Texas on the Pacific and DC to Pittsburgh

Ernest finds my shirt in a California Goodwill Store 

Fog begins to roll in at our last rest stop

The shirt I designed for our reunion ride

Morning on the coast 

 An interesting rock formation  I did a little research at around 2:00 AM on General Bragg. Why 2:00 AM you ask. Because the snoring was quite extraordinary last night. It was a manic mind blowing symphony that only the people without sound canceling headphones were able to enjoy. So being fully awake I Googled General Bragg and learned that he was not a great General for the Confederate Army. However, he did have some success in the Mexican War. A gentleman under his command who founded the coastal town thought highly of General Bragg and named the town after him. Someday the town will probably have a new name. I eventually feel back to sleep during a short lull in the symphony. I awoke a little tired but much more knowledgeable. 

Dean, Tim and I went to breakfast not worried about the 60 some mile day. We ate at a leisurely pace and didn’t start our ride until 9:00 AM. This was probably a mistake. After 20 miles into the ride we lost Tim. He was behind us and somehow took the wrong turn on a highway that didn’t have any turns. We waited an hour and a half at the first rest stop. He finally showed up claiming his Garmin took him on a road that was newly built. I do remember seeing it but my GPS took me the right way. After Tim found his way back we continued on our way. I have a rule when I ride with a group, “no man or woman left behind,” I know it sounds familiar but when it’s decide we’re riding as a group, we finish as a group. The last 40 miles of our ride were dangerous. We had beautiful vistas of the Pacific Ocean but we didn’t have a shoulder and Rt. 1 was a rough chip-seal road. Riding Texas roads on the Southern Tier was tough and today’s road reminded me of those terrible rough roads. There were many steep climbs with cars passing dangerously close. A relatively short day became a drudgery. I was extremely happy to reach the little seaside town of Gualala where we’re staying at the town’s community center. The town seems quaint with numerous shops and restaurants. I immediately went to the Gualala Hotel Saloon and decompressed from the harrowing ride. Thank God for beer! This evening after I return from decompressing and dinner I noticed Ernest wearing a DC to Pittsburgh shirt that I designed for our Southern Tier Reunion Ride. I asked him where he got the shirt and he told me he bought it at a Goodwill Store in Eureka, CA. I can’t imagine how one of these shirts made it to California. I only had about 25 printed. I sold a few extras that I had while I was at Ohiopyle, PA. This is a really crazy coincidence. Hopefully tomorrow’s 87 mile day is better than today’s as we make our way to San Francisco. We’ll ride into The City By the Bay on Sunday.