Today was the culminating day of our trip to the start of the Remember Our Fallen ride to DC. Many of the riders met for dinner at one of the hotels. Our riding partner, Dan Koster, was among them. Crysten and I chose to spend some time with friends.
From Santa Maria we headed South and a short bit East to the Dutch themed community of Solvang. Visiting there with my daughter nearly 30 years after last being there as a newlywed was a fun experience. It felt like bookends on a chapter of life well lived. While my bride and I aren’t quite empty nesters, that day is approaching so savoring moments is front of mind.
From Solvang, we returned to the 101 and headed South, where we followed highway 1 wherever it took us. That route most notably found us passing by NAS Point Mugu and then the famous route along the Pacific Ocean through Malibu to the Santa Monica Pier at which point our riding partner Dan Koster headed East to Ontario while Crysten and I diverted North, where we were filled to the rim with love and kindness. It’s always special when friends are also cheerleaders who encourage you and pour into you relationally. Greg and Leslie Garman are friends of the family. My wife, Catherine, has known Greg since their childhood together as missionary’s kids living in Peru, and I’ve been honored to know he and Leslie since marrying into Catherine’s “missionary family.” Greg prepared Loma Saltado for dinner, over which we told of the trip already completed, and that is yet to come. Leslie played both the role of mom for Crysten and cheerleader for both of us. She also asked for a ride on the bike. One of the ingredients in Lomo Saltado is french fries, so we jumped on the bike and headed for Mcdonald’s. We might have taken a long way home so we could hit 80/mph on the freeway, and we might not have. I’ll let you infer as you wish.
We arrived at our hotel in Ontario just after 9:00 pm and were met warmly by the staff who graciously allowed me to park the bike close to the front door to keep it safe. Tomorrow is our only “down” day. We’ve scheduled dinner with one of my former roommates and lifelong friends but otherwise have an open agenda. The run to DC starts early on Wednesday, we are very glad for a brief respite. Below are some additional photos from the day.
