Over 180 Cities, Towns, and Villages

Cities/villages on 2012 Bike Odyssey

It is so hard to believe that I was able to cycle to so many locations both obscure and well known, but each fantastic.  Touching or in three countries, three States, many counties, and over 180 cities.

Unfortunately we had to peddle so much I was unable to get a photo of every city entrance sign, but here are the ones I got.

British Columbia

Langley

East Clayton North

Surrey

Sidney, Victoria

North Saanich

Sannichton

Victoria

Washington

Port Angeles

Elwha Park

Kalahowa Campground

Beaver

Sappho

Forks

Kalaloch Campground

Queets

Willaby Campground

Amanda Park

Neilton

Humptulips

Hoquiam

Aberdeen

Markham

Ocosta

Bay City

 

Twin harbors State Park

        Grayland

        Raymond

Bay Center Koa

        Nemah

        Naselle

        Megler

Oregon

        Astoria

        Warrenton

Fort Stevens State Park

        Gearhart

        Seaside

        Cannon Beach

        Manzanita

Nehalem Bay State Park

        Nehalem

        Wheeler

        Brighton

        Manhattan Beach

        Rockaway Beach

        Twin Rocks

        Bayview

        Garibaldi

        Bay City

        Tillamook

Cape Lookout State Park

        Pacific City

        Neskowin

        Otis

        Lincoln City

        Lincoln Beach

        Depoe Bay

Beverly Beach State Park

        Newport

        Sandpiper village

        Bayshore

        Waldport

        Yachats

        Florence

Jessie M. Honeyman State Park

        Dunes City

        Gardiner

        Reedsport

        Winchester Bay

        Lakeside

        North Bend

        Coos Bay

        Barview

Holiday Inn Express (was sunset Bay State Park)

       Bandon

       Langlois

 Port Orford

Humbug Mountain State Park

        Gold Beach

        Brooklings

California

Kampf Memorial Park

        Crescent City

        Klamath

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

        Prairie Creek

       Orick

        Berry Glen

        Mckinleyville

        Arcata

Eureka

Eureka KOA

        Bayview

        Fortuna

        Rio Dell

        Scotia

        Pepperwood

         Redcrest

        Weott

Humboldt Redwoods State Park, Burlington Campground

        Myers Flat

        Miranda

        Phillipsville

        Garberville

        Benbow

        Piercy

        Leggett

Stop at Stoneview villas drive to Fort Brag for weekend

        Rockport

        Hardy

        DeHaven

        Westport

Mackerricher State Park

        Fort Bragg

        Caspar

        Mendocino

       Elk

Manchester Beach State Park

        Manchester

        Manchester Rancheria

        Point Arena

        Gualala

 

       Anchor Bay

        Sea Ranch

        Stewarts Point

        Jenner

        Bodega Bay

        Valley Ford 

        Tomales

        Marshall

        Point Reyes Station

Samuel P. Taylor State Park

        Laugunitas

        Forest Knolls

        San Germonimo

        Oak Manor

        San Anselmo
        Ross

        San Rafael

        Fairfax

        Greenbrae

        Marin City

        San Francisco

        Daly City

        Fairmont

        Edgemar Pacific Manor

        Pacifica

        Pedro Point

        Moss Beach

        El Granada

        Half Moon Bay

Half Moon State Beach

       San Gregorio

        Redwood City

        Newark
 

Jon’ house for week end

        Drive to Sunset Beach to start next week of biking

        Watsonville

        Moss Landing

        Marina

        Seaside

        Sand City

        Monterey

Stay with Tuoti’s

        Carmel

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

        Gorda

        San Simeon

San Simeon State Park

        Cambria

        Harmony

        Cayucos

        Morro Bay

        Los Osos

        Pismo Beach

        Grover Beach

Oceano Campground Pismo Beach

        Guadalupe

        Lompoc

Gaviota State Park

        Isla Vista

        Santa Barbara

        Carpenteria

        Ventura

        Oxnard

        Camarillo

Camarillo Holliday Inn Express

Leo Carrilo State Beach

        Mailbu

        Central Malibu

        Eastern Malibu

        Pacific Palisades

        Santa Monica
        Marina del Rey
        Los Angeles

 

        El Segundo

        Manhattan Beach

        Hermosa Beach

        Redondo Beach

        Torrance

        West Carson

        Carson

        Upper Westside

        Lower Westside

        Long Beach

        Belmont Shore

        Naples

        Seal Beach

        Huntington Beach

        Newport Beach

Newport Dunes Aquatic Park

        University Town Center

        University Park

        Oak Creek

        Lake Forest

        Mission Viejo
        Laguna Beach

        Capistrano Beach

        San Clemente
        Camp Pendelton (Marine base)

 

        Carlsbad

        Encinitas

San Elijo State Beach

        Cardiff

        Solana Beach

        Del Mar

        LaJolla Village

        LaJolla Heights

        Soledad South

        San Diego

        National City

        Chula Vista

        Palm City

        Otay Mesa West

        San Ysidro

        Mexican Border

 

 

       

Learnings

Now this adventure is over I am brought to think on what it means to me and what I have learned.

First, I find it amazing that even a senior man in reasonable good health can achieve this.  The key in endurance.  Of course I had to condition my legs to take the 4-8 hours of continuous effort every day except Sunday, but once I had got to that point it was relatively easy to finish the goal.  We often marvel that the early pioneers of the western United States could make the long travel by wagon or hand-cart.  However, I think that when you set up a routine, have developed sufficient strength, it is just a matter of continuing the daily routine and in due time you are there. 

