Well folks, that's it for me this year. I'm going to hitch a ride up to Seattle and have a big fat Thanksgiving dinner before i begin my residency at Pottery Northwest. Thanks for following along with me.
Thursday, November 20th 2008
San Jose to Oakland
79 miles - 3409 total
Today's ride was fairly easy. I rode from San Jose up to Stanford University, worked on my Master's degree for a bit, checked out the Rodin sculpture garden, crossed over the south end of the San Fransisco Bay and rode up the east side into Oakland by about 4:30. That's when the trouble started. My dear friend Sara Kagan was working in her studio on the Berkley Oakland boarder and was kind enough to provide me directions which I failed to follow properly and ended up in the mountains in the pitch dark. I spent the next hour and a half riding around the East Bay until i finally stumbled upon Sara, out on the corner, shouting and screaming and cheering and hollering. It was about 7, and i was three hours late. Then we celebrated. For a long time, with lots of deliscous beer and rode our bikes back into Oakland where things get a little fuzzy for me. My final accomplishment of accomplishments.
Wednesday, November 19th
Day 56 - Monteray to San Jose, CA
80 miles (3330)
I said goodbye to Alan and the others in the Veterans Memorial bike camp and made my way towards Santa Cruz along the Pacific Coast bike trail. At Soquel, and turned north and climbed 1300' up over the hills to Los Gatos in Silicon Valley. I finished the days ride along the Los Gatos Creek Trail, a beautiful jogger/ biker trail that runs into San Jose. Courtney Chalupa, offered me her futon for the night. Courtney is a bicycle racer and triathlete, so had a good deal to talk about this evening over pizza and beer. Yah for the Chalupa Family!
Tuesday, November 18th
Day 55 - Gorda to Monteray, CA
66 miles (3250)
I stopped for coffee and a muffin at the general store in Lucia this morning and was pleased to find a fellow northbound rider. Alan is a Berkley Alumni riding up from San Diego for the big Stanford - Berkley football game this Saturday. We rode together all day long and it was nice to have a riding partner for once, espiecially someone who has ridden the route before and had campground and direction insite. I commented about the beauty of the area during our lunch break in Big Sur. Alan was unimpressed by the landscape and plant life. I guess that's what happens when you live on the California Coast. I don't think i can express how amazing this place is. But I suppose one can get used to it. After grocery shopping in Pacific Grove, we climbed the hill into Monteray to find the Veterans Memorial Park. A guy named Fred was camped there who was touring from Portland up to Vancouver, BC, back down again and out to Austin, Texas. I gave him some advice on crossing the desert and he shared his freshly pressure cooked artichoke with me. Then, I took a nice hot shower.
Monday, November 17th 2008 - I am 29 years old
Day 54 - San Simeon State Park to Gorda, CA (Plaskett Creek Campground)
35 miles (3184)
Matt and i rode out of bike camp together and he gave me some very cheerful and encouraging words as he turned south and i headed north. I stopped into the extravagant Hearst Castle, that William Randolph refered to as 'The Big House' which was amazing and ridiculous. Golden tiled swimming pool. Does that get the point across? I then had short ride in the afternoon and picked up some birthday beer at a general store. I will admit it, I paid the exorbatant tourist price of $14 for a six pack. It's my birthday, and I honestly have no other choice. The a quick, and quite honestly sissy, dip in the ocean before settling in with some shady campground characters for the night. No bicyclists in this camp, only kids on the run. Happy Birthday James Lobb.
Sunday, November 16th
Day 53 - Carrizo Plains to San Simeon State Park - On the Pacific Ocean!!
72 miles (3149)
I had a warmshowers place to stay with some folks in Templeton, but found myself there at about 1:30. i learned that it was only another 26 miles to the coast, so after some peanut butter and jelly, i pushed on. Man, after i crested that last hill, and the Pacific came into view and I stared my long descent, nothing could have spoiled my excitement. I was shouting and cheering at everyone i passed, who probably had no idea what the heck I was making such a fuss about. i was laughing out loud and shouting, "I did it!"
I got into my campsite after dark, and a guy named Warren found me at the registration kiosk. He said "Oh, another biker, we're all down here, come on, I'll introduce you." And there were 5 other bicycle tourers in camp! I have not experienced one, on this trip, let alone five at a time. Matt was retired stocks guy, with over 100 pounds of gear on his way from Portland down to Tierra Del Fuego.
