VENTURA TO REFUGIO PANNIER TOUR

February 17 – 18, 2007

On Saturday Feb. 17, 11 riders with fully loaded bicycles left Ventura and rode north along the Pacific Coast route.  Just north of Ventura we observed several dolphins.  North of Carpinteria we turned into the mountains and rode along scenic Mountain Drive, a narrow winding mountain road with very little traffic and great views of the Pacific.  We had a picnic lunch on the grass near Sheffield Reservoir.  With a majority of our climbing behind us, we rode Hwy. 192 for a few miles, then turned westward and stopped at a Trader Joe's for dinner and happy hour supplies.  Another 2 hours of riding on the coastal route brought us to Refugio State Beach. 

The park was full and closed to motor vehicle campers, but we rode straight to the hike and bike area which was all our own -- right on the beach.  We quickly pitched our tents and took showers, then enjoyed our drinks and snacks and watched a colorful sunset over the ocean.  After dinner we walked up a mountain road in the dark, and then retired to our tents with the roar of the surf lulling us to sleep.   

On Sunday morning we rode to Isla Vista for breakfast, some riders visiting the monarch butterfly preserve along the way.  We continued through the University of California Santa Barbara campus to the beach area, and then took the wonderful bike trail inland.  Continuing on the Pacific Coast bicycle route, we passed through the beach area of Santa Barbara and on to Carpinteria where some of us stopped for lunch.  We rejoined our outward bound coastal route and arrived back in Ventura about 3 pm.

Participants were Kathy Shapiro, Linda Goff, Ellie Antonio, David Urciuolo, Jerry Tate, Angus Lemon, Brian Regnier, Mike Wolfe, Larry Moore, Ron Wilson, and Don Porter.