Flagstaff

Well, I did it! After 35 days of riding, I arrived in San Diego fit, tanned and a whole lot smellier than when I left Vancouver on the 10th of May. I spent 3 days in San Diego with family friends Stephen and Alise, who generously took me into their home, as well as expertly accomodating my vegetarianism. We ate well both in and out of the house, checking out a great local thai place and an amazing mexican hole-in-the-wall. Alise is an excellent cook as well, and she put together some dishes I never would have even thought of.
Wednesday, Stephen took the day off work and drove me all over the area, down to the Mount Palomar Observatory, the Anza Borrego Desert, and out to La Jolla to see the seal colony that's taken up residence on the beach. Thursday I was on my own, walking out to the San Diego Zoo. I wandered all over the place, but the highlights were definitely the bonobos and the polar bears. I lucked out, too, as I met someone out front of the zoo with extra coupons; so thank you, mysterious Hawaiian coupon-bearer, for getting me a deal on the entrance fee. After leaving the zoo, I walked out into Balboa park, the cultural and recreational centre of San Diego. I wish I had a week in the park to check out the museum of Man, Natural History, Space and Aviation, Science and Technology... The list goes on. The Japanese Tea Garden was peaceful though, and made a nice cap on the day.
Yesterday, I said goodbye to San Diego, Alise, and Stephen, and caught a Greyhound out to Flagstaff, Arizona. I've sent my bike home by UPS, so travel has gotten markedly easier. I'm staying out here at Grandma and step-grandpa Henry's trailer for the time being, and eventually I'll make my way home overland.
This will be it for the blog though, as Pedals With Purpose has come to a close for the time being! Thanks so much to everyone who have been following along, and to all those who have donated or pledged donation to Pamoja Tunaweza. We've all done our bit to make the world just that much friendlier!
-Nick

Santa Barbera

To borrow briefly from Mark Twain: "Reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated".
Although it's been just over a week since I last signed on, I am still alive and well. Though for a while there I wasn't sure how I was going to turn out; a nasty case of heat stroke left me woozy and miserable for 3 or 4 days. Thankfully, I fully recovered now, and ready to complete the final leg of my journey in good spirits.
I had a ripping tailwind coming out of San Francisco, along with a perfect blue sky all day, and this convinced me to try to cover as much ground as possible while the weather was good. Rode just over 90 miles that day, and ended up severely dehydrated, which made the 40 miles the next day to Veteran's Memorial Campground less than enjoyable.
I took a sick day in Monterey, and in the end was glad for it, as I met some very interesting people in and around town. The hiker biker site was full of characters, including Henry, the retired ex-DJ, always ready to offer a bit of his own particular brand of wisdom; Wayne, the wandering rider covering almost 100 miles a day on a bike never meant to roll that distance; and of course Tony, a professional restorer of historic buildings and all-around great guy. Tony is an ex army nurse, and a firm believer in the concept of Karma. Because of this, he's always ready to lend a helping hand to someone in need, and as soon as he heard of my shoestring budget, jumped at the chance to go into town with me and pick me up a load of groceries. Not wanting to accept unnecessary charity, I respectfully declined, but I'm still amazed that someone could be so spontaneously giving towards a total stranger.
After leaving Monterey, I came across another group of riders who amazed me in their own way, namely by setting out to do something I would have never thought possible, or in any event probable: under the banner of the "Funky Monkey Family", Antonio, Jess and their twin children, who are just over a year old, are riding from San Francisco into the heart of South America. Formerly residents of Las Vegas, they've picked up roots, sold off all their possessions, and are headed south to start a hostel in the first suitable city they find. Traveling anywhere with kids is a task, so my respect for these guys is endless!
Today I'm taking it easy, riding the short distance through Santa Barbera and trying to get a taste of the city along the way. I plan on taking a bus through urban LA (weak, I know...), so at this rate I should be just four days from my final destination in San Diego!
-Nick

San Francisco

I've been in town for 4 day now, and this is the first chance I've had to sit down with a computer. This city has been a real whirlwind! I crossed the Golden Gate bridge on Sunday, Memorial Day. Very hectic, as all the other tourists combined with locals out enjoying the beautiful weather made for absolutely packed bike lanes. Pelotons of road racers whipped around tourists on rental bikes who were mingled with pedestrians caught up taking pictures of the gorgeous views of the Bay area. Through all this madness, I struggled across the bridge and by chance got chatting with another rider headed into town on a stripped down single speed. Wayne is a homeless-by-choice wandering artist, camped north of the city in a state park somewhere. He rides the 20 miles into town every day to keep fit and hang around Golden Gate Park with the drummers, performers and hippy types that gather there. Wayne decided to change his plans for the day to show me around, for which I am endlessly grateful. We rode into town via the Fisherman's Wharf/North Beach route, which is packed with visitors and street vendors. Wayne is a tour guide at heart, and he pointed out all the best places to eat and visit that we passed, along with things that I never would have found on my own; back alley shops and a museum dedicated to the poets of the beat generation. After trying a few places, we eventually found the Adelaide hostel, tucked into an alley just south of Chinatown. Wayne left me here, where I've been living for the week.
My first day on the town, I went exploring with a pair of travelers from the hostel, Eilin and Johannes. They're taking a few weeks to visit the west coast, after completing a study-abroad semester in Vermont. We wandered up to the Beat Museum, hung out in Washington Square taking in the sights, and eventually walked all the way north to the Fisherman's Wharf via Lombard St, the twistiest street in San Fran, and one of the steepest. Fisherman's Wharf is the heart of the summer tourism district, so it was packed with people, restaurants, street vendors and the like. Right in the middle of all this, a group of sea lions have taken up residence in the harbor, making for an interesting tourist attraction. In the summer proper the group numbers almost 300 strong, but at the moment only about 50 or so are hanging around for the winter.
Yesterday was a busy day as well; I took my bike out to go exploring, and this proved to be an excellent decision. Everything in San Fran is within comfortable riding distance, so I crisscrossed through the various neighborhoods from 10 in the morning until 8 at night. I'll post some pictures of what I've seen as soon as I can, but for now we're being kicked out of the hostel for the day; there's come construction going on that they want us out of the way for.
-Nick

