Out of bed at 5:45 and on the bike at 6:30. I rode on Ocean Avenue through Long Beach to the route. In a few miles, I rejoined CA 1. Ironically, in upscale Seal Beach I got coffee and a donut. Wonderful! The ride south on CA 1 had lots of short but steep climbs and descents, especially in Laguna Beach. The morning overcast thinned and disappeared by noon. The route sometimes diverged from CA 1 on bike paths along beaches or through residential neighborhoods. Some of the State Beaches ran for miles. San Onofre State Beach, where I ate lunch and called Mom to wish her a happy 97th birthday, seemed to go on for ever. More people populated the beaches than yesterday. I rode about 5 miles on I-5, four lanes of continuous traffic. I felt safe because of the smooth, wide shoulder but the din of the cars and trucks hurt my ears. After exiting I-5, I rode through Oceanside with wide, sandy beaches (see photo). The route through Oceanside and Encinitas followed the old Pacific Coast Highway, variously known as the Coast Highway, Coast Highway, PCH, or the local town name. Confusing at times. When I reached my destination at San Elijo State Beach, the park attendant told me that the biker-biker was closed due to Covid. The fact that I would have the site to myself and that I am fully vaccinated didn’t matter. I persisted and after several phone calls I got a regular site (even though the campground was full). Bureaucracy in action! I set up my tent, bought food in neighboring tony Cardiff-By-The-Sea, and returned to the park for a shower. I traded extra shower tokens to a neighbor for a cold beer. Tomorrow, I’ll finish my Pacific Coast ride and head east toward the Sierra-Cascades route. 82 miles today.
