October 12, 2022
Day 33 - San Simeon to Pismo Beach
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I woke well rested and happy I'd made the decision to go inn to inn. I ate a continental breakfast in my room with items purchased at the market the night before and was out the door by 7:30 am, pleased by how much easier it was to get ready and surprised by how conditioned I'd become to an early day.
The weather was still overcast and somewhat gloomy, though, and I hoped for sun later in the day. It had been nearly 3 days since I'd felt more than a few minutes of sun while cycling, and I was beginning to crave it.
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There were a couple long, but gradual (nothing over 7%), climbs in the first 16 miles. At the top of one of the hills I caught up with Colleen from the tour group. We rode together for a bit, stopping in Cayucos at the pier for a companionable rest and snack.
I went ahead of Colleen after the stop, staying on Hwy 1 into Morro Bay. As I approached the bay, I was intrigued by the sight of the various creeks and tributaries feeding into the bay, which gave me the impression of a sea marsh. Not sure if that's a real term or not, but it works for me.
Coming into Morro Bay, the route took me off Hwy 1 and onto Main Street, which continued to follow the water and through Morro Bay State Park. I'm not sure why, but I didn't take any pictures as I passed by. Perhaps it was the gloom, or perhaps it was the knowledge that I had a big climb coming up and wanted to get it over with.
Around 12:30, the sun miraculously appeared and all the clouds disappeared as if by magic. Maybe I really was in southern California after all!
As I arrived in Pismo Beach, I stopped to enjoy the view of the birds congregating on a rock, as they so often do (and visit a public restroom). As I leaned my bike onto the railing next to the cliff, I was surprised to see that just below where I stood there was a pelican rookery. The birds were not at all disturbed by my presence.
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From there, I made my way to the campground at Pismo Beach. I needed to set out my rain fly to dry (it had been packed wet in my gear bag two days before) and thought I might stay and help set up for dinner. While I waited for the fly to dry, I set up the tables, camp stove, and set out some snacks. The campground looked fairly nice — spacious and with decent facilities. But, again, no electricity or cell service.
I decided to have dinner on my own and around 3:00 left the campground and rode the 1.5 miles back north into Grover Beach, my stop for the night. The gentleman at the desk of the Pacific Inn (a budget motel a la Motel 6) let me check in early, and the accommodations were ... okay. Cleanish. At this point, I was just going for cheap, warm, and dry, and it was certainly all that.
There was a sushi restaurant, Sushi 805, right around the corner from the Pacific Inn. I asked the desk clerk about if was any good, and he said he didn't know. They had some good reviews on Yelp, so I decided to give it a try. Though the ambiance of the restaurant definitely needs upgrading — it feels a bit like Denny's — it turned out to be a good choice; the food was excellent and well presented. However, I also discovered that my lips were badly wind or sunburned when I ate the spicy tuna roll. I drank 3 glasses of ice water in an unsuccessful attempt to put out the fire. A dessert of green tea ice cream helped :-).
Today's ride: 59 miles (95 km)
Total: 1,371 miles (2,206 km)
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