Kings County

We pedaled into Coalinga and did what intrepid travellers need to occasionally do: stop at McDonald's to get free WiFi and figure out where to restock provisions for the trip ahead. In the process we were lucky to meet Geronimo and Wendy who told us about the area and gave us intel on sideroads we could take out of town that would allow us to miss the hills AND the more heavily traveled roads. So we headed out of the city and through acres and acres of orchards and open fields, unfortunately directly into a headwind which made the flat riding less easy. This area of California grows much of the fruit and veggies consumed in the US, and likely Canada too, but due to the water shortage, the history of water rights, and other water management decisions, many of the fields and orchards have had to be abandoned since there is no water available to water the crops. The canals that criss cross the valley showcase the magnitude of the water movement that occurs, while the fields and fields of fruit trees still in production was mind-boggling. We stopped for lunch under a tree in the middle of the vast fields, feeling quite far from anything in this cropland, only to be invited into a farm worker's compound just metres from where we were sitting by Blanca, the wife of a horse trainer for the massive company producing almonds, walnuts and many other crops in that area. Blanca and her daughters offered us multi-vitamins and water, and some Hallowe'een candy from the previous night's trick or treating and we communicated in broken Spanish and English about our trip and their lives working in the valley. The generosity and curiosity of people on this trip is so amazing to experience - these are the moments that certainly lift us up - especially when the rest of the day was more flat pedalling into a headwind as we inched toward Fresno.Read more