6: Strawberry fields forever

This was a day to remember. We had fantastic weather, the anticipated headwinds never really showed up, and the scenery was beautiful.  Mark Friis, if you are reading this, you are going to have to put together a tour through these country roads some day!


We began by rolling through the strawberry fields of Nipomo.  If you are having strawberries from California with your breakfast, odds are they are coming from somewhere near here.

I would love to see the machine that prepares the fields like this!

The fields stretch on, well - forever! At least it seems that way.  Riding by the fields, you can smell their sweet scent.

"Bicycle Bandanna Berry Basket"

We had to stop for some berries at one of the local stands. They were delicious - sweet, with a slight snap and crunch to them.  When we traveled by bike before, we stopped at a fruit stand and I learned that you cannot carry berries in your panniers. So I used my bandanna to make a little sling for them, and they rode along just fine until we got to Pismo Beach, where they made a fine addition to breakfast.











So are we in Texas now?  Pumpjacks and drills?  No, this is just up the road from San Luis Obispo.

And while I know that they are invasive, non-native plants, I have to say that the wild mustard is so beautiful along the roads!















And I take some small comfort knowing that, in a pinch, we could stay alive by eating it.

This was all on the way up to our first named pass - which at 1552 feet hardly qualifies. But it was a long slog to get up it.

Other highlights on this day: the ride off the summit, along through the valley toward Atascadero.  It felt really good to ride along at a good clip after trudging up that climb.  And certainly we were glad to stop a spell at Firestone Walker Brewery, right on the edge of Paso Robles, where we enjoyed our reward!