Biking in Montana De Oro State Park

Last weekend we drove to the coast for a pre-Valentine’s day celebration. We took our bikes along and planned to ride them while there. Al mentioned Montana de Oro, which brought a vision of bluffs, hilly terrain and trails. I imagined a short, leisurely ride around the campground and museum and then maybe a walk along the trail.

When we got to Montana de Oro, we did take the loop around the campground, an easy spin. Then, Al led the way to the hiking/biking trail which wound along the top of the steep bluffs overlooking the ocean. He assured me that my bike was perfect for this kind of terrain and that we wouldn’t be riding too close to the edge.

I quickly discovered how to keep my balance when fishtailing in the sand. It wasn’t too hard, except when there were people trying to get around me. I finally decided to come to a complete stop whenever someone was close by, letting Al go on ahead.

At one point along the trail, he stopped to talk to a group of about four people. They all turned their heads and looked at me at the same time, just as I was trying to avoid going into a small gully. I stopped until they reached me and then asked, “Was my husband talking about me?”

“Yes, he told us that he had just bought you a new bike” answered one man jokingly. “And we offered to buy it, but we can’t fit it into our car!”  

“You want the rack too?” They laughed and continued on their way. Al and I had an enjoyable time together, the point of our getting the bikes in the first place. Without his encouragement, I would never have attempted that ride.  

Later that evening, back at the hotel, Al went to the workout room, while I decided to soak in the Jacuzzi. A man who was also in the hot tub began talking to me. A sad story unfolded. He was a psychiatrist…a person who was supposed to have all of the answers, getting a divorce from his wife after being married for twenty years.

After a short conversation, he surprised me by asking, “So what is your secret of a happy marriage?” I told him that there wasn’t a simple solution and that we have struggles just like every other married couple. I tried to share some of the things which are important to us, especially having Jesus at the center of our lives. Before leaving the spa, I told him that I would be praying for him.

In thinking more about the answer to this question, different things have come to mind: love and acceptance of one another, commitment, trust, doing things together, teamwork, prayer and a strong relationship with the Lord, both individually and as a couple, are all vital to the happiness of our marriage relationship. None of these would be possible without God’s help!

Thank you, dear Lord, for the gift of a long, happy marriage. Please continue to guide us through our journey in this life together. Help us to be committed to one another and committed to following you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.” — Ruth 1:16-19 NIV


Judy Lowery lives in Springville. The Good News column appears regularly in the Porterville Recorder. You can read more at Judy’s blog, goodnewswithjudy.blogspot.com.