Saturday July 25

Cardiff by the Sea to International Border (by the sea)

B watching for illegals, listening to the crowd at the Tijuana bullring, and resting at the U.S./Mexico border

For our consideration:

“Eastward I go only by force; but westward I go free.”

H. D. Thoreau

 “(Jack Keruoac) hankered for the West, for Western health and openness of spirit, for the immemorial dream of freedom [and] joy.”

John Clellon Holmes

South we go through La Jolla and Coronado: our own tiny westward migration. Into Imperial Beach and finally pass into what seemed exactly what I would like to think was Spanish Alta California of the early 1800's: dusty ranches and a guy on horseback cantering along the way past gardens of banana trees and grape vines. It was a most unexpected place after the suburbs a half mile back.

On to the surreal border with its immense double wall of steel bars and some amplified Mexican DJ exhorting the crowd at the bull ring.
Roc and Josh arrived very soon after B and I did and after a few high fives and photos we got a bright red commuter train out of, presumably, Imperial Beach and rode more or less trouble free to downtown San Diego and hopped a bus to the North Park District and Josh's apartment with all day Sunday to relax and box bikes for a 5:00 am drive to the airport. The bikes had to be reduced to basic components as the boxes where those that the manufacturer had used to ship from Asia possibly without wheels. It was a hard project beginning and end (reassembly at Seattle airport) as was the whole ride. Hard but unforgettable.

Bull ring just inside Mexico beyond massive gate in the border fence.

A couple days after the border and almost home

Friday July 24

Micro photography woman on left, Bob Marley guy on right, me in the middle. San Elijo State Beach.

After last night's perilous attempt to start a party with the biker folks jammed like Haitian refugees amongst the RVs by riding lightless to the AM PM MiniMart across a streaming hwy 1 for 12 beers, pretzels, potato chips for all, which none but ourselves was interested in, we rested well enough for some of us to make it back across 1 to that classic American diner known as Denny's for yet another hardy feed in preparation for a romp downcoast to San Elijo State Beach in lovely Cardiff by the Sea.

Odd day of boardwalk beach business with the strangeness and vastness and general emptiness of the marine base, Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Reservation, like where they put the indians. Marine guard, nice kid from Marysville, WA., checked our ID's and made me put on my new, super hot, super tight bike helmet. Being on base sparked memories of the long ago days of my Air Force dependent childhood.

Off base at main gate and back to a combination of bikeways and freeways bashing through a bright, largely treeless, sandy coastal regime through Carlsbad (where is the billion dollar seawater desalination plant), Encinitas to Cardiff by the Sea.

Hiker/biker space at San Elijo small but far better than last spot. Guy in next tent was promoting Bob Marley band downcoast at Del Mar race track; we were unable to conceive of this as a reachable option. We went across 1 for cheap pizza.

Biked miles - 45

Two shots of the bikeway through Camp Pendleton - no vehicles other than bikes at all

Thursday July 23

Torrance to Dana Point
We careened through L.A. with a vengeance that was returned with intolerance or indifference. Eventually I crossed a large tractor without it's trailer who smoked his tires, held his horn down for the longest time and shouted some simple curses at me.

Glamor shot of the Driftwood Motel

Hastened through the Port of Los Angeles and San Pedro to Huntington, Newport and Laguna. Long lunch at Mexican restaurant as many blocks from the crazy town of the beach as we could get. Ice cream and observation at busy pedestrian intersection for desert.

Arrived late afternoon at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point. Hike/Bike postage stamp chock full of people we knew from up coast plus single female who turned out to be micro photographer working for the Army and the Smithsonian in D.C.
Good swim just downbeach from a sargasso of kelp debris but not a spot that needs returning too except perhaps to visit the Lantern District of Dana Point.
Biked miles -

Port of Los Angeles State Park - industrial vehicles only - no bikes, no camping, move on

Wednesday July 22

Leo Carrillo State Beach to Redondo/Torrance

Couldn't get enough of the big sycamores

Leo - you know Pancho to the Cisco Kid? Oh, come on, you remember!

Rocketed out of Leo "Oh, Cisco!" Carrillo State whatever at 7 am and thus became the breakfast spot finder/picker.

