Beach Landing

So we dropped off our bags at our San Diego Airbnb around lunchtime and made for the coast. It was a mere 7 miles away. As soon as we saw water at the harbour Susan wanted to stop, take a photo and finish.

Really! She has no principles. Cycle over 2,800 miles and miss the last 4 miles? It reminded me of the time she wanted to take a ferry across Lake Superior and save 7 days cycling or take the ferry to Argentia on Newfoundland and save 2 weeks of cycling. She didn’t win the argument on these days and she didn’t win today. I was her moral compass. Okay, I’m not really but for the one minute discussion I was. 🤠

So here we are on the beach at the Pacific Ocean after 2,833 miles.

So how does it feel to be finished after another long cycle? Well, much the same as we felt in St John’s and Sydney. There’s just a quiet tired satisfaction it’s finally over. No great fireworks or elation. No self congratulation. It’s job done, we move on and tomorrow just becomes a day when we don’t have to cycle.

That evening, however, was the night where I could go into a San Diego craft beer bar and ask the barman which of the draft taps is local. He replied they have nearly a hundred taps and most are local. After months of drinking Bud Light I can tell you I nearly cried!

That said, we didn’t have a party as Susan was asleep by 9pm. I wanted to awaken her and get back for all those early mornings Sgt Major Sunrise cracked the whip but I don’t think even a marching band could have woken her.

We thoroughly enjoyed our journey through the southern states of America. Few people think such a way to travel is enjoyable but, thankfully, we have met on our travels through Canada, Australia and now America, lots of wonderful cyclists who think like us, enjoy life like us for a few weeks and love the adventure of long distance touring.

Every day brings adventure, small or big, and I guarantee there are few of those cyclists who won’t look back and think of these days as amongst the best of their lives. The quality of life can be judged by the stories you can tell and cycle touring certainly gives you memories to value. To everyone we have met on our tours – keep cycling! ‘Do not go gentle into that good night’.

Okay back to the practical. So the wheels held up once the spokes were replaced and we had a nice round number of 20 punctures. Apart from a leaking gear lever that was sorted by tightening a screw we had no other mechanical issues. The bike is engineered and built to last. We really do put it through some punishment on the road.

After the beach we cycled the few miles back to the Airbnb. We were tired and very weary. At the corner of our street I saw a sign and took a photograph in the fading afternoon light.

So we did.

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