Pushed hard today, 22 miles, mainly to avoid a tent stay at Laguna Seca and to get ahead of the power curve so I wouldn't have to walk 23 to 27 miles tomorrow (next motel is in Gonzales).
Started the day after a good rest at our cousin's, Keith and Catherine's. Keith dropped me off at Mission Carmel at about 8:45am--couldn't resist another peak at the mission. It's really quite beautiful and historically so significant. Then, the next 3 hrs. I spent retracing my steps from the day before. It just works out that way because of the mission's location. Once on Route 68, I was following the Juan Bautista de Anza trail again all the way to Salinas. As I pushed beyond 22 miles, I found myself near the point where my route was turning south--it had already turned dark. My plan was to call a taxi to take me to one of the no-star motels in Salinas, when a fellow offered to drive me into the city to a motel. What an act of kindness!
There were many beautiful scenes throughout the day, especially early on, but the one that took my breath away was the sunset behind me! Check it out.
