CicLAvia: Celebrate LA! #LAPhil100xCicLAvia (2018)

My latest CicLAvia experience was unlike any of the other ones I’ve participated in. CicLAvia events have always been fun rides along streets closed to traffic, but this particular one took it up a few notches. CicLAvia: Celebrate LA! was a celebration for the LA Philharmonic’s centennial season. The route went between Walt Disney Concert Hall in Downtown LA and the Hollywood Bowl with musicians, artists, and dancers performing at the six hubs and along the route. It even included a free concert at the Hollywood Bowl in the evening (for those who were able to get free tickets). It was one large ongoing street party.

An added bonus for me was that I had the pleasure of riding with a friend the whole time. My family was unable to join due to soccer commitments, but friends on Facebook had seen my interest in going and reached out to me. One was a first-timer to CicLAvia, and the other had participated before. I was thrilled they both got in touch with me because I hadn’t fully committed to going yet since I did have a kid’s soccer game in the afternoon, but their interest in joining me convinced me to do it.

To make it work I had to be at the route when the roads opened up to riders at 9 o’clock. As I’ve done before, I took the Metro Expo Line to Downtown LA. I was not alone on the light rail train. The area for bikes was full after just a few stops. There wasn’t even room for pedestrians to enter. Most of us were single riders, and conversations about plans for the day and previous CicLAvia experiences flowed freely.

I surfaced from the Metro station at 7th Street and met Whitney, the first-timer, as planned. We began to ride towards Hollywood. It was oddly quiet and calm at 9 o’clock. I was afraid she’d get the wrong impression about CicLAvia. But at the same time, it was nice because we could chat and ride and look around without worrying about other riders around us. We rode along Wilshire Boulevard through MacArthur Park and Koreatown and then on towards Melrose and Hollywood.

Melrose Hub

As time went on, the streets filled with more riders. I wasn’t actually aware that most of the entertainment wasn’t scheduled to start until 10 o’clock. By the time we arrived at the Hollywood Hub, it was more like the CicLAvias I knew from before, crowded and lively.

Hollywood Hub Stage

Due to time constraints, we didn’t take the shuttle from the Hollywood Hub to the Hollywood Bowl to see the performances there, but we enjoyed the entertainment on the stage at the Hollywood Hub. Too bad we didn’t stay just a little longer; we could have heard Rivers Cuomo with members of the LA Philharmonic who were up next.

Audience enjoying Koreatown Hub’s Main Stage from the much appreciated shade!

When we were back at the Koreatown Hub, we parted ways. Whitney had to return home for her daughter’s soccer game. I then waited for my other friend Julie to join me. It was nice to be able to hang for a while and enjoy the entertainment at the two stages at the hub.

Koreatown Hub’s Oxford Stage

Julie and I continued towards Downtown and the Grand Avenue Hub. This was where the heart of the festivities was. Two big stages alternated entertainment. Food trucks and activity tents were lined up. Walt Disney Concert Hall, Broad Museum, and the mountains in the background provided an exceptional setting to the event.

Grand Ave Hub

After soaking it all in for as long as we had time, we headed back to the Metro station. Soccer obligations called for both us of. But my day on wheels wasn’t over. I took the Expo Line all the way to the end of the line in Santa Monica and made it just in time for my son’s soccer game. And then after the game, I rode my bike along the Expo Bike Path back home. It was a lovely day spent all over LA without a car.

For those interested, the next CicLAvia event is around the corner on Sunday, December 2, 2018, in the Heart of LA. The route has not been published yet, but it will include Chinatown, Downtown LA, and Boyle Heights. Mark your calendars!

18th Annual Los Angeles River Ride (2018): Finally My Chance

This year I was finally able to do the Los Angeles River Ride myself. Six years ago our family went to our first LA River Ride, but I wasn’t able to ride it since Doobie was too young for the Family Ride. I stayed with him in the parking lot for the younger riders’ mini-course and bike wash. Only Daddy and Sonny were able to ride along the river. Ever since that year I’ve wanted to ride along the river myself, ideally with the family, but other commitments always interfered. This year was finally my chance.

