I obviously saw quite a bit as I made my way through Los Angeles. In honor of Sam Turman, I ordered a tall cup o' joe at the toniest Starbucks I could find in Malibu. The gentleman behind me took out a piece of paper from which he read his latte order(no joke); I was quickly getting out of my element the farther South I traveled. My path was through many of the well-known beach areas; Santa Monica, Venice Beach, Redondo, etc. It was something else to see everyone rollerblading, walking their dogs, weight lifting, and acting in every way LA is generally portrayed. No Baywatch lifeguards though.
I got lost in a bad part of Long Beach. I rode near the Los Angeles River, quite possibly the most depressing site I've ever seen, though I was surprised when I looked into people's back yards to see that some houses had horses. What could you possibly do with a horse in the heart of LA, I wondered? I moved quickly to get as far from the sprawl as I could before night fall, but when I made it to the camping beach I had planned to stay at, I found it was RV camping only. I had gone around 100miles that day, and the sun had set. I camped in the parking lot of a nearby nature preserve. Around 12:30 AM, I was awoken by a floodlight shining directly onto my sleeping bag; a police officer had found me in the lot. He asked where I had come from, and when I told him he allowed me to stay the night where I lay, provided I didn't have any felonies or outstanding warrants. It was not the best night's sleep.
In Huntington Beach the next morning, I fixed a flat, had a doughnut, made some repairs, and mailed some postcards. By this time I was getting into the heart of Orange County, possibly the most dangerous drivers I've seen thus far. People won't hit you in LA, because there would be thousands of witnesses. In Laguna Beach, the Cadillac Escalades drive where they please, and I ain't nothing but a tall road cone.
The closer I got to San Diego, the more I kicked it into gear. Even with my trailer, I must have been doing 25 miles per hour average between Dana Point and Camp Pendleton. I was ready for a nice warm bed and tea with Grandma Ringler!
The Coastal Bike Trail rides right through Camp Pendleton, a large Marine Base near San Diego. I had a good time talking to the Marine sentries at the gate for a while before taking off across the gigantic base. The ride afforded lots to look at, but a very high stress riding environment. I was passed by three huge military trucks with "Student Driver" emblazoned on the front. Then I was passed by a full-sized tank. Thank God those "students" know what they're doing!
I'm now in San Marcos on my second day of rest, and will probably take one more before I hit the road.
Me and Grandma Ringler
"But officer, it was a crime of passion!"
A Dog Walker in Redondo Beach, LA
Redondo Beach Mural
No comments:
Post a Comment