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May 30, 2007
Some R&R in Redondo Beach
Two days off the bike, (well, off the loaded bike), and I am relaxed and rested.
This past weekend was the Memorial Day weekend and as our non-existant planning would have it we were to pass through the Santa Barbara to LA area. The "demanding" section of riding was made a lot more enjoyable with the constant flow of RVs, speeding convertables and the stunt motorbike riders. All of whom seemed to want to get real close to us. What boggled my mind the most was the "camping". There were stretches of road wherein 150 RVs would set up camp, back to the freeway and facing the ocean, each savouring their 20ft parking spot. There were over 4 areas of these RVs within the 40-miles of roadway, and that wasn't even including the overflow "camping" (parking) spots. I can't see the appeal, however, I doubt they can see the appeal of camping/biking your way down the Pacific Coast on a bicycle.
As we passed through Malibu we were wondering what the heck is the draw. There appears to be no amentities, fake people and lots of MONEY. Either way we had a destination which encouraged us to finish up the 96-mile day at Redondo Beach.
Shona, (my friend and occasionally my swim coach), was kind enough to let myself, Larry, our bikes and all our crap crash in her bachelor suite. Located right off a stretch of beach I was tempted into staying an extra day.
We were able to stay off the road on holiday Monday and biked into Hermosa Beach to take part in the annual Memorial Day Fiesta. It was essentially tent city with carnies selling their junk and a prime location for people watching. We ate and drank ourselves through the day and upon waddling up the stairs to Shona's house deemed ourselves full.
I took a second day off and parted ways with Larry - again. I made it a productive day in that I now have a plane ticket into Glasgow for June 13th and a flight out of Manchester for July 5th. Aside from that I caught up on some reading, journal entries and lounged on the beach for a few hours.
I figure the rush hours is now over and I must depart from the comfort of Shona's Shelter. I have two 60-mile days left to get me into San Diego and sadly I must go alone. Tally-ho!
Posted by jmclean at 05:52 PM | Comments (1)
May 28, 2007
A Night with Two Larrys
After spending three and a half days exploring San Fran I started getting itchy feet and off I headed again. I met up with the cycling Larry in Santa Cruz and we have been moving South at a fairly good clip. The roads have been great, with a few exceptions. The route through Big Sur was some of the most amazing riding I have ever experienced. The roads are curvy enough that you can go faster than cars, and the curves and banks don't require you to brake, it felt like a rollercoaster!
And as always it isn't what you know but rather who you know. After a few days of camping Larry remembered he had a cousin, (of a friend of an estranged relative of a something), who he hadn't talked to in 18 years that lived in the San Luis Obispo area. He phoned him up and after some convincing cousin Larry agreed to pick us up and let us stay at his house in Santa Margarita. It was about 20 miles inland from Morro Bay and just gorgeous.
This was Larryland. There was a Ducati in the kitchen and an Indian in the living room. In the shed out back there were another three bikes including Larry's pride the Dufucancati.
Yes, cousin Larry is a proud bachelor!
Posted by jmclean at 05:18 PM | Comments (160)
May 21, 2007
$100 to Eat Tim Horton's Sandwiches
Yesterday I did another trip into San Francisco, this time leaving the bike at home. Brian and I were doing the touristy thing, taking the cable car, exploring the de Yong, visiting Golden Gate park, walking the Fisherman's Wharf, and generally trying to mingle with the "common folk". (After spending 4 nights in Berkeley I am starting to get the pretencious arrogance too.) We were walking through the Cannery's old brick courtyard when Brian spotted two people holding a Tim Horton's logo, (any non-Canadians it is the fast food donut icon of Canadian culture). We went over to question them. Turns out they are looking for Canadians to sample their new sandwich ideas, and they want to pay $100USD to have us do it - each.
We passed the screening....
"Are you vegetarian, vegan or other?" - them
"Yes, predominately vegetarian" - Bri
"Ok, so you eat most meat" - them
"No, not really" - B
"Ok, so you eat most meat" - t
"Sure" - B
"Good" - t
"How often do you eat fast food" - them
"Once or twice a month" - Jenn
"So, once or twice a week" - t
"No, once or twice a month" - J
"So, once or twice a week" - t
"Sure" - J
"Good" - t
Either way, they congratulated us for passing the screening and escorted us to a dark mini-van waiting on the corner. Inside was a hella-gay (I got that from my hairdresser in Victoria), man playing 80's dance music and I knew everything was going to be ok.
We ate, and critiqued for an hour, were handed an envelope with a crisp american bill in it, and escorted back to the Cannery courtyard.