The marine layer was onshore, chill and wet.

Cranking near the summit of Point Dume I noticed a complex that included something called Cafecito Organico I slid in to what I came in time to know as Point Dume Village situated at the junction of highway 1 and Heathercliff Drive.

On entering the shopping center I was drawn to the joyous sounds of 8 to 10 elderly gentlemen who had had probably more caffeine than was healthy. They occupied not the Cafecito but a smaller joint called Lily's. I staked out a spot there and signaled the fellows who soon (lol) arrived.

After a long time we left. With some sense of some of the neighbors of Lily and Lily's; it was a fine and diverse group.

Belted past Decker, Latigo, Trancas, Malibu, Flores, Temescal and finally I stopped at Topanga Canyon to see the old Culver place. Little more than a pile of stony cement and maybe a dying plum tree remained.

Met Roc's son Josh at Big Dean's on the beach path in Santa Monica. Day hot but Josh fresh although he had biked from Union Station in downtown LA.




Son meets Dad at the Santa Monica Pier right in front of Big Dean's taco palace

Headed south after, natch, a hardy luncheon. Cut along through Santa Monica, Venice and Manhattan beachfronts to reach our goal: a room for all of us in Redondo Beach; one room that would hold all four sweaty, dirty, tired manchilds and their bikes. We had a reservation but our physical presence outside caused the manager to deny all of us access to the building let alone the room.

Much street cogitation followed this twist.

Many Warm Showers hosts were solicited and no hits there. Got disgusted with B's adventure planning and Josh and I dispatched ourselves south on 1 to find rooms. Within the half hour we came upon the Dirftwood Motel which was very reasonable at $100 for 4 slightly homeless dudes plus four bikes in the room. Norita was her name and run-down but decent was her game. She had a sly smile and dark wit but a determination that she be obeyed or left alone. The clientele seemed relaxed and chill and enjoyed hanging in the parking lot. Good night. No signal.

Biked miles - 45

Roc's stealth tent at Carrillo camp, B's way to the back - lots of space, lots of shade.

Tuesday July 21

McGrath State Beach Oxnard/Ventura to Leo Carrillo State Park

B marvels at my carbo treasures while refreshing at Neptune's Net on highway 1

Slammed into Oxnard from a restful stay at McGrath for a breakfast at The Best Breakfast Cafe and although it was not up to the chilaquiles at El Tapatio in Gaudalupe or the hash at the Worker Bee in Carp, it was still better than average; we also split a piece of apple pie with ice cream.

Things went downhill, at least for me, soon thereafter.

Forgetting the admonition to get food because down coast there was no sign of retail, I bombed out of town, leaving, I thought, the lads in the lifting fog only to have to circle back through the produce for at least an extra 5 miles and finally dump $15 on bready items from a lonely 7/11.

Met up with lads a sweaty hour later just outside a naval SeaBee's base in Port Hueneme.

Galloped south on the One behind Roc toward Leo Carillo State Park and the beguiling shade of a grove of stately sycamores; under which I now write.

Big Sycamores made this hiker/biker spot at Leo Carrillo SB

To be absolutely accurate there was a short stop at a solitary watering hole called Neptune's Net wherein I flashed my bready haul from the aforementioned 7/11 and downed a fruity Belgian white beer and a bag of chips. It's a hard life on the road but starvation isn't in it.

Monday July 20

Greg and Kim's in Santa Barbara to McGrath State Beach in Ventura/Oxnard 

Our li sunset scene at McGrath

Boomed out of Santa Barbara to Carpinteria, Ventura and finally to McGrath State Beach in Oxnard. It was closed. I sat there and waited for the lads. Was given grief for not forewarning them but it turned out okay; the ranger was heading out for dinner and he opened the gate and the showers for us. We had the deserted state park all to our selves. It was lucky and strange.