This year’s Los Angeles River Ride took place Sunday, June 3. Both kids had obligations, but I was able to get away to Griffith Park for the event. There were several rides to choose from: 2-mile Kids’ Ride, 15-mile Family Ride, 36-mile Ride, 68-mile Metric Century Plus, and Century Ride from Griffith Park to Long Beach and back, each ride starting at a different time in the morning. I chose the 15-mile ride since the next longer ride of 36 miles seemed a little daunting as my first experience (even though we’ve done that and more as a family on cycle tours in Europe previously).

There weren’t as many riders at the start line as I had expected, but then again this was the last of the rides to get started. Organizers started us in stages so we wouldn’t overwhelm the road or each other when we started. Due to construction, we had to ride about 3 miles on road through the park to get to the bike path. I had no issue with that, especially since my husband’s one complaint from our last experience was the interference with cars while riding over the freeway to get to the bike path. This year’s route was a little awkward just as we were getting to the bike path. We had to dismount, cross an intersection two ways, walk down a grassy slope, and then wind our way around tennis courts before joining the bike path. But it was not a big issue in the grand scheme of things.

Riding along the river was a wonderful experience. It’s really becoming a much more green space with lots of birdlife and opportunities for recreational use. Even though concrete still played a dominant role and at one point, but for a very short distance, the freeway buzzed by on the other side of the path, you could easily forget you were riding in the middle of big city metropolis.

The ride went from The Autry Museum in Griffith Park to Elysian Park and back. The turn-around point was not clear. Luckily, a volunteer had noticed that riders were continuing on and stationed himself so that he could tell us to turn around.

One of my favorite moments of the ride was coming upon Spoke Bicycle Café. It was a pit stop along the route. I thought the pit stop was going to be just a table with refreshments along the route so I hadn’t paid much attention to the details of it. It was indeed “just a table with refreshments” but the table was inside this very cool, laid-back, bicycle themed café. Spoke Café was its own little special world. I wished I wasn’t there alone so I could have hung out for a while and enjoyed the atmosphere, live music and all.

Another local discovery I made was La Colombe Frogtown, another café right along the bike path. This had a totally different vibe than Spoke Bicycle Café, much more modern and chic. I wasn’t in the mood for coffee, but the cold pressed juice by Liquiteria was perfect.

Eventually, it was time to pedal my way back to the start of the ride. I’ve decided that next time I do this event I’ll sign up for the longer ride. This 15-mile ride only took 1 ½ hours (excluding café stops). I would have loved to spend more time along the river. Who’d like to join me next time?

The yearly Los Angeles River Ride is organized by the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) which is a membership-based nonprofit organization that works to make all communities in LA County healthy, safe, and fun places to ride a bike through advocacy, education, and outreach. You can help by becoming a member, donating, or joining a bike ride (see below for one coming up soon in Santa Monica!), plus more.

Coming up soon… Sunday Funday: Tour of Santa Monica on Sunday, July 1, 9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Join LACBC and local chapter Santa Monica Spoke for the first Sunday Funday of the summer season! They’ll be taking in the cool coastal air as they explore the Michigan Ave greenway and get a preview of the 17th St corridor. They’ll be starting out at the 26th Street / Bergamot Station on the Expo Line meeting at 9:30 a.m., rolling at 10:00 a.m. There will be stops and water breaks along the way and is a perfect way to meet people and discover new neighborhoods. RSVP here. This ride is a no-drop ride (no rider left behind) with LACBC Ride Marshals. Riders should be able to keep a 10-12 MPH pace, and cover 12-15 miles.

CicLAvia: Heart of LA (2017)

CicLAvia returned to Downtown LA for its October edition. At first I was a little unenthused about returning to Downtown LA, but then I learned that this year’s Heart of LA route had a new hub, Echo Park, which I was excited to explore.