So, I have already spent the bill. I broke it to buy some instant oatmeal at Safeway because I have decided to keep riding. I have a plane ticket from San Diego leaving on June 2nd. I will be into Seattle, then over to Victoria shortly there after. And now I must finish packing and head to Santa Cruz.
Posted by jmclean at 08:34 AM | Comments (2)
May 17, 2007
106 MILES, and then a Raccoon Eats my Breakfast
From Burlington Campsite to Samuel L. Taylor park is 106 miles according to my book, seeing as my bike computer magically hasn't fixed itself. With the aid of severe tailwinds, (we are talking tailwind GUSTS), a timeline of 10am-8pm and one GIANT SUPER burrito I made it! 106 miles people, that is definitely my longest day ever (170km). I was extremely tired when I got to the site, however, the ranger was complimenting me on how much energy I still appear to have :)
The ride was so amazing and fast I really didn't want to stop. I was dodging cows as I passed Fort Ross, got pushed right through Bodega Bay with the (wind)surfers, passed a cyclist heading directly into the wind at Valley Ford - laughed at him as he swore and smiled, I then hit about 5 miles of head/side/front/back/screwed-up wind, then cruised along Tomales Bay at record speeds. The knee didn't ache at all, my bum is another story. It was an entirely solo day, the first one since I started up in Washington.
At the campsite I quickly set up camp, and admired the twilight in a grove of Redwood trees. There was a food box to store food in, and as I finished my meal I packed everything up and shut the latch. I noticed it wasn't entirely locked up, and I had heard the raccoons and seen their eyes in the bushes. I put a spare piece of firewood against the box and went to bed. After a few hours, (or minutes), of sleep I was awoken to the sound of something tipping. I caught my breath and wondered what the heck was going on. Then it occured to me-BUGGARDED RACCOONS. I jumped up and ran out of the tent screaming raccoon profanities. I grabbed my combination lock and really did it up wondering what was missing in my meager inventory.
I got up this morning to find they took off with my last two instant oatmeal packages and two instant cappuchinos. So if you see a couple raccoons sipping lattes and eating hot oatmeal you know who to thank.
Posted by jmclean at 10:32 AM | Comments (7)
I left the Dane at the KOA with a Hangover
The KOA at Burlington sells beer, (and has a hot tub)! At the end of a 60-mile day this made for a delightful treat. The evening started innocently enough as I bought a 6-pack, started some laundry and headed for a dip in the hot tub. With Jorgen and I doing quick time with the 6-pack the best option was to buy another. Somehow the quick dip ended 3-hours later and 12 beers into our bellies. Somehow the laundry got done, but no food was prepared. Dinner was at 11 o'clock and consisted of us breaking the remaining bagel into bit size chucks and dunking them into either the waning container of cream cheese or my stock of peanut butter.
The next morning I was pumped for a long day and poor Jorgen got up and said, "I feel nauseous".
Go figure, you can't outdrink a Canadian!!
Posted by jmclean at 10:00 AM | Comments (2)
May 15, 2007
Mendocino and Solo
So, being solo isn't really being solo out here. Already I have a new riding buddy, for the day anyways. Jorgen from Denmark is the next victim :) My knee is still kicking, (thanks for the tips), and feeling better than ever. The day off was all it needed. I spent the day wading and sunning myself by the Eel River. I was nestled in the Redwoods with some beer, a bag of chips, a bottle of ibuprofen and a good book.
I am expecting to roll into San Fran on Thursday night. I am excited to get off the bike for a few days... After that life is up in the air. I have been talking with folks and the good word is that Big Sur is the sheeeet. I will see how she rolls...
Oh, a quick special shout out to Lars at the Union State campsite who stepped up last night with not only beers for us, but fuel to heat up our water. Naturally the Dane and I ran out at the same time. Murphy's Law, eh?
Posted by jmclean at 03:22 PM | Comments (3)
May 12, 2007
Three's Company
To respond to the question, there are three of us riding together right now. It has made for a highly entertaining trip. Larry, (Lycra Logger), and I have been riding for almost 10-days together. We picked up David, (the UBC International Business student), 3 nights ago. I have great pictures of both of these fellow, which I will post next computer stop. And yes Cam, I do refer to my bike as a person.
So, we are now in Eureka! Into cold, rainy California!?!? Larry was extremely confused as we crossed the border only to find no women clad in bikinis to great him, nor any palm trees.
We have been through some redwood forests, and the girth of these trees is incredible. Some are claimed to be over 2000 years old! There were lots of Elk at our campsite two nights ago at Elk Prarie Campground, which didn't end up being a misnomer. There were also hummingbirds, which scared the shit out of Larry, (Dave and I don't quite understand how he can be a mountainman and have a little bird frighten him so).
