West Coast 2018

We had thought our last day would be a short trip to the finish – “only fortysomething miles”. But the combination of feeling a little the worse for wear and a very slow-going route (hills, followed by tortuously slow cycle lanes) made the ride take longer than we’d expected. Whilst slow, cycling through La Jolla was a treat, with a beer scenic route following the coastline. But trying to cycle at any reasonable pace was difficult along the Sunday morning cycle/runner/walker/electric scooter traffic along Mission Beach. Great for a “pootle” but not if you actually want to get somewhere. After a final breakfast at Quivera Basin we had a little extra treat – a ferry ride to Coronado (part of the route to avoid a horrible bridge) before covering the final mikes to the Mexican border at 4pm. We took photos at the pedestrian (rather than vehicular) entrance to the Mexican border. The actual entrance was a one-way revolving door with bars on. It looked like the entrance to

We had decided to set off early to get a few miles done before it got too hot. Unfortunately I figured out that the Airbnb reservations I thought I’d made for Sarah, Eddy and myself had been cancelled (my error entirely). So I spend an hour rebooking them (with the help of Simon and Kenny who both have patience and skill, neither of which I seem to possess) so delayed our departure drastically. Ken (with the patience of a saint) escorted us by bike through Long Beach back to our route. Our stay with Ken and Kenny was really special and when it was time to say goodbye it felt like we were leaving good friends behind. I hope they are able to come and stay with us in the UK. Indeed, they have inspired me to host warm showers and as Ken said ‘pass it on’. We made it as far as Leguna Beach (32 miles) before stopping for lunch, then headed off at around 2pm into the heat for another 52 miles – “daunted” didn’t even get close. As it happened, the miles went swiftly, passing s