I’ve been basing my days on campsite location - campsites with hiker/biker fees and more importantly: with showers. I was now located in a position where these kinds of sites were sparse so I had to make a tough decision: do I cycle to Gaviota State Park and then suffer a long ride to Venice tomorrow, possibly risking adding another day? Do I cycle to Santa Barbara and stay in a motel? Do cycle just beyond Santa Barbara and camp there?
The ride to Gaviota was going to be hard enough since I would have two hard climbs to reach it. I decided to hit the road in search for breakfast so I could think about it over a hot plate.
My Adventure Cyclist map took me from the beach inland towards Halcyon. So far so good, however no decent looking eateries. Eventually I got lost, but kept heading South since eventually I’d hit the 1. The ride through a series of farms and horse stables was easy and there were no cars to deal with. Eventually I hit Nipomo, which was totally off course, so I followed directions towards Guadalupe.
The road took me to a bluff overlooking a massive valley of farmland. The air was heavy with strawberry, celery and broccoli – kind of nasty but nice at the same time. I headed down onto Division Road through a series of strawberry fields and witnessed the most atrocious spectacle of human labor I had ever seen. Mexican men and women were bent over picking strawberries into a box. They would move slowly in one direction until they would stand up and sprint towards a truck. Another person would scan a tag around their necks, collect the box and hand them an empty one. The pickers would then about face and sprint back to where they left off, bend over, and commence picking again.
My hunger and frustration for having gotten lost, in addition to having to cycle 10 miles into the wind quickly dissipated as I contemplated these people’s lives.
I had huevos rancheros with hot sauce in Guadalupe whilst overlooking my map. The only decision I could make was to see how I felt once I arrived at Gaviota (but so much of me wanted to make it to Santa Barbara!).
Not long after, back on the 1 with a good tailwind, I cycled along a guy named Dave, who was with a group with car support. We talked for a long time and kept a good pace. Again the Adventure Cycling map got us lost. Instead of making it to Lompoc, we ended up further North East in Los Alamos. It wasn’t bad for me, but Dave had to cycle back South and West for over an hour and a half, and it was getting hot.
Since I was off route to Gaviota, I decided to head for Santa Barbara by way of the 154. I hit the 101 and was dismayed to read the electronic signs advising of the closure of the 154 due to the fires above Santa Barbara. I proceeded towards Los Olivos to decide whether to return down South towards Gaviota or take Refugio Road over the mountains into Capitan. The people I met in Los Olivios advised against climbing over the mountains as the road would become a steep trail – shame because I also found out I would have gone by Ronald Regan’s ranch. Had I not had bags, I would have done it…next time.
The ride from Los Olivos to Solvang and down towards the 101 was fantastic. The road dwindled to one lane, snaking into the hills very much like in Liguria. There was no escaping a climb, however this pass was much more agreeable than Refugio Road.
The downhill into Gaviota was spectacular, and so was Gaviota Beach. I would have stayed had it had any food amenities. The decision had been made: proceed to Santa Barbara.
The 101 looked very much like the 101 I knew when I lived in Los Angeles, thus made the end of my trip appear that more apparent. The feeling gave me the energy to push hard to make Santa Barbara by 5 or 6.
The fires above SB were pretty big. Smoke towered above, and ash rained down. I stopped for two slices of pizza and figured I should spend the night at a motel. My legs had had enough. I rode along the beachfront in search of a place to stay, but I kept going. South – to Carpinteria State Beach, set up camp, showered, collapsed. 120 miles.
The ride to Gaviota was going to be hard enough since I would have two hard climbs to reach it. I decided to hit the road in search for breakfast so I could think about it over a hot plate.
My Adventure Cyclist map took me from the beach inland towards Halcyon. So far so good, however no decent looking eateries. Eventually I got lost, but kept heading South since eventually I’d hit the 1. The ride through a series of farms and horse stables was easy and there were no cars to deal with. Eventually I hit Nipomo, which was totally off course, so I followed directions towards Guadalupe.
The road took me to a bluff overlooking a massive valley of farmland. The air was heavy with strawberry, celery and broccoli – kind of nasty but nice at the same time. I headed down onto Division Road through a series of strawberry fields and witnessed the most atrocious spectacle of human labor I had ever seen. Mexican men and women were bent over picking strawberries into a box. They would move slowly in one direction until they would stand up and sprint towards a truck. Another person would scan a tag around their necks, collect the box and hand them an empty one. The pickers would then about face and sprint back to where they left off, bend over, and commence picking again.
My hunger and frustration for having gotten lost, in addition to having to cycle 10 miles into the wind quickly dissipated as I contemplated these people’s lives.
I had huevos rancheros with hot sauce in Guadalupe whilst overlooking my map. The only decision I could make was to see how I felt once I arrived at Gaviota (but so much of me wanted to make it to Santa Barbara!).
Not long after, back on the 1 with a good tailwind, I cycled along a guy named Dave, who was with a group with car support. We talked for a long time and kept a good pace. Again the Adventure Cycling map got us lost. Instead of making it to Lompoc, we ended up further North East in Los Alamos. It wasn’t bad for me, but Dave had to cycle back South and West for over an hour and a half, and it was getting hot.
Since I was off route to Gaviota, I decided to head for Santa Barbara by way of the 154. I hit the 101 and was dismayed to read the electronic signs advising of the closure of the 154 due to the fires above Santa Barbara. I proceeded towards Los Olivos to decide whether to return down South towards Gaviota or take Refugio Road over the mountains into Capitan. The people I met in Los Olivios advised against climbing over the mountains as the road would become a steep trail – shame because I also found out I would have gone by Ronald Regan’s ranch. Had I not had bags, I would have done it…next time.
The ride from Los Olivos to Solvang and down towards the 101 was fantastic. The road dwindled to one lane, snaking into the hills very much like in Liguria. There was no escaping a climb, however this pass was much more agreeable than Refugio Road.
The downhill into Gaviota was spectacular, and so was Gaviota Beach. I would have stayed had it had any food amenities. The decision had been made: proceed to Santa Barbara.
The 101 looked very much like the 101 I knew when I lived in Los Angeles, thus made the end of my trip appear that more apparent. The feeling gave me the energy to push hard to make Santa Barbara by 5 or 6.
The fires above SB were pretty big. Smoke towered above, and ash rained down. I stopped for two slices of pizza and figured I should spend the night at a motel. My legs had had enough. I rode along the beachfront in search of a place to stay, but I kept going. South – to Carpinteria State Beach, set up camp, showered, collapsed. 120 miles.
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