This post would really be better with pictures. Oh well. Rode 200 miles in 3 days from oct. 29 to oct. 31. Bertie (my bike) dressed up for halloween with new orange bar tape. Big sur was, as promised, hilly. I wasn't feeling much like riding on the 30th, the day I was at big sur. I was listening to music and counting miles. I sighed when a photo op was too good to pass up. Fortunately, around mile 20 I met gregg, and we rode, walked, and talked all the way to ragged point, the tail end of big sur. Gregg has been spending winters on his bike since the mid 90's. He has toured all over the country. He was carrying a medium sized backpack and a sleeping bag. He didn't wear a helmet, but told me he wanted one so he'd look more like a bike tourist. I felt like the super duper bike tourist next to him with all my labels and gadgets and extra weight. When I told him I wanted to write a kid's book about my travels, he said, "if I show up as a character, you gotta clean me up a little bit."
Together, gregg and I watched this silver haired, shirtless dude come around a blind turn and go bombing down hwy 1 on a shopping cart. He yelled to gregg, "pay you for some weed, man!" Gregg shook his head, then turned to me and said, "you gotta love big sur."
Later, gregg and I parted ways and I saw elephant seals do the worm on my way into san simeon. Then I saw lots of dolphins at dusk.
On the 31st, I rode to san luis obispo, which seemed like sweet town, and then trained it to los angeles, where I spent the last week not riding but beaching, eating, and smiling a lot.
Los angelians are really cute when it comes to a little bad weather. It's like the apocalypse.
On to the first o.c.today, then down to the border (wee!) Before I turn east. It's happening!
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