Well, I awoke early after a night of little sleep to the roaring of motorcycle engines as the group of very enthusiastic motor-bikers started their day. I checked out of the Chula Vista Best Western and explored the area. It was full of used car dealerships and auto shops with the usual sprinkling of restaurants and dry-cleaners. As I passed a Mexican restaurant, I was surprised to see the mariachi band in full dress uniform practicing out front so early in the morning. They were having a grand time! What really cracked me up, though, was the van sitting outside a "home-style buffet" restaurant that had four sofas and two mattresses hanging off its top. Quite the sight to behold! I stopped for some lunch at IHOP and amazed my waiter as I wolfed down a very large breakfast. After pulling my luggage to the Palomar Inn, I enjoyed the sunshine while waiting outside for the Adventure Cycling van.
Our camp was at the Salt Creek Community Center on Otay Lakes Rd. just outside of Chula Vista. Camille was already waiting for me there and I set up my tent, a bit nervous about what was to come. We had our first map meeting and general introduction before we got on to the main event--dinner. :) While downing our hamburgers, we all discussed the next day's killer climbs and how long it had been since we'd last ridden, etc. I was relieved to know that I wasn't the only one who was more than a bit intimidated by the statistics of our riding. As the sun set, it quickly cooled off and we headed to our tents for the night. As I was still in a state of nervous excitement, sleep proved elusive.
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