Santa Barbara to Los Angeles, 108 miles (over two days)

Devoted Readers,

In defense for my lack of updates; I thought the only avid readers were our parents, and they know that we safely arrived in Sydney on the 12th October!

For the rest of you, I have to do some back-tracking...

After four enjoyable days in Santa Barbara, we regrettably wheeled South for the Big Smoke: 'Hell-A' as the song goes. Our final road, fittingly, took us down US Hwy 1. As you'd expect, the Coast road down to LA was busy - but then the traffic helped to distract us from the sobering thought that we were running out of roads!

The Hwy 1 skirts by the Pacific, giving you plentiful ocean views. However our attention was mainly focused on the big trucks and souped up cars bound for LA. Near Ventura, the huge Naval base shifted the ocean views to featureless razor-wired fence. A damned inconvenient spot to suddenly need a loo. After a few miles, we were returned to the cliffs overlooking the ocean and soon arrived at our camping destination: Point Mugu State Park. As it was a Friday, plenty of SUV's were queing at the campsite entrance, so we decided to hit the nearby beach before checking in. A swim, bottle of wine and sunset later, we were able to check in at the Rangers' station without much ado. Our final 'Hiker Biker' campsite; it made us sad we didn't have any beer (and there were no shops in sight.)

This campsite was easily the busiest we've been to yet; unsurprising, given its' proximity to L.A. Furthermore it was Labour Day long weekend, and the SUV comfort-campers were out in force. We set up our trusty tent then headed for the showers. Coin-operated; d'oh. However this revelation spurred us on to approach a group of happy campers for some change. We came for coin, but departed with an invite to beers and home-cooked chilli (and coin.) An hour later we were sucking down Buds, hearing about where not to go in LA (around our hotel, for instance)-and sampling the best damn chilli either of us have had. We finally ambled back to our tent with that now-familiar, warm & fuzzy feeling you get from being welcomed by strangers (and drinking their beer.) The following morning, we returned to their campsite to say goodby. We came away with a fresh batch of email addresses and warm wishes. Those guys!

Our last day on the bikes; we pedaled towards LA feeling wistful, and tried to absorb the ocean views between snatches of traffic. From the road we could only catch glimpses of the palatial beachside properties of Malibu (just as their inhabitants intended.) We liked to think we were mere meters from famous Hollywood types, as they went about mundane tasks like making coffee or googling themselves.

The traffic became increasingly frantic as we drew closer to L.A. As Matt referred to our map at a red light near Santa Monica beach, a friendly older cyclist motioned to us to follow him. We did, and he prove a Los-Angel. Charlie went out of his way (literally - as he indicated where he was eventually headed)-to route us into the heart of LA. He even paused several times to point out local points of interest; where Lindsy Lohan was last arrested; where Arnie kept his office (away from the usual Mayors' offices; so he could continue to smoke cigars.) Charlie left us with clear final instructions to our hotel, and bid us a great stay in L.A.

We duly found our very lo-fi but friendly hotel; optimistically titled 'LAX Suites' in Inglewood (a stones throw from the planes taking off.) To pass the time while I room was made up, we hit the nearby Mexican restaurant. Matt spotted a bunch of  lycra-clad social cyclists, and asked them where we might find a bike shop for boxes for flying our bikes. Not only did the chatty group give us some great bike shop tip-offs; they insisted on posing for a photo with us for their website. LA was shaping up to be a very accommodating city!

The evening faded with beers in our hotel room over nostalgia for the trip we had now officially completed.

Sunday we awoke to our first and last full day in Los Angeles. The morning news informed us that much of the city was closed off to traffic, to host a 'ride/run/walk' event... An invitation to local communities to reclaim their streets and get moving. Matt was rapturous (obviously.) Leaving the bikes to enjoy the hotel room, we donned our trainers, jumped on the subway and hit down-town to get physical. Most of the thousands of participants were on bikes, some of them shouting 'hey you forgot your wheels!' as we jogged past. Little did they know! Matts' Garmin clocked 8 miles before we got down to China Town, sweaty and knackered. Still, it was a fun and novel way to go sightseeing!

After an obligatory visit to the tourist-trashy 'Walk of Fame' (we didn't recognize most of the names immortalized on the pavement) - we embarked upon an epic journey to Walmart. As usual, the Retail Giant was on the suburban fringe of town... and LA is one big town! Several modes of public transport later, we arrived victorious to pick up a few special purchase requests from abroad. Suffice to say, the journey home after nightfall featured some quirky people watching. Tired and hungry, we succumbed to Taco Bell for a truly tasteless dinner, before collapsing back at the hotel (once we had kissed the ground... It had been a colorful bus ride!)

