i just wrapped up a 6 week bicycle tour down the pacific coast with my friend, Lissa. we rolled into l.a. (my stopping point) on wed. afternoon, and i am feeling better trained than ever for a good ole fashioned leg wrestling competition! it was truly an adventure to fill the senses with views of spectacular coastline, jagged cliffs, mountains dramatically bolting out of the ocean, gatherings of sea lions barking, elephant seals sunbathing, scents of eucalyptus and redwoods, palm trees lining the streets in the south. it was mostly a rejuvenating trip of indulgence, exploring america's left coast beauty and culture from the pace of a bicycle. it became a daily routine to look forward to and crave: wake up, oatmeal and coffee, strategically pack up, jump on the bike and peddle peddle peddle, eat, bike, eat eat eat, find a place to camp, repeat.
among this routine, we passed much open and undeveloped land, miles of farmland, the existence of tiny towns in n. cali of 59-300 and no franchised places to be found for hundreds of miles, enjoying the intimacy of small communities and mom and pop stores (oregon, how i love thee), the novelty of no cell reception or internet access for days, and encounters with numerous friendly folks who could restore faith in humanity to even the biggest skeptics. it was often a meditative focus on the peddle, uphill climbs and the rewarding view from the top and the exhilarating downhill cruise. on the flipside, we eased our way back into society in crazy, eccentric cities like san fran and l.a. sometimes i felt like a dishelveled cavewoman tossed into society. hahaha! anyway, it has been an awesome, challenging, and beautiful experience leaving me with fond memories of coffee drinking, wine tasting, microbrew seeking, chocolate binging, bike and tour talk, flat fixing, camping, solitude to hectic city action, discussions with fellow tourists and locals...the list continues and so may the adventures.
i am nearly ready to find a place to call home again, and i miss you all and think about you often. however, given the season, i am heading south for a couple of months to guatemala for spanish immersion classes and exploring.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I've only done small bike tours, 2 or 3 days. But it only makes me want to spend more and more time on the bike! Way to go for the adventure, Katie. I thoroughly enjoyed looking through Lissa's pics of you guys on Picassa. Looks like lots of beer and coffee were had along the way too. :)
cheers,
Steph
Post a Comment