Paso Robles Sunday

Today’s plan was for a short bike ride from 10:00 am until noon and then wine tasting.  Well the bike ride was actually from 11:00 until 2:00 followed by lunch in the RV, which only left time for one winery. We chose Grey Wolfe, which we had visited on previous trips.  For thee bike ride, we drove to Santa Margarita.  The vegetation here was considerable different than what we had seen the past two days in Paso Robles.  We saw much more forested areas and were surprised at the amount of climbing – over 2,000 feet in 27 miles.

Above, how I see the world.  Below, Paul and Pat at the top of a three mile climb.

Paso Robles Saturday

It’s weird that a day with such a cold morning (32 degrees) can turn out so pleasant.  Of course it helps if you don’t start riding until 11:00 am.  We rode a variation of the Hog Canyon route.  Although the scenery is not as good as is was in Solvang and some of the roads aren’t as good, it was still a great ride.  Mid-way through the ride we develop a plan to have lunch at Matthews Restaurant at the Paso Robles Airport.  No one told us the restaurant was closed. So the backup plan is lunch at Pat and Paul’s RV.

Above: Oxen Canyon Road. Below: friends, food, wine and chocolate!

Paso Robles Friday

The original plan was to go for a ride out of Solvang and then drive 95 miles north to Paso Robles, where we meet another BAC group on Sunday.  But the cold weather in Solvang caused us to change our plans – drive to Paso and ride later in the day when it is warmer.  Besides, our cycling/tandem friends Pat & Paul Woerner are driving down from Walnut Creek to spend the weekend with us.  Maybe we can ride with them. – And sure enough, our schedules mesh. We arrive in Paso about the same time and get in a nice ride.  Then we imbibe is some serious wine tasting.

Above: from ride out of Paso Robles with Pat and Paul (hiding Brenda) in photo below

Solvang Thursday

 

 

 

 

Photos above are from last night’s Farmer’s Market.

Again, it’s colder this morning – 31 degrees at 7:00 am.

While we’re waiting for it to warm up, a note about this blog. It began in 2009 to record my ride across the U.S.  I don’t blog daily; only when we’re on a bike tour.  --- Sometime last year my photos started disappearing and I still haven’t figured out why.  --- Somewhere along the way I discovered the “flag counter” which keeps statistical data on access to your blog.  In addition to the US (679 different people have looked at it), there is Canada (56), Italy (31), Netherlands (24), United Kingdom (11), Ireland (5), Ecuador (2) and one each from Sweden, Trinidad and Russia. What? No Australia?

By 11:00 it’s still not 50 degrees so we say “What the hell; let’s drive to the beach.”  After all Flat Jaxon needs to see the Pacific Ocean. (More on Flat Jackson, see below, in a later blog.)

Back at the Wine Valley Inn in Solvang I prepare for a ride.  It’s 2:40, less than 2 hours before I’m supposed to help set up Happy Hour.  Brenda tells me not to worry, she’ll cover for me.  So I ride up Ballard Canyon road, reversing yesterday’s return route.  I continue on Foxen Canyon but the road surface is so bad I turn around.  All total, I only get in 18 miles – but they are quality miles.  Ballard Canyon is as pretty as ever as shown on the photo below.

Solvang Wednesday

 

Another beautiful morning in the Santa Ynez Valley, although quite a bit colder than previous mornings.  We have no qualms about our long sleeve jerseys and I wear both leg warmers and glove liners for the first time.  Once again we don’t leave the Wine Valley Inn until after 10:00 am, quite late compared to our normal departure.

Left: Wednesday’s Wardrobe: the “Black and White Kit”

 

 

 

 

 

Right, scene from Happy Canyon Rd

 

We decide to ride out Happy Canyon road.  On Monday we rode part way up Figueroa Mountain Road.  Had we continued over the mountain we would have been on Happy Canyon.  Thus we’re approaching the mountain from the other side.  But we have almost 10 miles of very gradual ascent before we get to steep switchbacks.  And it is here we turn around. Photo below: Vineyard in Happy Canyon.

Back in Los Olivos, we again have lunch at Panini’s.  For the return we chose Ballard Canyon road.  After a short but steep climb (see photo below), we have a downhill run until we get close to Solvang.

For the Velo Veterans freezing in Dallas, eat your heart out guys .  See Wednesday's Ride 

View from highest point on Ballard Canyon Road

Solvang: Monday and Tuesday

We’re in Solvang, California for an annual Bicycle Adventure Club event called “Solvang Winter Break”.  There are 38 of us here for 5 days of cycling. And well, maybe a little wine tasting.  Our headquarters tell it all, the “Wine Valley Inn”.

Solvang, Danish for “sunny fields”, is in the Santa Ynez Valley.  It was founded in 1911 on almost 9,000 acres of the Rancho San Carlos de Jonata Mexican land grant, by a group of Danes who traveled west to establish a Danish colony far from the Midwestern winters. It was incorporated as a city on May 1, 1985.

Monday was a perfect cycling day.  It was a perfect day for almost anything outdoors.  The temperature started in the 60’s and  got to the mid 70’s, under a brilliant sunny sky and with a mild Westerly wind. 

Brenda and I rode to Los Olivos and then about 9 miles up Figueroa Mountain Road.  This is the road that Lance Armstrong and the Discovery Team used for Tour de France training every January. We didn’t go all the way up but we did one climb which seemed like a mile and had grades up to 15%.  Ok, so we walked a little of it. We turned around and went back to Los Olivos for lunch at Panini. Back in Solvang we stopped at the bike shop.  Brenda returned to the motel while I rode to Nojoqui Falls.  After happy hour, six of us had dinner at the Los Olivos Café.

Brenda returning on Figueroa Mountain Road

A composite photo, combining 11 individual pictures.

Tuesday was another glorious day, although not as nice as Monday’s.  It was colder in the morning and didn’t warm as much – maybe to the mid 60’s.  But mainly we has a fairly strong Westerly wind; I’d guess 15 mph.

We chose to ride a perennial favorite, Santa Rosa Road (photo above).  This road parallels US 246, but is south of the Santa Ynez River.  it’s a road through orchards, farms (We passed laborers picking broccoli.), horse ranches, vineyards and at least three wineries.  The wineries include Sanford and one of our favorites, Lafond.  We rode West to Lompoc, had lunch and then retraced our path on Santa Rosa Road.

See details of today’s ride at  Tuesday's Santa Rosa Road Ride