I have been lurking here for awhile and not posting for a number of reasons, one of those being that up unitl now, I have just been dreaming about touring: riding, reading but not doing. Well, I just returned from a five day solo tour from San Luis Obispo to Simi Valley, California, and it was fantastic! I now know that I can do the Seattle to SLO tour in September that I'm planning. There are a few things that I learned about touring from this tour. I guess number one is that I can do it, and its not scary! Second is to put matches on my list, and third is that it does get easier as you keep peddling!

I used the, "Bicycling the Pacific Coast," book and it helped, but although I just bought this book, the fourth edition, there are already some changes on this particular route, which, when you think about it, really isn't that unusual! Those changes for anybody that is interested are that the two mile path between Refugio State Beach and El Capitan has been washed out and is no longer an option. I got "saved," by the camp host before I took off that way. Its been washed out and not likely to be repaired. The second is that the steep hill on Ortega Way (off N. Jamison way) in Santa Barbara, is rerouted for bicyclist. There is now a bike path that parallels the freeway that circumvents the freeway and that steep hill! (Its right at the beginning of the steep hill on Ortega Way.)

I've learned alot here that helped me make my journey a success...so thank you! Looking forward to contributing a little more on this forum and to my next tour!