What Kind of Person Enjoys Bicycle Camping?

I've fallen out of sync since my last trip and I didn't bicycle camp during May or July which is a shame because I want to adhere to a at-least-one-bike-camping-trip-per-month standard.  So August it is!  But, back to my point.

Well, just about anyone can enjoy bicycle camping.  That question answers itself.

No, the point to this little essay is really a rhetorical question posed by other campers at the park.  Most campers have RVs and trailers, or are at least tent campers who arrive by car.  Bicycle campers are on the lowest rung of the campground social  hierarchy and people will often look at you with that quizzical expression: what kind of person enjoys bicycle camping?

Groups hope to take over local state parks

Budget cuts target Palomar, San Pasqual for closure next year - 

Sacramento — There is growing community interest in acquiring the keys to two parks in San Diego County that the governor plans to padlock next year.

Organized groups have launched preliminary talks with state parks officials with hopes of saving Palomar Mountain and San Pasqual Battlefield parks if pending legislation passes to permit nonprofits to take over campgrounds, museums and forests. ...

“Palomar is just a very special place of paradise ... It’s a park that offers a lot of natural wonders for families,” said John Summers, a Los Angeles resident who grew up on the mountain and plans to retire there. ...

Toot toot!! Resume the Commute!!

Tomorrow I start commuting to work again.  15 miles each way.  30 miles round trip.

I've been off the bicycle for 6 weeks now; I've put on weight.  I'm getting that out-of-breath feeling of pre-biking days; obviously my blood pressure is creeping back up.  Stay off the bicycle long enough and I start reverting to the out-of-shape sack o' @##$% that I used to be.  Sad.  It doesn't take long, that's for sure.

Fixing the bicycle was easy.  I re-positioned the left brake lever that had been knocked out of whack.  I re-adjusted the brakes.  I re-taped the left handlebar.  I unbent the kinks in the rear fender stay.  I think tonight I'll add a couple drops of oil to the chain. Tomorrow morning before I leave I'll pump up the tires. 

For tomorrow's ride I intend to take it easy.  No point in overdoing it and re-injuring myself.  Already, though, I'm thinking of a camping trip at the beach.  Maybe Carlsbad.  We shall see...

For that matter inland parks like Kumeyaay or Sweetwater could be fun in this hot muggy weather.  Not so much the sweaty ride but rather sleeping without the rain cover on the tent allowing me to enjoy the stars (without worrying about the bugs) while being cooled by a breeze.  Heaven!


Happy 4th, everyone!!

Courteous Mass/Critical Manners

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=221662541207482

(c) Google.  Somewhere in China...

From the Facebook page:

"[Friday, August 12 · 7:30pm - 10:30pm] This is a bicycle protest to show San Diego that bikes can share the roads and have the same right to be on the road. This is NOT Critical Mass, this is NOT a race, we will ride in a group and stay together by communicating with each other. Be ready to signal when you turn, stop at red lights to regroup and be polite. If we do stop traffic please wave in gratitude that they are being patient, if close enough say "Thank You" Let's show SD that there are bikes out there that want respect and can dish it out. SD prove me right and let's see if we can out number Critical Mass by killing cars with kindness.

Leaving the Fountain at 8pm."

People, wear the helmet!

While I'm off the bike I don't have much to blog about.  I can only clack at the keyboard while trying to think of things to say.  Here's something that occurred to me: I clunked my head in Campo and in spite of knocking myself out I recovered quickly.  Not one bone broken.  No lasting effects (at least none I'm aware of; I still have a follow-up appointment with the neurologist).

So I was lucky.  Lucky that the accident wasn't worse.  And lucky that I was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.

The helmet was split.  It's trash now.  I'm not going to enjoy throwing it in the recycle bin and maybe instead I'll keep it as a reminder to always wear a helmet when riding.

A Walk in the Park

Since I can't ride a bicycle for the time being we decided a casual stroll in Balboa Park would be in order.  Gotta tell ya, not being able to ride the bike really sucks.  Anyway...

Cabrillo Tower, one of the many landmarks of Balboa Park.  You can also see it as you fly into San Diego.

San Diego Noir

Just read about it in this morning's paper in the Books section (not much of a section in comparison to a couple of years ago but... you make do with whatever you make do with...).  I haven't even read one story from it yet.  I just now downloaded the book into my Kindle.

This is a book of mystery stories all taking place in San Diego.  The editor is a co-owner of Mysterious Galaxy bookstore.  In her intro she makes references to Raymond Chandler, Joseph Wambaugh (both of whom lived in San Diego; Chandler is buried at Mount Hope - as I understand it), and several spectacular murder cases marring the history of this wonderful city.

Yeah, nothing to do with bicycle camping.  But it does concern San Diego.  Since I'm off the bike until July 2 reading the book gives me something to do.

Can't recommend the book until I read it... but I do recommend the premise.  Anything San Diego-oriented is A-OKay in my book!!  (Pun intended).