Day 20: There actually is sunshine in California
(Half Moon Bay to Sunset Beach in Watsonville)
date: Saturday August 24, 2002
daily miles: 103 miles (166 km)
total miles: 1,524 miles (2,453 km)
Today started damp yet again. Mornings near the ocean are like that. I forgot but am very aware of it again. I tried to make an early start this morning. Honestly I did try. I was doing ok until a guy I saw yesterday on the road showed up in the hiker/biker campsite. It seems he had broken five spokes on his rear wheel and it took him all night to walk to the campground. So I grabbed my Shimano cassette puller and went to work. Forty-five minutes later and his wheel is perfectly true and good for more touring down the road -- my extra spokes fit his wheel perfectly. The Boy Scout in me is responsible for being the good samaritan here!!
Eventually the sunshine broke through today!! I have caught glimpses of it the last few days, but it really hasn't broke through for more than a few minutes at a time.
I somehow ended up in a Saturday ride for some women from Santa Cruz. One joked as she passed me that she had finally caught the "tourist" -- I was still in cruise mode at this point. I guess the women all had made a bet as I passed them where they were all staging for something -- whomever didn't catch me would have to buy lunch at the end of their ride for the morning. Tourist pride (or maybe my ego??) decided that wasn't playing fair and I decided to fix this problem. Although I had a good 30 miles warm-up in my legs – it was time to start into time trail mode!! I eventually caught and passed everyone back – I was cruising at over 31mph for almost an hour. I made the comment after catching the last one of their group that it wasn't fun to pick on touring cyclists pulling BOB trailers. It just wasn’t a nice thing to do. Then I pedaled off into the distance in front of her – she couldn’t even suck me wheel by drafting along.
 One of the many lightshouses on the route |
As for Santa Cruz -- definitely a cool town. I loved the architecture around the town and with the sunshine beaming down, everyone was out at the beach. Anyone have any high paying computer jobs in the area -- give me a whistle ok??? Can I admit to even stopping and looking at two apartments there were for rent – it really is that tempting of a place to live. |
Somehow today I got lost in a big way. I ended up on some really gorgeous private beach area. Kicked back and relaxed for a while there and just enjoyed the sun and sand. Unfortunately that is when I realized I had no clue as to where I was and had to either backtrack about ten miles or head up the 15%+ grade out of the community. So I chose the 15%+ grade of course!! A homeowner yelled at me as I'm cranking my up the hill in an incredible sweat -- "you’re not going to make it to the top -- nobody ever does!!”. Sorry to disappoint him -- I made it to the top with BOB attached without dabbing. Super granny gear to the rescue!!!
| Finally found Sunset Beach State Park where I was staying for the night. Only problem was that I didn't have any food and the trip to Watsonville was an additional eleven miles above today’s total distance. But I now have two super burritos, a Gatorade, Diet Coke and a big box of Poptarts for desert -- not great but lots of carbohydrates eh??? |
 The marina at Santa Cruz |
Goals I wanted today happened -- sunshine appeared and I got my laundry done at this wild laundromat in Santa Cruz. I was riding along and there was this great music coming out of there – so I just had to stop!
I had a lot of fun today -- just wish I had someone around because it would be even more fun to hangout in Santa Cruz or Capitola for a couple of days. One day perhaps?? Any takers?
Sleep time for this kiddo-
Mark