We continue to encounter people who are interesting and extremely kind. There was Dutch couple who greated us at our campsite a couple nights ago with fresh strawberries and an invite to a raging bonfire party. However, my most recent favorite was the waitress at the restaurant that was selling their baked goods at 1/2 price. The lot of us are rather cheap and seeing this deal we sat down and started eating them out of dayolds. Larry ate so many the waitress decided that if you buy 8 you should get 2 free. We rolled ourselves out to the parking lot only to have the waitress start banging on the window to get our attention. I guess she had packed the three of us a to-go bag of treats, (no charge).
Well, this cold weather is starting to wear on me and my body. My left knee decided to start aching two days ago. We stayed at a KOA site last night, c/w hot tub, and a swimming pool, and I have been eating Advil and soaking my body. If it doesn't sort itself out I will have to take a real day off. Anyways, I am holding up the troops and must get my bags packed up and off to the Avenue of the Giants we head.
I think today the three becomes two again, (Dave will probably be staying here). And if my knee doesn't recover I may become a solo cyclist - again. Not that that is a bad thing. I seem to never be short of someone starting up a conversation.
Posted by jmclean at 09:25 AM | Comments (4)
May 08, 2007
Sand Dunes
Oregon has sand dunes! Who knew?!?
Yesterday was cooking hot, 75 degrees F, (I have been converted to Imperial units), and I was out on the dunes, in barefeet running up and down them. It really is similar to snowshoeing! I had a group of Asian tourists in stitches and snapping photos as I sprinted down the hill. The past two days we have met some interesting characters!
My favorite by far is the hobo Ziggy, (aka Aaron). We ended up camping at the same biker/hiker campsite as him two nights ago at Jessie M. Honeyman Park. The picture below shows him and his dog Grunt. He is making his way from Portland to San Fransisco by way of his thumb and walking. He was carrying 200-lbs of his life with him on his back and with a trolley. He also had his faithful companion Grunt the dog. He was the most interesting, articulate, and generous hobo I have ever spent a night around a fire with. He wanted to start the flames with his flint kit, however, Larry, (the self-dubbed Lycra Logger), wouldn't allow it and used his lighter.
Last night we shared the hiker/biker site with Dick from Kettle Falls, Washington. This fellow was easily in his 60's and had hiked from the very Northwest tip of Oregon to Bandon. He was walking along the Oregon coast, literally, and had been on the trail for 30 or 40 days. Hiking ~20 miles a day he was fun of stories. Totally self-sufficient he had 35-lbs of weight with his backpack, (polar opposite of Ziggy). His stories were full of quicksand, huge jettys and breaker waves. He made me feel weak!
So, tomorrow we should be at the California border! The weather has been great and the promised tailwind is here. We have been doing about 20-mile per hour, (hella fast), and I am thinking I have found a new way to take vacations.
Posted by jmclean at 03:15 PM | Comments (4)
May 07, 2007
Wine Tasting and Junk Food
So amazing are the sights! Internet is sparse, or rather I am enjoying cycling so much that I don't find the time to stop! Right now I am sitting in a library in Bandon Oregon. That is about 90 miles from the California border, (my odometer kicked it so I am relying on road mileage and maps for distances). The last two days had us doing 80, and 72 miles respectively. Today we have made it 8, and 6 of those have been to explore a lighthouse and to do laundry. We hope to get another 18-miles down the road by sunset.
So, Oregon has been graciously providing me with samples of everything from wine, to candy, to jams, to cheese. My favorite, naturally, was the stop at the winery outside of Nehalem. The lady working the bottle was ensuring my plastic goblet never reached emptiness. They had an amazing pinot noir which I forked over 30 bucks for. As I staggered out of there I headed a couple miles down the road to the closest campsite. The wine was drank while watching the sunset on Barview beach, cheddar cheese and beer sausage were provided.
Next food visit was in Tillamook at the Blue Pelican. This place had samples of everything. And by the size of the visitors you can tell. I am absolutely amazed by the girth of these people. I lauged so hard as a large tourist group, (were talking large weight), pulled out with a soda pop and a bag of potato chips on the roof of the mini-van. A concerned citizen chased the car down to ensure that a drop of the junk food never hit asphalt. Thank god, eat on...
I must admit I am probably eating worse than alot of these people, however, riding for 4-5 hours a day I feel I can handle some more ice cream and burritos in my diet.