Looking out from the restroom showers at McGrath

Saturday July 18

B and Greg in the big house project workroom

Big house project itself

Busting in to Goleta on the Hollister. Light overcast.
Bought fresh, turquoise tee shirt at K-Mart for arrival at Kim and Greg's.
Randomly turned toward downtown and miraculously arrived at Gelson's Market at noon and built a beautiful salad, sat outside and it started to rain. Called Kim and motored down State, up Haley to to Chiquita and into 103 E Cota.
Greg and Kim graciously hosted our ragtag trio for the next two nights.
Got some bike stuff done, visited Greg's big house project, Roc got some rest, opted for not-Superica and instead ate a large, tasty dinner at a combination Mexican market/cafe on the east side of state, and we went to see some movie meant for 12 year olds called Ant Man at the elegant Arlington Theater.

Friday July 17

Left the Doty Ranch early. Overcast/foggy through industrial strawberries and other produce toward breakfast in Gaudalupe. I was the breakfast picker so I asked the only person I saw, a crossing guard, for suggestions; he named El Tapitio Cafe and that is where we met. It was a good spot; was there quite a while. 

Took off south out of there through the produce

Warm

Needed a respite

Orcutt

Sour Green Apple sorbet

Beautiful Public Facilites in the complex

Girl pulled a hanging cord to make a mournful train whistle sound and a little train went around above our heads and the ice cream.

Ripped it out of there to Los Alamos meeting B somewhere along the way.

Orange smoothie at kind of a snotty joint

And a cold brewed cold bottled coffee and a big soft pretzel at a really hoytee/toytee joint - B looked sort of appalled at the really small and thin sandwiches. 

But was good town - I liked it in general

Ripped again to the 1zero1

Picked up a decent tailwind

Got a roofing nail in the rear tire

B helped me a lot with an air pump problem which was that I had the wrong one.

Ripped down the 1zero1 itself toward Gaviota Canyon and the tunnel

I peeled into blueberry stand at which the young girl said there was no tunnel going south and sold me two bottles of ice cold water

Drinking, I encountered an old Japanese man on a picnic table around the side who was interested in me to talk to. He said that his daughter was picking rasbeeries. He thought I must be very strong to pedal so much or perhaps had a motor hidden. He wants to  know my age; I ask what is his. 

Bombed down the Gaviota Canyon and out to Gaviota State beach on way to a night at El Capitan State Beach. Sadly on arrival at the site in the process of spending $29 on two 20 oz. beers and a tri-tip sandwich I had a second flat. Walked the bike a mile or so to the hiker/biker site. Borrowed patch kit from biker family, patched tiny wire puncture next morning and...

Biked miles - 73

Steps (according to B's pedometer) - 43,000

preparing to patch

Vet crew and dog (barely visible in trailer)

Thursday July 16

Morro Bay to Arroyo Grande/Oceano

The Produce

Risen

B out first. Rocco and I without consulting map ripped (😄) into town and split at traffic circle between Albertsons (where I was headed for no apparent purpose) and freeway entrance (where Rocco was headed logically but wrongly according to Adventure Cycling Association instructions). I yelled to Roc out of a dawning sense of alarm at the sign "Freeway Entrance " to check the map. Before reaching Albertsons, I turned around thinking to stop Roc as I had in interim checked the map and realized that the adv cyc map instructions were vastly different from "get on freeway and pedal like crazy". At any rate it took me too long to catch Roc. So Roc and I barreled down the freeway and B took the scenic route. I got to San Luis Obispo first which is small compensation for cruising with the mad auto herd.  Nobody saw anybody in SLO; B. In some place called Bubblegum Alley, me at Habit burger, Roc somewhere on highway. So it was alone that we left SLO. Alone I broke for Pismo Beach over stretches of dry grassy hills.  Spent a pleasant hour on Tom Jones bike way which took me an hour the wrong way. 
Sought Shangri La and found it at Laura Doty's place. Roc rolled in 4 hours later with 2 Co0rs Lite 22 oz cans. Spoke at some length with hosts, Ben and Laura.

Biked miles - 36

Best Bath

Best Bath 2

my spot near bath house

Wednesday July 15

San Simeon State Beach to Morro Bay

Hospitality room at the old Harmony Valley Creamery building

Out of San Simeon and into Cambria. Anothor nice little California coastal town. Roc to clinic for crouch work, B and I into Redwood cafe for feed. Library after. I took short cut out of town: bad choice; very steep. Refreshed at Harmony, population 18. Along ocean into Morro Bay. Nice state park with golf course. Beers at pizza join. Phil and David in camp. Made a great salad at Albertsons. 

