Tag: panda portrait

Coastal Mixed Loop with Company

Today I had the good fortune of some company for a ride out and back along the coast.  Our friends Courtney and Michael came out, he and I rode the coast, and met up with the ladies in Carpinteria for lunch before heading home. The weather was perfect, shorts and t-shirts perfect. 

A little time on the road, a stop in La Conchita for some coconut water, and then some dirt on the coastal cliffs.  Theis stretch between the cliffs and the railroad tracks makes the time on the 101 shoulder worth it.  With the recent rains everything was still in great shape and the trails were hard packed.  The trails are only a couple of miles along the railroad tracks with a good amount of single track woven into the route to keep it fun.  It was Mike’s first foray into skinny tires on dirt, and I think we may have a convert.  A quick run through Rincon Cycles with some tandem questions as well as a look through a shop that actually sells touring gear, then lunch with the wives.  Back on the bikes through the trails.

After the trails there is a stretch where you are squished in on beat up black top between the ocean and the freeway.  I know the mountains cause most of it, but will never cease to be amazed how California manages to squeeze many of its highways and railroads right up against the ocean.

Back to a bit a sanity on the side roads home.  Great day, great company and looking forward to the next ride

Ventura River Ramble

It was unseasonably warm again today with temps in the 55-60 degree range, not that I am complaining.  The wind also calmed down a bit and rolling out of the garage I decided to head up the Ventura River Trail and shoot some pics.  The light was fantastic this morning.

I made it out to Santa Anna Road in time to catch the sun rise hitting the mountains,

But played around too much with the cameras and gear to cover the distance I had hoped for.  I had picked up some new batteries for my wireless camera trigger the other day, and the improvement in range and performance is incredible.  More lonely-boy self portraits to follow soon.  Heading home:

In time to play a bit with the family before getting back to work.

Sleepy Main Street

This morning there was only a bit time for a quick toodle around down town and to close the loop along the beach for a quick surf check.  After yesterday’s comment about living in a smaller town I thought about expanding a bit.  Work brought me to the Ventura area four years ago.  When it was time to find an apartment, a garage for the tools and gear, and close to town and the beach were the key criteria in the search.  We ended up in a town house two blocks from My wife’s work, a few blocks from down town and the beach.  We are able to walk down town for dinner and shopping, there are at least four local bike shops within two miles of the house, the ocean is blocks away.  Most of our produce comes from the weekend farmer’s markets either up the street on Saturday or I use the Sunday market ten miles away as an excuse to put in some extra saddle time.  Things like Costco or the nicer food markets are a bit further, but still very accessible by bike when you need to stock up on supplies.  In the last few years my work was as close as a three mile pedal to the job site, and at worst 65 miles in the car down to Los Angeles. 

The only downside, well I am having a hard time coming up  with a downside.  I did not even ge to expand on the mountains to the north expanding into the Los Padres National Forest, or the fact that if we did want to venture into LA it is only an hour or so away.  This is not meant to be a sales pitch for Ventura.  Think about what you do to live and work and how to structure your life so that you can do the things you want.  For me that is getting out of the car, onto the bike, into the water and having maximum time to spend with my wife and daughter.  Every time I take work that puts me behind the windshield for hours on end I regret it, I am trying real hard this time to not lat that happen again.  It is possible to have things come together so that you can do it your way, though you have to do it and not wait for it to just show up.

If you find you current situation less ideal than you would hope, particularly from a transformational cycling situation, just get out and make the best of what you have.  Things are probably better than you think.  In my four years here in town I have discovered and been able to share more than many people who have lived here for decades.  The key is getting started, get outside, commit to using your legs to get around town.  When that gets boring, commit to not going the same way twice  to get to the same places for a whole week or more.  Most of all recapture your time and have fun.