Day: 93

What Are We Going To Do? That was the question of the day. Aaron and I had bought food yesterday for a breakfast and lunch picnic today, so food was the least of our worries. We had the whole day to fill so we decided to do some hiking after breakfast. We hiked the campground’s Valley View and Falls trails, taking our time to enjoy the journey and spent lots of time just catching up with each others lives. After our hikes we went down to the creek, read, had a picnic and feed the squirills. We sat their for what seemed like a good few hours, but when we looked at the time it was still barely three pm.

What Are We Going To Do? The question came back at us. The day seemed to be passing extremely slowly, but I suggested we take a drive down the coast and see what there is to see. we found what might be the best looking beach in California, probably because they didn’t allow people on it. Aaron and I look down from above, and Aaron strategically planned multiple routes down the cliffs to the beach below, but their were to many people around so we settled for just hanging around the tops of the cliffs for an hour or so.

What Are We Going To Do? Once more the question was posed. I suggested we stop at a shop on the way back to camp, find some food and stock up on beer for the evening (it sure is nice having a car, I don’t have to ride around with beer on my bike). We got back to our site and started drinking and drinking, we ran out of beer and had to switch to some left over vodka, we ran out of vodka and we had to walk to the camp store for more beer, we ran out of beer and balance, and just staggered around the campground trying to make friends in our inebriated state. It was good fun until we were completely done. To bad Aaron’s leaving tomorrow, these last few days have been great.

Day: 92

I woke Aaron up about an hour or so after I woke up, had some leftover pitas and peanut butter, we paid for another night at the campground, then decided to head up to Monterey to go to the aquarium. After a beautiful/hilly (cringe!) drive north for thirty miles we arrived in Monterey. We grabbed a slice of pizza, went over to the ticket counter (paid student price thanks to my Turkish student ID, saved $2) and headed in to see the vast realm of the underwater worlds. We spent about four hours wandering among the fishes, sea otters, jellyfish, etc, etc. I think we agreed that the octopus was the coolest thing there; we even said on the survey we filled out on our way out, when we were asked how the aquarium could be improved, that they needed a bigger octopus exibit and a in house seafood resturaunt.

We headed over to grab a cup of coffee at Starbucks for a couple of hours, so I could catch up on my blog and Aaron could draw. Around six we found some mexican food then headed over to Safeway for food/party supplies for tonight and tomorrow. Another beautiful drive south and we had ourselves a campfire, drank a bottle of Captain with some Coke, and passed out some time around 11:30.

Day: 91

I got out of my sleeping bag excited today (but freezing cold, easily my coldest night yet), Aaron was on his way up to spend three nights with me; and to tell the truth the absolute loneliness of this trip is really getting to me. It’s not like the European alone, where there are lots of people around to hang out with just not any you know, here there is no one around at all. I have a few conversations with the rangers or other campers, but barely anyone my age or with similar interests. Needless to say I was excited to spend a few days not alone.

I had told him to meet me at Big Sur State Park, which meant I had 25 miles to ride today. A kind of casual day, nothing hard core, a bunch of hills though. I rode for a little less than four hours and made it to the campsite, called Aaron to tell him we are in number 47, set up my tent, ate lunch, and went down to the creek to finish reading Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I knew Aaron was still a couple of hours away so I rode my bike around the area and just set to exploring what was going on in this beautiful park.

Finally around six he showed up, we talked for a while, then left to find some dinner (I was out of food). We headed up to this place, Nepenthe, which overlooked the ocean, had wonderful martini’s (my first drink in four days), and cost us about $40 each. I was already feeling better, having him around was re-energizing my spirit. We picked up some firewood and ice (he had vodka and mixers) on our way back. When we got to the campsite he tried, unsuccessfully, to set up his tent; I turns out he had brought poles for another tent. I piled all of my stuff out of my tiny tent into his car and we decided to both squeeze into my tent tonight. We lit a fire and stayed up for a few hours telling stories and becoming better brothers.

