Santa Maria to Solvang

I set my alarm for 6:00. When it went off, I tried to remember why I set it so early. It must have been because of the 6:00 opening time for breakfast. So I went to breakfast at 6:45. I was the only one in the restaurant. I had the continental buffet – juice, coffee, oatmeal, fresh (unripe) fruit and scones. My stomach was giving me signals from my mega-beef dinner the night before, so I didn’t eat very much.

I packed up and left the hotel at 8:20. I rode with Ruth and Darrell for the first 12 miles. We passed Rod and Howard along the way. Darrell sets a fast pace. I decided to back off and take some photos after pacelining at 17-20 MPH. I rode the rest of the way solo. The weather became warm where arm and leg warmers were no longer necessary.

We started out of Santa Maria through more rich farmland. This continued after 6 miles where we turned onto Foxen Canyon Road which we followed for the next 29 miles. After several miles, the farms disappeared and the vineyards appeared. From then on, vineyards were interspersed with vacant land.

I had ridden on Foxen Canyon Road several years ago, but I didn’t remember any of it. It was very flat for the first few miles. Then it gradually climbed with a couple of steeper pitches. I passed many wineries, but I was too early to visit them. The two I remember are Zaca Mesa and Fess Parker.

I was stopped at the side of the road to take off extra clothing when a woman stopped in her SUV and asked me if I knew where Michael Jackson’s ranch is. Of course I couldn’t help her. I told her I thought it was near Santa Barbara but she insisted it was on Foxen Canyon Road.

I reached Solvang before noon. It was a beautiful ride on almost traffic-free roads. Here is a link to my route.

It was too early to check into my room, so I locked my bicycle, put my bicycle bags in the van, got my sandals out of my suitcase and walked over to a Danish cafe and bakery for lunch. I had a Danish chicken salad sandwich on sourdough break, a Danish pink lemonade, a Danish bear claw for dessert and a dozen Danish butter cookies to go.

I got into my room at the Hotel Corque (isn’t that cute for a wine country hotel?) around 1:30. It’s a real nice hotel run by an Indian tribe that also owns a nearby casino. (There are shuttle buses to and from the casino).

I spent the afternoon killing time by walking around town and resting in my room. Solvang has grown a lot since I was here before. I don’t recognize many of the buildings (i.e. hotels). It looks like there are new streets for all of the vendors.

Our last group dinner was tonight. We ate at the hotel’s restaurant. The food was excellent. For starters, I had an iceberg lettuce salad. It had a whole head of lettuce cut in two. One half had a blue cheese dressing. The other had a vinaigrette. My entree was a huge pork chop. For dessert we had a custard-like pudding that had a crust like creme brulee. We gave the Sterlings a card of appreciation signed by everyone.

I am back in my room and it’s nearing 9:00. I’m going to read for a while and then go to sleep.