Two days in LA

11/5/11
I spent my morning in LA on my own. My friend Nick had to go to some sort of audition/read through for a pilot he wanted to do. I walked down to a local coffee shop and enjoyed the sunshine drinking my iced chai latte on the patio. I eventually started a conversation with a couple that was going hiking, Mike and Paulina. They were super nice and told me that I should check out Griffith Park before leaving town. Paulina also gave me her card and number in case I had any questions, and Mike gave me his information and told me to contact him next time I wanted to go to Warped Tour. They were both super cool...who says LA doesn't have nice people??? While at the cafe I had also managed to solidify a ride to Sun City West, AZ through Craigslist, and would be leaving the next day at 2pm.

Right after I finished my conversation with Mike and Paulina, Nick rolled up to the cafe in his black and orange Pontiac muscle car, and we cruised around town for a bit. After running a few errands, we decided to go up to Griffith Park and hike up around the observatory there. There seemed to be quite a lot of people out, seeing as it was Saturday it made sense, but the weather and view were both great from the park.

After our trip to the park we walked over to the Hollyhock house, which was originally designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It's quite a magnificent design, being built at the beginning of the 20th century. It has more recently been designated as a National Historic Landmark by the US Department of Interior. Although they were doing some renovations on the main house, from what we saw of the rest of the complex was interesting. One neat design of the house is that it was purposely positioned in such a way that from the hill that the Hollyhock House is located, you can look across town to a hill where you can clearly see another Wright house, the Ennis House.

In the evening we took the LA Metro down into Hollywood and walked the strip a bit. I had to of course walk along the hall of fame and check out the Chinese Theater. While there I actually got to see John C Reilly who was attending an AFI event at the theater. I guess that would be my celebrity sighting for the trip. I found humor in the fact that a lot of people on the street couldn't remember his name and just called him that "Shake 'n Bake guy."

On the way back to the Metro we stopped for some pizza and garlic knots at a little pizza place off of Hollywood Blvd. The pizza was pretty yummy, and I somehow managed to get a slice for free. Score!

That night Nick and I both crashed out early. My plan was to get up early and take the Metro across town to Long Beach where I'd be meeting my ride to Arizona.

11/6/11
Because I had gone to sleep so early I woke up quite early. It was 6:30am, although because of the time change it was more like 7:30am. As I gathered my things together and for ready for the ride across town, Nick woke up and let me know that he would give me a ride. That was awesome news, because it was going to take me over two hours of commuting to get to Long Beach, plus I wasn't super comfortable riding the Metro across town.

We spent the morning just chatting, and Nick's roommate Andrea made us some super strong, but good, coffee. Eventually we loaded up my bike in the car and drove over to Long Beach. We realized that we hadn't gotten any picture together, so we decided to snap a few shots before parting ways. I had good visit in LA, and actually ended up liking the city just a little bit more than I expected. I expected to kind of hate it there actually.

I met Aaron in a parking lot near the water polo pool. He seemed like a good guy, a Ventura native, maybe 50, driving a Chevy Tahoe. Last I heard there was going to be a woman with cats riding with us, but it looked like that fell through, so it would be just us. Aaron said that he could drive me right up to the doorstep of where I would be going in Sun City West, where my friend Mailman Dave lives. I called Dave as we left Long Beach to confirm that it was still ok that I was coming. He seemed fine with it, and I had talked to him the day before to let him know that I'd be coming through town soon, but I still wish I could've given him more than 6 hours notice of my arrival.

The ride to Arizona was smooth. Aaron had good taste in rock music, as well as a good stereo, so when we weren't talking we were rocking out down the highway. We split the cost of gas, and it ended up costing me $30 to get to Sun City West.

I guess this brings me to why I decided to get a ride in the first place. Well, the truth is that the California coast ended up costing me a bit more money than I had expected. I suppose I spent a little more time exploring the coast than I had expected as well. There is no doubt in my mind that I could've made it through the California desert to Arizona, but I ultimately decided that it would be better to get a ride. First, it would help me make up a little time. I figure it may have taken me a week to get to Phoenix. Second, it would save me money. Seven days on the road with a $25/day average would be $175, so the $30 for a ride really didn't seem like much in comparison. Third, I thought that with the time and money I was saving I could spend time exploring a little more interesting places by bike. Don't get me wrong, I love places like Joshua Tree and the Mojave, but I have been there before and would go there again, but ultimately wasn't super excited to ride across the California desert. I know some people will call that cheating, but guess what...this is my trip and I can make the rules.

