothing is green.)

The last 20 kilometers was along the coast again with the last 15 urban riding. We were treated to a ride through Cayucos, a town that is right out of the wild west movies. From Cayucos to Moro Bay was the longest stretch of sand beach we have encountered in California. I am sure there will be many more kilometers of beaches to come.

We arrived in Morro Bay and for once were able to navigate through an urban area without difficulty. We are camping in Morro Bay State Park Hiker/Biker. The young Vancouver couple that we have stayed with for the last 3 nights have also arrived. He is sporting a brand new tire that he is going to install in the morning. Another young cyclist that we have encountered a few times over the last couple of weeks has also arrived.

Trip Distance = 51.86 km. Time on the Bikes = 3 hours 35 minutes. Average Speed = 14.41 km. Maximum Speed = 44.03 km. Wildlife Sightings = Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Scrub Jay, Coots, Whimbrels, Turkey Vultures, Wild Turkeys, Hummingbird, Ground Squirrel, Owl (flying through the campsite just at dark).

P.S. This getting dark at 5:30 really "sucks"!!!

Strange Touring Cyclists

Grazing Land - What Exactly Do The Cattle Eat? But What Cattle We See Look Like They Are Doing Okay

Main Street Cayucos

Morro Bay Strand Beach