It turned out to be a solo event for me, but I was totally okay with that. Going alone allows me to do whatever I please, whenever I please, without complaints, which is a situation I rarely encounter. And, there are actually a lot of other solo riders at these events. It’s a great opportunity to connect with new people. You feel like you’re part of a greater community. Everyone is there for the same reason – to take advantage of the open streets and explore the city from a different vantage point.

Being able to take Metro Rail’s Expo Line to Downtown LA made this an easy event for me to attend. What was tricky this time was that a football game was happening at the Coliseum that afternoon as well, and the train car got really packed with passengers. Having a bike onboard was awkward and difficult. But once all the football fans got off at USC, the cyclists could relax for the rest of the ride.

At the end of the line, I surfaced from the Metro station and made my way to Broadway Hub where I joined the route. This area has the feel of a typical downtown city with buildings side-by-side along the street, but riding gives you a chance to look more closely at the buildings. There are some interesting architectural details and public art along the way.

Once I got to the main intersection of the route and headed out towards Echo Park Hub, that downtown feel quickly subsided. About 1 1/2 miles later I was at Echo Park Lake. I was so surprised and fascinated by this area. It is such a big and serene green space so close to Downtown LA.

I parked my bike and began to walk along a path that circles the lake. It was very peaceful despite all the CicLAvia participants and the regular folks who were there just enjoying the park. At first glance, I saw the fountain in the middle of the lake and the paddle boats and boat house at the edge of the lake. But exploring more closely, I noticed water lily beds throughout the lake, lotus plants at one end of the lake, and a lush wetlands habitat full of wildlife. Looking even more closely, I saw fish, turtles, and a variety of birds.

There was even a cute looking cafe in the boat house, Beacon. It boasts “a chef-driven menu with good-for-you ingredients.” I’ve put it on my list of outdoor restaurants to bring my parents to the next time they’re in town. And I’ll also have to come back at the right time to catch the lotus flowers in bloom. Apparently, this year’s bloom in June was pretty spectacular.

After exploring the park and enjoying lunch from Cousins Maine Lobster food truck, it was time to move on. Next up was Chinatown, but not until I had ridden through 2nd Street Tunnel again. This turned out to be a fun “attraction” for all ages. Adults let their inner child loose while riding through, and there was lots of howling, hollering, and whistling.

I have been to Chinatown before but not by bike, so this stretch I did more to just have done than anything. It was a relatively quick visit.

Finally, I made my way out to Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights on the east side of the Los Angeles River. This was a new destination for me as well. To get there, we rode through the Arts District with its many wall murals and over the 4th Street Bridge.

After checking out Mariachi Plaza, enjoying some live music, and supporting the local farmer’s market, it was time to make my way back to Broadway Hub and the Metro station to head back home.

It was a full day of pedaling with lots of new sights and sounds along the way – 16 miles and 6 hours total – but one I’ll be eager to repeat next time around. I do believe this is becoming my favorite CicLAvia route. There is so much variety in where to go and what to see, and the riders are spread out on the three spokes so there’s a little more breathing room when riding. There will be no hesitation about returning to Downtown LA next time CicLAvia happens there.

The New & Less Traveled Oslo

new and less traveled sightseeing in OsloAre you headed to Oslo this summer, and maybe you’re looking for something besides the normal tourist sights? Here are some newer sights and hidden gems to consider.

Harbor Promenade – Havnepromenade

Oslo has a very new harbor promenade to explore. It runs 9 kilometers (about 5.5 miles) along the waterfront and hits many of the main sights of Oslo including Tjuvholmen and Aker Brygge, the inner harbor with City Hall and Akershus Fortress, and the Opera House.

I look forward to exploring this route by bike with the family. I may finally have a chance to get a close-up look at the Opera House with its dramatic architectural features. I also hope to include a swim at Sørenga Seawater Pool and a meal at Vippa (a huge warehouse recently named one of the “10 hottest new restaurants in Oslo” according to eater.com).

