Los Angeles to Morro Bay

A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.
Lao Tzu

For my first bicycle tour I went from Los Angeles to Morro Bay.

• 
  Goleta Pier
  
• 
  Foxen Canyon Road. Featured in the movie Sideways
• 
  Foxen Canyon Road
  
• 
  Santa Barbara
  
• 
  Solvang
  
• 
  Missile Park, Port Huemene
  
• 
  Gaviota Tunnel. I decided to walk through the tunnel
  
• 
  University Santa Barbara. I took this picture to show how many students ride bicycles.
  
• 
  Leo Carillo Campground
  
• 
  Morro Bay
  
• 
  Malibu Pier
  
• 
  Carpenteria State Beach. The Hike and Bike Area.
  

To get ready I installed a front rack and bought a new pannier for the back. The front rack is a Old Man Mountain rack which worked out very well. I was too cheap to buy a match set for the rear so I had a right yellow and a black left pannier. I should have purchased a handle bar bag for my wallet and camera. Instead I spent the trip searching through my panniers for small items I could have put in that bag.

Planning is not my strong suit so I basically decided where I would stay on my first and second night which was at state campgrounds. For the rest of the week I thought I would just wing it. Having never tried a tour on a bicycle and having no idea how far I could ride, I found it hard to foresee where I would end up. I wanted to make it to San Luis Obispo, so my wife and I planned on staying at a bed and breakfast when I got up there.

Starting Out

I planned on leaving on a Monday, but of course all morning I was still working on the bike racks and panniers to make sure they were right. At two o’clock I finally took off heading for Santa Monica. After a half hour riding I got down to the Santa Monica pier and was heading along Pacific Coast highway.

The first two nights I stayed at the campgrounds as planned, but the next two nights I stayed at hotels. The first time I stayed in a hotel was because I was tired and I wanted to stay in Goleta. The next night I ended up in Santa Maria and there were no campgrounds I could use there. The last night I stayed in San Luis Obispo at a bed and breakfast with my wife who drove up to meet me. The next morning I finished my trip by riding up to Morro Bay. We then loaded the bike on the car and rode back to Los Angeles.

Stayed At	Date
Leo Carrillo State Park	October 27
Carpenteria State Beach	October 28
Hotel in Goleta	October 29
Hotel in Santa Maria	October 30
Bed and Breakfast in San Luis Obispo	October 31