At Monterey, we woke up completely soaked again. I was close to having a good old temper tantrum because we were now into the third day in a row of this nonsense and because the previous evening was clear, the rain was completely unexpected. 

Before departing, we decided to do something about our lagging personal hygiene and to find a laundromat to care for our wet clothing and other saturated belongings. There was a hotel nearby and it had a pool. We snuck in and immersed ourselves in the water. It was wonderful to put my head under water and to feel the filth coming off my body. Hopefully, the filtration system handled it. Nobody at the hotel seemed to care that we had crashed their pool.

At the laundromat, we basically took over the place. When the lady who managed it walked in, she stopped and did a double-take because we had stuff hanging everywhere. Ultimately, she was got over the initial shock and a short while later, we emerged clean, dry, and with what seemed a new lease on life.

The ride out of Monterrey included the bike path of Fort Ord (7th Infantry Division) Army Base. We saw an operating tank doing maneuvers, which was the first time I had ever seen a tank that was not on television. The Army had miles of undeveloped beachfront at that time. Maybe they still do but I cannot confirm because I've never been back. Then and now, that property has to be worth a fortune.

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We stopped at a Kmart Store, in the town of Seaside, to get some sweat pants for further protection from the elements. Later, we bypassed Castroville and rode through a large expanse of Artichoke fields.

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Later on, we got back onto Highway 1. At a roadside fruit stand, we loaded up on produce, mostly for later... and decided to munch on some before resuming our trek. As we were standing there, Mark, the German cyclist we had camped with a few nights ago, rode up.  According to my notes, he had gone to San Luis Obispo to get a new pedal. Then he rode back through Big Sur and was headed to Gilroy. He had experienced the same unpleasant weather conditions as we had. He continued on his way and we wished him well.

Highway 1 was very windy and well traveled. After getting blown around by the wind and tossed by speeding semis for 10 miles, we turned onto Salinas Road. The wind and the traffic calmed down considerably. We passed through a small farming town called Pajaro with small homes, farming accessory stores, and produce stands. It was a peaceful and pleasant place. Watsonville had the same sort of vibe, only it was a larger community. The decision to leave Highway 1 was a good one. The pastoral agricultural scenery continued all the way to Santa Cruz.

A couple of fellows we talked with in a country store took a keen interest in helping us to determine our route for tomorrow. It seemed that by having taken this alternative route, we have interacted with people on a more personal level than if we had stayed on Highway 1. Most of the other bicycle road warriors take that road and bypass these small farming communities. For us, seeing these localities and conversing with the residents was a key part of this tour. While it may not have started out that way, the pleasant encounters we had experienced so far made us anticipate more of them, even to the point of seeking them out. 

Upon reaching Santa Cruz, we met a commuting cyclist and rode with him for a bit. He directed us to the campus of UCSC and offered us a place to stay at his home, should we not be successful elsewhere. That was really nice of him but we did not end up having to impose. After a 3-mile climb, we made it onto the campus proper. At the field house, we were permitted to shower... the first real one since Saturday (May 9th). 

After leaving the field house, we rode through the beautiful campus road, lined with magnificent trees that were part of an arboretum consisting of pines, redwoods, sequoias, and other local species. We were directed to a coffee shop that had brews from all over the world. 

Back in 1981, such establishments were nowhere near as common as they are today. Since it was new to us, we decided to check the place out.

This college was beautiful and everyone we met was very friendly. We hung out at the coffee shop, which was an informal study hall, as well. Working on our journals allowed us to blend in, as much as was possible for a couple of scruffy cyclists on the campus of what was obviously a prestigious university.

Later on, we learned about a lounge, in a dormitory, that had a television. Our favorite pro basketball team, the Boston Celtics, were playing in the NBA Finals. Moses Malone, who then played for the Houston Rockets, said that he could get four other guys from his hometown (Petersburg, Virginia) and beat the Celtics. That didn't work out too well for hum, as the Celtics took notice of his comments and took that game. The Celtics won the NBA championship that year. Watching the game with some UCSC students enhanced the whole experience. Everyone was cheering for the Celtics. Afterwards, Paul and I went out into the cold night and ended up camping in a small grove of trees, on campus and on a hill overlooking the town and the ocean. It doesn't get any better than that.