In Sun City West Mailman Dave lives in a kind of gated community. He met us out at one of the entrances and it was good to see him. I know Dave from Portland, where we both are regulars at a place called Chopsticks. We call him 'Mailman' because he worked for the postal service for a number of years, but was now retired. We had always just been acquaintances, but about two months earlier when I found out that he was spending his winter in Arizona, I told him about my bike trip and he invited me to stop by. I'm very grateful that he opened his home to me, and I think we had a really good visit. We ended up having quite an extensive conversation that evening, and I feel that we got to know each other on a more 'friend' level.

We had made plans to get breakfast in the morning, and then called it a night. It was nice to be indoors, as the forecast for the evening was rain (first LA then Arizona...what timing!), but I opened the windows wide in the room I was staying in and enjoyed the fresh air and sprinkling as I fell asleep. It reminded me of being outside camping, which is more of what I've been used to. I longed to be back on the road.

Miles: 360 miles by car

RRD: Trash

-D

This aint no disco. It aint no country club either.

11/4/11
At some point in the middle of the night I woke up because I thought I had heard sprinkling. That forced me to get out of my tent and cover all my bags with a rain cover. I also decided to fasten the rainfly down on my tent just in case. I did notice while I was up how comfortably warm it was. I was only covering my body halfway with the sleeping bag and was totally comfortable. At sunrise I woke again to what I thought was some people talking off in the distance, but didn't hear or see anything after that. I also don't think it had rained at all. Maybe that echoey canyon carries more than just the sound of waves.

I hit Malibu quick, but according to the signs Malibu is "27 miles of scenic beauty," so I didn't expect to be leaving anytime soon. The morning was blue skies and clear, but the forecast was that rain would soon be on the way. I decided to stop at a Starbucks/Pavillion (which is like Safeway or Vons) and made myself some breakfast and got some tea to warm my insides. Before I knew it two hours had passed and the clouds had come in and they were threatening rain!

As I headed out of the little strip mall area, deI ran into a retired Swiss couple that had spent 3 months cycling down the coast from Vancouver, BC. We got to talking, and somewhere mid conversation the rain came pouring down. I had been there for three hours with dry weather, and now as I was trying to leave the rain started in. Maybe I should've planned better. I wasn't too worried about it because LA seemed within reach, so as the Swiss couple went to get some lunch for themselves, I made myself something to eat and watched as the drops of water falling from the sky turned into puddles around the parking lot.

The rain continued to fall and I figured that I should probably get going despite the weather. I headed over to where the Swiss couple was so I could say goodbye, but we got caught up in another conversation and soon the rain had turned to a sprinkle and we all decided to hit the road. I thought that I better cover my bags and put on my rain gear just in case it started up again, so now all three of us were suited up and riding toward LA. Of course, we didn't end up needing all the rain gear, and a few miles down the road the sun was blaring and we suited down.

The Swiss couple, Werner and Elisa (I think?), were super nice but I felt that they were moving a little slow for me. Once again we said our goodbyes and I shot forward to Santa Monica. When I got out of Malibu, I was able to ride quite a nice beach bike path that took me all the way to Venice Beach. It was good to get away from the crazy LA traffic that crowded the streets, which may have been more crazy since drivers seem to freak out when it rains. The beach, from the Palisades all the way to Venice, was pretty unoccupied, I'm guessing due to the rain. I had decided to take Venice Blvd into Hollywood rather than Santa Monica Blvd because Venice has a bike lane. When I checked my phone I was surprised to find out that I still had about 18 miles until my destination. Damn LA is spread out.

The ride to my friends place in Los Feliz near Hollywood actually went quick. Even with a fully loaded bike I was faster than the buses, and as fast as some of the cars. Commuting by bike didn't seem like such a bad idea in LA, although I always imagined it would be hellish because of the traffic. I did have to engage all my senses to deal with the typical city riding obstacles like pedestrians crossing between intersection, reckless cyclists in the bike lane, cars changing lanes and turning at the last minute, and of course buses cutting me off to get to their stop. In fact, it seemed to me that the buses were some of the most erratic vehicles on the road. Watch out for those LA bus drivers!

