Day 24 – Dana Point to Carlsbad/San Diego – Success…..

Day 24 – Dana Point to Carlsbad/San Diego – Success…..

…what now?  I’m done with the exception of (perhaps) riding into San Diego and/or going down and touching the Mexican Border. I also need to figure out my return to PDX. The Amtrak ride was part of the journey but my sister has suggested I hitch a ride with my brother-in-law, Tom, who is heading that way early next week. While I'm anxious to get home to see Lori and the kids, I’m ambivalent about what to do next.  At times like this I turn to Stan Ridgway for a little advice and he says: 

Wake up in the morning, pull myself outta bed

Think about the night before and everything I said

I've made lots of promises I know that I can't keep

So I'll do 'em tomorrow

That seems like a pretty good idea to me

Yeah, tomorrow seems like a pretty good idea to me too. 

Yesterday, at Dana Point got off on the wrong foot: No check in till 4pm, grumpy park attendants, postage stamp of hiker/biker campsite right behind the bathrooms, unmarked broken showers, no notification that the showers take use tokens and not quarters (unlike every other park), and the hardest dirt on the west coast.  But after going into town and having a good dinner (Hong Kong pepper steak and shrimp with white rice), having a nice experience with one of the fellow customers in Ralph’s, and an even better one with the checkout clerk my faith in humanity and my mood were restored. 

As I mentioned, I’ve gotten better at feeling comfortable inside the tent and working with the rhythms of the campsite but I became a bit concerned as a group of young men arrived at the campsite to the south of me and the campsite north of me powered up the amp and the choir and started strumming away.  The young men were very observant of the park rules and the band next door ended up being one of the best I’ve heard anywhere and for once I was kind of disappointed for quiet time to arrive.  Remind me to tell you about the revenge of the ants at some point.

The ride:  40 miles from Dana Point to Carlsbad.  Mostly flat and there was a very, very nice surprise when the hills leading inland and to my sister’s house were not as steep and long as I remembered them.  Not much help from the wind but it didn’t hurt too much either.  The ride through Camp Pendleton was almost sterile compared with the portions of the trip prior to that but Oceanside and Carlsbad made up for that as they are nice towns in their own right’s and very pleasant and not so busy when compared to towns in the LA area.

At some point, I will do an assessment and repost but today I’m just catching up on sleep, wash, and visiting with my sister and her family. 

Here is a link to today’s ride:  http://www.movescount.com/moves/move36596593

Photos

Campsite at Dana Point

At least the bathrooms were close

It amazes me how much can be fit into the panniers

The guys in the campsite to the south of me didn't even use a tent.  They slept out in the open on hard ground.  Most did not even use the camping pad.  Ouch!

Self portrait

Todd, look!  Trestles!!

More Trestles!

I haven't taken any shots of the ghosts bikes along the way but today I made an exception.  I counted about five.  Certainly not all.

Rode by the National Mammary National Monument (oh, come on!)

At the campground by Camp Pendleton.  Perhaps an errant missile?

I caught up with these guys in the Malibu area. Jesse on the right is from Boise, Idaho and Sam from Portland, Oregon. The day I caught up with them they went on to Santa Ana (for a total of 90 miles) and I stayed in Santa Monica (I was slacking that day and did only 75 ;-).  This morning I caught up with them again at Camp Pendleton. Sam is a graphic arts student at Portland State and I didn’t catch what Jesse did.  They were both good riders and seemed like good sorts.  Their destination is San Diego.  Perhaps if I make a run down there I will see them. 

Last tunnel!!

On I-5.  The traffic is not as bad as advertised.  See all the lane I have in front of me??  ;-)

A little foggy once I hit Oceanside but it cleared up

When I think of Carlsbad this is the corner I think of 

At this beach 31 years ago, Tony, my brother took me out and tried to teach me how to surf.  That experience convinced me not to try it again for 20 years ;-)

The beach Luca and I surfed a few Christmases ago

The homecoming parade!  My sister, Joanne

The finish line ;-)

Thank you, thank you

I estimated the trip would be 1400 miles.  Total ended up being 1406.

Rear tire.  Nearly bald.  It was brand new for the trip.

Front tire.  Still has tread.

Me on arrival at my sister's house in Carlsbad