by Liz

Day’s mileage : 41

Running total : 1,871

How is it possible to stay in a small town like Lompoc with 2,500 other visiting cyclists and not see a single one? They left as we were getting up and they ride faster than we do – that’s the only half decent explanation. The AIDS/LifeCycle bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles is taking place this week and for the past three days we’ve been asked repeatedly if we’re ‘doing that ride’. 

They also didn’t need to do their shopping before leaving town as everything is provided on their ride. We knew we wouldn’t pass another shop on our route today so we were in Albertsons at 9am buying our baked potatoes and strawberries. After that there was no catching them up, they were long gone.

Today had two new experiences in store for us – weaving our way through high hill country all morning, and staying on an avocado ranch most of the way up a mountain this evening. Our utterly charming hosts, Jim and Eileen, plied us with tea and questions. They’ve been so appreciative of us and our adventure that I’m not sure our helmets will fit tomorrow. They have even gifted us our night here in this magical location for free. How sweet is that?!

We had our usual lunch of cheese sandwiches sitting on a rock in a lay-by overlooking miles of overcast, calm ocean. Around us a team of about 30 cycle enthusiasts dismantled the day’s second LifeCycle rest stop. They were a super friendly bunch and we were pleased to take a team photo for them. One of the event sweeps, dressed in fairy wings and a tiara, had stopped for us earlier in the hills, to offer us snacks and water. He absolutely knew we weren’t part of the ride because there’s no way we match the event riders, with our loaded bikes, panniers and contemplative pace. He was just kind.

It transpires that Elon Musk is launching a rocket with a satellite from the nearby Vandenberg Space Force Base at 5pm so we’re heading up to Jim and Eileen’s viewing deck to see what we can spot. Later – In fact no rocket launched that we could see but it was a beautiful view over the hillsides of avocados, orange and lemon trees and the ocean beyond, glinting in the evening sun. 

We have 63 miles to ride tomorrow to Oxnard where we’ll have our next rest day, on Sunday. I thought we’d have swum at least 15 or 20 times by now but interestingly we have yet to enter the ocean, which is dangerously cold in Washington and perilously rough in Oregon. So far it’s been quite cold and quite rough in California too but hopefully, as we head further south, the waves will look more inviting.

Additional notes

Lompoc to Goleta (El Capitan Ranch), Santa Barbara county, CA.

Left at 8.50am. Arrived at 2pm.

Weather: Overcast and cool. A little drizzle, first time in what feels like ages.

Landscape: Through modest, single-storey homes of Lompoc. Highway 1 wound through hills. We stayed up in the hills for miles for the first time on this trip, the hills green, brown or wooded with deciduous trees and the tops in mist. In the valley bottoms there was the occasional crop but mostly we were up high. Descending from higher ground the 1 became much wider before turning onto the 101, very busy, downhill through steep-sided mountains, not very pleasant (due to being hemmed in with traffic) until we turned a corner and came to the sea. We rode along the coast on a wide shoulder. After lunch we came off the 101 and followed a quiet country road alongside it, hills to the left, sea to the right and the railroad running alongside. A bike path took us to the foot of the El Capitan Ranch hill. Up a steep hill past villas, large homes with orange and lemon and palm trees, the hillside covered with russet-coloured hass avocado trees.

Towns: Just Lompoc.

Trails: A nice bike trail through grassland on the outskirts of Lompoc. A poorly maintained bike path to the foot of El Captain Ranch.

State roads: Highway 1 as we left Lompoc, with a good shoulder and mostly quiet to begin with. The traffic increased over time with support vehicles for the Aids/LifeCycle charity ride. The 101 was very busy, fast traffic.

Breakfast: Banana, mango and yogurt. Waffles. We toasted and buttered the last two and took them as a snack.

Lunch spot: On a rock overlooking the ocean, scouring the water for whales.

Dinner, made by Philip: Baked potatoes and cheese. Jim’s homegrown oranges and yogurt.

Wildlife: Three turkey vultures on adjacent fence posts. Three wild turkeys a little way up the hill. A dead bobcat in the road – they’re big. Many hummingbirds at El Capitan. We heard the bobcat that comes every night – we were sure it was him. Lots of frogs and cricket-y calls after dark.

Plants: Flowering grasses along the verges. Avocados. Orange and lemon trees.

Things we saw: Rest stops for the charity ride but not a single rider even though they all stayed in Lompoc last night (camping). They rode to Ventura today. Many of the support vehicles had messages on the back eg ‘I give hugs’. There were HUGE piles of ice discarded on the ground – it just wasn’t hot today so not needed I guess. As we reached the coast, a viaduct carrying a railroad across the mouth of the gully (‘gulch’ they call it here). A sign saying ‘Special event ahead’ which heralded the second LifeCycle rest stop. The avocado, orange and lemon groves at El Capitan. We didn’t see Elon Musk’s planned rocket launch but we were in position on the viewing deck to watch in case it took place.

People we spoke to or saw: Eating our first snack, a ‘sweep’ car stopped in a lay-by 100 yards ahead and waited for us to check we were ok and if we wanted anything – in fact the sweep was wearing Monarch butterfly wings, not fairy wings. The second rest stop team of about 25-30 people, very friendly. Had a long chat with a chap who works at a bike shop in San Diego and several people asked about our ride and wished us well. We took a team photo for them with the ocean as backdrop. A deaf man took some photos of us on our lunch rock. Our hosts Eileen and Jim were very welcoming, Eileen couldn’t understand how we got there and where our car was. She was totally amazed that we cycled here from Canada, full of admiration and respect. They immediately invited us in and asked us questions – what made us do it, what was our biggest mistake, did we ever feel like it was too much. They wanted us to stay longer free of charge, and then, as we couldn’t, to give us tonight free of charge. They told us to go into their house while they were out this evening and use anything (we didn’t!). They never lock up.

Incidents: I’ve mismanaged books on this trip, carried one I didn’t need (‘Future Homemakers of America’) then sent it back with Cathy just before I actually needed it. I woke with toothache, it’s been a theme on this ride, some work I had done in preparation for the ride but it didn’t settle and hurts for a while most days.

Shopping: Albertson’s in Lompoc, at 9am, so we carried all the day’s food for 40 miles as there were no other (suitable) shops along the route today.

Accommodation: A house on El Capitan Ranch with lots of windows and no blinds so we could experience being right in the mountains.

Today’s sound: Animals rustling outside the window after dark; the occasional distant blare of the train far below.

Today’s smell: Oranges on the trees at El Capitan.

Special moments: Acknowledging that we’ve aced getting ready in tiny spaces (Lompoc), it doesn’t faze us at all. Being up in the hills was so pretty. Our waffle snack stop. The sweep who stopped for us. Being able to look out and see ocean, hummingbirds and mountains (unlike the last two nights).

Positive experience from my journal: Eileen and Jim’s warm welcome and response to us and our ride.

Appreciation from my journal: Staying in the moment, not projecting forward to the end of the ride.

Blog comments from Cathy and my mother. Cathy: ‘Best way to do a race… after everyone else so you can scoop up all the leftover treats!’

Social media reply from Barbara: ‘I am super impressed with your total experience which is regularly so well described. I guess you are thinking “what next?”’

Mementos: Albertson’s receipt, Lompoc.