Around 4pm I made it to my friend Nick's place, who was just trying to park his car after returning from the gym. Perfect timing. It was good to see my friend. We were friends since about the age of seven, but lost contact with each other after 5th grade until the wonderful world of MySpace reconnected us about 5 years ago. He was living in Washington at that time so we managed to hang out a couple of times before he moved down to LA. I was looking forward to hearing all about his life in LA as a struggling actor as well as seeing a bit of the city from a local's point of view.

The rest of the evening Nick and I just caught up and talked about what we've been doing with our lives. We got some awesome tacos, like only SoCal can do, at a little taco stand near his place. We also got a steak that we would be broiling for dinner, and picked up his roommate, Andrea, from her work. It was good to hang out with Nick, and his roommate was super awesome and they invited me to stay another night if I wanted...well, I kind f invited myself, but they said it would be fine. Haha.

As usual, I hit a wall in the middle of the night at about 12-12:30, and crashed out early on the couch. I guess just because I've been on a different schedule and spent my day being pretty active, I really have a hard time staying up as late as I used to. All-in-all, I'd say it was a good day and I was happy to have made it so far down the coast by bicycle. Now I just had to decide where, when, and how I was going to head east...

Miles: 54 miles

RRD: Half a surfboard. Wipeout?

-D

Who do the Mugu that you do?

11/3/11
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

Welcome to Santa Barbara

11/2/11
On days like today I love waking up before sunrise. On this morning I really took notice to how shapes appear out of the darkness, and minute by minute those shapes turn into bushes and trees and rocks and things. Gradually everything began to appear in its essential form and become a little more recognizable, until the sun finally crept over the jagged horizon and illuminated everything below casting mountainous shadows across Lake Cachuma. The sky, indecisive of whether it was turning pink or purple or blue, was brilliant and I was once again pleased with my campsite and the sunrise.

I was eating the last of the food in my bag as I watched the day begin, which consisted of a banana and a few crackers with honey. I would definitely have to get some more food as soon as possible. I was still a bit hungry after my small breakfast, but figured that it would nourish me until I could get something more substantial. I hit the road right away, as I wanted to get into Santa Barbara as soon as possible. A few people had said good things about the area, and I wanted to have a little bit of time to cruise around and check out the town.

As soon as I got onto the highway I realized that riding east at sunrise on a busy road was probably a bad idea, so I took a rest at the lake marina. There was a store near the marina but it wouldn't open until 9am. I waited for the sun to get a little higher in the sky before returning to highway 154, and at about 8am I headed east again. The road was full of hills and I was rode up and over hills, but was gradually climbing overall. It was a great way to stay warm but honesty, the next few hours were tough. I was hungry and climbing. Eventually I came to road that offered an alternate route off the main highway, and I was happy to take it as there was a lot of commuter traffic. The road was an old stagecoach route which led to a historic restaurant and general store. I though I was saved from my hunger, but neither opened until 11am which was still an hour away.

After talking to somebody who was getting ready to open the restaurant I learned that the climb was almost over, and after that it was just a few more miles downhill until I reached town. I climbed the last bit slowly, but eventually reached the top of San Marcos pass. At about 2200ft, it was now about 10:30 and I looked down on Santa Barbara and the ocean and knew that I'd be able to eat soon. Food had been on my mind all morning.

I found a little cafe so I got a small coffee and a breakfast bagel. I was a totally shocked when the total came to $10, but would've paid twice that just to eat. It was a good warning of the local prices, and I planned to buy some groceries whenever I found a good spot.

Now that I was fueled up I headed straight for the beach, which has a wonderful bike path, and rode along the path for several miles. Santa Barbara has a wonderful beach area, and I was surprised to see few people out on this Tuesday afternoon. On the east side I found a shady spot near the volleyball courts and took a nap on the beach.

On my way to BiciCentro, which is part of the Santa Barbara Bike Coalition, I stopped at Tri-County Produce to get food. I was meeting my WarmShowers host, Mark, at BiciCentro where he was volunteering. I was also hoping to find a cheap replacement pedal for my bike since the incessant clicking of the past 200 miles didn't seem to be getting any better. After meeting Mark, who was super friendly and seemed to be a very kind and gentle soul, I dug through a drawer of old pedals. I came up empty handed, but Mark recommended a bike shop that was on the way to his house where I could probably find what I was looking for.

