Day 21 – Lompoc to Carpentaria State Park – It’s Official….

Day 21 – Lompoc to Carpentaria State Park – It’s Official….

…...I’m in Southern California.  I may have been in it earlier but starting at Santa Barbara it feels like SoCal; Palm trees, stuccoed houses, fancy cars, the smell of Banana Boat wafting off the ocean. 

It was a decent ride today of 60+ miles.  A low slope hill of about 20 miles, overcast and limited scenery made the ride from Lompoc to Gaviota a slog but that was the only the first third.  Just after Highway 1 ended and 101 took it’s place there was an awesome two-mile descent through the beautiful Santa Ynez Mountains.  The geology was spectacular; limestone and granite, with little caves everywhere.  Then it was back to the coast.  The ocean was more pacific than when I left it in Pismo Beach.  Almost dead calm.  Right away you could see the oilrigs between the mainland and the Channel Islands.  I had heard there were rigs up near Santa Barbara but I did not believe it, after all it’s CA! Highway 101 is busy but generally has a wide berm with the exception of some of the bridges then it has no berm at all.  It’s a good thing I pace myself; so I can pedal like a madman over the narrow bridges! The final third of the ride was wonderful as the route left 101 in Goleta and took the side roads.  They were mostly level, smooth and with few stops. 

I’m at Carpentaria State Park for the night.  This may mark the end of camping for me as that the further South I get the more the bikers and hikers are outnumbered by the traveling homeless.  I’m a little torn by my reaction to them and expect to explore this at a later point. 

Here is a link to today’s ride: http://www.movescount.com/moves/move36388590

Ants in My Pants!

There were not many places other than the roadside to take a break today.  At the halfway point I took my first break at the exit to El Capitan State Park.  I found a spot in the shade on the side of the road, pulled out my dwindling water supply, and food from my panniers.  After a few moments, I learned I had placed myself right in the path of another highway, a veritable ant interstate.  I moved a bit to accommodate the greater flow of traffic but was too tired to move completely out of the byways.  A few of the stragglers and wanderers found their way in to my biking shorts and jersey.  Their bite stung but I didn't pay it much mind.  I figured that after 30+ miles of riding, what was in store for them in there was far worse than the stinging pinch, however indiscrete and strategically placed they might be. 

Photos

The slow grind out of Lompoc

There was a type of tree that grew in the hills on the savannas that was covered with a type of moss. I will have to figure out what they were.  

Again, the geology was pretty cool.  Limestone which tends to have plastic characteristics was bent and folded.

The top of the hill.  Now for the descent!

Almost at the bottom.  The Santa Ynez Mountains in the background.

The end of Highway 1.  I road it all the way, from Leggett to Gaviota.  It was a great road

Looking back at the mountains I came through

Those small specs are oil rigs

The Ynez Mountains

A couple of bridges adjacent to Highway 101

Looks like a Granite Spiny Lizard (I looked it up)

Santa Barbara.  I really am not much of a tourist otherwise I would have stayed longer than the time it took me to bike through.  The route took me through a good portion of SB so I got a good taste of it.

Yup, SoCal

Uh, huh

For sure!

For the well heeled in the audience, polo grounds.  I guess one test of wealth is one's ability to replace arable land with vast swaths of manicured lawn.

Train, train, take me on out of this place.  The Amtrak comes right through Carpentaria.  

Downtown Carpentaria