It is hard enough to get a good night's sleep on the ground after a 79 mile bike ride. Add to that, the roaring surf on one side and a train whisle every 3 hours on the other and you can get a pretty good idea of how rested I was when morning finally arrived.
The sun was not yet over the mountains when I got out of the sack and ate the two oranges I had bought in Lompoc for breakfast. I could see from the maps that it was about 20 miles to Santa Barbara and no more than 10 to Goleta, where I could get a real breakfast.
The route to Goleta was on 101. It was a bit easier in the morning because 1) I wasn't tired, 2) the traffic was a bit lighter early in the morning, and 3) there wasn't much wind coming off the ocean. The riding was the usual rolling hills but the constant traffic noise left a lot to be desired. Even being this close to the ocean was mitigated by the railroad tracks that blocked much of the view.
Bikers have to exit 101 at Hollister road. When I got off the freeway, I called Mike, my host in Santa Barbara, who directed me to the Good Earth restaurant in Goleta. I ate a huge breakfast consisting of a cheese and avocado omlette, toast, and a side order of pancakes. While I was full of food, I could have eaten even more!
After breakfast, it took about an hour of riding to get to Mike and Danuta's house in Santa Barbara. While I only covered 20 miles, it was enough to make me a bit tired and it was nice to get off the bike so early in the day and with so few miles in my legs.
After unpacking, I soaked for a while in the bathtub. After shaving and dressing, I checked the internet and sent out this trip report via email.
I spent the rest of the day eating and hanging out. It was nice to be somewhere instead of riding a bike to get somewhere.
In the evening, Mike, two friends, and I watched "Apocalypse Now Redux," a movie I had rented just a few weeks before. One of the visiting friends was a copter pilot in Viet Nam and he had a few short stories to tell to enhance the movie story line.
Mike and I went to breakfast in old town Santa Barbara. It was Saturday and Mike and Danuta and their children all had things to do. I hung out. Eventually, I rode my unloaded bike to the nearby grocery store and stocked up on food for the ride to Laguna Beach. I got a loaf of bread (buying the lightest whole wheat one I could find), fruit, and a large bag of M and Ms, which was cheaper than buying two small bags, for some reason.
In the evening, I was went along with Mike and Danuta to a friend's pot luck dinner. The food was good (I still had a serious appetite) and the discussion centered around golf and intercepting missles, which is what the host worked on.
I went to bed knowing that the bike was waiting for me in the garage.