Saturday, November 15th
Day 52 - Bakersfield to the Carrizo Plains, CA
72 miles
Thursday, November 20th 2008
San Jose to Oakland
79 miles - 3409 total
Today's ride was fairly easy. I rode from San Jose up to Stanford University, worked on my Master's degree for a bit, checked out the Rodin sculpture garden, crossed over the south end of the San Fransisco Bay and rode up the east side into Oakland by about 4:30. That's when the trouble started. My dear friend Sara Kagan was working in her studio on the Berkley Oakland boarder and was kind enough to provide me directions which I failed to follow properly and ended up in the mountains in the pitch dark. I spent the next hour and a half riding around the East Bay until i finally stumbled upon Sara, out on the corner, shouting and screaming and cheering and hollering. It was about 7, and i was three hours late. Then we celebrated. For a long time, with lots of deliscous beer and rode our bikes back into Oakland where things get a little fuzzy for me. My final accomplishment of accomplishments.
Wednesday, November 19th
Day 56 - Monteray to San Jose, CA
80 miles (3330)
I said goodbye to Alan and the others in the Veterans Memorial bike camp and made my way towards Santa Cruz along the Pacific Coast bike trail. At Soquel, and turned north and climbed 1300' up over the hills to Los Gatos in Silicon Valley. I finished the days ride along the Los Gatos Creek Trail, a beautiful jogger/ biker trail that runs into San Jose. Courtney Chalupa, offered me her futon for the night. Courtney is a bicycle racer and triathlete, so had a good deal to talk about this evening over pizza and beer. Yah for the Chalupa Family!
Tuesday, November 18th
Day 55 - Gorda to Monteray, CA
66 miles (3250)
I stopped for coffee and a muffin at the general store in Lucia this morning and was pleased to find a fellow northbound rider. Alan is a Berkley Alumni riding up from San Diego for the big Stanford - Berkley football game this Saturday. We rode together all day long and it was nice to have a riding partner for once, espiecially someone who has ridden the route before and had campground and direction insite. I commented about the beauty of the area during our lunch break in Big Sur. Alan was unimpressed by the landscape and plant life. I guess that's what happens when you live on the California Coast. I don't think i can express how amazing this place is. But I suppose one can get used to it. After grocery shopping in Pacific Grove, we climbed the hill into Monteray to find the Veterans Memorial Park. A guy named Fred was camped there who was touring from Portland up to Vancouver, BC, back down again and out to Austin, Texas. I gave him some advice on crossing the desert and he shared his freshly pressure cooked artichoke with me. Then, I took a nice hot shower.
Monday, November 17th 2008 - I am 29 years old
Day 54 - San Simeon State Park to Gorda, CA (Plaskett Creek Campground)
35 miles (3184)
Matt and i rode out of bike camp together and he gave me some very cheerful and encouraging words as he turned south and i headed north. I stopped into the extravagant Hearst Castle, that William Randolph refered to as 'The Big House' which was amazing and ridiculous. Golden tiled swimming pool. Does that get the point across? I then had short ride in the afternoon and picked up some birthday beer at a general store. I will admit it, I paid the exorbatant tourist price of $14 for a six pack. It's my birthday, and I honestly have no other choice. The a quick, and quite honestly sissy, dip in the ocean before settling in with some shady campground characters for the night. No bicyclists in this camp, only kids on the run. Happy Birthday James Lobb.
Sunday, November 16th
Day 53 - Carrizo Plains to San Simeon State Park - On the Pacific Ocean!!
72 miles (3149)
I had a warmshowers place to stay with some folks in Templeton, but found myself there at about 1:30. i learned that it was only another 26 miles to the coast, so after some peanut butter and jelly, i pushed on. Man, after i crested that last hill, and the Pacific came into view and I stared my long descent, nothing could have spoiled my excitement. I was shouting and cheering at everyone i passed, who probably had no idea what the heck I was making such a fuss about. i was laughing out loud and shouting, "I did it!"
I got into my campsite after dark, and a guy named Warren found me at the registration kiosk. He said "Oh, another biker, we're all down here, come on, I'll introduce you." And there were 5 other bicycle tourers in camp! I have not experienced one, on this trip, let alone five at a time. Matt was retired stocks guy, with over 100 pounds of gear on his way from Portland down to Tierra Del Fuego.
Saturday, November 15th
Day 52 - Bakersfield to the Carrizo Plains, CA
72 miles
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