Monday was a sad day full of boring logistics (begging a few bike shops for boxes; buying packing materials; packing our worldly possessions of the past months into bags.) By afternoon there was nothing left to do but morosely drink beers by the hotel pool (the kind manger let us loiter with intent)-then begrudgingly lug all our gear to the bus stop. It took two trips to get all the bags and bikes in a big stack by the bus stop. The hotel manager christened Matt as 'Super Boy!' (English was his second language so Matt didn't begrudge him the 'boy' as opposed to 'man'.)

Daughter of an airline pilot, we were checked in for our flight with over 4 hours to spare. This time we spent making a few phonecalls, drinking beer and in my case - picking up a bit of food poisoning from some airport food. I will refrain from a blow-by-blow account of the nightmare flight to Sydney! I shall never eat seafood in an airport again.

I dont want to leave our blog on a sour note (literally). So instead I will praise the Kindness of America. In 88 days and 9 States, we consistently met kind, generous,  interesting and welcoming American people. It was a truly humbling, inspiring experience that we would urge anyone to undertake. Get out there, talk to all you meet and come away with an uplifted view of life in general.

Finally (whether they read this or not)- we would like to issue a big warm THANKYOU to the countless Americans who made our ride the trip of our lives. May Karma smile upon you! The US has alot to be proud of.

: )

We think this hefty-pooch would have been better off running alongside!

Point Mugu State Beach, where we camped our last night (sniff)

'Hollywoodised spelling of Hassall'

Fooooreeeeeeeever!

Cycling Santa Monica Beach (trying to mince on our bikes)

Matt lugging our bikes from the airport motel to the airport bus

Final reading was 4,463 miles...But that doesn't include the 30+ day into San Fran (before Bev hreoically delivered this forgotten Cateye at the Ferry port!)

Visit to Direct Relief Office & Warehouse, Santa Barbara

Today we had a very memorable, inspring and humbling day.

Many moons ago (way back East, when we didn't dare think about our arrival in San Francisco)-we had arranged to visit Direct Reliefs' Internationals' headquarters 'on our way past'. Given the ground we've covered, it feels like much more than three months ago that we made that fanciful engagement - it's been eventful and emotional! So it felt surreal cycling 7 miles through sunny Santa Barbara, to meet the charity we had only had online contact with thus far.

We locked our bikes by the large business park and tried to make ourselves look respectable before furtively entering the office... A huge plasma screen above the smiling receptionist welcomed us and we felt instantly humbled! Jonathan, my previously invisible email contact now stood before us, warmly smiling and shaking our hands in turn. He lead us to the boardroom, where the entire office staff sat awaiting our arrival, breaking into applause when we entered the room.

Matt and I were both totally taken aback; we had expected a casual walk around the offices and certainly hadn't prepared any speech! We took turns awkwardly addressing our smiling audience and answering their questions about how we chose to support their charity and general questions about our ride.

Tomas, the CEO beamed at us and asked lots of interested questions, before we were presented with tshirts, a cap and a mug all bearing Direct Reliefs' logo. We were both touched and genuinely humbled. After this tear-prickling display of gratitude, Jonathan and Rebecca (who has also cycled across the US!)-lead us on a tour of the offices and warehouse.

Direct Relief is able to maintain a 100% efficiency rating by relying on donations from a score of pharmaceutical companies. These donations; from toothbrushes to examination tables to insulin - are then distributed globally where they are needed most. As we strolled the warehouse aisles of packing boxes with familiar product names, we realized the epic proportions of the logistics required for such an operation. As Rebecca said 'data is king' -in terms of minimizing waste and ensuring aid is delivered to where it is needed most. Many of the pharmaceuticals have a limited shelf-life, and shipping to remote destinations such as rural Africa takes several weeks. We felt amazed by what the group of people we had just met were able to accomplish. A philanthropic bequest from a Santa Barbaran covers the operational costs of the charity, so that any donations are invested entirely in providing relief to projects in Guatemala, Haiti and Pakistan (to name but a few.)

I have copied Direct Reliefs' website below, so I won't inaccurately para-phrase the good work they accomplish.

http://www.directrelief.org/international/

 Many of you who are reading this blog have generously contributed a donation to Direct Relief via our 'Support our chosen charity' link above. We are extremely grateful; this support has provided much motivation for our ride when the going got tough. The journey almost over, it is so rewarding to witness first-hand the good work that your donations will assist.

