Strong Tailwinds to Los Angeles

I left San Luis Obispo on wednesday morning.  I caught a city bus to Santa Maria, 40 miles south and it cost me only 2 bucks.  Then I sailed south averaging speeds over 20 miles per hour in some parts.  I made it to a camp site by 2:30 and decided to ride 25 more to Santa Barbara for the night.  In total I rode 80 miles, with the help of local transit, I covered 120 miles!  Even without the bus it was the longest day on this trip!  

I stayed at a nice little hostel and in the morning watched the sun come up at the beach, 3 blocks away.  Thursday morning I rode to Ventura and visited with a friend from Portland.  I also mailed a package to myself- stuff I don’t need.  Not sure why I did it so late in the trip, with less than 200 miles to go.  It felt great though with less gear.  On the way to Ventura I stopped in Carpenteria for lunch at a mexican bakery.  I smelled goodness from the street and my nose lead me to this pearl.  All kinds of fresh doughnuts, Mexican sweet breads, and tamales..  I had two amazing hot tamales and 2 apple fritters.  

I left Ventura with the intentions of riding about 5 miles to McGrath state park to tent for the night.  I got a flat on the way, fixed it, then stopped by a bike shop on the way out of town to buy an extra tube, just in case.  By the time I got to the camp the sun had set and I unfortunately found it closed due to flooding.  I rode around the gates to check it out…  It smelled like sewage and there definitely was water everywhere and no people.   Closest city with out backtracking against the wind to Ventura, in the dark, was Oxnard.  So I continued on for another 10 miles.  I met some cool people and they new someone who would let me post my tent on their property.  I didn’t want to spend 70 bucks on a hotel and they didn’t have a hostel.  Turns out this guy owns an old motel in a seedy part of town that he’s turned into an apartement complex.  I got to camp behind the school bus.  I was so excited to be quasi “stealth” camping.  (Info on Stealth Camping click here.)  The owner of the place new I was camping there, but his tenants were not forewarned.  I pictured scenarios of tenants approaching my tent in slippers and a frying pan…

I was in bed by 8 and up by 5, at McDonalds for a big breakfast by 6 and in Los Angeles by 11am.  I arrived with a really awesome tan and poked around Santa Monica until my friend Ashley came to pick me up.  Ashley is an actress here in Los Angeles.  I met her in New York through a friend from Memphis about 3 years ago when i was there to photograph a wedding.  She’s also a photographer – click here. I’m going to spend the rest of today here and then finish the trip.  I have about 3 days of riding left.

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