Modern Travel to SJC

Although not exactly a rest day, we cannot claim a biking day either. Travel started with us catching the Amtrak Surfliner in Ventura at 10:03. After three and a half hours of luxurious non-self-propelled movement we and our bikes stumbled, thumped and slighly crashed off the train approximately 10 yards from the entrance to Mission San Juan Capistrano. The mixture of maintained but decaying ruins, a lush court yard complete with a koi stocked fountain and brightly restored chapel is irresistable. Not suprising this mission is one of the most visited. The professionally done audio tour adds to the ambiance with its tales of chickens, dogs and peacocks attending mass in the early days. Cat pointed out the appropriatness of this as the Franciscans founded the missions. (St. Francis is renown for his ability to communicate with animals.) After touring the mission we rode 3.5 miles to Dana Point and checked into a hotel. Lack of sleep from last night, tenting between train tracks and 101 is not conducive to a good night sleep, and raindrops dictated a short day. Our daily saddle distance: 5 miles.