This has been a 'Once in a Lifetime' experience for us. If you have not been able to do so, please help us reach our target amount. Not just for us, but for the benefit of all the less fortunate people, who benefit globally from Direct Reliefs' projects. Every little helps! Please spread the word too; it's a small world! Thankyou for making our epic adventure complete.

Morro Bay to Santa Barbara...

Another condensed account of our leisurely cycle down the Central Coast of California...

After a lazy day of prowling the thrift shops in the small seaside town of Morro Bay (plus an obligatory trip to the laundromat)- we returned to Highway 1, Southbound. Another cruise of little mileage; a 31 mile amble down to just beyond Pismo Beach. As we headed South, the fog seemed to lift a little more with each pedal stroke. Finally, the sun shone gloriously on the Cali coast and had the Beach Boys ringing in our ears. When we arrived at Oceano State Park and paid our very reasonable $14 camping fee, we quickly decided to stay two nights and have fun-fun-fun til her daddy took the T-bird away.

Matt was the first to charge into the ocean later that evening... A bystander told me 'He's freakin crazy - that waters' freezin!' Not to be outdone, I joined Matt for a splash but we were happy to shiver our way back to the campsite (via the liquor shop for a beer blanket.)

Pismo beach is like many other touristy beach resorts; we couldn't find a supermarket but arcades, ice cream parlours, bars and fast-food abound. We asked in one grocery/liquor store where we might be able to find some vegetables; while the grocer scratched his head, another customer laughed and said 'No vegetables in Pismo! We're not in England anymore!' Then again, you'd probably have the same problem in Yaremouth or Blackpool. We settled for greasy tacos.

Before we left Pismo Beach, we swung by a quirky old rail-car-cum-diner, for some breakfast and wi-fi. The friendly Cypriat manager went to great lengths to get the internet to work for us, and jokingly left us with directions to a 'nudey beach' (we stuck with our original route though.)

After a day off the bikes, we felt the sun and 62 miles from Oceano to Gaviota State Park... Sweating up the hills, I remembered the old 'be careful what you wish for' adage (having longed for the sun further North.) Still, we were humbled when we passed a 70 year old ambling up the same hill on his pannier-packed bike. Hugely admirable stuff!

We arrived at Gaviota just before sunset, and ran for the sea for what prove to be a very quick dip; coastal storms had the kelp all churned up so it was like swimming in Miso soup. Matt cooked up some camp food on the 'Pocket Rocket' stove we splurged on in Morro Bay. 

With an early start, we were on the road by 9am and thankful for a cool breeze. An easy, breezy 32 miles later we freewheeled into picturesque Santa Barbara. The city is nestled between the sea and mountains, red-roofed white buildings abound, in what a local described as 'a Californian, romanticised impression of Spanish architecture'. It's a damn pleasant place to hang around and procrastinate the final Putsch of 100 miles to L.A. So our one-night stay has swiftly turned to three nights... 'You can check in any time you like, but you can never leave!' We even heard the Mission Bell yesterday when we visited Santa Barbara's famed old Mission for a picnic in the nearby gardens.

 

San Fran to LA: Round 1

Dear blog-readers: my apologies for the lapse in communication!

After hitting San Francisco, we spent 6 days being complete tourists, with our bikes safely locked in the motel room. Time flies when you're bleeding cash, so we soon decided to hit the road Southwards. Day one, we met Felix and Matthias, two German tourists who had just crossed the country and were in the same 'predicament' as us; in that they were ahead of time and now passing time by cycling south. So we joined forces and spent two enjoyable days cycling along with those guys.

Highlights include;
With all the time in the world, we stopped to smell the flowers, pick the strawberries, drink the beers and photograph the lighthouses (all literally).
Day 2:  two Germans,one Englishman and one Australian walk into a campsite... It sounds like a joke, and prove to be pretty funny. A few bottles of wine and beer later, a raccoon ravaged our nuts and we failed to capture it... Matt commanded the Germans: 'Throw the light on it!' Felix promptly threw his torch at the raccoon; it scattered after the critter as we laughed at his literal take on Matt's 'cast some light on the subject' suggestion. A conversation ensued on how one might best catch, prepare and eat a raccoon... But given our 60 mile cycle and relaxed attitudes, we all resolved to hit the hay.

