To La Jolla

December 11, 2021

We have another long drive ahead of us so we’re out the door early, not long after seven. We might have gone earlier but we’re waiting for the nearby Target to open. We’re stopping by for an important errand that Rachael is excited about.

Rachael was quite unhappy when we were assembling our gear for the ride up Hog Canyon two days ago and we couldn’t find the handlebar mount for her GoPro. We’ve lost track of the number of times there’s been an issue like this at the start of the trip, but here we are again. Yesterday morning she ordered a new one from Amazon, to be delivered to a lock box in Tucson. It was listed to be delivered within five business days of shipment, so that’s not too bad - it should arrive in Tucson not long after we do, she imagines.

Last night she got an email from them confirming the purchase and stating that shipment would occur sometime in early February! She cursed Amazon, then did so a few more times, and then canceled the order. I suggested she browse around to see if she could find a different supplier, and she found a surprising one - the SLO Target. They have exactly one in stock, you can order it online and pick it up at the store, and the store opens at seven AM. Incredible. Video soon!!

It’s a long, slow, stressful drive to La Jolla. Thinking back, I realize I’ve never driven through this part of California before. We drove as far south as Morro Bay last winter before turning east; and we picked up a rental in San Diego and drove east from there; but there’s this 300 mile gap in the middle that’s new to us, and includes Los Angeles.

The drive goes about as you’d imagine, but at least it’s a dry, sunny day and visibility is good. We stop once at the viewpoint at San Marcos Pass and once for a pit stop and leg stretch at a cafe somewhere, but other than that it’s just a long tense spell behind the wheel. Traffic is dense the entire way, and very inconsistent - for miles it moves along at 80-85 mph; then for no obvious reason we’re suddenly crawling at 15-20 or intermittently at a full stop.

We arrive in La Jolla at around 3. Rachael takes off to the store and to stretch her legs for an hour, but I’m in need of a vegetation break so I hop up on the bed and finish yesterday’s post.

Image not found :( — San Marcos Pass. This part of the drive, on scenic Highway 154 through the Santa Ynez Mountains, is quite beautiful. It looks like it could be an exhilarating bike ride if it weren’t for all these cars and the absence of a shoulder.

We’re in La Jolla as an afterthought. We were booked for a three night stay in San Diego until thankfully Rachael noticed at the last minute they can’t accommodate bikes. This is a surprise, because we stayed at this hotel two years ago on our return from Iberia and they allowed them at that time. We’re reluctant to leave them in the car in a big city for three nights so we look around and find this place in La Jolla instead.

I don’t know why it never occurred to us to stay in La Jolla before. We’ve biked through here three times previously on a day ride and two short multi day tours starting from nearby San Diego. Each time we’ve been charmed by its rocky, stunningly beautiful waterfront with its cliff faces and beach littered with pelicans, cormorants and sea lions. We’ve always felt torn when it came time to move on, so it’s a mystery why we never thought to actually stay overnight here. Now that we’ve decided to, we’re very excited about it.

At 4:30 I’m just wrapping up yesterday’s blog and Rachael reminds me of the priorities. It’s almost sundown and I wanted to go down and look at the rocks and ocean at sunset. We hustle out the door and quick walk the few blocks to the waterfront where we find the anticipated seals, cormorants, gulls and Pelicans in abundance - as well as a throng of happy onlookers like us enrapt with the scene.

We’re a bit late for the best photography, but we’ll be back tomorrow night and the next. We hang around enjoying the scene for about a half hour and then walk across town to the restaurant Rachael booked us into for dinner. We have an inside table reserved, but it’s such a fine night out - no wind, still fairly warm, there’s good outdoor heating, there’s a half moon above in the clear sky - that we opt for an outdoor table instead.

Three nights here in this magical place are going to fly by. I’m missing the place already and anxious to come back someday.

Wonderful. Who could ever tire of looking at these amazing creatures?

On the beach, threaded between the seals and the surf.

The hotel’s fine with bringing the bikes inside. We leave them on the balcony, confident they won’t exceed the weight limit.

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