Hovedøya

A few years ago, a cousin of mine recommended a visit to Hovedøya, an island a short ferry ride from the city center known for its beaches, forests, and cultural heritage sights. There you can explore the ruins of a Cistercian monastery from 1147. In 1532, the monastery was pillaged and burned down, and the ruins weren’t excavated until 1840’s. You can also see two canon batteries from 1808 and two gunpowder depots from when the island belonged to the Norwegian army. It would be a nice excursion on a day with beautiful weather. Bring swim gear and a picnic (or eat at one of the cafes) and spend the day exploring. It also has plenty of geocaching opportunities (see map above with all the geocaches!) which is always a fun addition to an outing.

Museum of Oslo

Museum of Oslo is another museum I’d like to take the kids to. It’s located right in Frognerparken which makes it a convenient bike ride from my parents’ home. It presents the city’s history through models, paintings, and photographs. The museum’s exhibitions are mainly in Norwegian, but a free audioguide of “1,000 years in 20 minutes” is available in English, French, German, Somali, Punjabi, Polish, and Arabic as well as Norwegian.

What piqued my interest in bringing the kids was that the museum offers a special family activity called City Detectives (recommended for kids age 5 to 12). It’s an augmented reality app that allows visitors to get a glimpse of Oslo’s past. The goal is to find 10 historical stations in the exhibition “OsLove – City History for Beginners”. With the app, participants visit the 2-bedroom apartment of a big family, experience the power of Aker River, and see how the main street of Karl Johan has changed over time. The app is only available on site. You can borrow ipods or download the app to your own Apple device. You do not need to know Norwegian to use the app.

Emanuel Vigeland Mausoleum

I learned about Emanuel Vigeland Mausoleum from the book Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders. We are certainly familiar with the work of his brother Gustav Vigeland whose bronze and granite sculptures are on display in Frognerparken, but I did not know about Emanuel.

The mausoleum is part of Emanuel Vigeland Museum. The museum’s main attraction is a dark, barrel-vaulted room, completely covered with fresco paintings. According to Atlas Obscura, “entering the mausoleum is a solemn, even haunting, experience. Even the quietest footstep echoes across the barrel-vaulted ceiling for up to 14 seconds. A flashlight is needed to reveal the room’s dark, painted walls.” I think this “hidden wonder” is best explored without kids due to the paintings that show “life from conception till death, in dramatic and often explicitly erotic scenes.” (Note: The museum is only open to the public on Sundays. Summer hours are May 15 through September 15, 12pm to 5pm.)

Damstredet & Telthusbakken Area

Damstredet and Telthusbakken are two roads known for their well-preserved and inhabited wooden houses built in the late 1700s and the 1800s. They are located near each other in the St. Hanshaugen/Gamle Aker area in central Oslo. There are other sights in the area as well, so a visit to the area can make a worthwhile self-guided walking tour. Very nearby is the medieval church Gamle Aker kirke (Old Aker Church), oldest building in Oslo, as well as Vår Frelsers Gravlund, the cemetery where writer Henrik Ibsen and painter Edvard Munch are buried. This excursion is easily combined with visit to nearby Mathallen, an interesting food court with specialty shops and cafés. And while at Mathallen, you can see if you can spot the Vulkan Bee Garden, which is two huge beehives on the rooftop between Mathallen and Dansens Hus next door.

CicLAvia: Iconic Wilshire Boulevard (2016)

Another CicLAvia is in the books for me, my fifth one. It was a ride along Wilshire Boulevard starting in Downtown LA and going to Koreatown. I was actually considering not doing this ride because it was a partial repeat of a previous route I had already done, but then Doobie expressed interest in joining me and how could I resist that?

The first Iconic Wilshire Boulevard ride in 2014 was quite the city adventure on wheels for me. This one turned out to be much more relaxing. I really enjoyed the experience and am so glad I took advantage of the event and that Doobie joined me.

One Wilshire Hub

One Wilshire Hub

Now with the Metro Expo Line extended through our neighborhood, we had easy access to Downtown LA and we were at One Wilshire Hub in no time. Our biggest challenge was getting the bikes up from the underground station. We missed the elevator and Doobie had a little trouble holding on to his bike on the busy escalators. But it all worked out with the help of friendly and helpful fellow commuters.

