Sunday, 15 September 2013
Day 10. Port Hueneme to Hermosa Beach. LA 70.7 miles
We knew today would be a difficult day because we were approaching the urban sprawl of Los Angeles. Another beautiful, sunny day but as we left early, the air felt lovely and cool. A quiet back road took us past a Naval Airforce Base, before we found ourselves again on Hwy 1. We passed beach after beach, families already there enjoying their Sunday break, surfing is certainly their favourite sport. We made Malibu in good time passing some very expensive looking properties, gated big entrances, made you wonder who lives there. We passed a field of American flags, presumably to commemorate 9/11. Santa Monica next, this is a very wealthy area, we had planned to stay in Venice but decided to go on further. We were on a beach path then ran for 20 miles making slow progress due to other walkers, jogggers, skateboarders and cyclists too numerous to mention. I have never seen a beach so long or so broad, it just went on and on. People watching had never been more fascinating. We had to make a short detour inland but missed our turn off, ended up going round in circles for a while. This seemed to get to Murray and as there were no signs of motels anywhere, and time was getting on, he was not a happy chappy. We eventually picked up the beach path again and asked some locals for advice, they pointed us to a couple of motels so all's well. LA is huge, cities within a city, at one time building over three storeys was forbidden so it spread out and out. Everyone seems to love the outdoors but who can blame them with this warm, sunny climate and massive well kept beaches.,
Saturday, 14 September 2013
Day 9. Santa Barbara to Port Hueneme. Just 40.2 miles.
Another very enjoyable, meandering short day. A good job too as our route paralleled the coast, at times on bike paths, where our progress was hampered by the Saturday crowd out exercising or relaxing. Fascinating though to see all the different sizes, shapes, ages, dress, abilities going through their paces. Had to concentrate on map reading today as we crossed a built up area with many twists and turns, not always easy when dealing with constant, heavy, close traffic. Another hot, sunny day so we made quite an early start. At Rincon Point, popular with surfers from around the world, we watched them ride the waves. R.V's. (Residential Vehicles) lined the roadside for mile after mile, families enjoying their weekend in the sun, huge vehicles that must cost tens of thousands pounds. A surfer competition was in progress with stalls and sideshows. We had to enter Highway 101 which proved quite scary; fast, constant traffic very close to us, just had to concentrate hard and hold our line. Near Ventura a biker cycled alongside Murray asking where we were going, this is not unusual. This time Mike asked us back to his house, it was near our route so we agreed, met his wife Barbara and enjoyed their hospitality. Very kind, friendly couple. In Port Hueneme, we started going round in circles looking for accommodation, difficult to find any. I asked a lady for advice, turned out she had lived in Fife for a year and was delighted to hear our accents. She directed us to this hotel, Casa Via Mar, which has turned out to be one of the best so far. Great amenities, swimming pool - which we spent the afternoon beside, and very cheap. Great restaurant nearby, I had a fish dish 'Orange Roughy' ( steamed white fish ) and Murray had the biggest slice of Carrot Cake I have ever seen, must have been 9 inches deep, he ate the lot. Murray says he is losing weight, I don't know how as the portions are massive here.
Friday, 13 September 2013
Day 8. Rest Day in Sunny Santa Barbara
Lovely long lie till about 9.00 am then after a light breakfast headed out for a wander. Most of the Motels we stay in provide breakfast but it is very meagre by our standards - coffee, juice, different cakes and pastries, waffle machine if you are lucky and that is it. Enough to get us on the road but still in need of a second breakfast, any excuse. Beautiful hot sunny day, found it more exhausting sightseeing than being on the bike, on the bike you create a breeze which keeps you cool. Like Santa Barbara very much, clean, vibrant, pretty, lively but not too busy at this time of year. I expect in the summer it is mobbed. We briefly visited the the Museum of SB, apparently when the first Spanish/Mexicans arrived here there were 15000/17000 Chumash Indians living in the area. After a generation there numbers were decimated through illness and disease and they had lost their old way of life. We then walked to the end of Stearns Wharf, a long pier with shops and restaurants, it was windy but lovely and cool, out in the Pacific we counted 10 oil rigs. Headed back to the Motel, sun bathed and relaxed, a good way to end the day, ready to hit the road again tomorrow. A week on the road already, another week to go.
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