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5/15/81-University of California at Santa Cruz (UC SC) to Half Moon Bay (HMB), 56 miles + HMB to Burlingame and San Mateo, 14 miles = 70 miles total.

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Description of Events:

May 15, 1981: We camped, on the campus of UCSC (University of California at Santa Cruz), in a big field overlooking the harbor below. Thankfully, we awoke to the first dry morning in awhile. It was, however, quite chilly. We had breakfast in a McDonalds before taking on Highway 1 and the wind again. The sweat pants I bought on Thursday have quickly become essential gear. Although the wind and cold were bone chilling at times, the coast was beautiful and continued to amaze us. 

It remained very windy and cold for the 11 miles to Davenport. There, we stopped again at a local cafe to warm up. My wool sweater was ripping along one of the seams under my right arm pit and down the side. While discussing how to repair it with the waitress, she offered to fix it for me. The place was not too busy, so she took the sweater and mended it right there. The kindness of the people we have met so far has been completely unexpected and most appreciated. I'll bet most waitresses in cafes today are not carrying needle and thread on their persons. I miss 1981.

The sun was out but the cold and the strong wind continued. We were going forward very slowly when we decided to stop at Pescadero State Beach (PSB) for a break. Half Moon Bay lay 14 miles further ahead but we decided to have a makeshift lunch on some rocks overlooking the water at PSB. While munching on our sandwiches, some sand next to us started flying and a rodent popped out of the ground. He started eating little flowers and didn't seem to mind at all that we were sitting there watching him with amusement and wonder. 

Further along the road, we passed another lighthouse as the wind seemed to calm down. But then, the hills became more frequent and difficult. Despite all of the adversity, we made it to Half Moon Bay around 2:30 PM. The place was beautiful but any thoughts of taking a dip in the Pacific were quelled by wild looking seas, and extremely cold wind. We stopped to warm up at a fast food joint that lay at the intersection of CA-1 and CA-92. The latter road would be the one we would take to get to our destination for the day.

CA-92 involved a climb over the coast range of mountains that separated us from the Bay Area. About 2 miles into the ride on 92, we met what seemed to be a huge hill consisting of 3 miles of winding, narrow, and uphill riding with an increased traffic load to boot. We literally rode up and into the clouds, becoming enveloped in a foggy mist... as if all of the previously mentioned conditions did not make this challenging ride dangerous enough. Apparently, we survived it.

Once we crested the summit, there was a 4-mile downhill ride into the valley below, where the sun returned and it got warmer. We were to meet a friend from LA... Ann, who was working in the area. We stopped to see her at the store she was managing. Two wild and wooly road warriors busting into the store must've been quite a sight but she was happy to see us and said we could stay with her for as long as we would like. 

Ann told us to meet her at a place called Bar 12, in Burlingame. There, Bruce the Bartender, would be expecting us. We rode over to the place, made fast friends with Bruce, and settled in. Bruce had complete control over the raucous watering hole. He knew about everything that was happening and had a hand in most of it. He adeptly directed the ongoing activities in the place, calling out anyone who was becoming too rowdy or inappropriate. Nobody messed with Bruce or gave him any back talk. He was obviously respected and in complete control.

Ann came along after work and we ended staying there until well after dark. We had a lot of laughs. Apparently, I fell asleep at one point with my head down on the bar for a few minutes. It had been a long stretch of riding, during which time, we had not been inside and warm for any significant periods. I think I finally got completely relaxed and took a cat nap. Bruce later said, "You owned that corner." That was hilarious.