Day Eight: Monday, October 12th

WELCOME HOME MR. EVANS!!!

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WE ARE ALL SO PROUD OF YOU!!!

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Mr. Evans arrived at CES as scheduled, EXACTLY 11:20am, and was greated by the entire student body, staff, superintendant and PTA. It was an incredibly inspiring scene as everyone cheered, Mr. Evans rode through (breaking) the "Wecome Back" banners. Mr. Evans then greeted everyone and thanked everyone that emailed throughout his ride. Mr. Evans brought back souveniers from his trip and raffled them off to the students that participated in answering the questions. The raffle prizes included: the novel Treasure Island, a map of the California Missions, a book about Chumash Indians, a Border's Gift card and a Sports Card

Day Seven: Sunday, October 12th

Pictures:

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Fans Cheering On Mr. Evans in Ventura
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Anacapa Island
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Ventura Mission

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This has been a delightful day. It is only 10:30, and I am already in Ventura. Time to kick back on the beach, blog, read a little, and just enjoy the Southern California sun.Out at sea are Anacapa and Santa Cruz islands. Near the shore are suffers waiting for the ideal wave, and on the boardwalk are folks just taking in the October weather.In just about 24 hours I will be back in Castaic. The ride seemed so much longer when I started, and now it seems to have gone so fast. Amazingly, I keep hearing of additional donations that continue to roll in. I am so proud to be a part of such a dedicated community. Families, businesses, classrooms and others have all contributed to the success of this ride. Yet, even beyond the resources raised, I feel the sense of connection and belonging, as a community, has grown. Thanks again to everyone for their kind words of support, appreciation, and concern. However I must admit that I feel I got far more out of this adventure than I gave. It took far more than some quadriceps pedaling to make this a success, and that collective effort is what Castaic should be proud of. The teamwork and involvement of so many made this ride take off. The ability to work as part of a group is vital, and these skills in life are just as important as test scores. They are what make great character. I feel that we also raised these resources, and I am very proud of that. See you all tomorrow around 11:20.
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Questions:
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Lower Grades:
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1. Name five animals you might see at the beach.
2. How is ocean water different than lake water?
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Upper Grades:
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3. Which of the Channel Islands is not in Santa Barbara County?
4. Speaking of counties, name all of the counties I will have been in by the time I reach Castaic Elementary. Remember I started on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge.

**Note** All answers to questions must be emailed by 5pm Today (Sunday)

Day Six: Saturday, October 11th

Pitures:
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Santa Cruz Island on the Horizon
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Montecito Coastline
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What started as a windy night turned warm after the moon rose into the sky last night. I actually got a good night's rest in the tent. When I awoke this morning, the sun was shining and the wind was blowing. Since my ride today is short, my morning was slow and easy. I made breakfast as the sun lit Santa Cruz Island. The waves washed softly onto the sand, and people around the camp were out walking and getting ready to scuba dive. A little after 9 AM I was on the road. About ten miles into the day ,I was in Goleta, and I stopped for a break at Starbuck's. There I charged up my devices, and I had something other than oatmeal. The day has been a casual one. I only have about ten miles to go, and it is only 1 PM. I also contacted a friend in Carpenteria, and I will be able to stay there instead of camping. That is good because I heard from other cyclists that Carpenteria was damp and wet in the morning. I have met many other cyclists, and they are from all over. At camp last night was a man from Ireland who started riding his bike from Boston three months ago. Along the road yesterday I talked with a guy from British Columbia. He had been cycling for 53 days. I will be glad to get home after a week.

Questions:

1. Lower Grades: which is longer, three months or 53 days?

2. Upper Grades: I saw Santa Cruz Island this morning. What tribe of Indians used to live on the islands and along the California Coast?

3. Many 4th graders read a book about one of these Indian girls who is stranded on an island. What is the title of that book by Scott O'dell?

4. Everyone: I mentioned British Columbia. It is a province (like a state) in what country? What is the capital of British Columbia? (it is not the biggest city)Catch you on Monday.

Day Five: Friday, October 10th

Morning - Afternoon:

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Yesterday's east day has paid off. It has been avoid day of riding with wonderful weather - again, gentle terrain, and calm traffic. Leaving Los Osos, the sun was in my face, and it felt good warming the chilly coastal air. The oatmeal from breakfast (homemade with brown sugar and real cream - better than camp oatmeal) gave me slow steady energy. In just a short while I had ridden in to San Luis Obispo and worked my way back out to the ocean at Pismo Beach. As I looked out from the bluffs at the north end of the bay, I could see the sand dunes and soft beaches of the Pismo area. Riding onward, I remembered that sand dunes are formed by wind and roll like waves. This meant a lot of little ups and downs as well as gusts of wind. The road took me inland, and soon I was past the dunes and into the fields of lettuce and other vegetables. The temperature inland was warmer, but not bad. I had one big climb to get into Lompoc. Of course, after Big Sur it was pretty easy. Once I reached Lompoc, I stopped for lunch before continuing over the coastal mountains to get back to the Pacific. I am having one more order of yellowtail, and then I will go across the street to a Farmer's Market to get some things for dinner. Questions coming after I get to camp.

