SLO
Trip Start
Aug 04, 2008
1
23
90
Trip End
Ongoing
San Luis Obispo,
California,
United States
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
As I got to 101 near the coast, I had read about this little road that takes you through military base property and into a state park, and drops you onto Route 1 along the Pacific about 30 miles north of San Simeon. So I found it and took it, and it was a great ride. I had to show ID, registration and insurance at the gate. It seems that the route actually takes you through an inactive shooting range. First clue: bleachers and observation decks facing out into open fields. Second clue: craters, huger trees that have been blown apart, and charred earth and craters
One more shot of the coast - couldn´t resist
. After this little skirting of the underbelly of the military-industrial complex, The road got very narrow but very scenic. Glimpsing the Pacific between cliffs or mountains for the first time as you approach it is always a thrill, although I'd done it maybe a half dozen times previously. It is preceded by a change in atmosphere - the temperature drops and the humidity rises. The plant life changes, becomes more lush, and you know it's around the corner. Then there it is, far off, vast, like an extension of the sky, often hundreds if not thousands of feet below (it seems). The Atlantic is rarely presented with similar drama. I rode through San Simeon and took a break at the pier - an idyllic spot with a sandy, inviting beach and picnic area on one side, and thick kelp beds on the other, and seals, otters and sea birds bringing the whole scene to life.
Then on to San Luis Obispo for the night, which is a college town halfway between SF and LA. SLO is a very comfortable and livable town, and seems to be where the chilly northern California coastal weather ends, and the consistent population of the coast begins. The hostel there was great. It didn't have as much charm as I remembered it to have, but still nice. I met an eclectic group of travelers here, including Jack Newman
Preparations for attack of the killer trees
. Jack is in his 60's retired 2 years ago and has been traveling pretty consistently ever since. Jack highly recommended Cambodia to me, especially Angkor Wat (despite the tourists). He gave me some tips on nearby accommodations. I also met a young woman who was suiting up to get onto her BMW 1150GS the morning I was leaving. She was heading north. She was about 5'4" and weighed maybe 115 lbs, and her bike was bigger and heavier than mine! Though she'd had the suspension lowered. She told me she'd ridden it from Denver. I had to ask, "How do you handle that thing?", and she said, "It's okay, I just have to be careful how I park." Bikes don't have a reverse gear and if you park head-first in a down sloping spot, you're going to have to back it out under your own power. For her that wold be impossible without assistance. "And when I come to a stop at a light, I have to make sure I don't put my foot down in a pothole." Because the bike might tip over. Of course, when she's underway none of this is an issue. But come on!!
I didn't ask her why she was riding, or whether she got lonely. I wished her luck. It's a biker thing that only us tough guys - and 115 lb chicks - would understand.
