Our final day had arrived. The El Capitan Canyon Market & Deli opened for breakfast at 7 am, so we arrived then. The next 8 miles of Highway 101 to start the day, with its wide shoulders and Sunday’s light traffic was quite enjoyable. We did not quite follow any of the CycleCalCoast routes for the area, until we hooked mostly into the Refugio Pass route. We took a slight detour through Isla Vista and UCSB. Alan, a Gaucho alumni, reminisced his days there. This route lined us up for my first ride on the Obern Trail. We happened to be on the trail the same day as a Triathlon event, going in the opposite direction.

First Stop
Before stopping we enjoyed cruising all of State St, in Santa Barbara. Our first stop wasn’t until Carpinteria's Lucky Llama coffee shop; some delicious highly caffeinated beverages and a sweet pastry treat prepared us for our final bit of travel. We were being drawn home, as the sights and routes became more familiar. Alan’s saying for the trip and in general in California: always travel north to south – a consistent tailwind corroborated his theory.

The PCH
A short 10 miles later we pulled into Hobson County Park for an ice cream. It's a unique feeling of both being ready for the ride to be done and not wanting it to be over. This section of the adventure is truly breathtaking. As we got going again, with our increasing tailwinds, increasingly more familiar terrain, the adventure was coming to end.

New Eyes
This has been a truly perspective changing adventure. I rode my bike everywhere as a kid. It’s cliche, but true, that it gave me a sense of both freedom and adventure. This trip recaptured some of that feeling. I started riding regularly again back in 2008, when a buddy let me ride his fix gear bike. That bike was almost like relearning to ride a bike, something that was old was new again. After that I got my own fixed gear and commuted everyday for 2 years straight, until I got in a serious accident with a vehicle. I’m of the philosophy of getting back on that horse. So I started commuting and being a utility rider again.

Bit About Me
Around this time I also became the Bicycle Coordinator for the City of Ventura. In my talks with various bicyclists in Ventura and elsewhere, I could never quite relate with the distance riders or tourists. Prior to this trip my longest ride was 20 miles. This has given me new perspective and an increased ability to relate to others, plus a great adventure with a great friend. I hope you enjoyed reading about my adventure.

I’m already working on my next adventure. Stay tuned because I’m going to invite everyone.

—Derek Towers