Manhattan beach, sweeet Manhattan beach

I left off at the decision to go to buellton for split pea Anderson’s all you can eat soup or not… we decided we would skip the soup and instead bike 80 mi to refugio state beach just north of Santa Barbara. As we began biking through the fog of SLO we decided that if we were going to do 80mi we might as well bike a full century 100 mi to isla Vista and eat massive burritos and stay in the comforts of Marissas sorority house instead of camp.
Thus, the century was on. We went through mountains, mile after mile we pedaled, through seemingly endless agricultural fields, purchasing cherries from a little old lady that powered us through more and more valleys. It was all worth it when we reached the peak of the mountain range 15 miles south of lompoc on the 1. The sun had just set, we put on our lights and BOMBED the last 30 miles on the shoulder of the 101 to the hustle and bustle of Friday night in the kid city of isla Vista. Exhausted, smelly, and sweaty, we devoured freebirds burritos, showered and crashed. The food wasn’t food; it was pure fuel. I didn’t even feel human. I felt like a machine. My knees were not joints, but armor. My quad were not muscles, but engines.
The next morning marissa treated us to DELICIOUS chocolate chip pancakes and we were on our way… through downtown Santa Barbara, riding by rv park after rv park we made it to a closed campground called macgrath in oxnard. Only 45 miles, but we were beat. David came down with  pretty bad cold, and my symptoms that began day 1 remained strong.
Sunday we woke up, ready to power through whatever crossed our path to Manhattan beach. We steamed Clif bars for breakfast and were off! Little did we know that much wind, rain, and a flat tire awaited us. The weather treated us so well the first 6 days of our trip that a downpour on our last day was earned and deserved. Not to mention it added to the adrenaline pumping eagerness to reach our destination and an epic finish. Rode fasssst through malibu’s 27 miles of scenic beauty to the beautiful bikes only beachside path to the haven of Manhattan beach where the dogs are always smiling and sun is always shining. Arrived a little past 4, completing 75 miles for the day, and 500 miles for the week.
Since Sunday night we have been in vacation mode, drinking jamba juices, going to rei, and playing with the cousins remy, Jason, Claude, and bruno. Recovering our tired muscles, our congested heads, and getting ready for the adventure to continue.