Posted by jmclean at 02:49 PM | Comments (3)
May 04, 2007
Rusty Nail
Yep, I ran over one. I did it last night as I was pulling into the hostel around 5pm. It was a slow leak and allowed me to have a shower, do laundry, ride to the Dundee Pub, eat a pizza, drink a Guinness and two Amber Ales, ride home, and pass out before requiring me to deal with it. There is a little bite taken out of my front tire, and I am hoping that it stays inflated. Crossing my fingers because changing the thing is a real pain in the ass!
Down to Cannon Beach and the rest of the Oregon Coast I head. Damn are my legs tired!
Posted by jmclean at 10:24 AM | Comments (4)
May 03, 2007
Frisbee Golf and Wicked Headwinds
I spent a much deserved night under a roof for night #4. In Elma I stayed at a hostel. The owner, Jay, not only has a hostel, but an 8-acre frisbee golf course. The minute I arrived he asked, "Do you play frisbee golf?" You might guess what he made me do after I settled into my personal room and had a shower..... FRISBEE GOLF. He proudly told me about his water holes, and the difficulty of the different holes. Ha ha, then I got invited to a dinner of stew, bread, marion berry pie and chocolate ice cream, and we talked some more about frisbee golf. Very sweet hostel, if you are in the area, stop in.
The next day I headed into fierce headwinds and rain, (not to mention some hail). I did a pretty wicked summit road complete with lots of logging trucks and clearcuts. (Jim and Dad, you'll be glad to know I got a mirror. I can now have one ear on the iPod and one eye on the approaching semis.) As I rode into Raymond I stopped to take a picture of the logging sculpture and noticed a man riding his bike about 500m behind me. I guess this guy was in the bush when I rode by and he started to follow me. We got a chatting, had some lunch and now I have been pedaling with Larry the Logger from Vermont for a day and a half now.
Ray, (Gillian's mt. biking friend), if you are reading this thanks for the pancake tip in Long Beach, Washington. We got up this morning and made the 7-mile detour to experience the pancakes that are sooooo big they can't be contained by a plate. I enjoyed checking out the patrons, non of whom are less than 300-lbs. I have pictures, I will try and post some tomorrow morning.
So, after the fuelling we headed for Astoria and the acclaimed Oregon-Washington state bridge. This thing is a MONSTER! With killer side winds and lots of gusto we are now in Oregon.
Tonight I am staying at the Seaside Hostel, (where by chance I ran into a fellow Drew who I graduated UVic with?!?!). The place is gorgeous, I am in the midst of doing laundry then it is off to the downtown to eat beer and drink pizza... or something like that. It has been a 65-mile day and my legs are tired.
Posted by jmclean at 07:00 PM | Comments (4)
May 01, 2007
Victoria to Hoodsport - 4 Days of Recap
I am at Day #4 and my travels have been great so far! I have been talking with lots of strangers, (ha ha, that sounds bad), I mean I have been conversing with lots of interesting people. Lots of people have expressed great interest in joining me and my travels to San Fran, however, no one has actually packed up their bike and joined in.
Day #1 I made it to Sidney and then took the Washington Ferry to Orcas Island. I spent the night in a "primitive" campsite at Mountain Lake. I guess the definition of "primitive" is there is no running HOT water and no RV hookups. However car camping with huge tents and bottles of gasoline to throw into the fires are acceptable. I even had the pleasure of drunks and a baby to keep me up past my 9 o'clock bedtime.
Day #2 I climbed up to the peak of Mt. Constitution (2,409ft), and met Jim. Jim claims to climb the mountain every Sunday and has for 20 or 30 years, (can't remember). However, I had the pleasure of sharing the ascent and then getting invited into the ranger station at the top to meet his friends. Hot coffee and biscuits were provided at the top :)
The view and the descent were amazing and off I headed to the Anacortes Ferry. I made it to Old Fort Townsend that night. I had a late night run in with the ranger, who threatened to move me and my tent at 10:30pm. My Canadian smile won him over and I was allowed to sleep.
Day #3 was short, (60km) my legs were tired from the 120km day before. I stopped for an oyster burger and fries before ascending the only hill of the day. I rode into a campsite at Cossiwgan early afternoon and had the camp host show me her favorite spot, a "primitive" site right on the river bank. I had a SHOWER, (it had been a few days), and I got a raging fire going. I saw two people the entire evening, and they were the bike rangers doing their dusk run to ensure I was ok.
Today I stopped for coffee in Hoodsport and figure I have about 50-miles to go... I have all afternoon, and I am wanting to get a long day in.
Thus far I have meet some real amazing and friendly people. The best part is that they think I talk funny, little do they know it is them that really talk funny!
Posted by jmclean at 11:40 AM | Comments (3)