5: Getting the groove

Today was a beautiful day on the bike. It was short, and relatively sweet, and all the parts of the bike stayed where they were supposed to, except that I had a few crossword puzzles from the paper rolled up under the bungee, and they slipped out and fell away not far from the end of our day.  (I actually feel worse about the littering than the loss of the puzzles.  Roger would not let me run back to retrieve them.  Ah, well.  With all the trash I have picked up in my life left behind by others, perhaps this is just the cosmos having a little laugh at my expense.)

We began our day with a lovely Danish and coffee in, where else, the Danish capital of America:  Solvang.  Roger thought that perhaps Pete's pastry case would turn out to be the day's highlight.  It did warrant careful consideration before selection.

Our cinnamon rolls were delicious - airy yet filling.  Why can't Redlands have a pastry shop like this?  I thought of my friend Annamae Holzhauser, whose parents used to run the Sweet Shop. Of course - they were Dutch, not Danish, but I understand they had marvelous treats.

Many of our cycling friends have come out to this part of the world to ride one of the centuries offered by the local clubs. So we are familiar with some of these roads, and always enjoy the scenery. It was spectacular today. The rolling hills and grand oaks remind me a bit of the Texas hill country outside Houston.

However, south Texas does not have the vineyards that California does!

They are beautiful - all those neat, ordered soldiers marching in rows and columns up and over the hilltops with such precision. Not a vine, not a leaf, not a tendril appears out of order. How could something so structured be at the root of bacchanalia?

I love the neat rows and columns of grapevines marching up and over the hillsides as far as you can see

We are staying at Santa Maria Pines campground, and it is sweet. Clean restrooms and showers, pool and hot tub, laundry - just $10 a person for hikers and cyclists.  Finally we have set up camp! At last we get a chance to try out all the new stuff and sleep on the ground.

Roger surveys our little home away from home

Tomorrow we will head to Paso Robles, and perhaps drink a little wine.

So good night all.