CicLAvia Wilshire routemap

Since I had already done this route (although the 2014 version was about twice as long), I did not really have any particular plans, unlike CicLAvia: Heart of LA (2015)  when I had a whole wishlist of places I wanted to see and visit. This time, I just wanted to enjoy and take advantage of the open streets (and hopefully find one geocache that was along the route, a new one since my last ride there).

Doobie, however, had an agenda. He wanted to hunt Pokémon, stop at PokéStops and Gyms, and hatch eggs. I was totally okay with that. It would give me ample time to people watch and take in the whole atmosphere of the event. On their website, CicLAvia even had a list of the 56 PokéStops along the route with a reminder to be mindful and not to stop in the middle of the route. Continue reading

CicLAvia: Heart of LA (2015)

Last month I completed another successful and fulfilling CicLAvia experience. It was my fourth one, and each one has always been such a different and unique experience. I’ve gone through various iterations of family joining me: 6-year-old Doobie the first time in 2013, me alone the second time in 2014, the whole family the third time earlier this year, but it was just 11-year-old Sonny and me for this experience.
MacArthur Park SpheresOn October 18, 2015, CicLAvia celebrated its 5th anniversary with CicLAvia: Heart of LA, a route in Downtown LA. I studied up on the route so I wouldn’t miss anything of interest and had a great plan for the day. I had never planned and prepared so much for a CicLAvia experience as I did for this one, but it was such a new area for me to explore. Now that it’s over, I learned it was certainly helpful to have a general overview of how I hoped to proceed that day, but that an overly detailed plan was not necessary nor feasible and it’s just best to go with the flow.

CicLAvia Heart of LA mapOther than we didn’t get out as early as I would have liked since Sonny had been at a sleepover, all started well as we rode our bikes to the Metro Rail and took it to the end of the line downtown. We first headed out to MacArthur Park as planned and saw the The Spheres as I had wanted. They didn’t disappoint, but it was kind of an odd experience walking through the park—there was the energy and excitement of all the CicLAvia participants, but at the same time homeless people were going about their business as if nothing special was happening.

MacArthur Park More SpheresOur first stop at MacArthur Park was also where I realized all my plans would not work out as planned, in particular the geocaching ones. There were four geocaches in this area that I had wanted to search for. I quickly dropped two of them since they were on the opposite side of the park. We made half-hearted, unsuccessful attempts to find the other two; there were just too many “muggles” around to search without drawing too much attention to us. Sadly, I figured that would probably be the case for all, if not most, of the geocaches I had picked out along the route.

MacArthur Park HubBefore moving on, we checked out the many food trucks at MacArthur Park Hub. Sonny gave The Pudding Truck a try. The butterscotch pudding with brownie bites hit the spot before hitting the road again.

Pudding TruckOn the way towards Grand Park Hub, I had planned to stop by Clifton’s Brookdale Cafeteria, The Last Bookstore, and the Globe Lobby of the LA Times building to see their unique interiors, but they were all on the wrong side of the street and the flow of the bike traffic just carried us along past them. Same was the case for a couple of geocaches along the way as well. There was still the chance we might be able to check them out on the way back.

DowntownLABefore we knew it, we had reached Grand Park Hub. We continued on towards Little Tokyo, which was my next planned stop. On the outskirts of Little Tokyo, however, was a puzzle geocache I had prepared for and wanted to try if at all possible.

For this geocache, I had been given an old photo of City Hall from the 1950’s and had to figure out the spot from which the photo had been taken. The container would be in an “obvious spot” just a few feet from that location. If I had solved the puzzle correctly, ground zero was right along the route, too tempting to let pass by.

City Hall 1950s

Luckily, the spot was on our side of the street and it wasn’t busy. We were able to locate and make the grab easily😀. Interesting to see the differences and similarities in the area between then and now!

City Hall 2015We parked our bikes when we got to the historic district of Little Tokyo. It wasn’t an official hub, but it was very busy with people exploring the area. We took a little stroll in Japanese Village Plaza and felt like we were in Japan. We enjoyed a drumming demonstration outside the Japanese American National Museum. We even ventured a little beyond the crowds to the Go For Broke Memorial which commemorates Japanese Americans who served in the United States Military during World War II (where we also had a some time to ourselves and were able to search for a traditional geocache😀).

