Day 2: A great day on the bike! - The Adventures of The Girl Friday - CycleBlaze

December 22, 2009

Day 2: A great day on the bike!

Today's Amtrak train was an hour and a half late. Oh, Amtrak, how I missed you! You and your unpredictable ways. But, I digress...

Wow, what a great day! Blue skies, warm sun, beautiful scenery and monster tailwinds; just how I like it. The weather channel had a 'wind advisory' for the area, as if that were a problem. The only potential problem I could foresee was getting dinged in the noggin by a palm frond blown down by the wind. Other than that, the pedaling was easy. :-)

I rode many of the same roads as I did this summer but it seemed nicer today. For one thing, there was much less traffic along the beach. Plus, the weather was clearer, last summer it was much more hazy. It was really nice being able to ride down the coast without having to dodge RV's and other crazy fools in a hurry on their way to relax.

Instead of cruising to Oxnard I made my way east to Camarillo. I wanted to put in a few more miles before I got on the train. I can't say the scenery was great through that stretch but it was fun being able to top speeds of almost 20 with the wind directly behind me. I pushed pretty hard to make the 3:09 train, though I needn't worry since the train didn't arrive until after 4:30pm. That's the Amtrak I know and love; it's nice to have you back!

I got to my final destination, San Juan Capistrano, around 7:30, and after a short ride to my hotel I gaveled day 2 to a close.

It was a great day and I'm looking forward to tomorrow's fun. I am planning an early start so I can ride as far as possible. If it looks like I won't make it before dark I may have to hop on a train for a stop or two, but I'll play that by ear. In the end I'll end up at my Mom and Dad's house. Start cook'in mom, I'm on my way!

I have lots of pictures today--I had nothing better to do on the train so I edited pics.

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I TOLD you it was windy! I wouldn't lie about a little thing like that.
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Did you know that the Santa Barbara Motel 6 was the first Motel 6, ever? It has the original Motel 6 sign.
My brother taught me that useful bit of information
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When I rode this stretch over the summer I could barely see the ocean because of all the RV's parked on the side of the road
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This is my new friend. The gentleman who took this photo thought we made a handsome couple, which I can't deny, but my new friend did seem a little stodgy; he didn't laugh at one of my jokes, and all he wanted to do was sit on park benches all day
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In Ventura
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Dodging palm fronds all day...
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In case you want to know where your strawberries come from...
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Free food!
It was tempting. I've been known to pick up produce to eat when I ride at home, but at home we're talking corn on the cob, walnuts, oranges and things with some sort of "natural packaging". I wasn't too sure about a strawberry though; who knows what kind of cleanliness standards street cleaners adhere too?
...I let this morsel go.
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Martha's Vineyard?! Am I on the right coast? I knew I shouldn't have made that left turn after Santa Barbara!
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Today's ride: 61 miles (98 km)
Total: 68 miles (109 km)

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