Day 263 - thurs. 10-3-02 - mileage today 50.0 – MILEAGE TO DATE = 11,204.65
From 10 north of Garberville in the woods to 1 mile north of Rockport in the woods
We never did see Rockport. We didn’t see any towns from Leggett to Westport. Myron is still limping in toward SF. We had a beautiful ride today on Hwy 1 from Leggett. We had a newly paved road to ourselves. We were only passed a half dozen times in almost two hours. The road is hilly but very enjoyable to ride. We found a nice place to camp at a picnic area provided by Mendocino Lumber Company.
Day 264 - Friday 10-4-02 - mileage today 58.1 – MILEAGE TO DATE = 11,262.75
From Rockport to Irish Beach
We are slowly making our way to the bay area. We have been very fortunate in the weather department. We have had great weather all along the west coast. We are now in familiar territory for me. From Fort Bragg on down the coast.
Day 265 - sat 10-5-02 - mileage today 50.2 – MILEAGE TO DATE = 11,312.95
From Irish beach to Salt Point SP
Another day in paradise! I want it to end. This should be a beautiful part of the ride but there are some things that make it difficult.
Day 266 - Sun 10-6-02 - mileage today 34.7 – MILEAGE TO DATE = 11,347.65
From Salt Point SP to Bodega Bay
We're close now. We both had a hard day yesterday. Sometimes the riggers of the road combined with bike troubles get to you. It is sad but it is part of such a long trip. We did have some of the most spectacular scenery of our trip the past few days. We are in Boddega Bay where the Alfred Hitchcock film the birds was filmed. If you rent the movie and watch it you will see where we are. We had some killer hills today. The good side to them is that they provide a birds eye view of the coast. If we were a little later in the year we would be able to se the whales migrating. I have done that on several occasions before. Just drive out to the coast and find a good high vantage point and watch for whales to swim by. I feel like I'm home because I'm very familiar with this area. I have many times driven out here. We will be at my sisters in Fremont on Tuesday afternoon. We spend about a week there visiting, resting and getting maintenance done on the bikes.
Day 267 - Monday 10-7-02 - mileage today 65.3 – MILEAGE TO DATE = 11,412.95
from Bodega Bay to Mt. Tamalpias SP
We heard from Chuck. There are many cyclists.
We have a long day ahead of us. We want to get to Mt. Tamalpias State Park, which will put us in a good position to get to Fremont. The weather has been very good to us; it is an added bonus to ride the beautiful coast with great weather.
The scenery is awesome and the quaint little towns we cycle thru make the coast that much nicer to travel. We are limping into the bay area on bikes that need maintenance. So we are cycling slow. Myron has a bad wheel with a crack in it and a chain that fall off about 30 times a day.
I have a broken gear cable. I can easily fix it but being stubborn and wanting a challenge I refuse to So, I have ridden the last 300 miles of the coast with only one gear. Myron and I keep running into other cycle tourist. We really enjoy meeting and talking to them sharing stories and ideas. Myron and I stayed together until Stinson Beach where Myron ate at a cafe and I continued on to camp. It was getting close to nightfall and with only one gear I don’t climb very fast. I didn’t want to set up camp in the dark. Myron will stay and eat and still most likely pass me going up the hill on the way to camp. I got to camp just in time to set up as complete darkness fell. I was surprised and concerned that Myron hadn’t showed up. I was fortunate enough to be camped next to some real nice people that took me in their truck down the hill looking for Myron. I figured hi should be close but we never did see him. We went back into Stison Beach where I last saw him. I called his office and found out that he had missed the turn to the camp and found another place to stay. We will meet in Mill Valley tomorrow morning.