We left the Germans and cycled Southwards towards Monterey. There, we hovered for three whole days in order to see a whale. The first boat trip we both got sea sick but never saw a whale. The second day the nausea was all worth it: two tail-sightings. We didn't quite capture it on film but the memory remains. Awesome.

Three days in Monterey later, we reluctantly hit the highway 1 towards Los Angeles. We spent two nights in Pfeiffer State Park (Big Sur) then hit up San Simeon State park. Basically, nice campsites with coin-operated showers and lovely views of giant Redwoods... Really big trees (!)

From San Simeon, we cycled a mere 26 miles to Morro Bay, sadly parting ways with our first synpathetic English cyclist, Greg (from Liverpool, works in London.) Greg was a legend and we were sorry to leave him, but we'd resolved to spend a decadent overnight in a cheap motel here. We now reside in said cheap motel and enjoy a supermarket dinner. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is on tv so I will leave this brief blog now...

Stay tuned! x

Frisco

Us geeking out at the Ball Game

San Francisco Giants VS Colorado Rockies (We won!)

Seals at Fishermans Wharf, all males chillin' out

Rare pic of both of us, with seals in the background

At Twin Peaks (cold) Top of San Francisco

Disused Lighthouse on the Central Coast

Coppers posing (Californian coastal crimes soar at this moment)

Pick Your Own Strawbs Ratio: Basket: 1, Mouth: 4

One for the Aussies: Bonny Doon!! Prompted a one-person singalong 'We're Gaan to Bonny Doon!

Strawberry Fields Forever (or until your belly aches)

First time using the pan as a cereal bowl (had leftovers in the lunchbox/usual bowl)

Team Germany-UK-AUS: C'mon! (two day tour)

 

Whale!!! Second boat trip we saw one. Worth the seasickness (twice)

Free film festival in Monterey; greeted by the Mayor, talking sustainable fishing

Obligatory English Pub visit & pose with guard manequin

Cool mural in Monterey

Striding downhill South of Carmel, Californian Central Coast

Me Tarzan... In Pfeiffer State Park, Big Sur

'Great Ocean Views'...On Highway 1, fog all-round

The Fog broke to reveal..Coast!

Campsite amongst the redwoods

Central Coast, Cali...Reminds us of Cornwall

Lonely Planet: 'Soak up the spectacular scenery on Highway 1'

Coming Soon: Riding San Fran to LA!

... Just when you thought these blogs were over! We've decided to cycle the 500 odd miles down to LA, where we fly out of on the 8th October. Not sure how long we'll stay in San Francisco as this city is expensive! Will be sure to post a few notes and pics from the road southwards in time.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned!

Day 64, Pleasant Valley to SAN FRANCISCO! 44 miles

We woke up and smelled the coffee (Deb had the coffee maker on a timer!) A restful nights' sleep in a comfy bed followed by gourmet breakfast and first-rate company; the perfect start to our last day of our ride! Larry had bought some special carb-packed goodies for our breakfast and it was fantastic to sit chatting with him in the kitchen (when we are usually eating cereal out of plastic lunch boxes in a campsite.)

Deb emerged ready for work and still happy to drive us out to the spot where Larry had collected us yesterday. In fact both Larry and Deb took their respective cars so we could all fit. Once we were on the road, my gratitude for this selfless offer doubled... The 20 mile journey back to where we had left off would have taken us all morning -only to turn around and do it in reverse! Furthermore we were both anxious to get to San Francisco; it felt surreal to be so close to the finish line.

Once Deb, Larry Matt, myself and our bikes were gathered at the spot where Larry had met us with lemonade the day before, Matt realised he had left Cateye odometer at their home. We promised Larry this was no big deal, thanked him and Deb profusely and rode away feeling very fortunate for such epic hospitality.

Our route continued through wine and olive country, before meeting and running parallel to the Interstate towards San Francisco. We were both in high spirits and quickly ate up the 30 odd miles to the ferry wharf at Vallejo. As we waited for the 2pm ferry, a familiar voice called out 'Matt!' -and turned to see Deb rushing towards us with Matts' Cateye in her hand. First impeccable hospitality, then a morning drive back to the middle of a country road, now this. Once again: Above and Beyond!

It felt strange to be at the end of our journey, and we sat in awe as we awaited the ferry to turn into the bay to reveal the Golden Gate Bridge. Past Alcatraz Island, the famous bridge and city skyline came into view; words failed us so we mainly sat ogling and grinning.

