Day 68: Santa Cruz, California

Elevation gained: 1,817 ft/Miles 53/Total Miles: 3,372/ Total Fast Food: 20

I relaxed this morning knowing that it would be a short, relatively flat, ride. Taking a series of farm roads, I rolled past the first fields of strawberries being harvested, new plantings of butter, head and red lettuce and into the expanses of artichokes near Moss Landing. If Michael Pollan lived here, he would be set.

Moss Landing is a favorite of ours. As a family, we enjoy exploring the antique shops, eclectic galleries and restaurants – The Whole Enchilada is excellent – of this small fishing town. Riding the bridge over Elkhorn Slough, I paused to watch the sea otters below. I’m looking forward to getting off the pedals and getting back to other activities. Kayaking at Elkhorn is one of them.

For the remainder of the afternoon, I rode at a leisurely pace winding through Watsonville, Freedom and Aptos, along Larkin Valley Road and into Santa Cruz. It was a spectacular day along the Boardwalk. In the early season tourists, volleyball players, surfers and those sitting bundled on the beach, you sensed the promise of a summer just weeks away.

Tomorrow, I head for home. It will be interesting to see how my body reacts when I stop riding. My legs have almost become separate sentient beings. They seem to anticipate and understand a daily ride. Often, I will have covered thirty or forty miles in the morning before realizing I have been riding for so long.

“Re-entry” is going to be tough.