Day 268 – 275 Tue. 10-8 thru tue 10-15 - mileage today 35.3 – MILEAGE TO DATE = 11,448.25
From Stinson Beach to Fremont
Myron and I met up in Mill Valley and had breakfast. Myron began to tell me about the commune where he spent the night. It was called Slide Camp. He had missed the turn to Mt. Tamalpias State Park and continued on in the dark where he found Slide Camp. He thought great a camp. But as it turns out Slide Camp was an old hippie commune. I laughed and teased Myron about joining. He emphatically said NO!!! He arrived in the dark and found a building with lights on and knocked at the door. A ladies voice said john did you hear that? Myron knocked again. A voice said come in. Myron walked in to find that he was in a community bathroom with John taking a shower. There were about 30 little cubbyhole where everybody kept their personal toiletries. Myron explained that he is a cycled tourist and is caught in the dark and asked it he could camp somewhere. He was told that there wasn’t anyplace for him. Myron said what about setting up his tent next to the abandon house. With an indignant tone Myron was told that the house was not abandoned, but that it was someone’s home. When Myron told me that I busted out in hysterics. He said there’s more. There was plenty of room everywhere but nobody would help him. He saw an older man sitting on his porch Myron asked if he can camp somewhere. The men barked out we don’t allow camping here. About then a young lady walked by and suggested Myron camp on the beach. The only problem is that the beach was 200 foot down a steep rocky cliff side trail. He would break his neck carrying all his equipment down the trail in the dark. Myron was leaving when someone else told him of a place where he can safely camp. Myron did and had a great view of the San Francisco skyline and the golden gate at night. After this story I was in tears of laughter, Myron too. I joked, "where’s Myron" Oh, he joined a commune. Anyway we finished breakfast and began cycling thru the beautiful little towns of Mill Valley and Sausalito on our way to the Golden Gate Bridge. This was to be Myron’s first time cycling over the bridge. We stopped for some photos and rode over the bridge. I never get tired of the ride over the bridge. It was a beautiful clear warm day. The view of Angel Island and Alcatraz were great. We continued to cycle thru the presidio and China Beach past the Legion of Honor, to ocean beach and up the hill to Daly City where we rode BART the local rapid transit train to Fremont. As we were getting off the elevator we were surprised with flashes of a photographers camera. The local newspaper was there to meet us and do an interview. We rode our bike to my sisters office just two blocks away where Bea and Rob conducted a photo op and interview. It was SO GREAT to see my sister again. As you know if you have followed on the web, I'm very homesick and miss my family very much. Our reunion was great. We rode about two miles to my sister and bro-in-laws house where I got to see the rest of the family. Dave my brother-in-law and Stephanie my oldest niece and Lindsey the youngest niece, and Gracie the dog. IT FEELS GREAT TO BE HOME AGAIN.
We spent a week visiting my family. Taco Salad, Dave had fixed taco salad for my homecoming. It is one of my favorites. Seeing my family again is what I've been waiting for. Wednesday Lindsay had a soccer game. I hadn’t seen her play yet. It is her first season and one of her last games of the season. My dad and step mom showed up for the game. It was great to see them. The visit was too short. When I get done with the trip and back home I want to go up and spend some time visiting. Denise, Myron’s daughter, also flew up to visit. We picked Denise up on Wednesday. It was great to see her. Myron hadn't seen her since his 70th birthday in March. She and Myron spent Wednesday night with Denise's former racing coach, Doreen. I went to San Jose to pick up Myron and Denise and had a good visit with Doreen as well. We back to my family’s home and had a great visit with Kim, Dave and the girls. Later that night we had to take Denise to the airport. The visit was too short but we were happy she could visit. My family really liked Denise, she is funny, friendly and very easy to get to know. She fit right in. Friday I had to go to DMV and get my drivers license replaced. We then began the task of BIKE MAINTENENCE. Our bikes were in need of some TLC (Tender Loving Care). We went to several bike shops to get the needed parts. We also went to ROHLOFF in Berkley where Thomas checked over our hubs. We are very pleased with the performance of the hubs, as well as the service Thomas has provided. On Saturday we went to Lincoln, Ca. where my mom lives. We really enjoyed our visit with Mom, Sammie, Johnathan and Amanda. Mom made sure we were well fed and Sammie made sure we got the rest we needed. The visit was way to short. I can’t wait to see them in a few weeks. Monday and Tuesday were spent going to Jericho bicycles and Phil Wood products. Myron’s bike is a very high quality hand built bicycle built by Jericho Bicycles in Emeryville, Ca. Myron stopped in just to say hi and to see the operation. He had never been there before. Myron had a hero's welcome by Josh the owner. Myron didn't need any work done but Josh wanted to look the bike over and do some maintenance, such as replace cables and adjust breaks and regressed bearings. Josh didn't have to do any of these things for Myron but he did. I get the feeling it is what you get when you purchase one of his bicycles. Myron was very pleased with the high quality of service as well as the high quality of bike. It was time to leave. It is Wednesday and we are ready to continue the final leg of the journey.
SPECIAL THANKS:
I would like to take a moment to thank Brent at PHIL WOOD PRODUCTS. I purchased a bottom bracket from Phil Wood & it was incorrectly installed at a bike shop. I took my bike to the factory in San Jose and Brent fixed the bottom bracket for me. Earlier in the trip I had a bottom bracket fail after 11,000 miles yet Phil Wood stood behind their product. They are a bit pricier than most products but the products are superior. I also have a front hub built by Phil Wood and it continues to service me well, even after 15,000 miles. I highly recommend their products.
I would like to thank Thomas at ROHLOFF for everything he did for Myron and I.
We stopped in to meet Thomas since we have talk many time but never met. Thomas inspected our hubs and serviced them. We are very pleased with the ROHLOFF HUBS. We would recommend anybody looking for a maintenance free hub, which will last forever to spend the extra money. You will not be sorry. With the Rohloff you do not need derailleur. It is all internal gearing in the rear hub. Take a look at the website or contact Thomas at 510-232-4833
Just a note to thank Josh at Jericho bicycles.
