California (cough) Dreaming

California Dreaming?

As usual we escaped the frozen plains of Iowa for Southern California to celebrate the holidays with Heather's family - and to enjoy some cycling in the warm sun. But California was having a giant BBQ and we didn't want to be the main course! Above you can see some hills in the background through the smoke. Normally at this time of year that view is crystal-clear, but the wildfires have covered a large area with smoke even if they're not actually on fire.

We bunked with the in-laws one night with the original plan to take up lodging nearby but not under-foot until the holiday festivities began in earnest. We quickly realized our bikes could just stay in the car, there was simply too much junk in the air for normal breathing, let alone any active exercise!

So "Plan B" was quickly formulated.  Get outta Dodge...or in this case the fire area or any area covered with smoke. Cambria turned out to be the closest place with decent air to breathe and available lodging, so here we are. Above you can see Heather on the famous Highway 1, at present blissfully traffic-free due to road closures further north.

The skies are clear and sunny up here. Above you can see just how clear in this vista shot of the Pacific Ocean. Winter days like this are some of the best in this area with very little haze or fog to obscure the views. 

And thanks to the road closure, there was almost ZERO traffic! We decided to ride more than we probably should have given our lack of fitness, but how often can one ride California Highway 1 under these conditions?

We kept going to Ragged Point, more-or-less as far as you can go at present. We hoped there might be something there, as in a place to enjoy a drink, but neither one of us could remember what was up there since it's been so long since we'd been up here. Above you can see our bikes posed with a gorgeous view.

Above you can see Heather in the same spot. It was truly a spectacular day, made even greater by the lack of traffic.

Above you can see the nice dining spot at Ragged Point. We had a small snack and some drinks to earn our spot in the sun, then headed back along the coast the way we'd come, stopping to view the elephant seals along the way..

Our lodging has a tiny BBQ grille so we cooked up a couple of swordfish steaks for an early dinner and collapsed into bed with dreams of sun and cycling for tomorrow. 

Speaking of sun and cycling, don't delay in making your reservations for 2018 at our Piedmont Cycling Resort. Just click HERE.