The Ditch.
I'd ridden here before, so it was no surprise.
With the family vacation plans dictating when and how much I would ride, I knew my only real option for much of this trip was going to be the bike trail up and down the Santa Ana River. Actually, "river" is being very, very generous. Think of a huge concrete drainage ditch with occasional bodies of standing water, and you'll pretty much get the picture. It's mostly flat, except for underpasses. The scenery various from the large tent cities of the homeless around Angels Stadium, passing freeways, and... the ditch itself. It only gets mildly interesting on either end, at the Pacific or at in Yorba Linda, home of the Richard Millhouse Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. Given my dislike for the beach and the hills at the other end, I rode towards Tricky Dick.
This involved a lot of city riding, which is interesting in this area. Bike lanes appear and disappear randomly, dropping you in high traffic areas with only lycra for defense. I think the traffic planners watch on cameras for entertainment, hoping to see a roadie splattered across the front of a minivan as the driver looks for the Disneyland Parking exit. I rode on a lot of sidewalks.
Once at the ditch, I'd chug along and get in uninspiring miles, working out the back aches and sore legs earned during a day of tension at Disney. I'd get in as much as I could before it got dark, and usually got caught out in the worst possible places when the sun dropped. I have no idea why it gets dark here in the summer. That's what winter is for. California is a screwy place.
We skipped the theme parks over the holiday weekend, so I lined up some other riding options. Anything is better than more laps up and down the ditch.
With the family vacation plans dictating when and how much I would ride, I knew my only real option for much of this trip was going to be the bike trail up and down the Santa Ana River. Actually, "river" is being very, very generous. Think of a huge concrete drainage ditch with occasional bodies of standing water, and you'll pretty much get the picture. It's mostly flat, except for underpasses. The scenery various from the large tent cities of the homeless around Angels Stadium, passing freeways, and... the ditch itself. It only gets mildly interesting on either end, at the Pacific or at in Yorba Linda, home of the Richard Millhouse Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. Given my dislike for the beach and the hills at the other end, I rode towards Tricky Dick.
This involved a lot of city riding, which is interesting in this area. Bike lanes appear and disappear randomly, dropping you in high traffic areas with only lycra for defense. I think the traffic planners watch on cameras for entertainment, hoping to see a roadie splattered across the front of a minivan as the driver looks for the Disneyland Parking exit. I rode on a lot of sidewalks.
Once at the ditch, I'd chug along and get in uninspiring miles, working out the back aches and sore legs earned during a day of tension at Disney. I'd get in as much as I could before it got dark, and usually got caught out in the worst possible places when the sun dropped. I have no idea why it gets dark here in the summer. That's what winter is for. California is a screwy place.
We skipped the theme parks over the holiday weekend, so I lined up some other riding options. Anything is better than more laps up and down the ditch.
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