Day 8 (June 18)-San Miguel to San Luis Obispo

"Ignite your sense of adventure."

This quote appeared as Carolyn and I were eating Dove Dark Chocolates.  We had to laugh.  Ignited?  Done!  Now, after over 400 miles of cycling, the trick is to keep it lit.  Today's motivations were two:  1) I would be leaving the Salinas Valley and the missions' historic and pioneering feel (and this was bittersweet) to head to the coast, and 2) tomorrow is a scheduled "rest and recovery" day--a day off from biking.  We started out early this morning with Carolyn driving me back to San Miguel, where I started the climb out of the valley via Paso Robles, Atascadero and Santa Margarita.

The first ten miles or so took me through country very similiar to what I had been traveling the last two days--along the Salinas River and Southern Pacific Railroad, and in-and-out of vineyards and vegetable produce.  After passing briefly through Paso Robles, my route turned to the west, where for the next 20 miles I was among ranches and olive orchards, interspersed with a winery here and there.  Undulating hills were the fare of the day, each climbing incrementally toward the end of the watershed.  At Santa Margarita, I joined Highway 101 (and all its trucks!), and climbed up to Cuesta Pass (elevation 1,522 feet above sea level) at which point the road dives toward the ocean.  Traveling at 30+ miles per hour alongside 65 mph vehicles, I was braking all the way down to San Luis Obispo.



Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa



San Luis Obispo Creek


The setting for this mission, the fifth to be founded (1772-so far the only church we've seen that has its founding date right on the front of the building), is very different from the Salinas Valley missions.  Geographically, it is located almost midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.  Today the mission complex is literally at the center of the city of San Luis Obispo.  The mission was built next to beautiful San Luis Obispo Creek.  We ate lunch today on the patio of a restaurant overlooking that very stream.

As at many of the other missions we've visited, the church was still in use.  Today, an elaborate wedding was taking place in the old mission.  As the bridal party went off, the mission bells began to toll a melody.  Evidently, San Luis Obispo is known for its bells.

Bells at San Luis Obispo

As we've noted, each mission has a distinct belltower or bell arrangement that serves as its "signature."  This mission has five bells--three on the front side of the church and two on an adjacent side.  The bells here are named for the patron saints of the first five missions--Carlos, Diego and Antonio in front, and Gabriel and Luis on the side.  They each ring different notes.  This allows a variety of melodies and rhythms to be played.  The resulting sound is both beautiful and disconcerting (because of the competing harmonics the bells create with each other).  There was one melody played when the bride entered the church, and another an hour later when she exited the building.  During the wedding, the church was closed off to the public, so we did not get the opportunity to see the inside of the building.

The mission is known for a couple of other features.  In front of the mission is this pool with a mother bear and her cubs playing, and a statue of a little girl looking on.  (I heard several visitors commenting on the unlikelihood of that scene.)  In 1772, the mission was on the brink of starvation.  Governor Pedros Fages organized a bear hunt which saved the inhabitants from starvation.  When I was biking, I actually saw signs to watch for bears!  Each year there seems to a be a report or two in the area of some black bears roaming the streets.


Tiles on mission buildings at San Luis
Obispo

The natives were none too excited about the founding of this mission.  They displayed their disdain by shooting flaming arrows on to the grass roof of the original buildings, and were successful in destroying them more than once.  It was this event that piqued the resourcefulness of already inventive missionaries, who got the idea to bake rounded tiles and place them on the roof in place of the tule.  This was a successful strategy, and was repeated at all the other missions.

As usual, the mission garden was supremely kept.  Over the walkways were trellises which bore grapes that were hanging down (accompanied by signs not to pick the grapes).  Rather than the usual assortiment of roses, huge hydrangeas of some very unique shades colored the garden.

Young grapes growing on trellisses in the mission garden

After our time at the mission and a leisurely lunch, I found a local bike shop (Foothills Cyclery), and their mechanic Frank put on a new chain and made some adjustments to my shifters.  Thanks, Frank!  I'm now good to go for the remaining 350 miles.

We are looking forward to enjoying a relaxing day tomorrow.  Who knows what other adventures await?!

San Miguel to San Luis Obispo:  45 miles
Missions visited to date:  12
Total miles cycled on this trip:  463