I hit the snooze on my alarm and waited to get up until I heard movement in the kitchen. Mark was up making coffee and cooking oats and I gladly took a cup-o-jo to help kick start my morning. Nancy met us in the kitchen just as the oatmeal was done cooking, and Mark cut up some fresh oranges that he had picked out of their tree in the backyard. He said that because they have both Navel and Valencia varieties, they pretty much have fresh oranges all year long. They also brought out some yogurt, wheat germ, honey and a few other things which turned breakfast into quite the feast.
We talked some more as we ate and they asked if I had any plans before leaving town. I said no, but that I was open to suggestions. They recommend that I check out the mission and court house, and that if I felt up to it I should ride Mountain Drive out of town. All the suggestions sounded great, and I planned to just feel it out as I headed south.
I was still packing when Mark and Nancy left on their bikes to go to a farmer's market. They showed me how to lock up before they left and wished me a safe journey. After saying our goodbyes I gathered my things, double checked to see if I was forgetting anything, and then locked up and headed toward the mission. When I left the house I wasn't sure if I was going to do Mountain Drive, but figured I'd check out the mission then go see the court house. While at the mission I was really intrigued by the ruins, which dated as far back as the 1600's, and walked my bike along a path that lead to different sites. On the path I met another cyclist that recommended doing Mountain Drive, so I decided to ride up the hill.
Mountain Drive has a few climbs, but nothing too extreme, and overall was a serene ride. The route winds through the hills, which at times offer wonderful views of Santa Barbara, and passes by many beautiful and expensive houses and estates. The route that I took isn't any longer than 5 miles and it drops you off back at the east side of the Santa Barbara Beach, which put me in a good position to head out of town. I continued on my way and saved the court house for another time.
The last town I hit before a long stretch of highway was Carpinteria. I stopped to get a coffee and a snack. There didn't seem to be a lot going on there, but there was a bicycle shop called Bikesmiths, also known as "The Biggest Little Bike Shop in the World", that acts as an "Oil Addiction Treatment Center." I thought that was awesome. Has your use of fossil fuels made your life unmanageable? The Oil Addiction Treatment Center has answers...
The next 20 or so miles along the Ventura Freeway was full of beautiful scenery...and RVs. There were long stretches of parked RVs lining the coast. I had never seen anything like it. Actually, maybe only about 1/4 of the spots were full, but in the summer when every spot is taken, I can imagine what a spectacle it must be to see one single file row of RVs that continues on for miles upon miles.
Ventura seemed like a decent place, and when I arrived I was hungry. I stopped to get a bite to eat, but was back on the road within the hour. The sun was starting to set, and I had quite a bit further that I wanted to go. I'm not sure if it was the route I was on or what, but it seemed as the town of Oxnard went on forever. I got a little worried as the road became a little more bumpy and the windows of houses became a little more barred, but I kept on riding into the night.
Eventually I got back on the PCH which wrapped around Point Mugu Nas Naval Base. I knew I must be getting close, because I was planning to camp at Point Mugu State Park. At that time my friend Nick in LA called me on my phone and I stopped pedaling to talk with him and see if I could crash at his place. All was good, and I continued on a few more miles until I got to the La Jolla Canyon section of Mugu State Park. I think the area was closed, but it was late and I was tired so I headed back anyway. At La Jolla Canyon you have to hike in 2 miles to the campsite. Since I was on bike and tired, I decided to hike in about 300ft passed the parking lot and make my own campsite.
The ground was rocky, but the sound of waves echoed through the canyon was soothing. Even though I was probably a mile inland from the ocean I could still hear the waves like I was right there. I was amazed at the acoustic properties of the canyon, but even more so it was just a relaxing sound to fall asleep to.
Miles: 55 miles
RRD: Baby Crocs...like the shoes
-D
No comments:
Post a Comment