Day 60 Pismo Beach to Lompoc 42 miles

Managed to get about 3 hours sleep in the tent next to the traffic on US1 - but only with the help of ear plugs and a sleeping tablet!
We set off intending to have breakfast in Guadaloupe12 miles along our route.  The heavens opened again half way there and we were forced to put on waterproofs yet again as we were getting soaked.  California sun - don't believe it!  Guadaloupe had several cafes/diners - all Mexican - so we dripped our way into one and had hot coffee and hotcakes.  We tried not to be too gloomy but this really is a test.
However, the rain abated shortly afterwards and we continued our journey in dry conditions, much of it through acres and acres of agricultural land planted with strawberries, lettuces and other vegetables - quite a change from miles of coastline. The last few miles were very hard - a long steep winding ascent to the top of some hills followed by an exhilarating descent into Lompoc with far reaching views all around.
Sally had told us that the campsite in Lompoc is a 'garbage pit' so, heeding her advice, we headed straight for a Motel 6 - a bargain at €60 all in.  And, yes, a laundry too - thank heaven for small mercies!

Day 59 Cambria to Pismo beach 54 miles

We awoke to rain yet again but the forecast was for sun/cloud by late morning so we packed up slowly (a first on this trip!), donned our waterproofs and left Cambria around 10am.  The first mile nearly finished us off - a very steep ascent out of the town to get to US1.  However, we must be getting fitter as the next 53 miles seemed relatively easy with few hills.  We followed a more inland route today, other than passing through Morro Bay at lunchtime (a lovely coastal resort with typical American shopfronts lining the main street and people playing chess outside one of the cafes). Traffic on US1 was fairly busy but there was a good shoulder and few lorries so mostly stress - free cycling.  I missed the fantastic views of the Big Sur coastline from the last 2 days though.
Pismo Beach was our destination for the day, a largish town with some lovely hotels.  We passed by The Cottage Inn which looked lovely and had been highly recommended by my friend Josy, but ended up at a nearby hiker/biker campsite next to the freeway, having been turned away by two other sites as no pitches available for bikers (don't ask, just admire my resilience on this one.......).

Day 58 Day off in Cambria

Good decision to have a rest day in Cambria as we awoke to the sound of torrential rain and grey skies - camping would have been a disaster!
Having watched yet more coverage on TV of Trump's past sexual exploits and Hillary's misuse of official email facilities (surely US economic policy should feature somewhere in this presidential election?), we decided to use our day off to visit Hearst Castle, the private residence of Mr William Randolph Hearst, the newspaper magnate.
I found the bus timetable online but was dismayed to see the bus only operated at weekends. The motel receptionist informed us that there are no taxi services from Cambria so that was that  - not really an option to cycle there in the pouring rain uphill to arrive drenched. 
So, we wandered into the charming town of Cambria, which was full of scarecrows of various characters, all wrapped in polythene to protect them from the rain - it is the annual scarecrow festival here - amazing!
The weather cleared in the afternoon with the temperature back up to 70° so we got on our bikes and rode down to the beach for a walk and paddle - all very relaxing - almost felt like a normal holiday! 
Back to the cycling first thing tomorrow - 50 miles on the agenda according to my route planner (aka Rob).

Day 57 Kirk Creek State Park to Cambria 45 miles

There was a crashing noise outside our tent last night.  Rob went to investigate only to find that the raccoons had knocked our water canister off the table, having managed to open it and tip out our only water! Unbelievable!  We thought they only went for food!  So, no cup of tea or even cup of water before we set off.
Undeterred and unwashed, we packed up and rode 10 miles to the nearest stop for breakfast - great weather again and more stunning views along the Big Sur coastline. However, the weather forecast was not looking good and rain was clearly on the way so we decided to book into a motel in Cambria, near Hearst Castle to avoid a soaking. 
During the day we bumped into Herbie and Laura, Jackie and a couple of others we've met on our travels.  Funny - you build up a sort of bond with these fellow travellers despite having little else in common.  Anyway, really looking forward to getting a proper shower and a comfy bed tonight.  And staying up until 9pm as we have electricity and the wonders of American TV -  late night!

Day 56 Big Sur to Kirk Creek State Park 32 miles

What a fantastic day today for cycling.  Great temperature, sun and blue skies all day.  And no head wind!
Ok we had a 3 mile hill to climb at the start which warmed us up for the rest of the day's ride on US1 which followed the coast very closely with great views all the way.  Yes there was quite a bit of traffic but mostly cars driving sensibly so no near misses or scary moments. 
There was some debate with some fellow cyclists en-route about where to camp as the private site was full and Kirk Creek State Park reputedly had pit toilets, no showers and no water either.  However, we stopped to ask the park attendant as the site location was fantastic - best ever - right by the sea and we really wanted to stay there. Fortunately the attendant said we could buy water for $5 a pitcher.  Great!
We pitched our tent, I scrambled down the cliff to the sea with the help of a fixed rope and for the first time on this holiday paddled in the waves!  Great feeling!
Am now sitting by the tent looking out at the setting sun on the horizon and typing up this blog!  Not a bad life!

