Friends on a Ride
Alan and I are both early risers, especially going to bed quite early. Who’s Alan? Alan is a good friend, who when I mentioned this idea, told me to let him know if I got serious about it. Well I did get serious and Alan decided to join me on this childhood dream. Alan is a seasoned bike tourist, having completed a cross country trip many years ago. He and I did several training rides to get ready for this and to make sure we were ride compatible.
Breaking Camp and Coffee
It rained the first night for about 15 minutes. The fog was quite thick the rest of the time and drops of water fell from the Eucalyptus trees we slept under. So, after not getting a lot of sleep the first night, we packed up camp and hit the road. First things first – coffee and breakfast. Alan mentioned a spot he knew in Los Osos, that he and his wife loved, so off we went on the first 4.5 miles. We past by the Elfin forest, which if we had more time is great hiking area. The Back Bay Cafe is great little classic breakfast spot with tasty plates and coffee. We chatted with several kind folks asking about our adventure. We met one gentlemen out of Camarillo on vacation there.
Great Spots to Stop
The ride out of Los Osos and San Luis is just beautiful. The roads were not too crowded, except for a small bit of highway riding. Just past Avila we made the turn to head down the coast. We made a rest stop at the Dinosaur Caves Park. There are some beautiful cliffs with caves. Our next pit stop was a Pismo Pier, but just a roll-through stop. Then a mile later we pulled into the Monarch Grove Park. A nice little eucalyptus grove during the off time and an epic nature event during the right months. Watch out for South Halcyon Rd versus Mesa View Rd as it tops at a 14% climb. I walked a good bit of it.
Lunchtime Surprise
Our next stop was an 8 mile detour, with a head wind all the way out. Oso Flaco Lake which sits at the end of agriculture road was an incredible surprise. Before heading in we had some lunch leftovers at the picnic benches. Bikes are a rare visitor from our talks with some of the regulars. What a perfect way to see this hidden gem. There is a boardwalk that leads all the way to the beach. Stop for all the pedestrians, but what a blast!
AirBnB
We made a quick stop for some cold beverages in the town of Guadalupe. The 16 mile ride from Guadalupe to the far southeastern end of Santa Maria, Orcutt was dry, flat, ag land. The nearly 70 mile day, ended at a very nice AirBnB house. Our hosts were very accommodating; they were kind enough to drive us to the local grocery store to pick up dinner fixings. A nice shower and full belly, we crashed out hard after day two.
