Day 6: Lompoc to Ventura
We woke up to rain this morning. Luckily I “princessed” at Brian’s house in Lompoc last night, so I was fortunate to not be one of the many who woke up with a lake inside their tents. I was whining about riding in the rain, and was slow to get moving, but I put on my rain jacket and went out to ride in the pouring rain anyhow. Not much would stop me from riding every single mile of this ride.
After about a mile of riding on Hwy 1, we were all soaked. Most riders were wearing plastic trash bags to try to keep dry. I think riding conditions were quite dangerous. Visibility was low, the road was more slippery, brakes were wet, and riders weren’t leaving more distance between themselves. One rider commented that it’s a day like this that shows how much we care about our cause. We’re willing to endure such adverse conditions for what we believe in. I rode 16 miles in the worst of the rain.
When I got to Rest Stop 1, I saw a lot more riders than usual. They had announced that the route was closed due to an fatality automobile accident down the road. We had two options - ride back to Lompoc and wait for a ride to Ventura, or wait at Rest Stop 1 and wait for a bus to Ventura. Tommy and I opted to wait at the rest stop. Three buses of people left and we waited for more buses to come. We actually got back to camp in Ventura pretty early compared to most riders, especially the ones stuck at camp in Lompoc. I heard that my friend Jamie, who is a school principal in Soledad, called in a big favor to get extra school buses for us. Thanks Jamie, for helping to get everyone back to camp safely!
With most of the day spent not riding, we got to do other things. I had lunch with my parents and went home for a shower and relaxing. Others went out on the town to explore a bit.
I brought Mom and Dad back to camp in the early evening to meet some friends, check out the Dedication Tent, and to hear the evening announcements. Sean, Joe, Kyle and James were visiting camp so we hung out with them for a bit. The candlelight ceremony was quite nice, and I got to sit with David, Jerry, my sister, and Amy on the sand. I spent another night at home, just because I felt like it. The very short day, and the night at home really helped me recharge my batteries. I can’t believe there is only one day left.
2 years ago