Lars’ Notes: 

We met some very nice people at the Airbnb in Cambria. We spent three nights there.  We met a very nice couple, Dick and Nan, who were celebrating their 58th wedding anniversary. They were lovely, kind folks and we all spent a lot of time chatting with them about a myriad of topics. We said our goodbyes  in the morning and headed to our starting point in Morro Bay (a little later than we planned). This might have been the first day that we began our ride in shorts and a short sleeved shirt. Clear skies were with us all day. We left Morro bay and went inland a bit. Tailwinds help push us and keep our speed at a good clip. We didn’t pack lunch today, so Kirsten found a sandwich shop in Pismo Beach at about the 25 mile mark. Pismo Beach is a lovely spot on the coast. What a find, the sandwiches were delicious! We sat outside and indulged in the amazing sandwich. From there, we left the coast again and rode through the very productive agricultural area of Guadalupe, Santa Maria and Orcutt. The area yielded crops of lettuce, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and strawberries, from what we could identify. As we saw in the Salinas Valley near Monterey Bay, there were teams of workers doing various tasks; some setting up irrigation, some picking, while others were loading and packing for shipping. It was great to see this aspect of the industry and seeing it on a bicycle gave a unique perspective. I wish the roads were in better condition and the shoulders a bit wider, or even present at all, but despite the condition of the roads, I was happy with the experience. 

From there, we headed directly for Lompoc, there was only a mountain between us. A 2-½ mile climb at mile 62 is not ideal, but, as the saying goes, the view was worth the climb! A break at the top to take in the scenery, we had the great pleasure of riding the last few miles with an 800 fr descent. We rode directly to the hotel in Lompoc…70+ more miles in the rear view mirror.