After spending too much money and too much time at the bike shop, I headed over to meet Mark and his wife Nancy at their place. At least I had fixed my annoying pedal and it's incessant clicking. I planned on donating my pedals to BiciCentro, along with a pair of extra brake levers that I had removed back in Arroyo Grande. Mark and Nancy have a wonderful 1920's craftsman house that reminded me a lot of Portland. Thanks to their hospitality I felt right at home. They made a wonderful dinner of salmon, ribs, a tomato/avocado salad and some cous-cous. It was good, healthy cycling food.

We talked some more after eating and they asked if I had decided on my route off the coast yet. I still wasn't sure, but we discussed options: 1) Ride to Los Angeles and find a ride to either Flagstaff, AZ or Phoenix, AZ. 2) Cut east at Ventura and ride through the desert and eventually over to Flagstaff, AZ. 3) Finish the coast down to San Diego, and then cut east and do the entire Southern Tier bike route from San Diego, CA to St Augustine, FL. All options had their advantages and disadvantages, but Option 3 seemed the most interesting. As we discussed the options Nancy wondered if she still had her maps from when she did the Southern Tier. She went to the garage and quickly returned with an envelope full of maps. She still had them! She said that they might be outdated, but that she didn't plan on doing it again and told me I could have them if I wanted. What generosity! I gladly accepted them and figured they would come in handy no matter which option I choose.

I think we stayed up later than any of us had planned just talking, laughing, and playing music. I'm very thankful to have met such warm people, and I'm always glad to make more cycle tourist friends. I slept well, finding myself once again indoors, yet I was still uncertain which route I'd be taking off of the California coast.

Miles: 40 miles

RRD: A baby walker (no, not of the Texas Ranger variety)

-D

3/4

11/1/11
Waking up in a hotel room (or any room for that matter) feels odd to me. I've really grown accustomed to the fresh air and open sky. I got that slight claustrophobic feeling again, from being indoors. I think I've mentioned it before, but some of my favorite experiences on this triphave been the random spots I've found to camp. They're usually off on their own, away from any traffic and human noise. More often than not I get to fall asleep with a clear view of the night sky, the soothing sounds of the natural world, and then get to wake up to a spectacular view. Even most state parks have had hiker/biker areas that are separated from the regular campers, giving a more open wilderness feeling.

After eating some breakfast, cleaning myself up and repacking my bags I checked out and headed to the bike shop. I arrived a little before opening, but caught them setting up for the day and was able to check my bike in. They said it might be done by early afternoon, and noted that normally it would go into rotation and take a day or two but they like to cater to touring cyclists. Most bike shops seem to go out of their way for touring cyclists, and Ira's is no different, so I thanked them for the extra effort.

Most of my day was spent just walking around "the village" area of Arroyo Grande. I stopped at a cafe for a bit, then walked through the park, then got a burger and a shake, found a WarmShowers host in Santa Barbara and then walked halfway across town to the library. At the library I did some research on the Southern Tier bike route. For 20¢ I was able to print out some useful maps that would help me cross the country by bike while enjoying scenery and avoiding major highways. The only problem is that I would still have to go back and mark the highways & roads. Another option would be to buy the 7 Adventure Cycling maps that route it out for you at about $12/map. Needless to say I felt like my hour at the library was well worth it.

I got the call about my bike a little after 3:30, and it took my about half an hour to walk to the bike shop from library. On the walk over I was trying to figure out how far I could still make it today. I had kind of decided I wasn't going to make it too far, and my only goal was to be in Santa Barbara by the next evening to meet with my WarmShowers hosts. I had talked to a man named Mark who offered me a place to stay, with him and his wife, when I get to Santa Barbara. They both are avid cyclists and I agreed to meet him at BiciCentro the next day, a bike co-op where he was volunteering.

As I hit the road I was feeling pretty strong and happy to be pedaling again. The route I was heading down seemed pretty good, away from the highway and smooth road with plenty of shoulder. As the sun started to set, the shadows cast from the foothills were pretty amazing and I once again was feeling fortunate to a part of the beautiful scenery. When I got just outside of the town of Santa Maria the sun had disappeared and I was once again rolling through farmland and into the Santa Ynez valley.

