Well we stayed the night in Ventura then off to Santa Barbara and beyond.  it is just a kick riding along taking in the sites.  probably don't take enough pics, but what the hey.  not in the same league as Barb, but she gave me  the camera.  for those that don't know Barb, she took 2700 pics in one week in Italy on a bike tour.  on another tour, the Austrian guide informed her not to please take pictures while riding, but to stop.  He finally said "I cannot make her, but  she has been told."  We have a new miniature camera and when you try to take pictures with one hand while riding you invariably change the settings

We got to travel one 101 a couple if time (other wise known as the Ventura freeway.  got a new feeling about what an impulse engine is.   It is when a bunch of semis line up and pass you in a continuous motion.  Each one that passes gives you an impulse (also I might add pulls you to the freeway).  Soon you are traveling at 3-5 mph faster.  As we neared Refugio and we were at a rest break Barb said that she knew she was tired when she started wanting semis to pass.

I mentioned Barbs good friend Jacky before, well she has a sister that lives in Santa Barbara.  We had always heard of Tracy through Jacky and had actually met her briefly once.  Well she rode down to Carpenteria and met up with us at a bagel shop, then rode back giving us the grand tour.  (Not having to follow  maps is always a grand tour)She then met up with us again that night in Refugio State Park, on the ocean.  She just happened to have Thai food with a couple bottles of wine....I know, its a tough life, but some one has to live it.

 

Bird of Paradise in Santa Barbara.  My mom always had these and so did her mom

 Then we left Refugio and headed inland a bit.  We
 got to go up one hell of a grade, but before we did, we got to go through this tunnel and share it with semis.

Barb cranking up the grade













These things kept flying over while we were going up the grade.  Thermometer at 95 degrees.  luckily not vultures, and we didn't  lie down.




not sure about future posts for a while as we will be camping next four nights, and tethering to the phones is very slow at best. 

On another note a big thanks to our son David and his beautiful wife Kelsi, who followed our trip registration and bought us some very nice backpacking air mattresses.  After a long day in the saddle we sleep like babies.  Also a big thank you to Brent who gave us the Microsoft Surface that allows me to get all this blabbering to you!  Adios, good night and will try to post when we can...