Day 5: Santa Maria to Lompoc

Day Five is called “Dress in Red Day,” because red is the color of HIV/AIDS awareness. With this crowd, however, that designation is transmuted to “Red Dress Day.” And boy is it ever. Red cheerleader dresses, red wedding dresses, red firemen outfits, red grandmothers, red divas. On and on and on, and every single one of them on a bicycle.

This year’s route was new; normally the trip from Santa Maria to Lompoc is a quick, direct 45-mile route. This year Vandenburg Air Force base could not (would not, depending on who you hear tell the story) grant the encroachment permit for the ride.
Instead, we did a 68-mile backwards “C” route, breaking for lunch in Solvang. That town really did not know what to make of red dress day. Let’s get to the photos, and you’ll see what I mean.

ALC takes up the left turn lane as we depart Santa Maria.

I rode with these lady bugs for a while to get my legs warmed up.

The Tour of California this ain't, honey. See you next year, Solvang!

The poppies were out at Sanford Winery outside Lompoc, where we had a quick water stop


By now you’re probably wondering what I wore for Red Dress Day. Email me.