Day 26: San Simeon to Arroyo Grande, CA

Day 26 and only 2 more days until we arrive in Ventura, CA.  Its hard to believe we've been on the road for nearly a month, but my sore bum reminds me that we have. Sunday's ride from San Simeon to Arroyo Grande was a short 52 miles. Because check-in at the hotel in Arroyo Grande wasn't until 3 pm our guides, Cye and Michelle, tried to discourage us from starting our ride too early. Maybe it was force of habit or simply the collective knowledge of being so close to our final destination, but most of us had our gear packed and our tires pumped by 7 a.m.  

The first part of our ride was on Cabrillo Highway (also known as the Pacific Coast Highway)  where we continued to enjoy views of the ocean. A short detour into the seaside town of Cayucos found us having arrived for the Sunday farmer's market and antique fair. By then the morning was starting to warm up so I decided to stop for a latte and croissant. Twenty minutes later I was back on the road peddling towards  Arroyo Grande.  

Cayucos is the Chumash word for "kayak," or "canoe," which was used by the Chumash people to fish in the bay, particularly in the rich kelp beds just north of the current Cayucos pier. In 1842, Martin Olivera and Vincente Feliz received the Rancho Moro y Cayucos Mexican land grant. In 1867, Captain James Cass settled on 320 acres of this land, and founded the town of Cayucos. 

Turkey vultures perched on a rock south of San Simeon.

I suppose with only a population of 18 everyone must live in harmony with one another or maybe not, which might account for the small population. Hum, sounds like another good setting for an Alfred Hitchcock movie. 

Farmer's market in Cayucos

South of Cayucos was Morro Rock. The rock is really a "volcanic plug" created thousands of years ago when magma hardened within a vent on a then active volcano. The Chumash tribe considers Morro Rock to be a sacred site and although it is illegal for the general public to climb the rock, the Chumash people are permitted to climb Morro Rock for their annual solstice ceremony.   

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