Day 31 Ventura to Laguna beach 49 miles(1,573 miles total)

Canada to Mexico, Day 31: 

We rode 49 miles to Malibu, then drove about 50 miles through LA, and then rode another 15 miles to Laguna Beach (1,573 miles total). Did you notice that I mentioned both riding and driving today? Well, grab a glass of wine or beer, sit back and relax, and let me tell you the story behind that. 20 years ago, Pat did this Canada to Mexico bike ride. When he did it, he doesn't remember all the treacherous hills, the weather was way better for him, he had tailwinds the whole way, and he had four flats total. He says that it has been a hundred times harder this time around. Gee, ya think? He seems to have forgotten all the bad stuff about the ride, but one thing he very clearly remembers is how horrible it was to bike through LA. It was crazy, there were no bike lanes, there were lots of sketchy characters, he had to ride through the hood, and the traffic was horrendous. Not a lot phases him, but biking through there definitely did! So when we were planning this bike trip, we pretty much planned all along to drive through the LA part. It was just too dangerous to take the risk. Please don't think less of us or that we are cheating, but we had to think of our safety. So here is how it all worked out: My sister Tammy flew in, rented a truck, picked us up in north LA and dropped us off in south LA. I can't even tell you how excited I was to see her and my niece Kylee! After she dropped us off, we biked 15 more miles and she drove to Palm Springs to stay at my parents for two days. She will pick us up at the Mexican border in two days and then we fly out on the 2nd to Costa Rica to meet my sister Torri and her family. So we have about 95 more miles and two more days of riding. I really can't believe that I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Please continue to think positive thoughts as we near the finish line! Summary of the day: biking through LA is horrible; driving through LA and seeing my sister and niece is wonderful! Thank you Tammy for doing all the legwork on the rental truck and everything else! Love you- you are the best!