Day Eighteen

We made it two weeks! We made it to California!
I am in Arcata (near Eureka) and my bike is being caressed by the loving hands of Life Cycle Bike Shop mechanics. The weather has been overcast and drizzly, but we've had some really beautiful rides. Oregon's coastal bike route is unbelievable. The state parks have neat little hiker-biker sites with free showers for four dollars a night. As we got closer to the California border we encountered other tourers with similar destinations, and now we're traveling with two solid guys from Minnesota.

The amount I predicted to spend on food has been doubled by my 100km/day appetite. We have been eating really well, compared to our friends who are having ramen and soup every night. Fresh vegetables, pasta, rice, local cheese and fruits, yogurt, peanut butter and CHOCOLATE... I am rarely full, but always satisfied. It's also satisfying to fall asleep with the sunset and stay asleep until sunrise. My body is a well-equipped, finely tuned machine (with funny tan lines).

The nature is wild. Everywhere new smells are whipping at my face as I tear along. Every sound is made weightier by the silence surrounding it. Every tree is taller and older than the last! I've seen bald eagles and sea stars and crabs and anemones and deer and elk and raccoons and there was a cougar in our campground at Harris Beach (but I didn't see it, luckily).

The rides have become increasingly difficult but we are increasingly stronger and now that we've hit the tough California hills, I don't even notice or care. Looking forward to Santa Cruz!