Afternoon - Evening:

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I am sitting next to the lagoon at Refugio State Beach watching the sunset. I just ran into a teacher from Live Oak here camping with her family. I can tell I am close to home. The ride from lunch in Lompoc was good. The wind was very helpful because it was at my back. I could even coast uphill! Although it was another climb, it was slow and gradual, so it was not too difficult. After I reached the top, it was an east ride to the Pacific. I stopped at the Gaviota Rest Area, and then headed another nine miles south to camp. Unfortunately, the camp store no longer exists. Glad I picked up some things at the Farmer's Market in Lompoc.

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Questions:

1. Map skills: What is the name of the air force base by Lompoc?

2. Today I rode 20 miles, then another 12 before a break. Then I rode 31 miles before I stopped in Lompoc for sushi. After sushi I rode to camp. That was 28 miles. How many miles did I ride today?

3. Upper grades: figure out the answer to number two, and then calculate my average speed. When I subtract the time for breaks, I rode for 6.5 hours.

Day Four: Thursday, October 9th

Today was an easy ride. If you check out the gps I am stopped in Los Osos. Today I only rode about 30 miles from San Simeon State Beach to a friend's house in Los Osos. Here I will visit, relax, and do laundry. It is definitely time to do laundry!

Last night as I was sleeping I heard the rustling of little feet and the clank of my cooking pots and camp stove. I shined my light out of the tent, but I saw nothing. In the morning there were footprints all over the picnic table and on the benches. Some of the things I had left out were scattered around. I was visited by bandits during the night, but these bandits were not humans. They were animals. Can you tell me what kind of animals they were. They are called bandits because of the masks on their faces.

Today I had a gentle morning. It was a very damp night, and I needed to take my time getting ready so the tent and other gear could dry out. I also knew that I had a short ride, so I could take my time getting ready and packed. I made breakfast, more oatmeal, and then I cleaned all the dishes and washed up myself. By 9:00 am I was ready to roll.

The ride south was very brief. I stopped to see friends at their shop in Morro Bay, and then I rode the last few miles over to Los Osos. Here I will spend the day and give my legs a break. Tomorrow I will be back on the road with a full day of riding.

Thank you to everyone for all of the emails. It is nice to have the company of your answers to the questions and the "hellos" you are sending. Enjoy the rest of your break.

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**Note*** Pictures & Questions from Wednesday have been posted below.

Questions:

1. Name the animal I asked about in the paragraph above.

2. I am staying in Los Osos. Can anyone tell me what that means?

3. California has a lot of names that are in spanish. Why is that?

4. Back to the wheel: If you calculated the number of rotations my wheel makes in one mile you know it goes around 754.25 times. Now that you know that, can you tell me how many rotations I will make during the whole trip? Assume the trip is 445 miles.

Day Three: Wednesday, October 8th

First Post: 7:45 AM

Picture of Bixby Creek Bridge.

I am about to start day three. Day two was wonderful, but it did end with a surprise. After dinner I rode to Pfeiffer Big Sur Campground. This is a beautiful camp in the redwoods along the Big Sur River. When I arrived the camp was closed. They are doing restoration after the fires from last year. The campground was not damaged, but many of the areas with trails in the hills were. The next campground was miles down the road or back up north. Fortunately, the campground also has a lodge, with cabins, and these were not shut down. In the end I had a comfortable room in the trees with deer wandering around at dusk. Now it is time to hit the road. Being in a room allowed me to get all the equipment charged up. Hopefully it will last the next couple of days.

Morning - Afternoon:

The morning began with a long climb, but then I had a long coast downhill. That is how most of the morning has been. Ups and downs. I did have to stop and wait for about 20 minutes due to some construction. At first I was frustrated losing time, but after all the cars went by I had the road to myself for the next 30 minutes while the next batch of cars waited. This made the whole ride along the coast this morning light with traffic. See, what seems like a set back can really be a gain. Now I am having lunch in Lucia. This is a town with just a store, a restaurant, and a little motel. As I ride south, I will be going by a big fire in the mountains. It has not affected the highway, but I can see the smoke in the Santa Lucia Mountains.

Questions to come soon.