You must avoid the pit falls, of course.  For me that included avoiding sunburn.  I was not use to that  much time in the sun.  I applied 50 sun block liberally, but still found my nose getting burned.  I fashioned a duck bill visor on the front of my helmet using cardboard and duct tape.  I never had a burned nose again. 

Louis, Lynn, and I had our weather challenge in Washington where we had two days of cycling in the rain.  By choosing our travel time during the warm part of the year (July and August) we avoided getting chilled and endured the rain even with Lynn's multiple flat tires.  Try sitting on the side of the road, in the rain, trying to repair a tube (because all spares had leaks), with logging trucks barreling by.  To do that without discouragement is amazing.  However, we were very thankful when our support car, with Luetta's inspiration, came back just in time with spare tubes.  Patches don't glue well when wet.

This was the summer that wasn't for Luetta and I. We lived with fog, and fog drizzle more often than not. Even sunny San Diego, was foggy most of the time. I guess that is life on the coast.

I have been inspired by my fives sons (and several family members) joining me on parts of this trip.  My two daughters would have loved to come but it didn't work out for them.  I don't mind long hours of cycling alone (three weeks of this) and enjoying the special solitude of that, but it was much more enjoyable having loved ones with me on the ride and  at camp. 

Of course most inspirational of all was my wife, Luetta.  When I first proposed this idea to her, I had thought to go alone will full touring gear, but she said she wanted to go with me.  I was very happy to have her company and love and help throughout this adventure.  She cycled some, but for the most part drove our car.  She amazed me, being able to find all these camp sites and hotels.  Truly, it was a joint effort and I thank her from the bottom of my heart for supporting this crazy goal.

Now, I think what adventure is next for us.  In retirement we have the time and so far the health to pursue them.  We are planning on serving a senior couple mission for our church.  We have to submit our application and then wait and see what part of the world we are called to.  We plan on a 23 month mission, so the adventure will continue.  Stay tuned to this blog for the ongoing adventure.  Luetta has a cousin that has been in Cherry Hill, New Jersey and most recently Hong Kong.  I have a cousin that served in London and another that is now in Cebu Philippines.  They serve and teach principles that help people find happiness in life and an eternal perspective to existence, what could be more exciting than that.

STAY TUNED.

Stats and Information

This has been an awesome cycling adventure. I recommend it anyone that likes cycling. I and members of my family have seen so many wonderful places and things. It has been a fantastic physical challenge and I'm happy that I was able to be up to the task. It proves that with dedication, preparation, and effort much is possible. I have always enjoyed efforts that require endurance over strength or speed. And endurance was the key here. However, having fun all along the route (rain or shine) made it truly enjoyable.  My blog reflects all the fun things we did and saw in addition to the miles biked.

Here are the milage by week and totals

		West Coast Bike Ride Miles on Endomundo
		Daily Miles		Weekly accumulation miles
Monday	16-Jul	30.18
		20.68
		7.04
Tuesday	17-Jul	27.42
Wednesday	18-Jul	20.55
		36.12
Thursday	19-Jul	33.74
Friday	20-Jul	67.39
Saturday	21-Jul	50.72
		293.84		293.84
Monday	23-Jul	48.07
Tuesday	24-Jul	41.32
Wednesday	25-Jul	26.48
		13.57
Thursday	26-Jul	31.21
		25.66
Friday	27-Jul	61.82
		4.83
Saturday	28-Jul	45.42
		298.38		592.22
Monday	30-Jul	52.69
Tuesday	31-Jul	59.15
Wednesday	1-Aug	52.41
Thursday	2-Aug	56.92
Friday	3-Aug	38.87
		15.54
Saturday	4-Aug	9.76
		37.73
		323.07		915.29
Monday	6-Aug	45.5
Tuesday	7-Aug	45.53
Wednesday	8-Aug	68.16
Thursday	9-Aug	41.54
Friday	10-Aug	62.05
Saturday	11-Aug	45.86
		308.64		1223.93
Monday	13-Aug	45.82
Tuesday	14-Aug	31.9
Wednesday	15-Aug	69.44
Thursday	16-Aug	55.66
Friday	17-Aug	64.31
Saturday	18-Aug	74.49
		341.62		1565.55
Monday	20-Aug	54.19
Tuesday	21-Aug	48.43
Wednesday	22-Aug	54.7
Thursday	23-Aug	54.3
		211.62		1777.17

This what google maps had predicted.  In addition I have put in a total of 1279 miles of preparation cycling time.  Thus the total is milage for this year to date is 3056 miles.

I have used the endomundo web site to records my miles (with some technical glitches) and here is their stats.

Total workouts: 95

Total duration: 11d:18h:10m

Total distance:   3056 mi

Trips around the world: 0.113

Trips to the Moon: 0.012

Average speed: 10.01 mph

Average pace: 6m:00s/mi

Calories burned: 149,772 kcal (277 burgers)

My personal bests (per endomundo) are:

• One hour15.18 mi
• 10 miles36m:12s
• 20 km47m:42s
• 50 km2h:07m:29s
• 50 miles3h:38m:11s
• 100 km4h:44m:55s

I meet many amazing touring cyclists.  Standouts includes one that had already cycled across the US from the east coast when I met him and planned to continue to Chile.  There was a group that was cycling for Cancer Research from the East Coast to San Francisco.  They said they had 4000 miles, 2 wheels, 1 goal, the cure for Cancer.  Most of the people I met were young people, but I met a few my age.  One couple was biking from Seattle to San Francisco with full touring gear.  There is a comradery that exists among trekers, which elicits friendly hand waves as we pass and willingness to talk about what they are doing.