San Diego Layover

How luxurious to stay in the Hostel International, Gas Light District, for 4 nights. I’m in a dorm room, lots of rest, continental breakfast, lots of coffee, then lots of TV, just like I do whenever I stay in a hotel. TV has a cleansing quality, removing all intelligent thought from the mind. In small doses, can be a good thing. Maybe?

The mental challenge has been to figure out the Baja extension of the tour. I spend days viewing websites, messaging Barb, looking at Google Maps. Plans morph into a 48 hour, 1200 mile round trip bus ride to La Paz, then cycling around the lower peninsula, which is called “Los Cabos” proper. Means “The Cape”. I’m looking at my timing, needing to be back at the restaurant for Thanksgiving.

I’m not thrilled about 48 hours on a bus, then staying at the RV parks around Cabo, and being more of a tourista than a cyclist. Just not my style. The goal #1 of this trip has always been to ride. To skip Baja California north, well, that is kind of cheating. And in the end, I simply don’t have the time to ride all the way down.

My decision is reached talking with Seth back at the restaurant. I’m ready to start the trek back home. And this year, I will ride the stretch from San Diego back to San Francisco. That will be another 600 miles. Yes! Seth suggests I fly down to Baja, maybe later. Hmmm, a spring bike tour? I could Amtrak to LA, then ride…