October 28, 2015 – Sun, 80 degrees

Miles Today: 70

Miles to Date: 9,129

States to Date: 25

The bike path south along the Pacific Coast Highway is well marked and worth hopping back and forth across US 101 in order to enjoy the times the path hugs the ocean. Along one four-mile stretch the route stretches along a seawall where wave overspray refreshes riders. In another section I rode tight to RV’s set up along the shore. I felt like a voyeur checking out the middle-aged people lounging on their chairs, smoking and staring out to sea. Seemed boring to me, but relaxing is not my forte.

The path dissipates in Ventura, so I traveled though the center of this pop legend town. It’s got a good vibe, but more second hand shops per strip of storefront than any town in America. All signs of bike path disappeared east of town. It took some time to find my way to Oxnard, but once I did, I sailed east past the flat farmland with a strong tailwind. Going eighteen miles an hour without having to pedal is like being on an amusement ride!

All good things must pass, and eventually I had to climb Potrero Road, a few miles of very steep grade that bought me to Thousand Oaks, an affluent bedroom city.

Serendipity took me past a development of Eichler houses, one of the few developers that built Modernist residences. I met several people in the well-preserved development, each of whom loved their iconic home. Note how the mailbox matches the front door. Modernists are cool control freaks.