Day 55 Monterey to Big Sur 31 miles

Off on our bikes again today.  Decided to keep the distances rather shorter as we've made good time recently and, with the day's drawing in, it's preferable to arrive at the campsite relatively early.
Only 31 miles but hilly and with a tremendous headwind (Rob was very grumpy!) so it was tough going.  However, the temperature is now much more pleasant as we're further south (in the 60s), the sun was shining all day and US1 ran along the coast all day so great views again.  Sorry, but even more photos of the sea and coast - expect it's all getting very boring reading the blog now!
The state park campsite was closed due to a fire earlier in the season so we've had to splash out $16 EACH to stay on a private campsite tonight!

Day 54 Rest day in Monterey

Day off in Monterey.  Wandered around and did some laundry - located 1.5 mile walk from the motel - but now have clean clothes!  Cycling will resume tomorrow.

Day 53 Santa Cruz to Monterey 43 miles

Having managed to cram nearly all our paniers into the bear box last night, we were relieved to be spared a racoon attack last night so we set off early for Monterey.  It was pretty cold during the first part of the morning (3 layers and still chilly) but the sun appeared at midday and the afternoon was sunny and hot.
Jackie, the young girl cycling the Pacific Coast on her own on a bike assembled largely by herself, caught us up when we stopped for coffee and then rode with us to Monterey where we parted as we had booked a last minute motel and she was camping.
Monterey is a lovely town, famous for the 1967 Monterey pop festival (which Rob keeps raving about - think I'd just started primary school then!), as well as a world famous aquarium and other noteworthy attractions.  So, we're having a stopover day tomorrow to explore and hopefully enjoy the current warm weather.

Day 52 Half Moon Bay to San ta Cruz 61 miles

What a difference a day makes!  Blue skies and sun after a fresh start to the morning, great views, wide shoulder, very few lorries or RVs,  smooth road surface and, to top it all, a strong tail wind!  This is California at last! This is what I was expecting - it's only taken 1670 miles of cycling, 52 days of inclement weather, ? number of (small - Rob's editorial insertion) contretemps and loads of dosh but I think we've finally got it!
Despite the racoon attack on my bar bag during the night (they'd actually dragged it out from under the fly sheet whilst we were sleeping!), we set off all intact and in good spirits.
61 miles seemed relatively easy, punctuated by regular views of rows and rows of pumpkins as it's the annual pumpkin festival here this weekend.  We arrived in Santa Cruz after 52 miles of easy navigation but the Adventure Cycling maps and our book detailing the route for cycling the Pacific Coast diverged significantly at this stage of the day.  So, having cycled 52 miles in 4.5 hours, the final 10 miles took us 2 hours but, personally, I enjoyed the diversion from US1.
We arrived at New Brighton State Beach campsite just after 5pm, pitched our tent in the hiker/biker section (a bargain $5 each as opposed to the extortionate $7 each last night!) and feasted on boiled pasta mixed with lentil soup - yum!  Shortly after we arrived, Jackie from Toronto, a girl we have met several times on different camp sites turned up and we shared our travel experiences and routes since we last saw her - good camaraderie with people who really have nothing in common other than cycling the Pacific Coast at the same time.
Dark by 7pm so early to bed but you really do feel physically tired on a long cycling holiday.  And it's great to fall asleep to the sound of waves breaking on the beach only a few metres away.

Day 51 San Francisco to Half Moon Bay 40 miles

The day started early with both Rob and I pushing our bikes up the steepest hill of the tour so far as we could not get started on the extreme gradient, fully loaded.  This was followed by a descent down the second steepest hill of the tour with brake pads burning!  Getting the bikes onto a commuter-packed Bart (train) was challenging to say the least and the final straw before a small contretemps (aka argument over a completely trivial remark!) was manoeuvering the bikes into 2 separate elevators to get out of the underground!  Having calmed down after a Starbuck's coffee, we left San Francisco via Golden Gate Park and promptly hit thick sea fret for 3 hours - so much for sun and clear skies!
To make matters worse, during the afternoon the route followed a section of US1 with no shoulder and heavy traffic.  Then came my near - death experience with a lorry which completely cut me up on a narrow uphill bend with no shoulder at all - don't worry I'm still here to tell the tale - but for a few moments I was glad I've told Victoria and Annie where to find my will!  Don't want to over dramatise but I has no choice but to swerve into the side of the road and fall off my bike.  No injuries but a bit shaken I must admit. 
To move on swiftly, we reached our campsite later that afternoon which was close to the beach with good showers and a lovely Spanish restaurant nearby so am recovering as I write this blog.  Move on - tomorrow is another day.....