Biked miles - 20

Tuesday July 14

Typical lately

Jesus. The open road. Let's see. In San Simeon state park south of at least 3 places called San Simeon something or other. Decent but no showers; the guy at the park office said all public showers in the state of California will be shut off tomorrow. The timing.
Left lovely little Plaskett camp this morning. Breakfast in Gorda; super mediocre. Bashed south over dozens of headlands. Up, down - up, down. Met guy my age driving a single speed beach cruiser doing 80 miles a day. Not crazy at all. He has done the whole coast multiple times. Same bike. What to think.
Lost all lads in the pm today. Communication breakdown. B did Hearst Castle, Roc trucked, I bounced around looking for the lads and watched 4 elephant seals fight.
Cambria early tomorrow morning for the hardy breakfast and Roc said something about going to a clinic. For his meat.
Was trying to head off Roc out on the highway and was able to experience a serious headwind; really thankful we are going south with the prevailing. I was able to score two 24 ounce Coronas (already had two limes) and a box of fig newtons but sort of missed Rocco and had to chase him for a li while.
Biked miles - 40

Monday July 13

The Coast, The Road

Rare shot of B in unheated water

Viking Reststop

The long biking changes your POV:
Instead of seeing from the window of your speeding car the idiot pedaling, hauling luggage, up a long hot grade, you are that idiot.
Homo Autopissonus, the owner-holidayer, finds the biker foolish and mysterious and a little sad, even pitiable. I hate of his smugness, his shininess, his full size SUVs, his random, subtle threats of crushing power even though such acts will lead to crushing amounts of paperwork. I crave his enclosure, his shiny gadgets of control. His vast numbers. I want it just for now and then, after I've been exposed, lonely and slow. And hungry and thirsty. I rode alone today; we all did. I left my helmet somewhere in Big Sur. I climb back up the mountain past Nepenthe, but I must let it go.
Into Plaskett Creek Camp at 4 to find B set and having walked to beach I met him there. He described a fine session of cavorting in the surf so I tried it and it was fine indeed.
Later at Plaskett we met Andrew From London and Lesley from Calgary. Road stories were passed about and Lesley showed off her new pink hello kitty tent with transparent yellow air mattress and Mylar silver internal air mattress ground sheet (pictures at 11). Intrepid.
Red potato salad Italian stallion sandwiches all day long.

Whales tracking along with us today.

Biked miles - 25

Sunday July 12

Out of Veterans Memorial Park at reasonable hour. Found B in old town Monterey at the old cafe. Usual huge breakfast. Streets were closed for Hispanic cultural parade. Drugstore for lotions. Checked in with St. Timothy's and the laundromat of the Ventana Epic in '07. 

Hard heat, long ups along Big Sur headlands.

Driver of suv protected my sweep down the long drop. Lunch under Cypress at bottom of that.

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park for the night; many of our riding colleagues present and a good swim in Big Sur River. Beer and lime at dusk. 

Biked miles - 27

Saturday July 11

Out of Gulla/Scoles at 10 am due to lovely breakfast and another fine tuning of  Roc. Sweep around Monterey Bay mostly on semi-urban streets in towns of Capitola, Sequel, Aptos, Moss Landing, Marina, Sand City interspersed with vast flats of commercial crops. Crushed strawberries stained the shoulder of the road, hundreds of tons of cabbage and cauliflower left to rot after harvest. Lunch at Phil's Seafood Zoo in Moss, pint of strawberries at end of Molera Road longcut. Oh, and grabbed a groovy bike cap in Aptos cause I lost my other hat. Also saw my sunglasses crushed to powder as the wind caught them coming out of Moss Landing. 

Some tricky spots for navigation on bikeway but who can complain with 10 miles of no thundering herds.

Nostalgia hit for B and me as we began to see locations in Monterey familiar from the legendary 2007 Ventana Excursion.

Up a long bloody slope to Veterans' Memorial Park hiker biker space; Taps was played at sunset.