I appreciated the tune up on the bike. The bike was a pleasure to ride for 12,000 + maintenance free miles. I would highly recommend anybody looking for a quality hand built bike to purchase a Jericho bicycle. Josh can be reached at 510-653-5159Just a note to thank Josh at Jericho bicycles. I appreciated the tune up on the bike. The bike was a pleasure to ride for 12,000 + maintenance free miles. I would highly recommend anybody looking for a quality hand built bike to purchase a Jericho bicycle. Josh can be reached at 510-653-5159
Day 276 - wed 10-16-02 - mileage today 35.7 – MILEAGE TO DATE = 11,483.95
From Fremont to Half Moon Bay
We packed our bikes and went to my sister’s office to say good-bye. BART (Bar Area Rapid Transit) is just a block a way. We took BART back to Daly City where we stopped our journey last week. Now we can continue where we left off. We were only going to Half Moon Bay today. Originally I wanted to take the coast road but now bicycles are prohibited. We were forced to take hwy 35, which is a two land that winds thru the hills of the coastal mountains. It is a longer route and in my opinion not as safe as hwy 1. We were forced to take hwy 92 from hwy 280 up and over the hill to half moon bay. It is not a safe ride. There have been two cyclist hit by cars on that road in the past two days, not a good record. We got to Half Moon Bay and camped at the state park. It is a nice park and close to home. Maybe, when I get home and some time has past I will go camping there. But for now camping is the last thing I want to do.
Day 277 - thurs 10-17-02 - mileage today 60.0 – MILEAGE TO DATE = 11,543.95
from Half Moon Bay to Capitola
Once again a picture perfect day in the bay area. It is no wonder why so many people live here. The weather is wonderful. I have lived here all my life and I'm still discovering new things. Today I discovered a beautiful neighborhood in Santa Crews that I never new existed. One day when I'm filthy rich I will by one of those beautiful home on the coast. We spent the night at New Brighton State Park. Tomorrow will be a short day we want to go to Freedom, Ca to look at TOUR EASY BICYCLES. They are recumbent bikes that are supposed to be comfortable to ride. Personally I don’t think that there is such a thing as a comfortable bike seat.
Day 278 - fri 10-18-02 - mileage today 20.0 – MILEAGE TO DATE = 11,563.95
from Capitola to Watsonville
We spent the day goofing off. We rode into Aptos to have breakfast. We met up with some nice guys at a bike shop in Aptos and we talked for a long time. I spent several hours in the coffee shop writing and catching up on the journal. I hate when I get so far behind. I love good coffee. It is good to be on an area where good coffee is easier to find. In much of the country good coffee is not available. It is a shame for people to go thru life drinking bad coffee. Maybe when I get home I will do something about that. Question, what do you like in your coffee life? Is it an enjoyable experience? What would you like to see happen to make your coffee better? Maybe I will start a company to fill your coffee needs. Anyway, after enjoying a good cup of Joe we continued to the bicycle factory where EASY RACER-TOUR bikes are made. We got a tour of the factory and test rides on the bikes.
Myron and I both really like the bikes. You can jump on one and ride for hours comfortably. We camped at Sunset State Park.
Day 279 - sat 10-19-02 - mileage today 58.6 – MILEAGE TO DATE = 11,622.55
From Watsonville to Big Sur
We followed the pacific coast bike route signs out of Sunset and were led all over the countryside. We finally got to coast hwy 1. We cycled to Monterey and had a god time there. It is a beautiful town. Most people go to cannery row made famous by John Stienbeck. But the downtown itself is really nice too. Not that I done like cannery row, I do, it is just a bunch of tee shirt shops. The scenery is nice though. After Monterey we cycled to Andrew Molera State Park. It isn’t the best park we stayed in. But it was a place to sleep. It is a walk in camp so you have to carry everything in with you. We thought that since it was a walk in camp that there would not be many people but there were tons of people there.
Day 280 - Sun 10-20-02 - mileage today 30.5 – MILEAGE TO DATE = 11,653.05
From Big Sur; Andrew Molera SP to Big Sur; Limekiln SP
WHERE'S MYRON
What a beautiful day. The central coast thru Big Sur is simple beautiful. We are taking our time down this part of the coast just because it is so nice. Today we did a lot of up and down hills along the oceans edge. At one point we had stopped on top of a hill about 400 feet above the ocean to use the natures facilities. Myron went first I was setting my tent out to dry when I heard, " Oh #%&*@!". I turned just in time to see Myron falling down the side of the cliff. My heart stopped. I ran to the edge of the cliff, I couldn’t see him. I yelled out, " are you ok"? Thankfully, Myron replied, "yes". I made my way about 30 feet down the cliff to find Myron lying on his side in a bunch of thorn bushes with his head facing the ocean. As I approached I once again said, " are you sure your ok "? Yes Myron said. Once I realized he was in fact ok, I stopped; I looked at him, and began to laugh. What so funny, Myron asked? All I said was, " Where's Myron "? He immediately knew what I was thinking and he began to laugh. It was a bit difficult getting back to the top but we managed. Other than his ego and a few scratches Myron escaped without injury. I hope that I don’t have any other WHERE'S MYRON stories to tell you for the rest of the trip.
