Day 25

Start miles 95766
End miles 95992
Daily miles 226
Total miles 5017

Woke up a little late today since I got in late yesterday and worked on the blog for a while. Then I had to connect this morning to make a posting since the internet was now available. Added a few pictures to yesterdays posting.

Today then I broke camp and was ready to move sometime around 10:30 am which is late. I had decided to try to get to the ocean today. But that was not in the cards.

I should have used my cool vest first thing this morning when I left since it was already 90 degrees. But as luck would have it I needed gas after about 100 miles so I soaked the vest in the sink at the gas station and bought ice for the cooler. The vest felt good for a long time today.

I had taken notes on the route to get me to the ocean.  When starting out I was riding along the edge of the Sequoia National Forest. The road was very twisty and curvy giving a motorcycle rider a challenge not to go over the edge and down to the stream running at the bottom of the gap between these two mountains. I had a ball on this for about 25 total miles. There were signs for slower moving vehicles to use the pull off areas so faster vehicles could continue unimpeded.  I saw two motorcycles behind me so I pulled off to let them pass. Several vehicles pulled off to let me pass and I pulled off again to let others pass me if it looked like the caught up to me.

Somewhere along the line in Bakersfield I missed a turn and was just cursing along not knowing how to find my way. I thought that good old GPS device in my trunk should make an appearance. I put in the address for the KOA in Santa Margareta. The GPS starting giving directions and I started following. While following directions I drove across part of the San Joaquin valley which is very agricultural. There were billions of nut trees, grapes, alfalfa and fields recently harvested and ones being prepped for planting. This is a huge area and I can see where they say the water flows and feeds America.

  The GPS took me the shortest route to the KOA. This included four lane highway, two lane high way and some back country twisties that lasted for approximately 20 miles. It was a lot of fun, not very fast but lots of fun. I arrived at the KOA around 3:00 pm and only booked the above listed 226 miles.

This campground I was to learn is unique in that it is on the side of a mountain. It has over 100 sites all along twisty roads leading up the mountain. The road is gravel and macadam. I was instructed to take the road to camp site 22. Go down this road, turn here and go up the hill past site 22 and turn around at camp site 25. Then pull into camp site 22. The issue I was to find is that camp site 22 is back and up a little hill to the area you camp. On a motorcycle or even a pull behind trailer one would have some difficulty. This little lane is all gravel. See the camp site I set up.

Turns out to be a nice camp site. As long as it doesn't rain. I checked and there is no rain in the forecast.

 

I had to call down to have someone bring an adapter to go from 230 to 120 so I can use the laptop and maybe the fans. In fact the gnats are so bad I just turned on a fan to blow across my face and keep them at bay. I sprayed myself liberally with Deep Woods Off but evidentially you have to be deeper in the woods for it to have an effect on these West Coast gnats. Hey! maybe that is the issue. I bought the Deep Woods Off on the East Coast. Maybe they have different recipes?

The Office, they were very friendly and helpful here.

Maybe you can see how this area is not level but hilly.

I was told that the roads will be redone in two weeks. It looks like now when it rains, due to the steepness of the hill the runoff causes lots of damage and must be repaired. The repaving will prevent that due to drainage being installed.

On a different note the person I was talking to suggested that since this is a mountain there are chances that wild life might venture into the area. Anything from deer to bear and mountain lion. It is not likely but this is out in the sort of wild territory. Oh yes and even rattle snakes. Makes me wonder if I should be prepared, if you know what I mean.

Well for sure the Pacific Coast Highway tomorrow.

TTFN