Foxen Canyon Road proved to be one of my favorite rides. It was dark out now, but the moon and stars provided plenty of light for me to just make out the silhouettes of the surrounding mountains and hills. For a long stretch, maybe 25 miles, I would only see 1 car every 20-30 minutes. I had my headphones for that section of road, which brought me past wineries and through smooth, open countryside. It was truly amazing being out there all alone, and for whatever reason I jut kept pedaling through the night.

Eventually the silent country road met up with the not-so-silent commuter highway 154. Despite having a bit of traffic in the middle of the night, the shoulder was plenty wide and cars were respectful of my presence. Once again the bright yellow reflective vest with blinking red lights that my dad gave me was helping me be seen. My plan had now changed so that I would make it to Lake Cachuma, which was about 3/4 of the way to Santa Barbara. It was a gorgeous night though, and I enjoyed the ride a lot.

At Lake Cachuma I found a found a great spot right away, that overlooked the entire lake to the east and I was sure would make for a gorgeous sunrise. As the temperature dropped I didn't hesitate to set up camp and get in my sleeping bag. The ground was hard with sharp rocks sticking out, but I managed to find a spot that seemed just wide enough for me to slip between the rocks and fall asleep. I was surprised and thankful for making so much progress, but knew that I wouldn't get much sleep because of the hard ground, and the fact that I wanted to be out of there first thing in the morning.

Miles: 60 miles

RRD: Dust masks, a pillow, couch cushions, a recliner, lawn furniture, a mattress & box spring...too much random junk on the side of the road.

-D

Another uneventful day going nowhere

10/31/11
I woke up at about 6:30am and the first thing I saw was a ranger truck drive by heading for the beach. I figured I should be quick to avoid getting hassled, and packed up my stuff. Everything was dewy and there was some pretty thick fog coming in. As soon as I was ready I headed back toward the road and what do you know another ranger truck drove by and stopped right on the street down the hill from me. Dangit! Did they see me? Maybe they were just heading to the store across the way. I ducked down for a few minutes and didn't hear anybody coming. I peeked over the dune brush a few times and still saw the truck sitting there. I couldn't tell if anybody was in it, but it didn't seem like anybody was coming up the dune toward me. I waited a few more minutes and then decided to head down. The truck was still there, but I didn't see ranger. As soon as I got to the street I rode my bike out of there as quick as possible.

I was hungry for some breakfast so I headed down the main road, Grand Ave, to find a cafe or bakery. Once again I found a cafe next to a train station, called the Station Grill Cafe, which actually had really good prices. I got a huge breakfast, 3 eggs, 3 sausage, a ton of hash browns, toast, coffee and juice all for under $9, after tax. California and their whole tax thing is really annoying, especially after living in Oregon for so long. Either way it was a lot of food, and I enjoyed it.

I ended up spending several hours at the cafe, mostly updating my blog. My only plan for the day was to go to a local bike shop and see about getting some new-used pedals. A few people in town recommended Ira's Bike Shop so that's where I was heading. On the way I stopped at another cafe to even update my blog further, then at a grocery store to get some food. Before I knew it my day was coming to an end.

The town of Arroyo Grande seems decent. A lot of people seem to have pride in where they live, and people generally seem nice. I headed to Ira's which was in a kind of downtown area with cute Victorian style buildings lining the streets. The streets were all closed off to vehicular traffic and tons of parents and kids were out trick-or-treating at all the stores along the main strip. It was pretty cool to see the town and community coming together like that. I talked with the people at Ira's for a while and they were really helpful. I decided to come back in the morning and get my brakes re-cabled as well as new tape put on and new pads put on. I figured I could do it myself, and it would probably take me a few hours since I hadn't done it before, or just pay somebody $20 who could do it in about 30 minutes.

Since I was deciding to stay another night, I had to find a place to sleep. The people at Ira's didn't seem to think stealth camping was a good idea because the city was cracking down on their homeless population. I was also warned earlier that since it was the off-season the rangers were kind of bored and more likely to question that sort of behavior. At one point in the conversation I was actually offered two places to stay, but I felt like they were only offering a place out of sympathy...and they actually seemed quite hesitant about inviting me into their home. I wasn't comfortable with staying with people who weren't sure about hosting me, but they did also direct me to a few cheap places to stay.

