prendre le courage…bring the courage!

Day 16: Me, Sophiebee might have gotten a little sunstroke in 90210. I dont know if it was the LA bling or seeing Kelley Taylor and Donna Martins college beachhouse. either way, it wasnt purty. Slept under baywatch beach tower.

Day 17: LongBeach long haul. Met my brother Gabey Pie for hot eats and cool treats. Apocalyptic winds sailed us thru bourgie beach towns to Dana Point

Day 18: B-fast at Denny’s, shared the Grand Slam! Made it (almost) to San Diego. two words: wrong turns. Rode thru our first military base, (twice), Camp Pendelton. Made it to Carlsbad, just north of the city. Another soggyhappy wakeup.

Day 19: Scattered sun showers, and interval training thru 10% grade in San Diego parks and backroads. First host from warmshowers, kickin live and uncut with big meals and big smiles.

Day 20 and 21: Sitcom went dramatic miniseries, (and back again).  The bumpin beats from my  new crank-up TRANSISTOR RADIO had us tapping our toes, hitting the reset button, and making quick decisions to take sunrise bus over the San Diego mountains, and into the Arizona desert.  We did a quick and flat 30 miles and landed in at Desert Dugs Pizza where we got our first flavor of AZ hospitality.  one word: MICROTEL. nicest motel had by gypsies, tramps and thieves

Day 22: Another flat 40 miles to Sentinel, AZ. Met sweet and wholesome Dona Carmen who let us pitch our shits in the back of her bodega. Return of the Mack after dinner dance party. TRANSISTOR RADIOS=YES

Day 23:Gila Bend. met muralist. ate medjools.  Had our first meet an greets wit desert people, the tall an mighty Saguaro Cactus.

Day 24: Rhody got two, count em, two flats in 10 miles. why me arizona?

Day 25: Tohono Nation Res Ride. flat and tiresome, until Creedence Clearwater pulled us up by our toestraps. TRANSISTOR RADIO!  Rhody busted flat again, her spirits were deflated. Res Ranger Wayne, a kindly gent, gave us big mile hitch to Tucson city limits. two words: pizza delivery

Day 26/Day27: Tucson, few words, blue eyed beauts, african roots, adobe mansion, bikin boulevards, Sophie’s first fall, Vel and Art’s soul food BBQ, 2 pints ben an jerry’s, 2 happy zero days. Second host thru warm showers, BIG UP Esteban and Patricia for the squat an gobble home stay. I heaht Tucson like I heaht RI,VT,S.F.

*Valentine’s Day Tears, Siggy Harris passed (sophiebees gramps). Big Ups to insatiable appetites, we’ll be eatin cheezeits an chocolate covered marshmallows in his honor.

Day 28: Monday, Lenny’s flyin into Tucson! This day mahks Lenny’s Big Adventure Bike Tour with Mickey, Jerry, Betty, and the DreamMachine. A couple a wize guys an a motley crew.

Day 5: Rhody booted hahd all night. no miles.

Day 6: Sunday blues aftah boot session, hit the road. Biked 17 mile drive. Camped off the 1 outside Carmel. Dump session in the backcountry, definitely gave me poison oak.

Day 7:  Hit Big Sur and baked goods. Night Ride, big miles. Slept with a very audacious raccoon.

Day 8:  Ragged Point Ride = raw tendahloins. to San Simeon Camp Ground *Eyed some Elk grazin and sea lions matin

Day 9: Jose muy guapo hooked us up wit 2 dollah hike/bike camp site. Didn’t get on road till 3 due to faulty tubes, busted bikes an gear malfunctions. BIG UP Bike Mike fo hookin up the heady kick downs, smoked salmon. 

Day 10:  Morro Bay to Pismo Beach. Shared site with fellow touron, Gil+Ozz+California= Ryan. 

Day 11: 64 miles, first “smooth move day”.  Pismo to Gaviotas State Faht. (pahk).  Warning: do not bike on the 101 at night. 2 words, rumble strip.

Day 12: Sophie’s Birthday. Gaviotas to almost Santa Barbara. 1st Birthday brakedown. Santa Barbara where slum scum debris meets the SoCal sea.

