What does it like like when I go on vacation? A little bit like this:
 |
| A city park. And a bikepacker's bike. |
So what is riding through Big Sur like? Kind of like this picture suggests:
 |
| Looks like we are on the scenic route! |
And, even though this is significantly south of anything you could call Big Sur, it was like this, too. In that there were fog and clouds, and it was basically riding on a highway...
After 4 days of riding, we hadn't had enough, so we continued south to Santa Barbara. Which is much less wild, but scenic nonetheless. The very first picture of this post is in a park in Santa Barbara, too, but I feel like this picture captures the feel of the town a little better:
 |
| So-Cal style beach. |
Of course, it takes some calories to get from San Luis Obispo to Santa Barbara. So we spent some time in this joint before heading out:
 |
| Organic coffee and everything! |
And even though it was only two days out of five, the hundred mile stretch from San Simeon to Carmel was what my vacation was about. I say two days because we rode it south to north one day, then north to south the next.
 |
| yep. |
I'm not a big fan of Lompoc, but apparently Lompoc is a big fan of me. Look at the sign they erected for my arrival:
The trip was not all wilderness and camping. There was a train, a train station, and downtown Los Angeles involved...
Some of the ride felt like this:
 |
| Long miles |
And some of it felt like this:
There was camping and campgrounds and stretches of night:
And Thai food and cows and a guy with a skateboard who thought my load was too light:
 |
| San Luis Obispo and Moro Bay |
Mannuel's phone ate all his pictures, so these Instagram collages are all that he has left:
This is the bike Mannuel brought:
And even though it was my ride, I can still say, "Wish I was there!"
I had no deep ties, so I took off from Simi Valley to escape my life in March of ‘82. I had made some generic Thomas Road Map plans, but fortunately for me, I got a flat tire the first day out along a lonely stretch of farmland. While pushing my bike, a van pulled in front of me with a Schwinn decal of hope. The two men drove me into Ventura, where at their bicycle repair and dealer shop, we discussed my plans to bike ride the Pacific Coast Highway. I bought some Tuffy liners for the wheels, and they gave me a Hiker/Biker bicentennial map that, in essence, saved my life because I was planning on camping alone off the roadside.
ReplyDeleteIt was great to have inexpensive, safe havens to shower and talk with like-minded travelers. I made it to Arcata in Humbolt County, where I camped behind some bushes beside the highway next to farmland. I stayed a month digging up flower bulbs and hanging out at the Humbolt State University library reading books and papers. I rode my bike to Eureka for pizza and a movie. I watched ET, probably, a dozen times. Then I’d ride back to my safe space and tent behind the highway bushes. I watched a robust Fourth of July firework display from a highway overpass. The locals said it was the best view, and they weren’t whistling Dixie.
There were incredibly breathtaking natural and manmade landscapes only experienced by being there in the open air. Unique and fun stories each day of my trip worth remembering. Thanks for sharing your blog post and stir the memories.