DAY 7: WE DID IT!!

Day 7:  Hearst San Simeon State Park to Morro Bay.  30 miles.

Yes, really, it is hard to grasp that we actually DID IT by finishing up our trip in Morro Bay with a Wulzen Family get together at Joanna & Clint's.

We awoke early to a medley of surf and road noise at San Simeon.  Gray skies but not too wet.  So we did the final pack up of our gear and bikes.  

During the night Alan found a new way to provide fellow campers with entertainment -- yup -- competitive raccoon wrestling!  Extra points for doing it at 3am in the nude!  We discovered that raccoons can break into the BOB trailer bag especially if there is stale sourdough bread waiting for them.  Actually, I had only snapped the main buckle shut and merely tucked in the rolled edges.  We heard suspicious noises; Alan thought someone was stealing the bikes so he was out of the tent in a flash.  And face to face with 3 monster raccoons strewing everything everywhere.  Well, he proceeded to shout and chase and threaten those critters till all was dropped but the bread.

Breakfast coffee and pastry at the French Corner bakery.  Al slipped off his bike; so 1 fall apiece.  No harm except to confidence.  Then off down the road to Morro Bay a mere 25 miles south.

The road meandered through Cambria (let's watch lawn bowling for a minute!); and then away from the coast through rolling brown hills.  Horse and hawk country.  Gray skies and in fact it even looked like rain!  What is that about??

We found a bike route through Cayucos; a delightful town with many coastal access points and clean public restrooms.  But we were being pulled ever south.  We could see Morro Rock and the cooling towers but eventually the fog closed in damp and gray.  On to the Morro Bay bike path and down to the wharf for the fresh catch of the day.

Suddenly it was over.  Way to soon but just in time.  Thank goodness Joanna and Clint live BEFORE the steep section of the hills!  Clint, along with Warren and Diane, met us at the door!  WE DID IT!
Joanna arrived home; Nina and Iggy came for dinner as well.  The hot shower was delightful (no watching for the instant shut off after whatever 25 cents buys); clean clothes (sent ahead with Warren & Diane) most welcome.  AND the food;  Clint was the master of pizza.  Lots of yummy treats and fabulous wines.  It was all most wonderful and we were truly thankful.

A good night's sleep and then we rented a car for the quick ride home.  7 days to get south;  4 hours to get home.  309 miles.  A few days of sun; a few days of fog.  And many memories for the days ahead.

Cayucos Dolphins

We followed the Coast south for 300 miles!

Too Soon to Morro Bay

Happy to Arrive and Ready for a Shower and Clean Clothers

Clint fixing up wonderful dinner treats!

Iggy, Joanna, and Diane

Nina and Warren

The rental car zips the miles

Tooth #32

So what was that mild achy jaw about?  For a week or two, every now and then a dull ache; a short twinge.  No problems with heat; cold; chewing -- so it couldn't be a tooth.  What was it?

Then I sucked down a nice cold diet Pepsi in Davis while we were moving Bryan.  And 10 minutes later my jaw exploded in pain.  I want to rip that mandible off my face or else saw the top of my skull open to get rid of the pressure.  But, I settled for a trip to the dentist on Monday.  Dr C found the fractured wisdom tooth; and from there sent me on to an oral surgeon.  Tooth #32 was gone by noon on Tuesday.  What a blessed thing anesthesia can be!!

I was pretty much out of it Tuesday.   Wednesday I was content to move slowly.  Today we will ride to Sausolito.  Still leaving on Saturday for the coast ride to Morro Bay!!

Trailer Hitch Adventures

We seem to have an affinity for adventures with trailer hitches.  

We drove home from Davis yesterday -- towing the U Haul trailer, empty but rattling and bouncing around.  Almost to Marin county (on highway 37) we heard this screech and then a very different motion from the trailer; Alan pulls off the road to investigate.  YUP.  Somehow the trailer hitch had worked loose from the car and dropped on the road.  The chains held the trailer to the car (just as designed.)  But now what??  This was the same trailer hitch we have used for thousands of miles, so we aren't sure how it worked loose.

