Thursday the 14th
Marc and Susie do volunteer trail maintenance. We did one of
their latest efforts: “M” Trail on Cerro San Luis in San Luis Obispo. There
were nice overlooks of the city and interesting commentary on the details of
trail building and trail maintenance.
Following the hike we did wine tasting at our favorite
winery in the area – Sextant. They are known for their Pinot’s and Zinfandel’s.
Since the Mumby’s are members and they were having the Fall delivery celebration,
we got some good prices on two cases. We were warned to keep them out of the
hot car on the way back to Tucson.
Then San Luis Obispo was having their Thursday street food
fair – some nice fresh-made dishes for dinner.
Friday the 15th
We walked with the Mumby’s on the beach at Pismo and stopped
for delicious donuts (recommended by Charley Crew) and coffee at Old West Cinnamon
Rolls. Then it was off for Paso Robles, our next stop.
We picked a well situated VRBO, Park Place, right on the
square in Paso. It was a second floor efficiency apartment with a little
kitchen, outdoor eating deck and good TV setup.
Saturday the 16th
We have been to Paso Robles several times before so we had
some bike routes we like. Today we did a loop east of town that took us back
through Templeton. It was mostly rolling grass and live oak covered hills with
some livestock and vineyards.
Calcareous Winery had a pizza and wine paring event Saturday night featuring star gazing with some amateur astronomers. Out in the country the sky was clear and dark - you could see the Milky Way.
Sunday and Monday the 17 & 18th
The San Luis Obispo bike club (slobc.org) is great. There
must be 3 – 4 different rides every day starting all over the county and
covering all different riding levels. We picked one for each day. One Sunday
started from Moro Bay and went up the coast to Cayucos and included an out and
back up one canyon. Great ocean views and coffee midway. Monday we started with
a different group from Atascadero and road a loop up towards Paso with coffee
back in Atascadero. Both groups were very friendly to us out-of-towners. We
certainly recommend the area for biking and the SLOBC for rides.
Tuesday the 19th
On our way to Santa Barbra, our next stop, we stopped in Los
Olivos. We have a ride there we have done before with friends that goes through
Ballard Canyon, Solvang and back through horse and wine country. Except for two
very short, steep hills it is flat. The lavender farm that always looks
beautiful was not in bloom. Guess we have done the ride before in the Spring! We
had wine with lunch in Los Olivos then on to Santa Barbara. The hotel we booked
was between the beach and town, but a bit run down. One morning we had a
homeless person asleep in the hall. Last time for this place!
Wednesday and Thursday the 20th & 21st
We did the city ride out the coast to UC Santa Barbra campus.
It included ocean views, high-end neighborhoods and the campus perched
overlooking the Pacific.
One of our favorite restaurants is the Boathouse at Hendry’s
Beach. We had seafood pasta and a scallop dish with salad and crab cakes for
starters at sundown – perfect!
Thursday we road a new bike path (starting just south of
Santa Barbara) from Carpenteria to Ventura. Much of it was along US 101, but
there were nice ocean views – a one-and-done ride.
Friday the 22nd
Nine hours back to Tucson through LA. Not so much traffic since
we were through LA before noon. It was good to be home.
