Day 35: A Quiet Last Day

Ride:  Refugio SP to Oxnard

Miles:  66.4 miles

Total Trip Miles:  1,948 miles

Relaxing with my #1 supporter and (as I've said before) the best mom in the world (sorry everyone else.....)

Today was the last day of riding and it was nice and quiet.  A perfect ending to a great trip.  In fact, I didn't even take any pictures - I just wanted to enjoy the pedaling.  

In the next week or so (once I get all caught up on "normal life" stuff). I'll put together a summary with an emphasis on  resources for anyone considering this ride.  And if you are pondering this ride, stop pondering and start planning - you won't be disappointed :)

Day 34: Dag Gummit, I'm Gonna Miss This

Ride: Grover Beach to Refugio state beach
Distance: 71.2 miles
Total Trip Distance: 1,881 miles

Note: that is not a selfie of me after eating gas station cuisine for a month- (for those who don't know), it's the one and only Hoss Cartwright who frequently used "dag Gummit" to make a point.......like if Hop Sing was late with dinner or someone had trespassed onto Ponderosa Land.....But I digress.

Tonight is my last night camping, and tomorrow will be the last day of pedaling, and I have to admit that I'm going to miss it dag Gummit!

I won't miss this:

That is the yard sale that transpires when you get a flat and (of course) get to fix it. This happened in Guadalupe (next to a lovely lettuce field) , but it's the same mess wherever it happens..... On a positive note, I improved my repair time by 7 minutes (from 31 down to 24), so I may have a second career with NASCAR.

The first 25 miles of riding today were quite forgettable. Although I was once again impressed with how much food is grown in California. Once I turned onto HWY 135, things got more scenic and enjoyable. Not Big Sur scenic, but pleasant riding.

Then I tackled one of the bigger climbs of the tour: Harris Grade Rd. reminded me of some of the climbs at home: steep, twisty, and sustained - I thoroughly enjoyed it!

At the top of climb looking down into Lompoc:

A fun descent into Lompoc:

I topped off my water in Lompoc because I knew I had another good climb to get back to the 101 (my old buddy!). This one was longer, less steep and into an annoying headwind. I didn't enjoy this one as much - It was as if my mojo had developed a slow leak..... Fun at first...... Less fun..... Ok, where the hell is the summit..... I was really stoked to see this sign:

Then it was a quick ride back to the coast where the good old afternoon tailwind pushed me into camp. Mojo restored.

Refugio has the hiker/biker site right off the beach which is AOK with me :)

So I think I'll mosey down to the beach and enjoy my last sunset of the trip. And remind myself how lucky I am to have been able to do all of this :)

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Day 33: This Space For Rent (couldn't think of a title....)

Ride:  San Simeon to Grover Beach

Distance:  69.4 miles

Total Trip Distance:  1,810 miles

Today I rode through Cambria, Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo and Pismo beach - all places that I've spent time at before and that bring back good memories.  Was fun seeing them again from a bike - it adds another dimension of appreciation.  And I gotta say, I'm really liking this traveling by bike gig ...... Gonna miss it when it ends.  

Misty climb out of Cambria:

All of us who are fans of aunt Rosie will appreciate this one:

Raccoon update:  I haven't had any more problems, but I have been a DEFCON 5 since Oregon:

Ha!  Try and get that you crafty little bastards!!

Others, it would appear, feel similarly (found inside a food storage locker:

For the record, I'm not on board with the baby seal comment.

Saw more agriculture and started dreaming of spinach......aaahhhhh spinach:

And of course there was more beach :

By the time I got to Pismo beach this stop was mandatory:

The highlight of the day is the place I am camping at:  the Doty Ranch in Grover Beach - what a place! Ocean views and all sorts of nooks and crannies to keep you interested.  It is primarily an airbnb site (2 or 3 very cool, unique rooms) but us Bike tourists are welcome too!  I'm camped on a lawn in a fruit orchard - here are some pics that will do a better job than words:

One of the rooms:

Shower house:

Wine cellar 

Returning to the real world is gonna hurt..... :)

Day 32: Lets Do That Again!

Ride:  Big Sur to San Simeon

Distance:  70.0 miles

Total Trip Distance:  1,740 miles

When I turned off of HWY 1 into San Simeon state park, I had one thought on my mind:  I wanna do that again!  It had been 70 miles of perfect cycling.  One of those days when everything just felt right. Like a perfect ski run, or a pitch of climbing where everything just flows and your hands and feet effortlessly find the holds - and you just don't want it to end.  So once again, the pics are scarce because I was having too much fun to stop

The morning started off cool and dry - perfect for the medium sized climb right out of camp.  

There was also very little traffic today - and lots of "thumbs up" and cheers from the folks that passed me.

What makes this stretch so perfect for a southbound bike, is that you spend 90% of your time with a complete view of the ocean - here's sorta what it looks like

That rock wall is the guardrail

Oh, and today was a jackpot day for whale watching- I must have seen 50+ in one short stretch north of Lopez Point.  Including what looked to be a mother and her calf in a cove close to shore.

When the wind came up it was directly at my back so the last 20 miles were almost like cheating.....

Here's a flower from in front of the Big Sur library where I was using some free wifi (pro tip:  even if the library is closed, the "magic wifi machine " is likely still on and accessible.  

And some more food:

Camp tonight is at San Simeon State park - not the most scenic, but after today's ride that's quite alright ....:)

Day 30: Big Views, Big Trees, BIG Sur!

Ride:  Sunset Beach state park to Big Sur

Distance:  64.4 miles

Total Trip Distance:  1.662 miles 

Well the views and the scenery did not disappoint! The stretch of road from Carmel to Big Sur is quite spectacular and it was no surprise that I had plenty of vehicular company to enjoy it with.  

Left before 7 from the strawberry patch but unlike other early starts, I had some company.  All of the farm workers were out and about keeping the crops looking good.  I was fascinated by all the work that was going on.  FYI- If you're looking for a job with Saturday's off...... Farm worker is not for you.  

Tyvek suit scarecrows:

A foggy Moss Landing:

Stopped for provisions in Marina and noticed that the store was right next to the hotel I used to stay at when I did work for CSU Monterrey Bay.  Neato.

Sand City:

Yeah I know..... the helmet is crooked....

Getting out of Monterrey  was hot and steep and I worried that the haul to Big Sur would be a sufferfest..... But once I hit Carmel Highlands things got better

This is undoubtedly the nicest gas station I have ever had a deli sandwich at:

Here is what is saw while riding:

I would have taken more pics, but the traffic made stopping more work than it was worth!  I didn't miss any of the sights though.

Pfeifer Big Sur is a great spot, with a large hiker/biker campsite - and (as always) no reservations required :)

Tomorrow I will take my last rest day and explore a bit.