From the San Francisco ferry terminal, we rode down to the bay for the obligatory wheel dip in the Pacific. With sand-encrusted tyres, we peddled the 6 miles to the Golden Gate Bridge. While cyling the bridge, we got chatting to a couple with similarly laden bicycles. Dan and Mary had just finished working in the kitchen at a Kayaking Retreat in Northern California. They had no house nor final destination, just their savings from the Seasons' work; their bikes and camping gear. Hearing of our trip, they insisted on joining us onwards to Sausolito so they could buy us a Champagne.

So we found ourselves talking travels and sipping Champagne with two very interesting Adventurers in trendy Sausolito. Champagne turned to beer, and we finally decided to get the ferry back across to the city to find our motel.

If only we hadn't: it was a complete dump. Having locked our bikes in the room, we fled to a nearby diner for a victory dinner. We further avoided our motel by going for coffees at Starbucks but finally had to head to bed. I hesitate to end on a sour note but the truth hurts sometimes: I awoke at 3am with my skin crawling... Bed Bugs! A cruel, painful reminder that you get what you pay for in big cities. I have since upgraded our hotel but am still suffering the itchy red welts of Cheapness.

Day 63, Folsom to Pleasant Valley, 73 miles

This morning we had an unexpected surprise; a call from Larry - the cyclist whom we had met way back on the Katy Trail. We had met Larry in Missouri, just days after his riding partner had quit, leaving Larry to cycle onwards to Yorktown solo. At the time, Larry had given us his contact details and offered to put us up for once we neared San Fransisco. As such, Matt had texted him last night.

Larry now called to invite us for dinner and to stay the night. Moreover, Larry was willing to collect us and our bikes from the road in the evening and drive us to his home (which was 20 miles off our route.) Talk about 'Above and Beyond' the call of duty! Humbled, we escaped Folsom down onto Sacramento.

After so many weeks of lonely highways, the high traffic of Sacramento came as a bit of a shock. Add to that a one way system and some confusing directions in our maps and we found ourselves slightly lost. First in Sacramento, then in the following town of Davis. That said, we did consequently get a nice view of the State Capitol building and the University campus in Davis!

By afternoon we had left the suburbs and were surrounded by olive groves and vineyards; a scenic ride through a beautiful corner of the world. In the small town of Winters, we encountered more 'cyclist unity' when we asked for directions to the nearest water fountain. The guy on his bike scratched his head and replied 'I don't think there is one -but you can buy a big bottle of water in the store for a dollar; you need a dollar?' -and promptly plucked a note from his wallet. Of course we didn't take his buck but we appreciated the kind gesture.

Speaking of kindness, by 5:30 we were greeted on the road by Larry in his SUV. He had swapped his cycling lycras for civilian clothes, but still sported the extreme cycling shorts and socks tan-lines we also bear. Larry is a genuine and extremely generous guy, he said he viewed this as an opportunity to repay for the kindness of strangers he had encountered on his own Trans-Am ride. For example, the time he was greeted with an ice cold drink - and so Larry presented us with lemonade and ice from his car. This was the first of countless considerate gestures - Larry has certainly restored the the balance  for the kindness he encountered on the road.

Drinks in hand, we cruised in comfort to Larrys' home in the San Fran suburb of Martinez. When we arrived we met Larry's partner Deb and room mate, Joan. We were made to feel at home and spoiled with showers, fresh towels and washing machine at our disposal (much to its' regret, I suspect!) The ladies of the house had prepared a lavish dinner-party style spread for us. Joan works in the wine industry and so we also enjoyed the best quaff we've had in the US!

After months of camp cooking and fast food, we felt like Royalty as we languished over dinner and compared trip notes with Larry and Deb. Deb was a selfless 'SAG' driver for Larrys' rides (we think this stands for Support And Gear.) So she also knew many of the small towns we had cycled through. When we mentioned that we wanted to ride back out to where Larry had collected us from tomorrow (so we had cycled every inch of our Trans-America trip) -Deb insisted on driving us and our bikes there in the morning. With the same humbling generosity of her partner, Deb insisted on sacrificing her Friday morning for our benefit -even though she had a work meeting straight afterwards.

Larry was pleased to serve us a brownie laden with ice-cream for desert; another gesture he had appreciated on the road and now wanted to share with us. Having tucked into desert, we finally tucked into the comfortable air-mattress in the living room; feeling warm and fuzzy from all the food, wine and kindness.