Solvang to Oxnard

Saturday Sept 22, 2012

Today we did the 80 miler from Solvang to Oxnard.  We started from the hotel after a full breakfast but with the after effects of a lot of wine tasting.  Before we got out of town, the volkswagens were gathering next to the road and I almost got sucked in by Sarah from Tennessee.

Forget the bikes....come play with Volkswagens

Dad would have had a great time here!!
 

Herb singing "You're the one" on Old StageCoach Road.

 

The old 1860s stagecoach stop part way up the pass.

There was dancing here...unbelievable.

 

Gary was a bit worried about the rock on Old Stage Coach Road (It was inching toward the road...)

A view from the top of the pass

 

The downhill from this point was a blast with three 5 mph hairpins.  Sorry no pictures, I was having too much fun.  After about 15 minutes of this fun, we were in the outskirts of Santa Barbara cruising down some high dollar streets and picking up bike paths when they appeared.

 

Gary, Mark and Tim negotiating locals in a paceline.

 

Mark and Gary cruising scenic drive bike path in Santa Barbara.  We had gone several miles along the coast in downtown Santa Barbara with the cool fog.  I love the fog.  You could not see the ocean but you knew it was there.  Temp is around 60.


 

An hour later I watched some Polo at the Santa Barbara Polo club.  Looks like a hard way to play soccer.

A bit further was a nice farmers mkt but alas, I did not have my big pack with me.

Oops, we are now on 101 for 4 miles...high speed loud traffic

Better on the Pacific Coast Highway just below 101.  3 miles of motorhomes next to the beach.  Carefully proceed down this bike lane!

Their view on the Ocean side.

Hot!!

Karen is leading the "rap" part of our Pizza party.  Notice the recovery drinks ready for deployment.  "Rap" is the review of the route and some of the details of the next day's ride.  I think several big hills were mentioned.


Tomorrows ride is 52 miles to Marina del Rey and I heard that there is a mountain range to get over.....:>)

Santa Maria to Solvang

Friday, Sept 21, 2012

This morning was one of the first mornings we awoke not in a fog.  Everyone was quietly excited about the lower mileage of 40 miles and reserved about the possible hills rising to the heavens.  I heard stories of Tarantula sightings but alas from my point of view, they were only stories.

The "Duchess" putting the final 2 lbs of fresh air in her tire for the Solvang dash.

Jim and Don tightening a spoke by putting a kink in it.

The infinite main street out of Santa Maria.

The infinite rows of strawberries (Ok, they are under the plastic).

Herb is quickly putting Santa Maria behind and dreaming of the wines in Solvang.

The very rare albino pumpkin appears in my lens amongst a sea of vegetation.

 

Don demonstrating air pump use for the amusement of those assembled.

 

A once new bicycle is geared up ready to ride.
 

The gate to the land of Peppers.



In the land of Peppers.

Views from one of the hills as we close in on Solvang.

 

Such order in the land of grapes.

The storybook town of Solvang.

Here we are in the Netherlands....there must be a yogurt shop close.

 

My first step of my new fall training regimen. 

 

There was a cigar shop next to the yogurt shop.  A natural next step for my fall training program.

 

The book club taking a much needed break after a grueling discussion of the 2nd paragraph in the prologue.

Tomorrow (Saturday) we ride to Oxnard.  It is over 80 miles to this place of unknown and unexamined distinction. Perhaps we can change that.  :>)

Paso Robles to Santa Maria

Thurs Sept 20, 2012

Morning arrived and there was no fog!  Our ride today would take us through some of the hills toward Morro Bay on the coast.  After a sag stop at Morro Bay, we again headed inland through the outskirts of San Luis Obispo, into the flat broccoli agricultural area and into Santa Maria.

We had strange dreams during the night.

The morning ride was delightful.

Don cruising the hills

Apple Pricklies

Lemon Pricklies

Modern Tar Pit babies

A welcome clarification to our route sheet.

John and Chris homing in on the Morro Bay Rock

Biking to the Morro Bay Rock.

Northern tip of Morro Bay Rock.

An appropriate place for a bicycle rack.

Jim is wondering how a West Texas windmill ended up in California

Guadalupe town art.

Picking broccoli on the way to Santa Maria.

Our enthusiastic welcoming gals in Santa Maria

This new day (Friday) we are on  our way to Solvang, the Danish enclave in California.

King City to Paso Robles

Sept 19, 2012

Today our ride was 61 miles with just over 4000 ft of climbing.  The day started gray and foggy and around 50.  At about 10 miles we hit our first good sized hill shrouded in fog where the visibility at the top was about 100 feet. As we continued down the other side the fog completed cleared within a quarter mile and the sun lit up the valley without a cloud in the sky.

Tracy leaving our King City hotel and head for a bike bridge.

John and Chris crossing the bridge behind me.

Horses enjoying the fog near the base of our first hill.

There are two bikes about 100 feet in front of me at the top of this good sized hill.

Just over the top the fog cleared.

The Dutton Hotel of 1849 near the town of Lockwood could use a little work.

Gary and Jeff cruising in the sunshine.  Traffic was low on this road.

An oasis 40 miles into the ride. 

Karen and yours truly in the wrong place when the camera clicked.

This could easily apply to the three of us in Room 307.

Lake Nacimiento was another oasis in the land of dry.

Jeff's big salad at Margies

We had our T-shirt swap this eve and Shirley chose many of the popular t-shirts for modeling.  :>)

Today we have an 84 miler headed to Santa Maria.