California Winter Warmer

I can't believe that I leave tomorrow! Final packing and organizing have been the order of the day today... my first real day off in a looong while... These past few days have been marvelous as I've gotten 12 hours of sleep every night. Much needed! I feel full of energy and enthusiasm for all that lies ahead this next week. We'll see just how many up-hills that lasts! The mileage isn't much, just 231 miles in 6 days, but it's that 19,700 ft of climbing that sounds a bit more daunting.

Quoted here is the blurb from the ACA website describing the trip...

http://www.adventurecycling.org/

"A spring ride along the sunny byways of Southern California may be just what you need to clean out a winter’s worth of cobwebs. And we’re definitely not talking Hollywood Boulevard here.

Starting adjacent to San Diego in nearby Chula Vista, we’ll quickly ride past Otay Reservoir, home of a U.S. Olympic Training Center, where resident cyclists, kayakers and other athletes practice their crafts. Next, we’ll bear east toward the Jamul Mountains, no doubt witnessing evidence of the wildfires that ripped through the area in fall 2007. Driven by fierce Santa Ana winds, the fires ignited the largest evacuation in California history, but did not appreciably impact our riding route.

From Jamul, we’ll ride through the rolling, high desert before climbing into the Laguna Mountains and passing through a portion of the Cleveland National Forest and the Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, with its surprising mix of oak woodlands, pepperings of pine, and meandering creeks. The day ends in Julian, an historic gold-mining town now better known for its bounty of apple orchards…and its homemade pies—not only of apple, but of banana cream and other lip-smacking fillings.

The next morning we’ll zip down to the desert floor and ride through Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, where you may momentarily wish you were aboard a mountain bike. The largest state park in California, the Anza-Borrego encompasses some 500 miles of dirt roads. It also boasts plenty of hiking trails passing through dry washes, palm groves, and wildflower-studded open lands. After a night’s stay in the desert, we’ll return to the mountains and Julian via a different route – expect some stiff climbs – to spend another night there. Then we’ll begin a long descent back to the Pacific Coast. Setting up our last evening’s camp at San Elijo State Beach, we’ll be lulled to sleep by the sounds of crashing surf. The next day we’ll make a final dash down the coast, passing through Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Del Mar, Torrey Pines, La Jolla, and Mission Beach.