I dropped in on John's work to say hi. When he told his coworkers I was there, they all came out to greet me and gave me a round of applause. So sweet and unexpected! They had lots of questions for me.
I arrived home around 6:40 pm after a really long days ride, my longest on this journey. Friends had gathered to welcome me home. There were balloons, flowers, streamers, and sidewalk chalk. I took a quick shower and we all headed out for fish tacos.
It was a month ago to the day that I started my journey, July 5- August 5. 1,300 miles. When I started I had a lot of preconceived fears and anxiety. It took some time, but the things that I feared the most had the least relevance in the overall journey. That fear of being on my own, later became one of the greatest joys of my trip. That fear of not being able to ... became triumph when I did do it. I learned so much.
Friday, August 6, 2010
By land and by sea... A real journey!
a good day to be alive!
Jim on a trike
think he should!
Jim kept me company for a few miles in Huntington Beach. Good guy
The queen Mary
such a strange feeling.
It was also a bit of culture shock. So many people. So much noise. No
one talks to anyone or asks questions. Weird.
The LA river
place to ride. But just keep riding, no matter who calls to you, or
how big the guns are those boys at the base of the hill have. Ride!
Ride like the wind!!!
Redondo beach pier
around 9:00 am. I road through some beautiful board walks and some
really ugly areas as well-- not just ugly visually but in smell and
truck traffic as well. I kept my can if pepper spray close at hand but
never felt threatened in any way. Pepper spray would have little
affect on a semi truck.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Kate
One of the difficulties of this journey has been eating to live and
work hard. I feel like a machine. Clean fuel works best with little
problem. Greasy fuel makes life tough.
A tent with a view
RV park. It was a really beautiful evening and a great place to camp.
This may be the last place I camp on this trip
Memorials
always touching. I used to wonder why the place of death needed to be
memorialized, on this journey I discovered they are for the rest of
us. To remind us to live and love and remember our living.
Thea and Thomas
a beach. I camped with them a couple nights. We went to dinner at a
restaurant in the Ventura marina and had fish stew all around. The
food, the company, the heaters on the patio--all made for a lively
evening.
Ventura
revelation of location. With this change of location comes noise. A
whole lot of noise!!!
Not sure what to think?!?
a passerby-loudly-about religion. Then the passerby asked if the owner
smoked pot. "every day. Every single day!!!" this is about when I
recognized I had entered southern California.
Hazard cycles
glad John was with me to drive me to the bike shop. These awesome guys
changed the spoke, rotated my tires and gave me new brakepads! So fast
and all before they were officially open!
Solvang
think it's just a really strange place! Fun, but weird!!!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Conversation in a Solvang store
"I'm kind of glad we don't!"
Train legs
Veronique. I justified this leg by train because the road passes
inland and up and over two long steep hills. No fun.
Besides, I needed to meet my JE somewhere for his birthday! Santa
Barbara here we come!
Friday morning
gravelly voice who had wandered over to my side of the hiker biker
site and was looking for someone to engage in his nonsensical time
warping conversation ("I'm not sure if acting has caused or cured more
mental illness..."). I left camp around 7:30 and flew to San Luis
Obispo. It was a beautiful morning!
The trouble with hammocks
comes when you can't find two trees to hang it in. Poor Casey!
Guillaume
great travel companions.
Camp ground crazy!
(Vermont), and Veronique (French Canada). Such a fun group! There were
many others also. We ate together and told our stories. We were the
loud table at the camp ground that night.
The only thing louder was the man in the background who had the most
annoying voice on the planet. It was deep and gravelly and had the
sound of chronic smoker in it--and ghe man talked in complete
nonsense!!!. I couldn't shut it out--even with earplugs, my pillow, my
blanket! Finally, after being in bed for a while and unable to shut
out that voice, I started hollering my goodnight John-Boys to everyone
I knew the names of. He got the message and finally shut up!
Elephant seals
docents volunteering at some of the viewing areas. This was my own
private showing reserved for people who choose a slower means of
transportation. Stink-E!
Dusk
light a candle lantern in my tent to keep things dryer and a bit
warmer and more comfortable. Kirk creek
Dan and Kate
tandom from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Mexico boarder. I traveled
with them for a while and camped with them a few times. Thoroughly
enjoyed their company! I'm hoping to catch up with them before the end
of my trip
The end of my favorite day
off shore there were dozens of whales and their calves spouting. I
watched the sun sink into the ocean. So glad to be alive! Jubillant
The beginning of my favorite day
warnings. Narrow shoulders, loads of traffic, no food, no water, and a
couple very tall hills. The road is cut out of the hillside for miles
and miles and miles. One side is uphill, the other a very quick down
hill into the ocean. But seriously and honestly, this was one of my
life's favorite experiences. It was so beautiful. Miles flew by!
Leaving monterey
this remarkable caution. I didn't see any wild pigs, but I was
watching for them!
Larry
because of all the help he got on his journey he now passes that
gratitude on by assisting other cylclotourists. Larry assisted several
other people I camped with that night by helping us find the camp
ground. Thanks Larry!
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