Memorial Day Southern California
It’s Memorial Day weekend here. That’s when everyone remembers they have to get in their car and drive somewhere. Not to part with tradition, we did too.
Drove up to Pismo Beach, on the Pacific Coast Highway. About halfway to San Francisco, except everyone else remembered to drive there too. It took almost five hours, instead of three. The nice thing about the drive is the scenery, and you get to take it all in at 30-40 mph. It was a balmy 87 degrees too so extra nice with the windows down.
Even though they suffering as a result of the recession, the hoteliers remembered to put the prices up.
We went for an 18.5 miles ride up to Avila Beach. A funny mix of California coastals and inlanders: the inlanders in RVs and mommy-wagons BBQ’ing and drinking their Coors in the mid-afternoon on the roadside above the beach, the coastals soaking up the rays, in the water, whatever. Both were probably getting primed for dinner. Guess which of the two pounded 4000 calories today, without taking any off?
We can see Pismo and the pier from our room. It’s sort of motel-ish but it’s right on the cliff and you can walk down to the beach. There are chalk cliffs and huge pelicans. The humpbacks are going on holiday too so we’re hoping to see a few as they close in through the Santa Barbara channel. There are some pretty major sand dunes here and E may go for a horseback ride there.
Tomorrow we’ll do a ride through the canyon, the first coastal mountain range, to the vineyards. It’s about 9 miles, most of it going up. After that we’ll find a place to eat about 4000 calories.
N had to work today so he stayed in Santa Monica. Tonight he was going to grill some steaks at a girl’s place. He hasn’t been texting us so he must be okay. He didn’t want to take the Greyhound up tomorrow to join us
My wife is planning to buy some wine while we’re up here so I’ll be looking around for a U-Haul tomorrow afternoon. I’m also looking for a pale ale in a can so I can drink on the beach – brown glass attracts the beach police on their ATVs.
I’m sitting on the balcony, having a beer. Guys below me are smokin’ a stogie. The wife is bitching out her little girl, Sophie, because she won’t go to bed. Sophie had a 27 scoop sundae at Baskin & Robbins so she’s probably nursing a sugar rush or having a lactose meltdown.
By the way, we stopped at Neptune’s Net, a famous biker bar in Ventura. Those are bikers with engines, not cyclists. E had to pee. Nice place. Ventura Highway…
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