There are a few key things to making it through a successful cycling trip. One of them is a two-item package; two tennis balls.  Unless you can afford a ride-along personal masseusse, you need these puppies to do their accupressure wonderment on your sore aching neck, back or whatever else hurts.

In my case, pretty much everything is doing a screaming-problog. So, I strategically place them on the floor and lie on top of them positioned on either side of my spine, then all I need to do is roll them up and down with my full body weight on top. I swear this is key to making it through a day like today.

My other key piece of equipment is a ziploc baggie with salted almonds, dried organic cherries and chunks of 70% dark chocolate….guaranteed to be the best thing you ever dug in to. Skip that nasty granola-based trail mix. This is the ticket for the next hill…

Today we left the Powell River Townsite and 71 kilometres later, we dropped in to the Rockwater Resort here in Secret Cove.  I make that sound like a non-event, but today at around the 65 km mark, I hit the proverbial wall. I knew it was bad when my irritation included wanting to have a special machine to blow up all the speeding cars that got too close to my skinny piece of the shoulder. I consider it a bad sign when I start to imagine imploding and exploding cars and people.

Luckily, the Rockwater is the perfect antidote to those anti-social tendencies. A scented-salt bath in the big s oaker tub and then a nice cat nap lying in the sun on the chaise lounge has me loving humanity again. That’s much better…

Last night we ate at Manzanita Restaurant. This funky little place is run by Amy Sharp, formerly of San Francisco. Her restaurant is located in the Old Courthouse Inn, so it was a nice short walk from our dinner to our room.

Speaking of love. I’m feeling it, now that I’m all buffed up and in my plush Rockwater robe. The sun was glorious today. There were a few sketchy cloud and wind moments, but overall it was a gorgeous day. And arriving in this groovy little tent home hanging over the ocean is helping the memory of the butt-burning ride fade just a tad.

As we left the Old Courthouse Inn today, I told the owner Lilia that I could imagine living in that hotel because I thought it was so cool.

But now I’m here at the Rockwater and I am totally lovin’ this place too. I think it’s one of the reasons I love house and design magazines; I can easily imagine myself in so many different lives.

Really, I can see the ranch in New Mexico with a dusty old pick up truck and a horse waiting at the split rail fence, but I also have a perfect vision of the Parisienne flat waiting for me with those tall doors to the balcony with gauzy curtains drifting in to the room…

Clearly it’s a dilemma. But I know this. This place is gorgeous and this is my life today. Ocean waves lapping on the rocks below, birds all around and our bikes safely stowed until we have to do our final assault tomorrow.

But first, I need to roll out those tennis balls…