Category Archives: On the road

Day 56 – Point Mugu to Santa Monica

68km – 3350 in total

I think I slept for more than 10 hours, as the night was very quiet and warm. I got up and packed my tent for the last time. I ate a big portion of oatmeal and anything else I had left for food. My bags, empty from any food, were the lightest they’ve ever been. I got ready and said goodbye to nature. I was excited to get to my final destination, but a little sad to end this trip.

Alone in the burnt forest

Alone in the burnt forest

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For the first few kilometers, highway 1 continued to go through bare landscapes and the rugged coastline. Within the next half an hour thought I entered the town boundary of Malibu, where more and more houses and villas started entering in to the picture. Long sandy beaches, most of them accessible only for the privileged who own a property right in front of it.

Palaces at the seafront

Palaces at the seafront

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At the long public beach I stopped for a snack. I knew I wasn’t that far from LA, so I took my time. Endless sand, flattened and ready for people to play on it, in one of the numerous beach volley courts.

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I moved on and right after Malibu point, I stopped again to eat a miserable sandwich I bought for lunch from the only store I found on the way. In the distant horizon I could just about see the big city. A moment of realization that the end is near.

LA in the horizon

LA in the horizon

I could even take the public bus from here

I could even take the public bus from here

Further down the road I stopped again at the Malibu Lagoon State Beach. A very nice and well maintained natural reserve for birds of all kinds. I got myself an ice-cream and spent some more time looking at the city in the distance, trying to grasp where I was two months ago, where I am now and all the places and experiences I went through on the way.

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“Ok, time to finish this” I said to myself and off I went for the very last few kilometers. I didn’t really notice when Malibu turned into Santa Monica. I stopped to take a photo and a cyclist from the opposite lane saw me and came to talk to me. Somehow he knew what I was up to. Maybe the look in my face gave away that I was finishing there. He had done a similar ride a few years ago and said how beautiful Santa Monica looked from this spot that day he was getting back home.

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Doomed palace on sand

Doomed palace on sand

I exited the highway and joined the long and famous boardwalk and bike path that runs all across the beach of Santa Monica and Venice. Long sandy beach, clean and perfectly flat with volley courts and lifeguard huts all along its length. The cliffs were on my left with privileged houses on top of them and a row of houses right on the sand.

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I am so glad that my end destination is conveniently placed at the west boundary of Los Angeles and I didn’t have to cycle through this monstrous metropolis. I got to Santa Monica’s pier, took a couple of photos and headed in town to look for my finish line. MPC, the company I used to work for in London and Vancouver, has offices in Santa Monica. Some old colleagues now work there and they were willing to host me for a few days. Even though I no longer work there, it was nice to start and finish my trip in these offices. I rang Ross, he came down to let me in and took me to the office. All of a sudden, I was once again within the familiar dark environment of a studio, full of computer screens, comfortable couches for the clients and energized people running around in fast pace. I was still in my slow beach mode, wearing the now well faded and dirty cycling clothes and well tanned. Not a very professional look, but I didn’t care. I opened the corporate fridge and helped myself with a cold beer.

The finish line

The finish line

This cycling trip is now over. I will be spending about a week in Los Angeles, until my flight back to Greece. I would like to thank everyone who helped me on this trip in any way. From the friends who offered me a place to sleep, to the strangers who gave me food to eat and water to drink. I particularly thank everyone who supported my cause by donating to the Doctors of the World through this cycling effort. I would also like to thank all you for reading my diary, keeping me company through messages and giving me courage during the last two months. Finally, I thank the thousands of drivers who gave me enough space on the road and made this ride a safe and enjoyable journey.

Thank you legs for taking me around to see places

Thank you legs for taking me around to see places

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Georgios – Fall 2013

Day 55 – Carpinteria to Point Mugu

86km – 3283 in total

I woke up by the passing train, alomst like an alarm telling me that I have to start my day early. John as promised offered me some of his sweat bread for breakfast and I gave them a couple of bananas. They left for the highway to catch a ride for a near by town.

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Since Santa Barbara I’ve run out of maps and I only have a general large one that covers the whole coast. So I’ve been relying on my tiny compass, brochures from information offices and guidance from locals to find my way south. Today’s route wasn’t that hard, but there were a couple of trial and error turns. Initially the route run in parallel to 101, but later I had to go on it for a few kilometers. A local cyclist offered to ride with me on it, until the exit I needed to take.

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A man made island for the oil tankers to attach

A man made island for the oil tankers to attach

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By noon and after some riding by farmlands, I was in Ventura. It was still early and I decided to head to downtown. The tourist office offered to hold my bike for a couple of hours and I went around the town on foot. I visited the Mission of San Buena Ventura and a couple of vintage stores. The town had a nice atmosphere almost from another era.

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I couldn’t resist the temptation of a big burger, so I went into a old fashion dinner to have one, together with a generous glass of coke, even if I don’t usually drink it. Next to each table there was a quarter slot and the selection of songs for the jukebox. Before leaving the town, I went into a thrive store to buy a pair of jeans, so I look a little more civil when I get into the big city.

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I continued south and the route went straight into the next town. Oxnard is a very spread out city and has a massive navy base and an airport. It seemed like there is a whole town behind the closed gates, hosting military personnel and their families. At the end of all these complexes, there was a “Missile park”! That is a park not with animals and trees, but weapons. There was an F-14 Tomcat, an F-4 Phantom and all their missiles and accessories on display, basically part of the old inventory of the naval base near by. It reminded me of all the scale plastic models I used to make as a kid.

In between Venture and Oxnard

In between Venture and Oxnard

Palmorgasmic

Palmorgasmic

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Oxnard

Oxnard

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I didn’t think that I had a long way to go for the state park, but going around Oxnard took me much longer than I anticipated. Point Mugu was still several kilometers away and I was running out of time. Not much longer after I left the town I joined highway 1 again. A few days ago I thought I got to the end of it, but I was wrong. The route once again took me to the ocean and through some very remote and rugged areas. The mountains on my left were bare of any vegetation. The recent wildfire in June had burned down the whole area. The weather forecast mentioned a possibility for a rainfall and I could see the dark clouds in the horizon. I was wondering if I would make it to the campsite before sunset.

Distant rain

Distant rain

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Point Gumu has a few different parks and campgrounds. I went in to the first one, which seemed rather abandoned and without anyone in it. All the vegetation and trees were burnt down. I moved on and a couple of kilometers down the road I saw some RVs on the beach. I stopped and had a chat with a group of campers. The park was in operation, but only for RVs. The guys mentioned that there is a tent campground another two kilometers down the road and they offered me to stay with them if I didn’t like the next one. I would have stayed with them right away, if the sandy beach wasn’t as exposed to the ocean and the strong winds that were blowing at the time.

I finally made it to the campground which is sheltered within a valley. Luckily most of its trees and vegetation survived the fire, so the landscape wasn’t as bare. I quickly dropped my stuff into a spot and run back on the beach to just about catch the sunset. Tonight is my last camping night and I had some wine for the occasion.

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After the busy and family packed campsites I’ve been staying over the past week, I was expecting something similar, if not worst, now that I am so close to the big city. In my surprise the Point Mugu is fairly remote and there was barely anyone else camping. I think other than the old lady host, it was just me and two more cars that stayed here overnight. The night was very dark within the valley and a bit spooky with various animal sounds around me. I think a nice spot for a last night by the nature.