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.
Hello, I loved every mile of your blog and am thinking of making the ride myself. If I post a few trip questions will you help me with some advice? Tony (York, UK )
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