Little TokyoTime was quickly passing and Sonny was beginning to get a little impatient about all the time he’d already spent out on the streets with me. We got back on our bikes and pedaled through the Arts District, over 4th Street Bridge, and on towards Hollenbeck Park in Boyle Heights.

Art DistrictWe enjoyed lunch from a food truck at Hollenbeck Park. What struck me right away was how green the park was! These days, with the drought and cutbacks in watering, so much grass is usually brown, but not here for some reason.

Hollenbeck ParkRiding 4th Street Bridge was my favorite stretch of the day. There was something about riding on this historic bridge built in 1931—with its Gothic Revival details, over all the railroad tracks and cemented LA River underneath, with the openness and views of the mountains and city around us—that awed me. It was a popular place for cyclists to get off their bikes and admire their surroundings. And I loved that we got to ride it twice, once in each direction coming back and forth from Hollenbeck Park.

4th Str Bridge to Hollenbeck Park 6th Str Bridge4th Str Bridge to DTLAAfter lunch we pretty much peddled straight back to the downtown Metro stop to go back home. Sonny passed up a stop at a frozen yogurt place because he was eager to get home, but he did humor me with a quick stop right along the route near City Hall to take a picture of a sign post listing all the sister cities of Los Angeles. This was part of the requirement for a virtual geocache that I wanted to log (the other half was posting a picture from a visit to one of LA’s sister cities, which in our case was Athens, Greece😀).

Sister Cities GeocacheHe also agreed to stop at The Last Bookstore to get a glimpse of that. I enticed him with the promise of a book. We browsed the downstairs, in particular the vinyl records section (a cultural history lesson for Sonny!) and the children’s and young adults’ book sections, before we headed upstairs and walked through the labyrinth. It was a short but sweet visit, and we learned it’s worth another visit if we’re in the area.

The Last BookstoreAt the end of the day, we had cycled 13 ½ miles and been out from about 10am to 4pm. We had explored a great part of Downtown that until now had been unknown and unfamiliar to us. I can’t say I now know it like my own neighborhood, but I am certainly more interested and open to going back and revisiting and exploring some more. Downtown LA is no longer a big, unknown area to me. Now when I drive along the freeway past the high rises and surrounding areas, I’ll have a new understanding and appreciation for the area. I’m always looking for new activities to do with my family when they visit. Now I can put some places in Downtown LA on our list.

For those interested in participating in a future CicLAvia, there are two events coming up in the next few months. The first one is CicLAvia: The Valley on March 6, 2016, and the next one is CicLAvia: Southeast Cities on May 15, 2016. Are you tempted to mark either of those on your calendar? I hope to be able to do the Southeast Cities one.

Wishlist for CicLAvia: Heart of LA

CicLAvias have become one of my favorite LA events. I’ve participated in three and am eagerly looking forward to the next one which is around the corner. CicLAvia is an opportunity to venture out and explore neighborhoods on streets that are totally closed to traffic. It also provides the perfect playground for another of my favorite activities, geocaching. Bicycling is my preferred way to experience CicLAvia, but you can also participate by foot or in any other non-motorized way. CicLAvias are fun urban adventures in our own backyard with an amazingly diverse group of people from all over the city.

CicLAvia Heart of LA mapThe next CicLAvia is on Sunday, October 18, and will take place in downtown LA, in the heart of LA. It will go through many varied and distinct districts: Historic Core, Civic Center, Little Tokyo, the Arts District and as far west as MacArthur Park and east as Boyle Heights.

MacArthur Park at CicLAvia: Iconic Wilshire (April 2014)

MacArthur Park at CicLAvia: Iconic Wilshire (April 2014)

Some of those areas I’ve been to before. For example, at CicLAvia: Iconic Wilshire I rode through MacArthur Park, I’ve taken visiting family to Chinatown, and I’ve been to the Civic Center area for visa and citizenship appointments. But others, such as the Arts District, Historic Core, Little Tokyo, and Boyle Heights, I could hardly place on the map until I looked more closely at downtown LA in preparation for this CicLAvia.

