Another Week Down
After another day of excruciating heat for nearly 20 miles of a 93 mile ride, I will be comfortably cool in a Motel 6 for the next two nights.
Today the team rolled into Goleta, CA, which is next door to Santa Barbara. Our accommodations for the night and tomorrow's rest day is a church, which is fine, but the idea of staying two nights in a place with no air conditioning and no shower didn't go over too well with some of us. The church is also situated away from restaurants and stores, meaning we'd have to ride or walk several miles to get food, do laundry, buy groceries for our cubby, pretty much do anything. When one of the other cyclists said she was getting a hotel and asked me to join her, I didn't hesitate. I was a sweaty mess, covered in black road grime, and grumpy. A shower, bed, and air conditioning added up to a no brainer for me. I quickly tapped into my phone and found our hotel within seconds.
On the way to the hotel, we were waiting at a red light. A man in an SUV honked at me, wanting me to move out of his way, and after I did, he slowly went by, turning right, and said, "It's called a roadway, not a bikeway." I so wanted to say something nasty back to him, but instead I just smiled and nodded. Why people have to be jerks is beyond me.
The shower restored some of my happiness. The Chinese dinner more. And the frozen yogurt with mango, strawberries, and kiwi even more. Tomorrow, I might not do anything. Or, I might check out the pier, see if I can find a bike shop, and organize my cubby to finish out the ride. I'll decide tomorrow when tomorrow comes.
Sunday we'll roll out, heading to Santa Monica. Another 90+ miles day. After that, we only have three days of cycling left for the Pacific Coast.
Today the team rolled into Goleta, CA, which is next door to Santa Barbara. Our accommodations for the night and tomorrow's rest day is a church, which is fine, but the idea of staying two nights in a place with no air conditioning and no shower didn't go over too well with some of us. The church is also situated away from restaurants and stores, meaning we'd have to ride or walk several miles to get food, do laundry, buy groceries for our cubby, pretty much do anything. When one of the other cyclists said she was getting a hotel and asked me to join her, I didn't hesitate. I was a sweaty mess, covered in black road grime, and grumpy. A shower, bed, and air conditioning added up to a no brainer for me. I quickly tapped into my phone and found our hotel within seconds.
On the way to the hotel, we were waiting at a red light. A man in an SUV honked at me, wanting me to move out of his way, and after I did, he slowly went by, turning right, and said, "It's called a roadway, not a bikeway." I so wanted to say something nasty back to him, but instead I just smiled and nodded. Why people have to be jerks is beyond me.
The shower restored some of my happiness. The Chinese dinner more. And the frozen yogurt with mango, strawberries, and kiwi even more. Tomorrow, I might not do anything. Or, I might check out the pier, see if I can find a bike shop, and organize my cubby to finish out the ride. I'll decide tomorrow when tomorrow comes.
Sunday we'll roll out, heading to Santa Monica. Another 90+ miles day. After that, we only have three days of cycling left for the Pacific Coast.
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