What a day - what a ride! I followed strictly Adventure Cycling's Map today and started in Malibu, where the traffic was heavier than expected for so early in the morning. Instead of the calm morning rides that I have been used to, I get a rather colorful ride through Pepperdine, rows of stores and seafood restaurants, cliff-hanging houses, and private beaches.
It was an exciting moment when after an hour or so when I came upon the north end of the Santa Monica bike paths near Sunset Canyons. When I was younger, my longest bike ride was from home to Eaton Canyon - a round trip distance of about 10 miles. It was at UCLA, here at the Santa Monica bike paths, that I first took bike riding above the 10 mile limit!
A few miles further south lies Marina del Rey, where I dropped by the gym and the office for a couple of pictures with friends and colleagues. While I didn't find everyone, I did find my kickass kickboxing teacher - Moses - and several of my BioDiscovery colleagues - Jane, Judi, Edwin, and Peter.
The next 20 or so miles - through LAX, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach - was routine since it is my standard weekday training ride. After that, I turned west to head through Palos Verdes, Grace's hometown. That ride was awesome. I loved the gentle hills and the beautiful houses - and the faint rustic smell of horses, countryside, and ocean salt all mixed together. I passed by the "confusing stop sign" that Grace told me her Mom hated. I almost took a detour to that cove Grace showed me before... But there is no time. I've got 60 or so miles to go!
L.A. is a city of contrast, and the contrast between Wilmington and Palos Verdes is a case in point. Wilmington is a shanty town while Palos Verdes has one of the highest per capita income in the country. The ride through Wilmington was actually a little scary. Next up was Long Beach, which was all about industry - and dusty, smoky, choking air. I had forgotten that L.A. had heavy industry. I saw rows of trucks getting on and off the 710 off the port (I wanted to get a picture - it's like finding the spring of all traffic jams, but it was too dangerous to stop) and huge rail yards. A few miles later, after turning a corner, all the heavy traffic disappeared, and I ran into (of all things) a movie shoot! Next up was Alamitos Bay, where I used to take windsurfing lessons. The path soon crossed the San Gabriel River and joined the route that Sis and I took earlier in our shakedown cruise from Pasadena to Dana Point a couple of months ago. That ride felt somewhat routine (since I've done it with a trailer before) and passed through Huntington Beach (surf central!), Newport Beach (upscale, bustling metropolis), Crystal Cove (where sis and I took a nice relaxing break in our first trip), Laguna Beach (touristy town with muchos bien restaurants), and a long stretch of upscale hotels and country clubs before I finally arrived at Doheny State Park.
Overall the traffic through L.A. wasn't as bad (close though) as I imagined. The weather was partly cloudy and not too hot. I was surprised that my “homecoming” ride was as exciting as it was. I am proud of today. My muscles still feel refreshed, but I know I am tired and need some sleep.
Trip Home