I’m putting together a little wishlist of sorts to make sure I don’t miss any fun and unique experiences and sights on the day of the event. As I know from my experiences at previous CicLAvias, the best laid plans often go awry, but planning is half the fun. Continue reading

CicLAvia: Culver City Meets Venice (2015)

From our Backyard to the Beach

CicLAvia_Mural_1CicLAvia was recently back in our neighborhood, and I was finally able to corral the whole family to join me for a CicLAvia experience! It was my third attempt to get the whole family going. For my first CicLAvia, it ended up just being Doobie (age 6) and me, and the second time I did it alone.

But my success this time wasn’t without hurdles. First, I had to explain why I really wanted to do this again and have the whole family along. Then, the night before, when I had finally convinced all to join me and had planned the day, we discovered my husband had a totally flat tire that was beyond just pumping at home. Luckily, a local bike shop replied to my email overnight and confirmed they could fix it upon opening. We were good to go, just a couple of hours later than planned. Continue reading

CicLAvia: Iconic Wilshire Boulevard (2014)

A City Adventure on Wheels

About a year ago I rode in my first CicLAvia event. We had planned for it to be a whole family excursion, but instead it became just a Doobie and Mommy outing. Since then I’ve looked forward to the whole family participating in the next one. Our next opportunity came around not long ago, Iconic Wilshire Boulevard on April 6.

CicLAvia Iconic Wilshire Blvd Route

But due to various circumstances, I ended up going solo. After the initial disappointment of having to go alone, I actually looked forward to it since I would only have to worry about myself and I could do exactly what I wanted and spend as much time doing it as I pleased. I was going to make this a city adventure like I’d never had before!

The first part of my adventure was using the Metro Rail line near our neighborhood for the first time. The Expo Line’s last stop was only a few minutes’ bike ride from our home, and the line went directly to the start of the route Downtown. It was a no-brainer to ride the Metro, but I had no idea about the logistics of using it, especially with a bike. However, I’ve used public transportation in other major cities and felt confident that I could figure it out here, too. It turns out there was no need to worry. At the station, there were extra attendants on duty to help us newbies with buying TAP cards and figuring out fares. I didn’t even have a chance to wonder where to start.

Wilshire One Hub Beginning

When I surfaced from the underground station Downtown, I was immediately surrounded by cyclists. Continue reading

CicLAvia: To the Sea (2013)

Our Ambitious Plans to Ride to the Sea

When we first heard about the event CicLAvia: To the Sea, we had great ambitions. We were going to take public transportation to Downtown LA and then cycle the whole 15 miles to the sea. An opportunity like this, with so many miles of road closed to car traffic, does not happen often and we wanted to take advantage of it.

We had participated in another bicycle event last June. Sonny and Daddy rode 15 miles along the Los Angeles River in the Family Ride portion of the 12th Annual LA River Ride. I stayed back with Doobie for the kiddie ride and activities because he wasn’t old enough for the other one. (You can read about it here.) This year we felt Doobie was old enough for us all to ride together.

CicLAvia mapAs the big day approached, we reconsidered our plans. The thought of riding to the nearest metro stop in Culver City and then somehow getting our four bikes on the train, along with everyone else and their bikes, was too daunting. Instead we decided just to join the ride where it passed by our neighborhood, which wasn’t too far down the street. It did cut off many miles (about 10) but we still had many left until the sea, and then we might make it back again too without too much anguish. Also, there was a bike festival along the route at that point that we could explore.

Then when the big day actually arrived, it ended up just being Doobie and me who participated! Unfortunately, Sonny’s bike had a punctured tire and we had no way to repair it. I was disappointed that we had to leave Sonny and Daddy at home and it wouldn’t be a family affair, but Doobie and I ventured out eagerly anyway.

Motor Ave BestFest Continue reading