Sorry it took so long but we are too tired after long bike rides and internet access is spotty. Right now we are sitting in a casino lobby in Mesquite NV breathing the cigarette fumes because the signal is too weak at the RV campground. Long boring ride in the truck today from Mojave to here. We start back up on the bikes tomorrow, 4300 ft climb and 68 miles, sounds easy after 2 days ago.
May 12. Driveway to Los Banos. Milage: 101. Couldn’t be a better day for 100+ mile ride – flat, warm but not hot, 15 mph breeze at our back all the way. Cultural highlight was a tastee-freez at the combination Wienerschnitzel/Tastee Freeze in Tracy at 9:30 AM. Stayed at the Merced County Fair RV campground and dinner at a taqueria on Rt 152 in town that was pretty good.
May 13. Los Banos to 4 mi East of Lemoore. Milage: 103. Good riding conditions not quite as favorable a tailwind though. Route planned along canal was dirt and ‘authorized vehicles only’ so used plan B which also turned to gravel, but hardpacked and pretty smooth, also the most scenic route in the Central Valley – through a big wetland south of Los Banos where for ~12 miles only saw 1 car and lots of wildlife. Highlight was staying the night at ‘Red’s Roofing’ for free. He has an ‘escapees’ RV hookup that is listed in the Escapee’s club to which my in-laws belong. He’s an eccentric character of about 75 year, who’ll talk your ear off but has a heart of gold and lives in a real garden spot in the country. We had strawberries, cherries and grapefruit from his garden and orchards, and great hospitality.

Dirt road detour on our road bikes.

May 14. Lemoore to Bakersfield. Milage: 92. Boring flat road but a good tailwind – got up to 25 mph on a flat course! Due to mis-info of some kind, overshot our RV site by about 12 miles, which is the length of Bakersfield east-to-west. Joe and Lou came to pick us up at a Taco Bell where we were cooling our heels and brought us back to the RV site. We will be dropped off where we started tomorrow so we won’t have to repedal the 12 mi. They have to fix the truck AC so we may be pedaling to a motel in Tehachapi tomorrow.

Lunch in an orchard north of Bakersfield

May 15. Saturday Milage: 67.5 elevation change 5100 feet. We went from Bakersfield to Mojave today via Tehachepi Pass. BEAUTIFUL RIDE! Wildflowers, great horned owl, 2 rattlesnakes! Long slow climb up the pass via Woodford/Tehachapi Road to the town of Tehachapi, then up and over the pass itself. Then down the fun descent to Mojave for a well deserved Margarita while waiting for the Support Team (thanks Mom and Dad). Dad’s truck A/C fixed to go over the desert tomorrow. Had dinner at a truly wonderful Mexican Restaurant La Conquistadora.

Road hazard in Tehachapi foothills

Finally in the desert near Mojave