Solvang, CA

I'm sitting in the Bulldog Cafe in Solvang, CA right now. It's a nice morning, but overcast. I'm beginning to think that Matt and I bring clouds to CA whenever we come to this state; the day was gorgeous yesterday, sunny and the mid 70s. Go figure...

Matt took off on his race this morning at 6 AM. He should be able to finish in 10 hours or less, since this is supposed to be an "easy" double century. He took off with a small crew led by Richard, a fellow he met at the Butterfield Double Century. Richard will be the tour guide since he knows where he's going and the route is filled with turns that could get anyone new to the area totally lost.

I was good and didn't go back to sleep. I checked email in the morning, then headed down to the hotel fitness center when it opened at 7 AM. Did some light weight lifting and 20 minutes on the stationary bike in the hotel fitness room (Royal Scandinavian Inn), and got cleaned up, then walked around the town a bit. Everything was closed, so it was nice and quiet, no traffic or people. Guess the tourists like to sleep in!

I took it easy on the stationary bike this morning because I'm planning on doing a lot of walking around the town today. It's a quaint area, and perfect for those who like to shop. I'm not a big shopper, but I'm up for a walk in some non-windy weather at a comfortable temperature. My sister's birthday is coming up soon, so I'll see if I can find something for her. She always remembers my birthday and sends me something. I should be better at that myself.