I left Lucia, and the ride ahead proved to be one of the best and the hardest I have ever had. After I finished lunch, I enjoyed the coast for a wonderful stretch. The fire was up in the mountains, but it was not a problem along the road. I did watch the helicopters hovering over the ocean to fill giant buckets of water. The first twelve miles of the afternoon were ideal. The road rolled gently, and the weather was comfortable. I stopped in Gorda to get some Gatorade because the sun was warming up. A rest there for a few before I began a grueling stretch of terrain. The next ten miles drained me. The first few were actually delightful. I coasted down a long hill and rode along the water with the waves crashing up nearby. I had to pay dearly for that first few miles. The next two were up and up and up. In a matter short distance I had to gain 800 feet. Every time I thought the next curve was the top, I was fooled. My legs groaned at each new corner. It was a slow, draining climb, and once I made it I had a descent of 400 feet. Yippee! Of course the opposite of descent is acsent, and I had to pay back with another steep climb. Finally I arrived at Ragged Point. There I rested, ate some food and simply stood up for a while. I still had twenty miles to go. The remaining journey proved to add energy rather than take it away. I rode through rolling pastures with cattle grazing. When I reached the coast I went by the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse, and as evening set in, I watched pelicans diving for dinner. I looked along the beach at log after log of bleached driftwood - but wait, the driftwood moved! These were not logs, they were sea elephants, and there were hundreds of them over several miles.I pedalled past Hearst Castle, and I contacted a friend who used to work at Castaic. She met me for dinner, and we visited for a while until it was time for me to go to camp. In camp there were two brothers who were cycling from Canada to Mexico. We visited and shares stories about our trips. Now, I am getting ready for bed, but first I have some questions.

Questions:

Lower grades:

1. I rode past several mountain springs where water flows out of the earth. Can you think of 5 words that rhyme with "spring?"

2. Today I saw sea elephants. What kind of animal is a sea elephant? Tell me about them.

Upper grades:

3. Look at a map and name three towns along Highway One that are between Monterey and Cambria.

4. Each time my wheel goes around I travel 7 feet. How many times does my wheel have to go around to tracelvone mile? You will have to concert a mile into feet.

Everyone:

5. What does "piedras blancas" mean?

6. I passed Hearst Castle today. It was built by William Randolph Hearst.What businesses did he own that made him rich? His father George started the family fortune with the Anaconda and the Comstock. What were these?William's mother, Phoebe, was a founding member of a very important organization. We have one at our school. What is the name of this organization?

Day Two: Tuesday, October 7th

Pictures:

Garapata State Park,

Campsite,

Fisherman's Warf,

Artichoke

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Tuesday Morning - Afternoon:

Time for lunch.

I am on the north end of Monterey at Starbuck's having a sandwich and some juice. I am also charging my equipment. Once I leave Monterey, the signals may be weak.

This morning I got up and had my oatmeal. I broke down the campsite and packed the gear. The riding began. The 40 miles to Monterey were not too difficult, but I added some extra hills with a bad turn. Once I was back on track all was good. Along the way I met some other cyclists, and we rode together for a few miles. Now it is time to relax for a while. While the batteries charge, I will give my legs a break and answer emails. There are still over 30 miles to go, and those miles will be a lot of ups and downs. The views will be beautiful, but I will have to work for them. I will try to post some questions later, but while I am along the Big Sur coast it may be hard to communicate. I'll write more as soon as I can.

Tuesday Evening:

I thought the ride from Monterey to Big Sur would be very difficult. However, once I was over the hill between Monterey and Carmel, the next 26 miles went along well. Of course it was not easy. I had to climb over big mountains, and I had to face some strong winds. After a long climb up a mountain I got to coast downhill for over a mile. This was not too easy though. The strong winds made me have to watch my balance and keep my speed down. Once I reached the bottom I had to start climbing again, and now the strong wind was in my face. The scenery along this stretch gives me good energy to face the challenges. The highway hugs cliffs where I can see secret coves with waves crashing against the rocky shore. Other views let me watch the cows graze in pastures that flow out to the ocean. It is very relaxing to watch acres of kelp floating on the waves as the ocean rocks it up and down. These views really made the rough ride more soothing.

Now, I am enjoying dinner on the banks of the Big Sur River before I ride the last few miles to camp.

Questions:

Lower Grades:

#1) Today my ride took me up 100 feet, then 250 feet. Later I climbed 1000 feet and then another 150 feet. How many feet did I climb?

#2) Today I rode by a heron. What kind of animal is a heron?

Upper Grades:

#3) We discovered my wheel has a circumference of almost 84 inches. How many feet do I travel every time my wheel goes around once?

#4) I pedaled past the mission where Father Juniperro Serra is buried. What mission is that?

#5) Who was Serra?

Everyone:

#6) Today I passed Point Lobos. Robert Louis Stevenson was inspired by the forest and secret coves. He wrote a famous novel from these ideas. What is the title of the novel?