Day: 90

Stumbling into the Lime Kiln campground just after one o’clock, six hours (& 41 miles) after leaving San Simion this morning and riding Moanahh up and down PCH where the Santa Lucia Range meets the ocean. When I got here I found that they have no Hike and Bike area, disappointed I shelled out the $25 for a regular site. As recompense, the ranger told me he’d give me their best spot which just opened up a couple of hours before. He was good to his word, when I got up to my site I found my site hidden away right next to a creek and at the trailhead to the Lime Kilns.

I made ate lunch and decided on a hike up to see these kilns that the campground is named after. A leisurely half mile trail lead me right up to four gigantic kilns, which I suppose from the name where once used to process lime; can’t really be sure though. I hiked back down, grabbed my copy of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and headed down to the beach to spend the afternoon reading, relaxing, and trying to prepare my muscles for more hilly riding tomorrow.

This was a very laid back day, no shopping or chores, the only thing I had to accomplish was taking apart the rear wheel of my bike because the disc break seems to be dragging and slowing me down. I’ve been having problems with it ever since I had to take it apart at Gaviota to change the intertube. I think I have it fixed right this time, but I won’t really know until I ride tomorrow. Here’s to hoping.

Day: 89

Now this entire trip I have been staying in sites in the California campground system reserved for people who either Hike in or Bike in. The cheap price ($2-$5) per night is a way for the state parks to encourage this type of travel, in some areas (mostly populated areas like Pismo and Carpenteria) they have problems with people taking advantage of this by parking their cars outside and walking in or moving into the sites for extended periods of time. They are also trying to keep the vagrants out. Carpenteria now has a one night Hike and Bike area that can’t be checked into until 4pm and Pismo plans to close their Hike and Bike entirely for the summer. Needless to say that this abuse by some effects everyone who wants to use our parks in the way I am trying to. Now the point to this rant.

Last night I meant a married couple who have been biking the coast (north to Oregon and back) for the last four months, they were on such a tight budget that at one point they had to stop and work on a farm for a month to raise money to make it home. They shared the Hike and Bike area with me, as did two women and a 4 year old little girl. I thought it odd that the women and the little girl we’re in this area, but they were near another site and gave them the benefit of the doubt. Well, this morning the ranger also thought it was weird that a 4 year old little girl was hiking the coast and came over in his truck to question the one woman who was there. She quickly folded and said they parked their Escalade in the overflow lot and only paid $6 for the three of them instead of $25 for their own site. A $40,000 car and she couldn’t afford an extra $19 a night… right. I was furious, and what was worse was that the married couple, who are actually using this site rightfully and needed the discount to enjoy our state parks at all were sympathetic to her! People don’t be such asses, some idiots are ruining a good thing for us all. I was ready to yell at the women myself but the staunch ranger had already brought one of them to tears. Ha!

Anyway after that episode of rage I got on my bike and rode the five miles to Hearst Castle, the reason I spent two nights here in San Simion. The hour and a half tour (which you had to take) was expensive, $24, but it came with a ticket to watch a 40 minute IMax movie on the building of the castle. I arrived at the ticket window at 9:18am and was in luck because the next tour started in 2 minutes. I was given my ticket and rushed out the door to get on the bus up Hearst’s Enchanted Hill. We (12 of us in a tour that in the summer has 40) meant our guide, Glen, at the top and he set off to show us all around this eccentric castle. Hearst had acquired art and architecture from all over the world and build them into his house. Spanish ceilings, Italian statues near the pool, Persian rugs and a vast assortment of worldly treasures. As I was taken around the Castle I was impressed, it wasn’t just a big house like I expected, it was a full on museum built into a house. The only disappointment was the Neptune pool wasn’t full of water (earthquake repairs), but Glen said it best; “Millions of people have seen it full of water, only you and a few thousand other have seen it empty.” What a crock.

The Imax film was great and I left feeling like the $24 wasn’t quite the rip-off I thought it’d be when I bought my ticket. I jumped back on Moanahh, and rode her back to the campsite to grab my computer then a few more miles into Cambria to buy some groceries for the next few days (the married couple warned me that my next stop was desolate), and try to find an internet connection. Found the food, but no luck posting my blog, it looks like it may be four or five days until I am back to civilization and can get caught up. I made my way (against the harsh afternoon wind) back to camp, finished reading A Brave New World (one less thing to carry), ate a small dinner and went to sleep shortly after dark.

