It's All About the Zoom Zoom

---

The day started off with disappointment: all of the campgrounds between SF and Monterey were full (all but one were first-come first-serve, so this time it was not due to our lack of planning regardless of an inability to do so). Scrambling to find somewhere to sleep, we found the library in Monterey had free wireless internet and located a campground called Laguna Seca 10 minutes away near Salinas, CA. As we pull up to the campground with fingers and toes crossed, we were greeted by a very nice ranger who must have had a very strong prescription for medical marijuana informing us that there was one spot left and we could have it for 2 nights! (since we skipped one stop due to being full, we had an extra night to spend in Monterey) We are driving up to the actual site and we see a sign reading "Welcome to the Mazda Roadway at Laguna Seca." Seriously? We stumbled across a test raceway for Mazda? Yes, yes we did. The campground was very nice and atop a very large hill, with the best stargazing of the trip. The cars speeding around the track during the day provided some entertainment and we even noticed one of the 'wet tracks' like you see on commercials where they are intentionally fishtailing all over the place. The sign on the way to the race area summed it up perfectly, "It's all about the Zoom Zoom!"

Our exploration of Monterey included the Monterey Aquarium and Cannery Row. Although overly touristy, the behind the scenes tour at the aquarium was well worth the extra 12 dollars and the sea otters were great to watch (although much better in person in Ucluelet). Since we had an extra day with a little too much energy as we didnt cycle in SF, we did a day ride on 17 Mile Drive to check out Pebble Beach. Our preconceived notions of a level easy ride near the coast were shattered with continual climbs and descents through the many golf resorts, but it was a great ride with great scenery. One very odd observation was that there were 4 British pubs in downtown Monterey (not a very large town). Eric insisted that we patronize one since they served Yorkshire Pudding and we had a very nice meal with a server with a similar prescription as the park ranger (they might be friends). All in all, a very nice unexpected two-day stop in central California. Also, did you know, Gilroy is the artichoke capital? Not many entries remain as the trek begins to come to a close. The trio heads into SoCal through LA and then the final destination of San Diego! The itinerary is set (almost all campgrounds are booked, so changes have been made), and it promises to be a great last two weeks! Next on the Summer Adventure: Venice Beach or Bust (and some more cycling)!

---