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Update 6 - 10/15/00
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This week we followed the coast from Central to Southern California. The landscape changed from wind sculpted Monterey Pines to the Redwoods of the Big Sur State Park to Palm trees south of San Simeon, all intermixed with stands of California Oak spotted dark green with growths of Mistletoe. All along the way, the coastal mountains to the East were a mix of green trees and gold grass. As we rode south of Santa Barbara we spotted an occasional cactus on the dry sunny south facing slopes along the road.
The ever-changing scenery was beautiful, but we earned it. Total climbing for the week was 28,800 feet. 17,400 of which we completed in three days, climbing and diving our way along narrow, winding, rough Highway 1 through the Big Sur. We "enjoyed" two days of rain squalls and wind gusts of 30 mph as an unusual early October storm sent heavy rain into Central California causing flooding in the Sacramento Valley and very early snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. We started and ended each day at or near sea level, and the highest point we ever reached was east of Santa Barbara at 2200 feet.
South of the rugged scenery and sweeping arched bridges of the Big Sur, we paused for a few hours in San Simeon to visit the Hearst Castle. The art and architecture of the home are stunning. Much of the woodwork and most of the paintings and sculptures were imported from Europe and are hundreds of years old. The Estate is considered priceless, and well worth the time and surprisingly low cost for the tour.
Just south of Pismo Beach, a woman pulled alongside in her car, and invited us to stay at her home for the evening. She explained that she was an avid rider and understood how much a warm shower, home cooked dinner and comfortable bed means to a touring cyclist. Learning her name is Billie, we accepted the offer, as her home was right on our route and nearly exactly matched where we were planning to spend the evening. When we arrived at her home we met her husband Chuck, and discovered we all had much in common. Married the same length of time, same number of children, and other similar interests. The couple reminded of our friends from Sequim, Washington, Gary and Wanda.
After a pleasant evening enjoying the kind hospitality of Billie and Chuck, we headed east to visit Solvang, a Danish settlement that has retained it's heritage, food and architecture. After spending the night at Lake Cachuma County Park, about 15 miles east of Solvang, we made the 6 mile climb over the hill to Santa Barbara and then followed the coast to Ventura where we met Sharon's step father Hal for a pickup truck ride to Lancaster where he lives with Sharon's mother Delores.
The schedule is to visit the Los Angeles area for a week before continuing our tour south to San Diego next week.
George and Sharon
Free as the Wind
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