A side note; as I was falling asleep I realized it has been two whole days since I’ve had a drink. I can’t remember the last time that happened. You probably can’t either.

Day: 88

I heard Charity and Spooner’s alarm go off at six am and tried to pretend I was asleep while they got up and started getting everything ready for their “Estate Sale”. That lasted about fifteen minutes and I was up, putting away my fold out couch and on my way with Spooner to get some breakfast burritos; a staple of any successful “Estate Sale”. I spent about an hour before I left getting my blog taken care of (off their free WiFi) and buying a couple of Used DVD’s from their sale (Pirates of the Caribbean and Open Range) for a buck each, she wanted to give them to me both for a dollar but I insisted that they need it (It’s costing $4000 dollars just to import their dog to New Zealand!) . What can I say,I am a sucker for DVD’s, but because I have to ride with them I tossed their cases in the trash. I traded Charity my copy of The Shipping News, which I had just finished reading, for copies of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and A Brave New World. I said my farewells, promised when I made it to New Zealand I’d try to find them, and mounted Moanahh (good work Nellie!) for some more riding north.

After about four hours of uneventful riding (by uneventful I mean constantly passing assorted roadkill and water bottles filled with a piss colored liquid which I can only assume is piss), I made it to San Simeon State Beach where I paid my $4 for two nights of Hike and Bike camping and went off to set up my camp. Once everything was set up, and I had eaten lunch, I went down to the beach and dove right into A Brave New World; It being a shorted and physically larger book I figured I’d get the weight off my bike sooner. I spent a couple of hours listening to the waves and reading then headed back to my tent for a little nap so I could be back to catch pictures of the sunset.

I wondered back down to the beach (with book in hand) around seven thirty, sat reading, taking pictures and watching the sunset until it began to get dark and extremely cold for my shorts and sandals. I went back to my tent, had a quick bites and went to sleep as darkness consumed the campground; Although silence did not, thanks to the mariachi music playing absurdly loudly about 7 sites over.

Day: 87

I woke up excited today (and a little hungover), about my first couchsurfing experience. I was heading into San Luis Obispo to stay with a couple who told me I could sleep on their couch. Random, but should be an interesting day none the less.

I started my day at the Starbucks on the road away from Pismo towards S.L.O.; had a pastry, a cup of tea and got all my blogging in order so I could be free today for whatever the day brings without having to try to find time to get my blog up. I only had to to ride about 15 miles today so around 10 I called Charity and let her know I’d be there in a couple of hours.

The two hour ride was mostly uphill into the wind, and I had to get off a couple of times and push, but I made it to their quaint home a little after noon and we made some quick introductions and they sent my sweaty ass to the shower. After I was cleaned up they took me into town with their dog, Nero, to have lunch and talk about each other. It turns out that tomorrow they are having an “estate sale” and selling everything they own to move to New Zealand and open a winery in December. So they let me know that they couldn’t show me around all day because they were busy dragging their life into the driveway and selling it a dollar at a time. I am so excited for them, it makes me happy to here stories like this, it also lets me know that I’m not the only one out there who can drop everything and start a new life.

I actually didn’t really have big plans for the day, after the last couple of hard days riding I just really wanted to chill out and have a relaxing day. It relieved me when they said it would just be a normal day in their world. Charity, Spooner and I spent some time in the afternoon wandering around (a favorite of mine) and putting up “estate sale” signs all over their area of S.L.O. Charity even painted it all over their bus. These are big days for this couple.

Around five, they began to drag everything out and I headed off into town to get out of their way for a while and see what type of evening shots I could find. I spent a couple of hours just meandering and clicking, I even had a cup of coffee to pick me up, before I headed back to see how they were doing. Everything was looking good and over the next couple of hours they had a few friends come over (with wine!) to visit and take the cream of the “Estate Sale” crop. I just relaxed, took it all in, let the day pass, and my body heal. I don’t think I could have had a much better day.

Day: 86

One last look at the map before I left at six AM.

