Another early start, before 7 we were on the road. The day had all the promise of another scorcher as we passed more rice fields (do they call them paddies?) and entered the dry central valley of California criss-crossed with aqueducts. But as we left I-5 and cut across the Pacheco Pass, the wind picked up and a sign flashed a "Strong Cross Winds" warning. The wind was strong enough to drive wind farm turbine propellers on the ridge of the hills, but we were not prepared for the cold. Clouds had gathered over the hills that separate the ocean from the dry valley, but we guessed (wrongly) that they would disappear as we neared to coast. Just north of Monterrey we caught our first glimpse of the Pacific since leaving Blaine. But we needed to replace the warm liners in our motorcycle jackets. And oh yes, I used the seat and hand grip heaters to great advantage (imagine, we go all this way south only to experience the coldest weather yet - it hovered between 13 and 19 degrees Centigrade most of the day), After stopping for lunch at Big Sur we tackled one of the best shoreline motorcycle roads in North America (It certainly rivals the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia we rode last year). The scenery is gorgeous (if you dare take your eyes off the road). The curves tighter and twistier than a corks screw, with most warning signs at 35 mph or lower (and they mean what they say). And if one were to miss a corner? Well, let's just say there would not be much for the fish and pelicans to share. If you looked carefully there were numerous spots where sea lions lolled on tidal rocks or beaches (but we rarely looked that carefully for fear of joining them there),
After another 11 hours on the road (and more than 800 km (500 miles) we arrived at the Kemps in Thousand Oaks (north of LA) in time for a scrumptious supper of BBQ salmon, asparagus, rice and a great salad (not to mention a Bogle Old red wine). Roger gave me tips to improve the blog (I take all the blame for any deficiencies). After starting a wash (figured we better), it is off to bed to be ready for another great day of riding.
All in all, the day was easily characterized: very cool!