Day 2: Laguna Beach, CA --> east of San Diego, CA

94 miles today

Temps:  78/52

Left Laguna Beach at 615am and started off into the early morning dawn.  Full moon still hovering above the western horizon.  A new sun about to rise from the southeast.  I made off down the Pacific Coast Highway at a comfortable pace and made things more enjoyable by listening to some music.  David Grisman Quintet was perfect for the cool morning. 

My ultimate goal was to make it to San Diego.  It was about 73 miles or so down the road and I felt confident I would meet my goal.  

Once again most of the day consisted of following bike paths that ran adjacent to the road.  

All throughout the morning I smelt that of a Sunday morning breakfast (eggs, bacon, coffee).  Every block I passed there was a refreshing new smell of the exact same thing.  

After making my way through Capistrano Beach I entered Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base. There were strict rules at the entrance stating to ride single file only and to wear no radio headphones.  I made the assumption that it meant no listening to the radio to avoid intercepting any important practice drills they might be doing.  I cranked up some Grateful Dead and rolled my way through the army base.  

The landscape reminded me of Oregon....or at least the eastern half of Oregon.  Hells Canyon in particular...right where the Snake River serves as the border line between Oregon and Idaho.

Anyways, back to California....more and more mountains were coming into view, which could only mean more and more climbing.  The bike paths continued and the number of cyclists seemed to triple and quadruple with every mile I pushed forward down the coast.  

Anyways, I finally made it to San Diego...or at least the outskirts of San Diego (Mission Bay, La Jolla, etc).  I'm not sure if those are parts of San Diego or just towns that have sprawled enough that they just all look to be one in the same.

My goal was to start heading east.  I was leaning my back against a Chevron gas station wall and examining maps.  I could easily get in another 15 miles or so to a campsite area.  I still had two hours of daylight left.  I made haste.

After following the Old Sea World Rd I met up with Friar Road and continued on and on.  I was making good time, flying by the seat of my pants.  Plenty of daylight left.  

The only thing slowing my pace, aside from stoplights, were every 10meters or so there was a break in the pavement with a 2-4 inch "bump" or pile of pavement.  My bicycle had had enough beatings since yeseterday and today I was starting to notice more and more that the ball bearings inside the fork of bike were loosening.  Whenever I would squeeze the front brake the whole front fork would wobble back and forth like a loose tooth.  Not good.  I had this fixed before the trip and figured I'd pull out the allen wrenches once I reached the campsite.

I had made if 10 of the first 15 miles at a respectable pace and went to pull out my cell phone to see how I was doing on time.

Apparently not good...or if I was good on time I'd never be allowed the time of day to find out.

My phone was gone. 

I checked again.  Maybe it slide to the bottom of the pocket I keep it in.

Nothing.  Nothing but the tube of sunscreen and pepper spray.

I couldn't believe it.

Out of the three items the cell phone had to be the one to take the dive?

I knew exactly how it could have fallen out....all the damn bumps in the road.  I had ridden over hundreds of them since I made a turn east.

Go figure.

I then spent the rest of daylight biking up and down the 3 or 4 mile stretch I assumed it could be found.  I would bike the east bound lane slow and then find an exit ramp, turn around, bike back west towards San Diego, turn around at another exit ramp and repeat this pattern until I could take it no more.

My phone was gone.  Frustrating it was because I knew it had to be somewhere within the 3 or 4 mile stretch of road where I now stood.  In a bush somewhere, a lucky person's pocket, crushed by another cyclist.  

I gave up when the sun set and snuffed out the lights.  

My day ended with 94 miles under my belt, and a nice chunk of that from just going in circles at the end of the day.

I found a payphone, called Loretta and tried to brainstorm which direction my next step would be.....