The mint Give Peace a Chance coin that Andy and Julia gave me when Brenda and I completed the northern spoke of the peace sign in September 2019 has now traveled with me to the end. My brother’s wedding ring has traveled around my neck close to my heart from Everett, where his sister-in-law, Anne, … More Give Peace a Chance
When I get it in my mind to do something, not a lot can stop me. Today I had to find the sea lion sculpture that Pete back home sent me a picture of. During an non-traumatic traverse of Los Angeles, four miles of bike path along Los Angeles’ concrete river, and countless beach miles, … More Seal the Deal
I checked the weather forecast when I woke up after the glorious evening of music — a wind advisory, with wind from the east, the exact direction we were headed. The first pedal stroke out of our hotel in Port Hueneme was right into the grip of it. We had a lot of miles to … More Let Friendship Ring
We have reached Southern California. Finally, on the 39th day of 43, we experienced the pleasantly warm sunny weather we had imagined for the whole trip. This was also the first day of flat terrain — not a single noteworthy climb. The Pacific Ocean was in view nearly the entire day from clever trails, bike … More Chords
Mary 2 pulled together a delicious dinner in our room last night. It’s a good thing the food was great because the tension about what to do next was thick. The fire in coastal Goleta was right on the route I had planned for today. We were literally between a rock and a hot place. … More Between a Rock and a Hot Place
Monday’s ride was the longest for a single day of our entire journey – 80 miles. I opted for this route over a shorter route for two reasons. First, John Flaherty, owner of Central Coast Outdoors, who graciously shared his routes with me, raved about Foxen Canyon Road. Second, the final destination of Solvang, a … More The Good Wind (or Is It?)
Kurt has been aching to swim in the Pacific Ocean since we began our trip over a month ago. He almost went in at Julia Pfeiffer Burns Beach where The Sandpiper was filmed in 1965 near our hotel in Big Sur. The air and the water were freezing and Lynnie refused to hold his things … More What Would a Cormorant Do?
Slides Frequently, the land upon which this bold stripe of highway was built loses its grip on the hillside. It happens often enough that some people wonder if the highway should be maintained or if it is time for nature to claim it back. Cycling amidst its grandeur makes me hope it will be maintained. … More Slides, Sisters, and Seals
On Friday, we cycled southward along the entire coast of the Monterey Peninsula, 17 Mile Drive, Scenic Drive in Carmel-by-the-Sea, past Carmel Mission, up Rt 1 to Point Lobos Park, and on to Big Sur. When my husband first came to the US from Italy, nearly half a century ago, he was looking for work. … More What if?
For Thursday, I planned a meetup with Mary Cousineau, who I had met in 2017 on a trip on the St Lawrence Seaway. Mary lives in Salinas, not far from Monterey CA. I knew that the Pacific coast was part of my plan for the peace sign and Mary encouraged me to get in touch … More Beeline
