By the time I left the museum, the temperature had risen quite a bit. It was round 103 F outside and the drive was miserable. Like driving in a blast furnace. I am glad I took my buddies advice and purchased a Camelback hydration pack so that I could drink water while driving but even with that, I had to stop frequently at gas stations just to go inside and cool down. Here are a few pictures of the desert landscape along the way.
By the time I got to Wrightwood and drove up into the mountains, the temperature cooled off considerably. I decided to camp for the first time of the the trip. I found a spot and started to set up my tent. It was then that I was attacked by swarms of tiny little flies. They were in my hair, eyes, nose, ears, and whenever I opened my mouth, they tried to fly in there too. I quickly got my tent set up and my small sleeping pad and sleeping bag inside.
I learned that as long as you weren't in one spot for too long, that the flies didn't bother you, so I decided to go for a walk and have a look around. It started to get dark and I was feeling wiped out so I decided to call it a night. I managed to get inside the tent without letting in too many of those damn flies in. Since it didn't look like it was going to rain, I had elected not to put the rain cover over the tent. This allowed me to look out through the mesh top, while lying in the tent, and see the stars and watch the bats flying around and having a feast on the flies. I fell asleep quickly to the sound of the little screeching cries of the bats.
Unfortunately, I did not sleep very good. It turns out that even with a 1/2 thick, self inflating mattress, the ground is still hard. I spent all night in a losing battle of trying to get comfortable and woke up feeling sore and stiff all over, and almost more tired than when I went to sleep.
I quickly tore down camp and packed everything up, heated up some water for a cup of instant coffee, and then got out of there.
My first campsite |
Heading to the
Coast
The morning of Thursday June 16, started out perfect. The weather was warm, sun was shining, beautiful scenery, and very little traffic. I was driving along and enjoying the scenery and as I came around a corner, wham! I hit a decent sized rock in the road, and while it wasn't enough to make me crash, it sure did give me a scare. As it turns out, the road I was driving on, Highway 2, seems to have a lot of rock that falls off the hills and cliffs on a daily basis and onto the road. So much so that they have snowplows driving up and down the road all day, just to plow the rocks off the road. The next group of pictures are of the drive towards the coast after leaving my wonderful campsite.
Rocks on the road, a very frequent site on this road. |
Area of an old fire |
After I felt warmer, I climbed back on the bike and drove for a little bit and then I finally reached the ocean. I stopped for a bit and watch some surfers. I stopped at a number of motels to check for rooms but they all wanted way too much money. During a stop for gas, I talked to another biker who was filling up and he said that anything along the ocean would be expensive and recommended I stop in San Luis Obispo. He said it was a college town and far enough away from the ocean that prices would be more reasonable.
So, that is where I am now, San Luis Osbispo. I got a room at a motel called the Vagabond Inn, unloaded the bike, and because I was chilled to the bone, took a long, hot shower. Then I went looking for some food. I found a little Thai restaurant and the food was delicious. After dinner, I stopped by an Irish pub, Mc Carthy's, and had a Guiness before coming back to the room to update the blog. I am not really sure where I am going tomorrow but I will be picking up the Pacific Coast Highway here in San Luis Osbispo and driving along the coast all the way to San Francisco. Not sure how far I will get tomorrow since I am sure I will be stopping a lot and taking my time. I may or may not post something tomorrow. Depends on whether I stay in a motel or try camping again.
Below are a few more pictures.
Cheers
Looks like you have been making very good progress on your trip. Those rocks on the road are a concern, so be extra watchful. When do you plan on getting to Mic's. Stay safe and warm.
ReplyDeleteCrazy ride!
ReplyDelete