Love at first sight

Noah first laid his eyes on Yosie about 2 decades ago on a short stopover while driving from Seattle to Los Angeles. It was no doubt love-at-first-sight. He paid her another visit in the year 2014 for just a couple of hours again while driving with family from Bakersfield to San Francisco, and she didn't fail to win his heart once more. Both visits were too brief for Noah to get into a meaningful relationship with Yosie and he vowed to pay her one long visit next time.

That chance came just recently when Noah's sis announced that the weekend will be spent up in the mountains and that she already booked a room for 2D2N there. Noah's adrenaline spiked at the mention of Yosie's name and he found it hard to concentrate on the preparations after realizing that finally he would have the opportunity to get intimate with her and even sleep with her... and yes, bike through her.

This spot right after the tunnel on the

Wiwona road is always a winner in terms

of beauty and vintage point.

 the Half Dome and her mirror

image reflected on the river. a

selfie that only God can compose.

Noah and Yosie falls in a grand pose

for posterity. bonding moments to last

a lifetime.

This view at the glacier point can

suck the breath from your lungs.

Noah's sis created this shot with her

iPhone. she's got the artistic blood

in her veins.

~

slicing through the cool mountain air while zipping down these immaculate highways is pure joy and ecstasy for noah.

Yosie adorned in jewelry unmatched by any goldsmith in the world. Gorgeousness at a macro level...

...and when seen through untainted vision

Tons of beauty crammed into several hundred square miles of granite mountains and lush valleys can be appreciated in this simple map

a record of Noah's bicycle ride through the heart of Yosie

Two nights in this lodge at an old gold

mining camp of Coulterville outside the

Yosemite National park was a very good 

choice.

 that's the ark making a pass 

this awesome couple have kept

noah on his toes with excitement ever 

since he set foot on uncle sam's land. 

no words can describe noah's gratitude.

noah resting on Yosie's bosom while thanking

Jesus for such a wonderful ride of his life.

The Big Sur adventure back-up team

Big Sur is BIG, remote and hazardous for solo cycling. More so if the cyclist is just visiting and is unaware of the circumstances in the region.

The success of Noah's adventure was guaranteed by an awesome backup team who took care of whatever he needed outside of pedaling. They took photos, videos, pointed out special places of interest and they paid for everything including motel, gas and food. Most of all they afforded the security and peace of mind for Noah, knowing that whatever happens, be it a break-down of the bike or an accident resulting in the incapacity to continue, he had a team to take care of him. On the other hand the intensity of the challenge was mitigated a bit, giving a more predictable outcome with the elimination of some of the unknowns - like where to sleep when night falls, and the need to bring additional bags for a tent and warm and bulky clothes.

Here's the entire 'love' team: Sis Ethel and hubby Ben.

The vehicle: a V8 Chevrolet Tahoe van.

The night before the big ride they checked in at a motel in Salinas

Some hours before dawn the next day - a hearty breakfast at Denny's guaranteed a day's grind on the road. "Hearty" could mean "heart attack." LOL

Some pre-ride preparations on the road as the sun peeps over the hills. The bike is assembled and the fun begins.

Coffee break in some campground at Pfeiffer Big Sur state park. The photos below were taken by the gopro cam on Noah's chest which was unknowingly on at that time.

The team doing a selfie against the morning sky.

That's how they take photos. one with an iPhone and the other with a Dslr.

"C'mon pop, let's get going"

"just a moment coz I can smell some fresh raddish around here"

Yer rite bro.... raddish. LOL

Here's a short clip taken by sis

A pose with the team manager at the end of the ride

And a bottle of ice-cold 805 for a dehydrated soul.

The Big Sur was conquered that day, thanks to an awesome couple. Thank you Jesus for blessing Noah with a sis&hubby support team.

California 1 - the highway with a split personality

Also known as the Pacific Coast Highway, California route 1 was constructed in the 1930s and is considered as one of the most scenic coastal roads this side of the world. As a kid, Noah was attracted to this highway and the surrounding regions through the photos and stories in the National Geographic Magazine. So when the opportunity presented itself, he took hold of the chance to ride through some sections on a bicycle.

There were two stretches of about 75 kilometers each of this highway that took his fancy and Noah knew he had to tackle both, not suspecting at the start that he would eventually see two personalities of the highway in the course of his travel.

The first section ran from the region near the Carmel Highlands specifically from Bixby Bridge down to Gorda, which is more commonly known as the Big Sur.

The second section which was done about a month later started at Oxnard in the Ventura county down to Santa Monica in Los Angeles.

Both sections differ in many ways thus giving the impression of a split personality. If Big Sur was narrow and precarious where the cyclist had to share the road with the motorists...

...the Oxnard - Sta. Monica section had a wide shoulder for bicycles.

if Big Sur was rough and rugged...

...her southern counterpart was soft and manicured

 If Big Sur had long and excruciating climbs...

...Oxnard to Sta Monica was rolling and soothing.

If Big Sur had only a clump of trees and some bushes for bladder and colon relief...

The other section had porta toilets...

...and even restrooms with showers on the beaches by the highway

Notwithstanding these differences, California Highway 1 in all its entirety exuded - 

Grandeur

Natural beauty

Serenity and peacefulness.

It was mystifying, enchanting...

 ...and simply gorgeous

To truly love California 1, you have to bike through her, feel her, tease her and allow her to take hold of you in ways that only she can.