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| Paul, this road angel, greeted me in the middle of nowhere with maps, food, a smile, questions, encouragement, information and conversation on my way to Monterey and beyond. Three days a week he waits for bicyclists to cycle by him. |
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| Painting in Santa Cruz |
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| Maybe the theme of my trip, maybe the theme of my life. (Learning it, that is.) |
The big change is that I have 333 miles to go to LA so I have decided to honor this "slow coast" by riding to LA, then taking the train back to Salt Lake City. There is so much to see, to enjoy. I wonder who I would be if I had grown up here in this climate (emotional, political and weather?) I always did like Greece better than Israel, the Mediterranean better than the desert.
The Monterey area is where John Steinbeck lived and wrote. I begin The Grapes of Wrath today on my journey. Only fitting because its about the plight of humanity during the Depression. In some ways we are there again with great disparities of wealth and abuses of power.
Ansel Adams also lived in the area, in Carmel. His ability to see and his mastery of the chemistry and the technology of "wet" photography is still unequaled.
Today I head to Big Sur, one of the most beautiful areas on the planet. Paul the Road Angel encouraged me to go. The road is still closed to vehicles and but "sort of" open to bicyclists. Here goes. See you on the other side.
What a cool chance meeting with Paul. Great way to spend time. Looking at the ocean and waiting for people to assist. We've got 2 inches of fresh snow on the ground, so you're not missing anything here. Slow Coast, slow food, slow life! Nice.
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