Red Dress day is over, some folks just throw their dresses away afterward, some are packed away, and some go to Goodwill.
Now get up and ride!
Day 6 is upon us.
Pack up your tent, and get on your clothes for this day’s ride. It will be cold in the morning like it always is, so arm warmers are the rule, maybe leg warmers too. Later if it gets warmer you stash them in the back of your jersey.
We head out from the Campsite on a back road that is between Highways 246 & Highway 1 – we ride for miles, slight upgrade and subtle down slopes, it all meshes together, finally we each rest stop 1.
Then we have a hill to climb, always after a rest stop we have a hill to climb that just the way it is. However after this hill, the down slope is a long one, and we ride until we reach the coast. Would be really nice, but we are on the Highway and picking up speed, the crazies pass “let them go I say” I’m all about getting there in 1 piece.
Finally we are at the coast and I can relax. We ride right on the highway there is wide shoulder here that are built just for riding bikes, it is great, though a little bit cold. Being the beach I want it to be warmer, after all that’s what us Northern California boys hear all the time, about the southern California beaches and how nice it is.
So we ride, into rest stop 2, it's on the beach, but the last two years it was chilly so I don’t stay long, I’m not tempted to get in the water. I’m all about getting on the bike and riding.
Somewhere before Santa Barbara, we head inland to our lunch spot. And we dine in the park, tables, which we haven’t had much of on this ride (for lunch) are abundant as well as regular rest rooms, oh we still have port-potties just in case you are missing them.
We have ministers, Drag queens, muscle boys, Dykes on bikes, heavy folk, old folk, skinny folk basically from every walk of life, and we all just love each other for what we are doing, and what it means. Last year, Beau’s partner’s parents showed up (he died of AIDS the year before) and I think all the riders and the fact that 60% were straight overwhelmed them.
After lunch we head back to the coast & Santa Barbara. Here it gets nicer, not real warm yet (in my experience) But, still it is awesome, the views and the houses. It is not hard to imagine living here on the coast. It is a nice ride, though one must watch for cars, as it seems the more expensive the car, the less the driver pays attention to their surroundings.
Going through town is a series of up & down hills, though none are really considered hills, just climbs, not the rollers, which I like, but a series of up and downs separated by stoplights.
Some people stop for coffee, and the like, but I’m always wanting to ride ahead for the free ice cream that is on the other side of Santa Barbara. I don’t eat ice cream very much, but while on the ride I can eat as much as I want, and it’s free. The city of Santa Barbara and an ice cream shop generously donate it.
After that , yes you guessed it, back on the bike once again, I always look for the Channel Islands when we are on the coast, but most of the time the fog prevents me from seeing them. Soon we arrive in Ventura, oh there is more sidewalk riding and the like before we get there, but the Candlelight ceremony on Ventura State Beach is the highlight of Day 6.
After we get into camp, and turn in our bikes, go to the hotel (I am always ready for a hotel on Day six and Cowboy is always there on day six) then eat dinner, we return to the campsite for the candlelight ceremony.
The Candlelight ceremony, first they turn off the camp generators and lights, then they hand all 2500 riders and 500 roadies a candle, then we all process to the beach in silent procession, lighting our candles as we enter the beach. Then we have a maybe a hour of silence (it takes that long for us all to get on the beach)
You have that time; to be alone with your thoughts, your thoughts of your loved ones, your lost ones, and thoughts for any friends that are living with AIDS – you have time to reflect on what you have done, what difference you are making in someone’s life, that maybe you saved someone’s life this week, that maybe you prevented someone from getting sick and dieing, that maybe you made helped pay for someone’s drugs this year.
Then we blow out our candles and return to camp to sleep. Tomorrow we ride again
No comments:
Post a Comment