I eventually found a cheap motel for $30 a night (almost the same price as camping!) and the motel owner seemed super excited that a cyclist was staying there. He was really interested in what I was doing and that's why he ended up giving me such a good deal. Of course I was happy to share my experiences with him.

The rest of the night I just cleaned out my bags, dried out my tent, and cleaned my bike. It was yet another somewhat uneventful day. I really want to get back on the road, and I also want to figure out a solid plan that I'm happy with. I'm not against something like finding a ride to Flagstaff, AZ and then leaving by bike toward New Orleans, LA from there. I just don't really want to spend any money that I don't have to. I'll figure it out. I think I just need to get back on my bike and ride so I'm at least moving in a direction, rather than stagnating in one place.

Miles: 5 miles?

RRD: Halloween candy

-D

A slow day in SLO

10/30/11
I was up first today. The sunrise was amazing, and I was glad to wake up in the spot I was at. I tried calling James to wake him up but it didn't work, so I just packed up and headed down the hill. At the bottom of the hill was a trail map and some signs giving a little history about the area. The name of the hill we slept on is "Cheapskate Hill", because there used to be a racetrack in town and people would go up on the hill to watch the races for free. Needless to say I got a good laugh about that, especially since we stayed there because we were trying to avoid paying for a place.

I headed straight for a cafe that we had passed the night before, which was across the street from the train station. I had just ordered some french toast and eggs, when James called. I told him where I was, and after I was finished with breakfast he showed up. I had a few things on the agenda today, with laundry being at the top of the list. We headed over to the laundromat and used the WiFi while we waited for our clothes to be done.

Today was a day of decisions. I was trying to decide where I was going to go. Should I continue south and finish the California coast or should I head east soon? If I go east where should I head? Should I go to Flagstaff or go farther south through Phoenix? James was trying to figure his route out too. He hadn't heard from the French consulate yet about his work VISA, so going to LA would be pointless. He still had people in Flagstaff he wanted to visit with, so he wasn't sure if he should catch a train straight there or head towards LA to catch a ride with his trucker friend east. James eventually decided that he would try hitch hiking to LA, and that meant we would be heading separate directions today. I on the other hand was still unsure what I was doing.

After we finished our laundry we went to a sandwich shop. After lunch James headed to a gas station to find a ride and I headed to the bike kitchen to work on my bike. We said our goodbyes and promised to stay in touch. It was nice riding with somebody for the past 11 days, and I am thankful for meeting James. I think I made a lifelong friend, and it'll be interesting to see if our paths cross again.

The bike kitchen was closed for the day. Normally it would be open on Sundays, for whatever reason it wasn't on this day. I talked to some people hanging around outside, who said that there's a chance the guy would come back. After waiting around about an hour I decided to leave. I went and got a snack then headed for the park. At the park I took a nap in the grass and contemplated my options. I was feeling the urge to go south, but didn't have a clear plan on where or when I would be heading east. After gathering my things and deciding to keep going, I ended up leaving SLO around 6pm. On my way out of town I stopped by a graveyard to watch the sunset, which was also splendid. I love how often I get to watch the sun rise and set in the same day.

It was dark by the time I got to town of Pismo Beach. The ride there was pretty flat and traffic free. I tried stopping at the state park, but they had discontinued their hiker/biker area and were charging close to $30 just to set up a tent for the night. It's really hard for me to justify paying that much, especially since I was planning to leave at sunrise and would be spending a total of about 10 hours there. I ended up talking them into letting me take a shower and clean up, so after that I headed to find a stealth spot to camp.

I followed some dune trails into some dune brush. The farther from the road I got, the thicker the brush got. I also started walking through an abundance of spider webs, and soon noticed the giant hairy spiders that resided in them. At the same time I was getting eaten alive by mosquitos, so I headed back a little ways and found a decent clearing where I could set up my tent. I got into my netted tent as soon as possible in order to find relief from the bugs.

On my way to the dunes I noticed a lot of ranger trucks, both state and county, and was a little worried that I would be found. It seemed like the type of place that would be heavily patrolled. I was tired though, so I set my alarm and went to sleep. It was really quite a boring day, and I still wasn't sure what I was doing or where I was heading.

Miles: 20 miles

RRD: A sleeping bag

-D