Day 3 Lucia to San Luis Obispo - 87 miles

Today was an "easy" day as I had calculated the distance at about 85 miles. For some reason, this day seemed harder than the previous 2, even though the distance was less and hills were fewer. I made more stops for food/water and just to stop and stare out at the view. Maybe I didn't want the ride to end.
Anyway, I was up again and out on the road at 7:00 AM, missing the "complimentary continental breakfast" at the Lucia Lodge. The "free" breakfast didn't start until 8:00 and I didn't want to wait. There was some light rain falling about an hour after I got to Lucia the day before and I was concerned it would be a bad weather day so I wanted to head out early to get a head start.

Had the road pretty much to myself for the first hour or 2. Just me and the Volvos blowing by with bikes strapped to the top and advertising logos painted all over them. Seems there was a century that day called the "Volvo Best Buddies Challenge". That ride started that morning in Carmel and finished 100 miles later in San Simeon. These cars were heading to the various rest stops and expos or whatever for this event. I had at least a 50-mile head start on the century riders and, although I never saw any of them, I kept expecting to see some hotshot century rider who thinks it's a race coming down on me in my rear-view mirror.

The scenery was still dramatic. Every turn had another picture postcard waiting to be taken, but I was on the home stretch so I took only a few. Besides, the battery in my camera ran out right after these shots were taken.

The first rest stop was in Gorda, but the store was closed. The cafe was open, but they had no bottled water but offered to fill my water bottle from the tap. Some good-sized climbs south of Gorda and a long downhill section into Ragged Point. Another rest stop at Ragged Point for a 7 dollar turkey sandwich on white bread. A downhill section south of Gorda and then BAM!, it flattens out and the dramatic scenery gives way to a mostly flat and open ride. I had read in the Kirkendall book where they said of this section that "the miles fly by" and I kept that in my head and kept waiting for that to happen. It was more of a boring section with open sightlines so you can see how far you have to go and not a lot of dramatic vistas (compared to the previous 70 miles).

Another rest stop at the mini-mart in San Simeon. Now the tour buses were out in force, taking the curious up the hill to the Hearst Castle. Nothing much in San Simeon except a strip of motels, tour buses, and my mini-mart. The shoulder was like 8-feet wide so it felt like you're on a freeway.

On thru Cambria. Not much there either except a short strip of artsy shops. Past Harmony which I'm not sure why it's on the ACA map because there's nothing there.

Next stop is Cayucos. Lots of surf shops and stuff like that. Another rest stop at the local market for a Gatorade and some packaged raisin snails. They couldn't compare to the fresh-baked raisin snails from the bakery 2 days ago back in Pescadero, but they did the trick to keep me fueled.

Highway 1 turns into a semi-freeway somewhere between here and Morro Bay. Still a good shoulder, but it seems like everyone is in a hurry again. The ACA map directs me off the semi-freeway in Morro Bay onto surface streets and I have a little trouble following the directions. Some helpful advice from a passer-by and I'm back on track thru Morro Bay State Park and then out onto some rural roads and into San Luis Obispo. Tom's apartment was right on the ACA route on Foothill Blvd. Pulled into the apartment parking lot around 2:30 PM. Another brief rest stop before heading over to the motel 2 miles away. Thru a nice Santa-Barbara-like downtown and I'm at the motel,

There. I made it. My epic ride is over. I should be happy but I'm not sure how I'm going to handle not being able to spend tomorrow riding another 100 miles.