SLO 3

vertical rat or dirty sea dog

Today, I had my eyes on the ocean and my back to the rolling hills. A thick layer of fog hovered above the coastal mountains, not yet ready to unveil a warm blue sky. I rode my bike from the port of San Luis past Avila Beach, and as I went, I couldn’t help but marvel at how immense and incredible the California coast is. In a perfect world, I’d get to experience both the coast and the granite mountains within a 15-minute radius, but this isn’t a perfect world, so we have to choose what we want to be surrounded by.

For the past five years, I’ve gravitated toward the mountains. Some might be fine calling me a vertical rat, but for almost a year now, I’ve felt pulled to the coast like a fish on a line. It’s become a symbol of peace and stillness—reminding me not to sweat the small stuff. I’ve biked up and down the southern coast from Imperial Beach to Newport Beach and even parts of Ventura to Santa Barbara. I’m not sure whether to consider that central coast, southern coast, or both. Now I’m here on the central coast, which feels desolate compared to the busyness of Southern California—or maybe I’m just used to never finding parking.

I think an awesome personal challenge would be to bike-pack the entire California coast. Maybe one day…