Day 2...The Torture Continues
Miles - 100
Time - 2.5 hours
I don't think either of us were very happy about having to wake up this morning...let alone get up. We were both feeling the "newness" of riding--physically speaking. My legs didn't fall asleep today, but my sits bones are so tender and I'm in constant need of a shoulder massage.
Now, I know that a lot of you are shocked and surprised at the great distances we've logged each day, and it's amazing how fast we're traveling, but I just want to let you all know that we're doing just fine with our glacial-esque pace. We're in the running for a world record of something for sure! (Possibly with plate-tecntonics.)
Today we got lost trying to find the freeway in Salinas after taking a detour and I think we made a loop around the town looking for Highway 101. (Christian René was right, we should've followed the Highway Patrol car...he confessed begrudgingly.)
Anyway, our top speed is about 65 mph but our average speed is around 60 mph. Needless to say, we're not going very fast. The up-side to this is that we're never worried about being pulled over for speeding. And no, we're not worried about getting pulled over for going too slow, either.
Our plan today was to go to Hearst Castle and then camp at the San Simeon State Park but that plan changed when we realized how tired we were and also how close we were to Paso Robles and a possible FREE upgraded hotel room with a pool, hot tub and exercise room included. What would YOU do????
BEFORE the rest......
So, we pulled over at a rest stop, called, and made a reservation for some much needed R&R. My butt was very grateful, and so were my shoulders. We stretched and walked and took a few pictures. We're still having fun.
AFTER the rest......
After we were checked out by a throng of hotel workers and passers by (because we look so cool) and checked in to the hotel, we unloaded the bikes with the aid of that special contraption invented to make all travelers who are far from home with way too much stuff and shuttled our gear to our small piece of heaven.
Scenic Paso Robles
Next came lunch... We took Maggie (the F650--my motorcycle). It was just the two of us, like old times, zipping around town for fun. She (Maggie) was light on her wheels and a joy to ride sans all the heavy gear.
We ate sushi and walked around the quaint little square/downtown area of Paso Robles. They have some really fun shops; we stopped in one and I tried on some cute shoes, after all I am still a girl! I still love cute shoes, regardless of my all-to-attractive biker-chic look, complete with my ski-boot-like riding boots, my messy hair, no lip gloss and a downgrading of accessories and jewelry. I am, however, glad that my fingernails and toenails were very nicely painted just before our departure, so that eased my mind of being put in the I-don't-care-how-I-look-because-I'm-a-hardcore-biker category. I am still trying to figure out how to do my hair so that I don't have "helmet-head" all the time.
Heaven On Earth
Anyway, enough about all that. We came back to the hotel and retired to the hot tub. Boy was it heavenly. We got in and practically melted with relaxation. Christian René was actually floating face down in the water he was so relaxed! (Cute for the first 30 seconds, but slightly disconcerting after he began to turn blue! hahahaha) It was just what we needed; I've never been so happy to be a hot tub in my life. I think whenever we have a house, we're going to have a hot tub installed!
Yadda, yadda, yadda, we have been relaxing to the therapeutic comedy of The Big Bang Theory.
I don't think either of us realized how physically tiring daily-riding would be for either of us. We sound like wimps, I know. But, imagine it like this--it's like being pushed over and over for 2.5 hours and having to resist, sort of like one of those old time inflatable punching bags for kids. It's also equivalent to typing on a desk a little too high for you to be comfortable and typing for hours. As far as hands go, it's like doing squeezing exercises over and over. The resistance may not be very much but the repetition is tiring. A veritable full-body work-out. Surprisingly, my feet are tired too! I don't have any idea why that may be, but a foot rub is always in order at the end of the day...or, at least that's what I tell Christian René! (wink, wink) It feels like I've walked as far as I've driven.
