SoCal SoCool

Another day of riding in the books. Put in the bag. Check it off. Whatever you want to call it. A gorgeous, relatively cool day, with tons of new experiences and people I met. Once again, I started off the day without a host. I don’t necessarily love doing that, but sometimes it’s just the way things go. I was prepared to camp, but obviously would prefer a nice warmshower.

The day started with Barb spoiling me once again. Delicious scrambled eggs and toast hit the spot. I was fueled, and ready to ride. That’s not before I had to say goodbye to Pete, the family dog, who had grown quite a liking to me. To be honest, I grew quite a liking to Pete too, and teased him about running alongside me for the rest of the ride. Unfortunately, though it sounded plausible, Pete would have to stay back. Maybe next year, Pete.

I hit the road running, and before I knew it I had circled back to the Pacific Ocean. I haven’t seen the coast in quite sometime, in fact, the last time I saw it was the morning wayyyy back in Mendocino. I had seen the bay in San Francisco, but that’s no ocean. It really didn’t feel like it had been that long, but it really had. The nice, cool, ocean breeze was welcomed with wide open arms.

As I was riding along highway 101, I took an off ramp and a guy had his hand up asking me to stop. I’m thinking, oh boy, am I gonna get yelled at for riding on the interestate?? Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong. As I pulled up, he asked, if I was Matt. I awkwardly agree. He responds, “I’ve been following you! Biking for Baseball, man! What an awesome trip!” Are you kidding me? A complete stranger, saw me riding, pulled over, and was all excited to see me. Is this what it feels like to be a celebrity. It must be. I couldn’t believe it! Bob, then generously gave me money for lunch, and then promised to make a donation online, because he realizes how important youth mentoring is. Hi5 Bob!

There’s a certain beauty about riding across the country. You are the engine. You are the gasoline. As I bike past gas prices towering close to 4.00 per gallon, I can’t help but smile as I pedal past. At the same time, I realize that the high majority of the cities I ride through, I will never go through again. It’s a one time chance to see the city. I like to take it all in. The trees. The small shops. The smiling faces. It’s a chance to see neighborhoods, homes, and yards. There’s so much to see, and I try not to miss it. I know I have plenty of miles left to ride, but this trip is great. It’s tough, very tough. Just tough enough where I really have to push myself, both mentally and physically. However, the people I meet, the cities I see, the stories I hear, all make the trip a little less tough.

I rode through Santa Barbara, a great city, with a very neat and cozy downtown. I even saw a motorcycle cop pull over a tour bus who had parked in the bike lane with his flashers on. That’s awesome. Way to go cop. Ain’t nobody gonna be taking up the bike lane in Santa Barbara. Well, except, bikes. The main drag is called State Street, and is filled with restaurants, shops, and I must say, good looking women. Nonetheless, my favorite State Street will always reside in the shadow of the Wisconsin capital in Madison. Many of my college memories stem from that pedestrian boulevard.

There are a lot of cyclists riding around hear in Southern California. In fact, today, a group of cyclists rode up along side me and asked me where I was headed. It’s always cool to have people ask about my trip, and it’s been happening more and more. Most people don’t have a great understanding of how far 11,000 miles is, nor where every MLB Stadium is. However, they know it’s a long ways, and for a great cause. Today, I talked with Steve, who I asked if he knew anyone in Ventura. Lo and behold, he did! His nephew Zach, resides in Ventura with is wife Viv and 1 year old song Gabriel. Such a great family, who generously put me up for tonight! Hi5! Especially to Gabe, who loves to hand them out! He’s a nominee for the Hi5 Hall of Fame.

We all headed down to the beach, and checked out the kite boarding taking place on the ocean. A strong, steady breeze made today a superb day for riding. In fact, Zach has a strong previous experience with the sport and really gave me a run down on all the techniques, equipment, and supplies. It was great to watch these guys do HUGE jumps over waves, and land flawlessly. A great sport to watch.

I’ve been wanting some spice in my life. So, tonight, we decided to order Thai food. Oh my goodness, I think that is the greatest joke I’ve ever come up with. Admit it, you at least exhaled through you’re nose a little bit. If not, maybe a slight giggle. However, I’m hungry, and it’s time to pick up the food before heading to bed. Until tomorrow, friends. Keep on biking. Keep on baseballing. Keep on mentoring.

 

Matt