I can take the 70 mile route to Pismo via PCH with a 400 foot pass and lots of coastal wind, but only a few hills.

Or I can take the 101 (which isn’t really recommended because its dangerous to be on the freeway). I would start my day of with a 918 foot climb over 4 miles, have lots of downhill after that (918ft to sea level at the beach), but lots of rolling hills and less wind.

I decided on the shorter, more dangerous route; of course. The first pass was horrible, I had to walk my bike up like half of it because the wind was gusting right down in my face and it was a 6% grade uphill. It took me an hour to go the first four miles. Now I was kind of worried that I had taken on to much and was going to get stuck in some small town paying $50 for a hotel. The ride down the other side of the pass I made another four miles in like ten minutes. I kept counting the miles, trying to convince myself I’d make it. After about five hours of some the hardest riding I have ever done, I arrive in Santa Maria; where I stop for lunch. As soon as I was off my bike, my legs seized and my back cramped. I drank two liters of water and a burrito, hoping I could force myself back on the bike. I knew the next part was mostly downhill (Santa Maria is 350 ft) but I just couldn’t make myself get up for the better part of 45 minutes. I stretched and forced my back on the 101. only 12 miles to go.

My countdown wasn’t as bad as yesterday (less wind) but I was truly exhausted when I rolled into the Oceana (Pismo) campground and set up camp. I showered and jumped back on my bike with my computer to backtrack (without all my gear) to a Starbucks a couple of miles back to get yesterdays blog up edit some photos (in a place with power) and find some dinner. I spent a couple of hours at Starbucks, just thankful to be indoors and playing online. After I grabbed some beer and decided on a picnic dinner, that I had picked up earlier, back at the campsite.

When I got back I opened a beer and headed out to see what kind of pictures I could get before dinner, but after a few minutes I stumbled into a swarm of mosquitoes and had to run back to escape to dinner. After dinner I started talking to a group of five 24 year old guys who were just setting up for a weekend bachelor party. I kept drinking beers and hangout and before I knew it I had drank my six pack of Bohemia and was feeling quite buzzed (I think all this exercise is lowering my tolerance), and the guys wanted to make the mad dash down to the beach. Through the swarming mosquitoes, drunk, a half mile up and down the dunes of Pismo to watch the sunset. I got eaten alive by the time we got back. I sat by there fire for a little while longer until I began to fall asleep, then told them all good night, wished the groom a great marriage (sucker), and headed of to bed, itching already.

Day: 85

I woke up with the sun this morning (like 5:30) then after a piss, quickly decided to head back to my sleeping bag. I woke up again about an hour later and packed up my camp, loaded my bike and decided to try to make it to Gaviota; which was nearly fifty miles away. Fifty miles that I soon came to realize was half covered in the hills of Santa Barbara. The first ten miles where easy and a nice warm up but as I came into the outskirts of Santa Barbara the road decided to make it’s way up and down the bluffs of the Pacific Coast for the better part of 25 miles. Fortunately I meant a nice cyclist named Patty who rode with me for about ten miles and guided me through the easiest route of Santa Barbara. By the time I had cleared the worst of the hills and was near Goleta on the busy 101, my legs had turned to jelly.

Keep pedaling Rob, 12 miles to go…

Keep pedaling Rob, 8 miles to go…

Keep pedaling Rob, 6 miles to go…

Keep pedaling Rob, 4 miles to go…

Break for an orange.

Keep pedaling Rob, 2 miles to go…

Keep pedaling Rob, 1/2 a mile to go…

I finally arrived just after two, and although my body was feeling it, though I had made great time. The only problem now is that for the last twelve miles I had been hoping to find a restaurant or a grocery store and the ranger just told me the closet thing is 10 miles away, uphill. F that. I took a quick inventory to see if I could make it without trying to bum food off a neighboring camper. One can of tuna, four pitas, a chunk of cheese, a bag of peanuts, some carrots and two Clif bars. I was cutting it close but decided to stretch that over lunch and dinner and save a Cilf bar for breakfast. I made a little lunch of pitas, tuna, carrots and cheese; took a shower and did my laundry. I know kind of mundane. I headed down to the beach to see what was going on but just ended up passing out on a picnic table for an hour, listening to some Jimmy Eat World on my Ipod..