Point Reyes

Finally, some decent weather! The thermometer hit 20 for the first time this week yesterday, and I'm told it's only supposed to get hotter. That and a beauty of a tailwind make for some excellent riding. Spent last night at Bodega Dunes State Park, a nice little strip of sand about 100 miles north of San Fran. I hiked out from camp towards the beach, but gave up on my quest for the ocean after about 2 miles of rolling dunes. Maybe it's a bit more than a little strip of sand. The highway here (the California 1 for those of you following along at home) is windy, narrow, and very steep. Traffic moves slower than I can bike on the downhills, which makes for some exhilirating descents. Yesterday I made my way down 600ft of shoulderless switchbacks with a cliff face on my left and a sheer drop to the ocean on my right. Needless to say, an experience well worth the ascent that preceded. Tomorrow I'll ride into San Fran, can't wait to lock the bike up and go exploring!
- Nick

Eureka

So I crossed into California yesterday, after a week of rain and headwinds in Oregon. The clouds immediately parted, and I've had two days of sun and tailwinds. I kid you not, this state is magical. The next week is supposed to be wet again, but I'm not thinking about that at the moment, only how nice and warm it is outside! I had a short days ride today, 46 miles from Elk Prairie to the Eureka KOA. Not particularly scenic, as the 101 travels away from the coast in this region. I did take a couple of side trips towards the water during the course of the day, among them Patrick's Point State Park. Sheer cliff walls drop down to a shoreline dotted with sea stacks and a number of colonies of seals and sea lions. A stunning view, paired with the beautiful sunny weather. Yesterday afternoon at Elk Prairie I met a group of extremely Granola outdoor ed teachers preparing to lead a class of kids into the redwood forests. They were a great group, and I took full advantage of their exceptional generosity, eating dinner and breakfast with them as well as generally mooching human company around their campsite. Tomorrow I'm off to Marine Grove, a relatively flat day of about 55 miles. It's a fairly short ride, so I may take the time to check out the town of Eureka in the morning; it's supposed to be a great tourist destination, so maybe I'll see what it's all about.
-Nick

Brookings

It's taken several very wet days of travel, but I've finally made it to the border. I'm a mere five miles from California, and I'm convinced that as soon as I leave Oregon it'll be sunny days and tailwinds to San Diego. I'm kidding myself, of course, but a guy can dream. The weather is supposed to change soon, which will be nice as I'm a bit soggy at the moment. Not to mention bruised, as gravel-sized bits of hail have rocketed to earth three times in as many days. The ride today was absolutely incredible, following a cliff-edge looking out over sea stacks and gold-sand beaches. I spent last night in Humbug Mountain State Park, which is not all as dreary as the name makes it sound. The campground is nestled into the base of Humbug Mountain, a 600ft hill covered in spruce and, more often than not, shrouded in fog. While there I shared dinner with a fellow tourist from Portland, a young vegan anarchist with dreams of living completely off the grid. All in all a very interesting guy to talk to, and talk we did, until the sun dropped like a rock behind the mountains and the bugs came out in force. Today I'm camped at Harris Beach campground, but no other riders have pulled in yet. May have to brave the bugs alone tonight! Tomorrow I'll break camp as soon as the weather allows, as if the pattern holds I'll be rained in until at least 9. The rain should be followed by a brief period of sun to throw everything on the bike, followed again by another torrential downpour and intermittent drizzle throughout the day. Fingers crossed though, as the weather report says sun for tomorrow. For now, I'm off to make dinner- quinoa burritos, anyone?
-Nick

North Bend

So, good news bad news time. The good news is that the hills have subsided, and I have a new camera which I've been taking many pictures with. The bad news is that the wind has turned into a headwind, gusting 50mph, and it's been dumping rain for the past two days. Bad news regardless, my spirits are high, and I've even found some companions to pedal with. Met Walter and David, two recent graduates of University of Michigan Engineering up at Beverly Beach, and have been riding with them for two days. Came across the Oregon Sand Dunes National Recreation Area yesterday, which were absolutely beautiful, even in the rain. I would've enjoyed them more, however, if I hadn't promptly gotten myself stung by a bee upon my arrival. Waiting for anaphylaxis to kick in is never fun, but luckily I didn't react at all; I must have grown out of my childhood allergy. I did get an excellent night's sleep out of the episode though, as the antihistamines I took put me out like a light for 12 hours straight. I'm unfortunately out of posting time, as my computer has a time limit, but if i think of anything more I'll be sure to include it in my next post, which should see me approaching the Californian border!
-Nick