I've always considered the proximity to quality roads that inspire me to ride to be an important factor in choosing a place to live. I've come to realize that it's the most important factor along with family. Who am I kidding, no matter where I live in California I'll always be able to drive or fly to be with family. Riding my trike is what keeps me alive. I ride not to live long but to live strong. After all what good are you to family if you live a long life as a couch potato slowly fading away. Triking comes first. It's better to burn out giving it your all then to fade away.
Carrie and I have been empty nesters for more then three years now. This has given us the opportunity to explore different places to live in California. Our long time home near Los Angeles where we raised our kids had many wide streets with good shoulders and bike lanes. Although not picturesque there were plenty of parks and public open spaces to stop at and take a break. Just over a couple of years ago, being only the two of us, we moved to the Central Coast of California and lived for two years in a beach town along HWY 1. The local routes were limited but my rides along the Pacific coast never grew old. Then we decided to move into a smaller home a bit inland from the coast.
We stayed in the Central Coast area but this time we moved inland to the wine country. This is where my riding hits a snag. There are few parks and virtually no public open space. In general the roads are not bike friendly around town. So I turn to the wineries for places to explore. The wineries are fun to explore...when open. On weekends it's best to stay off the wine country roads during the tourist season which is most of the year. Even on weekdays it's best to be extra alert to the occasional car or truck. Other than the surrounding wine country overall I am uninspired by the local routes around town. I've started to haul my trike over the hills to ride along coast where the air is cool, the shoulders wide and the scenery is breathtaking.
My time on the trike has taken a hit. I'm just not inspired to ride. I ride but not nearly as much as I would normally ride and in turn not having as much to blog about. Maybe it's time to move again. I'll give it a year to search out routes and then decide if it's time to find another home. Although moving is a pain it's fun to have the freedom to move around and check out new areas to live. Maybe we'll even look at our old home town in a different light. Regardless of where we end up we'll always stay in California close to family.
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| The coastline of California's Central Coast |
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| The wine country of the Central Coast |