After my nap I looked at my maps and tried to decide what to shoot for tomorrow. Did a little reading; It looks like I’m in a pickle. I have a place to stay with some people I meant on Couchsurfing.com in San Luis Obispo on Friday night. Its 80 miles away and the only campgrounds between Gaviota and San Luis Obispo are in Lompoc (20 miles) or Pismo (70 miles). So it looks like one of the days, either tomorrow or Friday, I am going to have to ride sixty + miles in a single day, and after todays struggle with fifty, I won’t lie it makes me a little nervous; like my legs will stop working before I make it. I decided to take my dinner down to the beach picnic area, to watch the sunset while I eat my Clif bar, pita shells, and apple and some carrots, and think over my choice.

When I got down there, an older gentleman (and fellow ex-boy scout) started talking to me as I got my dinner out and saw that I didn’t have much of a complete dinner. He offered me some left over chicken that he had and was planning on throwing away. We glanced around and saw that someone had left some charcoal burning and before I knew it I was on my way to a hot dinner.

After a better dinner than was expected I made my way down to the sand to watch the sunset, have a smoke (it’s lighter that alcohol!), and take a few pictures. I made my way back to my tent and went to work on my bike tightening some things up, greasing my chain, and adding a little air to my rear tire, which seemed low.

Peeeeessssssss….. Fuck.

I bust the stem and now had to take my entire bike apart in the light of dusk and change the rear tube. It took me a while to figure out how everything came apart and even longer to put it back together properly. The sun deep beyond the horizon. My hands covered in grease. My bike fixed. Bed time.

I guess I’ll go gung ho tomorrow and try for Pismo, even though its probably not the best choice; It might be fun.

Day: 84

The sun came up, and I woke up. Didn’t even bother to check the time until I had broken down my camp and was about to set out for the days ride. 7:10am. The sun was just breaking through the fog and mountains as I hit PCH. I rode hard for the first couple of hours today and made to to Ventura (after a few construction detours through Oxnard) by 10. I had decided to take a break here and accomplish two goals; grocery shopping/breakfast and a blog update. The grocery shopping was the most important because I didn’t want to be stranded 4 miles from food in my campsite like I was yesterday. A couple cans of tuna, pitas, carrots, apple, orange, cheese, cottage cheese, OJ and a bottle of water.

I found a Starbucks in the parking lot of the grocerey store and went in for a cup of tea and to see how much T-mobile wanted for access to there “Hot-Spots” (Wi-fi). $39.99 for a month, not to bad, so I paid for my first month, knowing that now the 12,800 Starbucks locations would become blog centers for Rob. After about an hour of drinking my tea, blogging, playing on myspace, and checking my stocks I headed out to get back on the road with hopes of making it the next 20 or so miles to Carpinteria State Beach to set up camp. The ride took me until 1:30, but when I arrived the Rangers wouldn’t let me check in until 4pm, it was a measure to battle vagrancy in the campground. I headed down to the beach to get some reading, napping and writing done while I waited.

Two and a half hours pass quickly when you are laying on the beach doing absolutely nothing, before I knew it, it was four and I paid for my spot and headed over to set up my camp. After my tent was up and I consumed a snack containing some of the aforementioned ingredients I set out on my bike to see this little town of Carpinteria. As I was cruising around I passed a movie theater which had the animated film, Over The Hedge, starting right then. I paid my $5.75 and headed in, happy to be indoors for an hour and a half after a day in the sun.

After the movie I went back to the camp and started talking to the one other guy in the Hike & Bike area, a borderline vagrant, who was pissed that the rangers wouldn’t let him stay for more than one night. I heard his story about his tragic break-up with his girlfriend, his wreaked back from riding dirt bikes in the desert, his time on a horse ranch and his career as a screen writer with no actual screen credits. After the one Budweiser he gave me I excused myself to head down to the water to get some pictures of the evening sun. I had a nice romantic walk for one; I followed it up with some curry at the Thai place down the street and made my way back to camp to try to get some writing in before the sun set.