We walked along the road looking for the pin (that holds the hitch into the car).  The pin is the size of a large finger.  No luck.  So Alan disconnects the chains, we put rocks around the trailer wheels and he drives to a car parts store in Novato.  I stay with the U Haul.  I walk the road again as there is a wide shoulder;  and then sit on the guardrail near an over crossing.  Maybe 15 minutes later, a CHP car drives up and parks behind the trailer.  Someone driving by had called the situation in.

The CHPer wanted to know the story.  "Are you sure he is coming back?"
Well, I respond, I'm pretty sure.
"OK, then come sit with me in the cruiser and we will wait for him to return."
Golly, I say, this is one life experience I never wanted to have -- sitting in the back seat of a CHP cruiser.
"Don't worry, you are not in hand cuffs!"

UM.

We make small talk; he calls in to the dispatch unit and describes the situation.  I'm an "xray" in the back seat!

About 10 minutes pass and Alan drives up.  With a new trailer pin.  Gets the trailer hitch back in the car; we lift the trailer tongue onto the hitch; replace the chains....and off we go.

Checking in at the U Haul place was easy.  Sure, everything was fine until the trailer came off the car!  But there was no damage to the trailer and only a bent metal rod under the car.  So -- good to go.

Finally home and we get to read the Sunday paper.  All in a day's adventure.

Moving Bryan to Davis

We moved Bryan to Davis yesterday; he has his first apartment!  We spent the last few days sorting through his room and generating a pile of treasures, a few boxes to move, and a couple of bags of trash.
We rented a U-haul trailer on Saturday; loaded up Sky (his room mate from San Rafael) and then Bryan.  Sunday morning we drove off!

One U-Haul trailer and 3 cars filled with everything needed for college

We arrived safely and within a few hours the apartment was full of boxes, bags, and furniture.  We left Bryan and Sky to make it all fit!

Living on Guava Lane!

Alan and Bryan

Caroline still smiling!

Then it was off to lunch and then down the road.  A huge milestone for all of us.   One of those bittersweet days that marks the end of an era.  Sniffle, sniffle.

Baby Girl Gets NEW Shoes...and rides like the wind!

I've had bike shoes for a few months, but finally decided it was time to get them on the bike and in use.  So...I've got new shoes.  And we bought the latest in reflecto gear; the better to be seen by cars as we prepare for the trip down the coast.  So stylish...the latest at OSH Hardware!

New Dancing Shoes!

A Cycling Fashion Statement!

And we've been doing some longer rides.  Every ride becomes my new favorite ride!

One day we rode west of Petaluma along Chilino Valley Road and out to Tomales (the small town.)  Such gorgeous scenery but a real bugger of a head wind and cold at that!  But I would do that ride again for sure!

Riding Like the Wind, Except when I'm NOT

And then yesterday, I did a 53 mile trip!  My longest yet!  We drove up to Windsor (north of Santa Rosa) in a thick fog and 54 degrees.  I wasn't sure how the weather forecast was for 100 degrees, but true enough after a cup of coffee at the Bad Ass Coffee Shop, the blue broke through and off we went.  WOW!  Essentially we rode back roads from Windsor heading west.  Then up along Westside Road and West Dry Creek Road to Yoakim Bridge.   We then turned east and south.  During the trip we crossed both the Dry Creek (not very dry) and the Russian River.   The entire route was through vineyards (very little other agriculture); past wineries; scenery of the golden hills, through oak and redwood trees, 2 one lane bridges, and view after view!  An incredible ride through California wine country.  Only 1 hill in 53 miles (of course at the end of the ride but mostly in the shade); and not so much of a headwind.  Absolutely lovely.  Very little car/truck traffic and all most all of it was respectful and careful in passing us.  Many other cyclists out on the road with us.

And at the end:  soft ice cream to ease the car trip home.  I'm doing that ride again soon!

Dry Creek had plenty of water

One Lane Bridge

The Harvest is about to start, but we tried a few Grapes & YUMMMMY

Hop Kiln along Westside Road

a few road side stands

Lunch Time in Geyserville 

Double or Nothing at the end of the ride.