Riding along Hwy 1

5/9 = El Capitain State Park, CA (54 miles)
We finally arrived at the Coast!! We had dreamt of this moment often as we fried in the desert. The air was much cooler and filled w/ much more moisture. We woke up in a thick fog and our tent was covered in a thick morning dew (something we hadn't experienced since good ol' Missouri). Our bikes were now dripping w/ water and our chains red w/ rust. We loved every moment and every drop... we were done w/ the southern desert! We began riding up the coast, looking over at the ocean as much as possible and enjoyed relatively flat terrain w/ no-wind. Everyone had told us that we should expect a huge head-wind while traveling north up the coast and that MOST people travel south "down" the coast. Maybe for wimpy Californians but us flat-lander Missourians aren't bothered by such obstacles as wind. How bad could it be... :)

Extra note:
Santa Barbara was really neato (albeit confusing to ride through). The campus of UCSB was intertwined w/ the city's labyrinth of bike trails and really enjoyable to ride through. Many students looked at us w/ shifting eyes as they rode to class and we rode through their campus. I've never seen such a sea of bicycles as those in the UCSB bike parking lots.

5/10,11 Lompoc, CA (36 Miles)
We finally got off Interstate 101 and onto Hwy 1 and w/ this transition we became acquainted w/ our first series of CA hills. As I recall, this was related to riding only 36 miles. We were away from the coast and enjoyed the blooming May flowers and rolling green hills. Lompoc was ok, not necessarily an ideal place to vacation or spend a lay-over day, but our bodies were aching. The local camp-ground/RV park was filled w/ friendly locals, long nights, and the fragrance of burning herbs. But don't worry everyone, we were very safe and this is still a drug-free adventure.