Day 13: Emily’s Birthday. Santa Barbara. Stuck in the depressin dumphole wit a shotty derailer job.

*Cry for help to Cousin Catie. Rescued in Carpinteria. Birthday turn around, got free icecream! Suzanne an her man hooked us up wit some bills to celebrate NOT to mention a warm shower, bed, all you can eat wings, an good ol’ Rhody hospitality from Cousin Catie, Jayna an Johnny D in West Hills!!!

Day 14/15: RE LAX, RE GROUP, RE TAPE our busted bodies, bikes an jerry rigged gear. 

Big Up Roll Call

Thank You an blessings to, Rangah Jose, es muy guapo!  Bike Mike fo keepin it real wit ya heavy cough, beach cruisin, Aquarian self. Suzanne an Steven in Carpinteria for beer allowance. Heather fo the hitch in hard times.  Coffee Roastahs, fo gahbage bag full o’ birthday calories. Catie, Jayna and John D fo lettin us spread out in their space.  NO THANKS to VeloPro for the bunk derailer.

Day 1: SF to Pacifica (18.2 miles) Rhody got held up with loose cables.. a portly. finnish man came to the rescue at twilight. camped out, cowgirl style, rudely awakened by rent-a-park-ranger at a sun up..he was nervous.  his hands were shaking when he noticed we were not rushing out of there fast enough. somehow we managed to get out of there by our 15 minute deadline, (or else) we landed in the churchyard over the fence for breakfast and a kind interaction with Teacher Bob (**big thanks to Senor Bob for lightening Rhody’s load via snail mail**)   Rode devils slide like a couple of bawlas..california coastline is severely magical.

Day 2: Pacifica to Pigeon Point (40ish miles)  Gas powered by some 2 dollah refried beans we biked to Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel. Since we’re severely on a budget, we asked for work trade, camp spot, anything. Good ol Annie hooked us up with a deal and we spent the night with fellow Aquarians in bunkbeds by the sea.

Day 3: Pigeon Point to New Brighton (40ish miles) 3 words, Swanton Berry Farm. 3 more word, Oolahla Berry Cobblah.

Day 4:  New Brighton to Monterey Bay (many lost miles)

So on day four Rhody’s pink eye finally cleared up, but all it took was a few wrong turns, a flat tire, break rubbage, and some january rains, to get those eyes weeping again. so what do i do, as her rusty co pilot, simple enough…i handed that mami 17 fig newtons and a snicker bar…oh and then we stuck our greasy thumbs out, to get us off the freeway and back en route.  we were dropped off on a bike route beautifully clad with artichoke fields, sand dunes, and succulent coastal flora that led us lovingly all the way to monterey bay. i shared a moment with a few black angus, and spent the last few miles pulling eucalyptus into my lungs, while Rhody finished the day giving thanks for the positive turnaround in the afternoon. i gotta hand it to my partner here, she’s really good at the swift rally. big up.

All in all the first four days have been full of thai noodle soup, free bin veggies, clammy sleeps, soggy socks, shiny cheeks, squeaky brakes, recall cliff bars, bungee bruises, and the original clank, rattle and percussion of 2 wide loaded, loose lipped, irreverent dingleberries comin down the highway. and oh yes, let us not forget the coastal rarararains! (to be exact, 3 outtah 4 days, it’s rained).

BIG UP ROLE CALL (this section is dedicated to all the wanderers, angels and good ol’ samaritans who have helped us along the way)

Aylara thank you for your warmth, turkmen chocolate, babushka’s cakes, and the l word.

Polly P. thank you for Aylara and your bed. hopefully we can sleep four-wide in it next time when you’re there. salaam.

Yo. This is Rhody Vagabond here.  One thing I’ve learned about trips as of late, is you don’t take it, it takes you. SO goin along that line, we haven’t left yet! Due to an unexpected bout wit pink eye, Sophiebee and I are ready to roll on inauguration day. My eye be weepin like Niagra Falls but I got the words from Afrik rollin through my head….Prendre le courage!