This is going to turn out to be an interesting day, from several aspects. First thing after leaving Carrillo State Beach Park, we have a small climb. What we don't know is this is going to be the start of about 20 miles of nothing but ups and downs of a few hundred feet to over 500-600 foot climbs through the Malibu area. The homes are so big in Malibu and North Malibu. So many have fences and hedges that just scream at you, " Leave me the ---- alone." Sadly they look like giant prisons. Do I envy a life where you have to lock yourself up to just have a little privacy? Not likely. Saying that we start running into a large numbers of bikers, mostly in small groups, all out for a Sunday AM ride. Lots of them slow down and are amazed at the goal we have of going to Florida. At different stops we get advice, tips, and they talk about their own adventures. mostly these are just plain friendly people, like most of the bikers we are encountering. The best comment was from a man as we entered Santa Monica and the beach area, " What kind of time frame do you have?" I answered that we have none, we'll take as long as we want. " My kind of schedule" shakes his head and off he speeds to catch the group he is with.

At Santa Monica it becomes very clear, that the urban riding through the beach area is not going to allow us the time to make San Clemente. We decide to do what we can and stop in Venice Beach, for sandwich's and meet a charming couple that had met their for the weekend. He had come form the East Coast and she from Taiwan, just for the weekend! They were stopping at Starbucks like us for a quick coffee and then off on our respective adventures!

The nit was on to Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and the further we got away from the Santa Monica Area, the more it looked like a ruffian part of town. THe last straw was an area near the Airport with planes overhead and a park with drug needles on the bike path. Sorry for that image, but we had to stop to restore our personal comfort at one of the park restrooms and had a middle aged 30 something druggie to watch. No slam on the restroom they were clean and serviced, just the elements around were begging this is not our place to slow down.

We turn inward toward the city and slug it out in the urban areas of LA, going through Redondo Beach, Torrance, Carson and finally get to the Long Beach Pier and amusement area. Famished we stop at an Outback and ask for a table outside ( in the cold) away from their regular customers and set down to a well deserved hot meal, decide to find a motel and we'll take an easy 50 miler into San Clemente tomorrow.