Not gonna lie: the first two hours of this day sucked. I didn't have any coffee, the overcast sky turned the Pacific lead gray, and I couldn't find a good place to pee along the 1.
My fortunes changed when I spied an IHOP in Goleta. I may have been the only American who had never eaten at an IHOP, but I rectified that sorry state of affairs right then and there. I drank a full pot of coffee and ate a plate of Eggs Benedict (I don't love eggs, but I need a ton of protein, and eggs provide some of it), then rolled my happy bootie on down the coast.
Santa Barbara was hopping, but I didn't stop again til Carpinteria. This small town won my heart during my first AIDS/LifeCycle ride, when I was worn out and lonely until an entire cafe there stood up and clapped while I rode by. I stopped at that cafe and ate a slice of key lime pie that was so good it made me want to smack my grandmama.
The ride through Ventura was fast and fun, as usual, following the excellent bike path along the water pretty much all the way to the navy base at Port Hueneme. I checked into a discount hotel where I had to pay a deposit for incidentals that included "strong odors." With questions about hygiene in mind, I slept in my sleeping bag that night as my laundry dried in the gentle breeze of the aircon.
Miles: 74
Climbing: 1.4K ft
Song: "Fly" by Sugar Ray