Carpenteria

We are in Carpenteria, almost home. The last couple of days have been shorter and less elevation gain. Either I'm getting stronger or the boys are carrying more of my baggage!  San Simeon to Grover Beach was a fun ride we stopped in SLO for lunch and as we were leaving a jazz band was playing on the sidewalk, good music. Leaving Grover Beach we came across more agriculture for miles and miles and a couple of hills.  Shorter mileage makes the hills so much easier to conquer.  And then we arrived in Lompoc where 3 bus loads of mostly French and some German tourist unloaded at our hotel.  Well the big question is, why would anyone make Lompoc a destination?  Since we arrived early we unload panniers and rode to lunch, big 5 and a bike shop.  From Lompoc we had a 70 mile day to Carpenteria the Santa Barbara coastline was azure blue a sight to behold. And Cherry stopped by our hotel.  We are getting real close to home.

Catching up again

We are in Grover Beach.  From Half Moon Bay we headed to Watsonville we had some long days and lots of climbing. Cycling through Central California is agriculture abundant rows and fields of crops. Then on to Big Sur another long and hilly day revisiting Monterey Bay, crossing the Bixby Bridge another bridge checked off my bucket list coming down we had winds gusting to 30 ish, very scary. As a matter of fact all bridges are now checked off my bucket list, and arriving at the Big Sur Lodge which has no internet service but, does have deer and wild turkeys wandering about. Next city San Simeon after two long difficult days the best was yet to come. Fortunately for me with no internet I couldn't check elevation gain or hills to come, so I had no idea what was in store. Better I didn't know. Just before the two back to back hellacious hills the boys waved me over I was hoping they were going to throw by bike off the cliff, instead they took my panniers.  Beers on me. And then down hill down wind to San Simeon. Where Pat and Hans took us to dinner.

Half Moon Bay

Today was our day of rest we had a leisurely breakfast worked on bikes, well the boys did, plotted our next couple of days : Watsonville, Big Sur Lodge, San Simeon, Arroyo Grande and south. And then we went for an exploratory ride in Half Moon Bay another quaint town lots of Victorian homes, brussel sprouts, English Pubs and bikes ways.
Real friends know how much I dislike off road cycling but, today on our exploration we had to traverse gravel, sand, single track with lots of ruts and thousands of other horrors. Almost as much fun as crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. : )
I am thankful for my disc brakes it has made those steep downhills on prior days manageable.

Golden Gate Bridge

We are in Half Moon Bay with a day off planned for tomorrow. Sit bones will be very happy.  We left Mill Valley this morning and it was cold, dreary, misty and windy, we cycled through Sausalito and onto the Golden Gate Bridge. I've always wanted to bicycle across the GG bridge, be careful what you wish for, the sky was dreary and the winds were howling and the autos were so loud and spitting sand and road grit at us and then the tourist on bicycles, and on foot and the local cyclist mix all that together and place on a high windy bridge! Check that off my bucket list. It was the longest grueling 40 miles ever, I think my sit bones contributed a lot to that factor. Check out the flag and tree in picture of GG bridge.  We also rode through a great tunnel with a 7 foot bike lane and down hill continuing to our destination. Also a couple of photos from Tomales Bay quaint town. That was a great day of riding.

Two days of rest

Turned in my TSV (temporary support vehicle) left Fort Bragg and headed south.  It was a day of ups and downs I had 4233 feet of climbing and walked one hill RidewithGPS said it was a 17% grade. My mind and body was rested, relaxed and ready to go another beautiful day of riding. The California Coastline is one of the best, parts of highway 1 were very narrow but, most drivers were considerate and on the downhills one time I got to 40.9 so realistically drivers couldn't pass me. The only place available to spend the night was a Bed and Breakfast fantastic view. I guess my kids inheritance will be reduced by this trip. : )

Catching up

Wow, I've been either exhausted or lack of Internet connection.  We are now in Garberville, Ca. I'll try to remember backwards. Yesterday it rained and poured and rained some more we cycled 48 miles  to Fortuna my average is getting slower every day. The day prior we stayed in Trinidad in the cutest cabin,  Bob had gotten food poison from the night before and was struggling.  Ursula and I walked to the mini market and bought comfort food to microwave,

forgot the wine! We stayed in Klamath the night before. This trip has been exhausting.  I needed a break I'll have two days off the bike and become the sag driver, imagine this, the biggest steepest longest climb is tomorrow and I'll miss it so sad :(  I am now enjoying my trip again.  Some pictures from the last couple of days. Today we rode/drove the Avenue of the Giants magnificent and then we took a short hike.

The ride to Port Orford

We left Coos Bay and our sag driver this morning. It was foggy, misty and cold. Riding my new bike fully loaded took some getting use to including the way it handles and disc brakes.  I want to say true friends do let me know that we were in for some hellacious hills first thing on Libby Lane.  Once we finished those I knew we were in for the "7 Devils"  they were on a hardly used two lane road and in some sections a shear drop on right side with no railing. After Libby Lane the Devils were not that intimidating. Had lunch in Bandon a cute little town that was having a Cranberry Festival. We are crossing paths with some of the people we have met on the Pacific Coast Trail, it's fun to share stories and adventures.  We have had some of the best dinners on this ride.  Well earned.

Dinner at the RedFish

In Coos Bay

Most of my pictures are from yesterday on the road to Florence. We did more sight seeing. The days seem to blurrrr. I think it was yesterday we rode through another tunnel shorter and less steep than the previous one and with better pavement.  And we could hear the big logging truck coming through loud and fast, he wanted to get around us before the on coming traffic approached. SCARY!!!
Today no scenery lots of morning fog. We did have a very scary bridge to cross into North Bend, scary because no shoulder or bike lane, big trucks, camper, motor homes on the 101 and everyone wants to be somewhere else. We walked up on side walk and was able to ride down in the

lane.
What I learned today, logging trucks do not move over for anyone including big long cement trucks pulling another. Cement truck ended up on curb.
The bike I borrowed fits and rides well however, my hands have be going numb for days and I lost three of my lowest climbing gears. When we got to North Bend I found a bike so much me and shipped the other home.

Sight seeing along the Oregon Coast

It was quite foggy when we started this morning. In some of my pictures you can see the fog rolling in. We stopped at the Lighthouse in Newport, visited Seal Beach, Devils blow hole, so many beautiful places. We had a breakfast feast at a quaint cafe.  The whale photo was taken by our sag driver Bill.
What I learned today do not take old cycling shorts on a tour intending to throw them away, take new shorts and enjoy the comfort.