Biked miles - 40

Friday July 10

Castanoa KOA to Scoles of Santa Cruz

Ride at Santa Cruz Boardwalk (not entirely sure what is happening in this photograph; see video below for detail)

Macy Gray plays the boardwalk stage

Gulla and Steve at the Santa Cruz boardwalk

Guys walking the boardwalk

Left kool KOA early and alone. Found the eating place about 10/12 miles down the road at Davenport. The other lads showed up eventually and we moved in as in inhabited the Davenport Cafe for hours. Lots of broccoli growing for the ten miles in both directions. Highway repave allowed exclusive use of right lane by the three of us for miles.

Soon found bike way along Santa Cruz waterfront bluffs; spectacular.

Rode up to Scoles place around four. Out to brew place and the boardwalk and then to sleep.
Truly lovely people, Gulla and Steve, and a welcome refuge from the open road.

Biked miles - 25

Thursday July 9

Messing in Halfmoon until noon. Some adjustments of bikes and loads, purchase of lunch items for later; not a lot of interest after Susie's Eggs Benedict moments previously. Swim in river mouth and Pacific at pescadero state beach. Ate lunch items. Roc tumbles but lives. Checked out cool old hostel by lighthouse but they only had beds for two males. Lucky there was the most tasteful KOA in America not but 5 miles down the highway. This is truthfully the coolest KOA. It is. Tomorrow we will remove the dragon tooth pedals from Roc bike as they are slowly eating him alive.

Biked miles - 30ish

Wednesday July 8 actual

Andrew's House to Half Moon Bay

Luncheon in the Sunset District

B on phone on bikeway to bridgefoot - Angel Island in background

Roc in S.F. Zombie Land

Pedaling from A's to Oakland Fruitvale Bart Station (check movie description). Into the city and around the Bay to the bridge-foot. Checked into the Legion of Honour Memorial on thought that I had read somewhere that it was the site of Brewster Kahle's Internet Archive, but the guy said it was not there but in a church nearby; blew it off and headed into the zombie world of The Sunset District. Heavy, heavy mist. Down the coast to Half Moon Bay. Camped with the Swiss guy with the gnarly recumbent. No beers. Rain in the middle part of the night. Met Swiss' friend of private Canadian education business Sinobright.

Biked miles - 35

Tuesday July 7

Emeryville Amtrak Station to Andrew's House and Sundry Oakland Hotspots by Racing Van

Andrew and B and the strange cigarette adventure

Hot bar in Oakland - R, A and B center beyond two ladies

Need to stay out of A's house as he has a client for vintage military and work clothing from the early to mid 20th century coming in from Japan at noon to discuss buy and sell intricacies. We bike up firebreak get panoramic of Bay. Later tacos, then beers at interesting places (bar on Oakland waterfront frequented by 11 year old Jack London) followed by grilling meat, more beers, cigarettes etc. Followed by, of course, collapse.

Biked miles - 3

Monday July 6

c

B at ease in Coast Starlight baggage car

So Monday. (Looking back from Wednesday night)

Biked away from home at 4:30 am.

Met associates on board ferry.

Off boat and over to Mukilteo train station. In frenzy, B and C caught earlier train than planned but left R behind. At any rate R got next train and we went for the traditional at the Zeitgeist Coffee House near King Street Station.

Boxed bikes and of course now had no choice but to actually get on the train and endure for the next 24 hours. Got usual spot in the baggage car, had an early nap and a decent night even though the normally tres cool train man, Javier, rushed into baggage at 2 am thinking one of us was a nonticketed  Freeloader. Had breakfast with Fred from Peoria who had some insights for us on land titling. Adrian, another new train friend, also had many shareable opinions on pretty much everything under the sun.

Rolled into Emeryville station only 30 minutes or so late to be fetched by A and whisked to his home in Oakland but that was Tuesday morning and an altogether different story. 

West Coast Bike Ride continued...

Preparing to finish last summer's ride. Last June B and I made it to San Francisco/Oakland from home (Langley, WA.). This time we will catch Amtrak in Seattle to San Francisco and continue south from SF to the Mexican border. We start this Monday. Rocco is joining us! We will have fun. Have new groovy bike and the mirror-like surface on the back rack between the bags is photovoltaic unit to charge phone/computer (forward end of white wire) as one merrily pedals along. BV! (bon voyage)