Day 2 – 27 miles – 3 hours 2 minutes – March 11, 2018
Total Mileage: 39 mi. Total Time: 4 hours 49 min
Our first three nights we stayed outside San Diego, about a 40 minute drive east, in a park called Oakzanita Springs Campground. It was a beautiful place with friendly staff. The people there were like family to each other. Most of them live there either year round, or for a month at a time (but come back after a week or two away). It was a great location to set as a home base for a few days of riding.
Day 2 was a difficult day. I climbed steep hills, and it didn’t seem like there was much of a reprieve before the next climb. The views were spectacular though, and the scenery was wonderful. I made it to a little tiny town called Boulevard (according to my map). However, everything was named Manzanita, and there really was no “town” to speak of. I saw a tiny grocery store (pictured below), and a candy store that offered to sell hand dipped chocolates. I wanted to go inside for some milk chocolate salted caramels, but I knew that wouldn’t do well with my tummy on a big bike ride. I learned that lesson in high school. Exercise and chocolate don’t mix. They do have what looked to be a firefighter school there, or some sort of training facility.
Between Pine Valley and Live Oak Springs, CA
March 11, 2018
March 11, 2018 – Boulevard, CA
S Calif. has many Manzanitas…hope you are getting to see them…beautiful mahogany and grey bark and they may be in flower now. I feel in love with them when I lived in Lk. Arrowhead, now I can’t pass one by and have in my yard in Oregon.