Pics from today

[summoner12]

So today I took a bike ride. I went from the Adam's St. bridge over the Santa Ana river trail, headed to the beach, rode north along the beach trail and turned around and headed back to my car.

Not too much excitment... but it was a very nice afternoon ride. Cool weather and not a TON of sun since it was kinda cloudy. When I got the the Huntington Beach Pier I passed some people sitting around with drums. Looked like a bunch of hippies... They had some good beats going, just jamming as a group.

This is where I turned around. It is a dog park/beach.

Here is the pier.

And here are the hippies.....

I moved in a bit closer...

And here is some dude painting the drummers...

Sorry the pics aren't great... they are taken from my phone

all in all I rode about 20 miles. Most of which was into the wind since it kinda changed direction on me. Headed south along the beach you have a great tail wind... but so many kids pop out of nowhere and morons riding along HOGGING the trail... there is no point in going fast. I did push hard on the way back when I got onto the river trail. That is wide open... but there was a strooong side wind....

 

[Vegas Chad]

Dont get too close to the hippies, they bite!

 

[codiwatkins]

It must be Very nice to be able to rid your bike to the beach!!I have never been to the ocean...... And hey I like to play the drums sometimes does that make me a hippie???

On second thought I suppose I kinda am one!!! After all my favorite thing to say is Im a lover Not a fighter!

 

[Pure]

I wish we had blue water at our beach The St Johns river dumps out just a little north of Jax Beach, giving our ocean a nice brown color. Add to that the hurricane that came through in the 80s that dredged up the ocean floor and your get a milky brown, yum.

I've ridden in a helicopter over our beach before and I tell ya, If everyone did that, they would never go in the water again. You would be shocked by the number of sharks that cruise right along side people swimming.

You do know the hippie bite is infectious right? If bitten, you will sprout dreads and start smoking the ......

 

[chams1]

Awesome! I used to spend a lot of time in CA and I miss it!

Yeah, Lake Michigan is soooo not like this...

 

[Miss Lily]

Wow, you live in a great place! Living on an Island, I have a choice of beaches, some better than others. My favourite is Appley beach in Ryde. Next time I'm there I'll take some pics to share with you guys. You have to walk almost a mile to paddle in the sea at low tide! We have cycle routes here, but the views are nowhere near as good as yours! Thanks for sharing the photos.

 

[summoner12]

Awesome! I used to spend a lot of time in CA and I miss it!

Yeah, Lake Michigan is soooo not like this...

Hey now.... Lake Michigan has some nice beaches.... Growing up I lived in Evanston so we mostly went to (what I always called) The Light House beach... I think there is a real name but thats what I always called it cause of the light house. Then in HS my friends and I always went to Gilson beach in Wilmette. My family had moved to Glenview so Gilson was a straight shot down Lake Ave, about 6 miles.

Here are a couple of pictures from the last time I was home. My GF's brother, Matt and I went for a walk on Northwestern's campus.

A dog park/beach...

The city...

The campus lagoon haha.

Students paint the huge rocks all along the shore there....

some kids playing football.

 

[summoner12]

It must be Very nice to be able to rid your bike to the beach!!I have never been to the ocean...... And hey I like to play the drums sometimes does that make me a hippie???

On second thought I suppose I kinda am one!!! After all my favorite thing to say is Im a lover Not a fighter!

I remember the first time I saw the Pacific ocean like it was yesterday...

I had been to Florida before but didn't think too much of the ocean when I got there... I dunno why. but when I got to the Pacific it was just like 'ok... now I've been to 'the other side'. Like it was some journey to the other end of the earth, can't go any farther than this....

The way Pacific Coast Highway goes along the ocean must have something to do with it. You are RIGHT there, if you drove off the road you would land in the ocean.

I dunno if anyone ever sees those ING commercials.... where the guy is driving a convertible along the ocean.... this is that stretch of road. You'll recognize that rock as the camera pulls back from the car at the end of the commercial.

This is the beach that is just on the other side of that huge rock looking thing...

All of that rubble is from the old PCH... I guess the ocean swept it away so they blasted through the side of that hill (above pic) to keep the hwy from falling into the ocean again...

 

[joshdhensley]

Those couldn't be hippies!! No one is naked!!!

 

[chams1]

Hey now.... Lake Michigan has some nice beaches.... Growing up I lived in Evanston so we mostly went to (what I always called) The Light House beach... I think there is a real name but thats what I always called it cause of the light house. Then in HS my friends and I always went to Gilson beach in Wilmette. My family had moved to Glenview so Gilson was a straight shot down Lake Ave, about 6 miles.

Yeah, okay, it's good for like.... 1 time. Ha Ha Ha. Indiana Dunes, maybe. Let's just say that you're super lucky to be living where you are now! Right after college, I got an apartment right on the beach at the south edge of Evanston. Nice place and beach was nice. That was quite a few years ago. Now it and most of the beaches are blah. Can I tell you how many beach closures there are each summer due to contamination (mostly from junk flowing down from Wisconsin or from the factories on the IL/IN border....fact ) (i.e. see the smog in your pic??). (sorry to be a party-pooper for those of you planning on coming for a visit!!) If I want to go to a beach, I go to the Caribbean...

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

Damn, sorry I missed the ride. It was a good day for it.

My mom is in the hospital so I was busy dealing with that. bummer, I think I will hit the trail next weekend.

 

[Hollywoodpanther]

Summoner,

That big rock in your picture on PCH is called Mugu Rock after the Pt. Mugu Navy Airbase next to it. I grew up surfing this coast line and it is gorgeous. Funny thing is you would never know it, but this is one of the best waves in California about once every 2 years. It looks like pipeline when it breaks on a big winter swell-check it out on google. It is worth a trip up to watch if it is breaking-it is spectacular.

 

[summoner12]

If I want to go to a beach, I go to the Caribbean...

Must be nice!

BTW what smog are you talking about? The chicago pics? That is mist from the lake... It was a very clear day.... but yeah, southside taking the skyway to Gary, In.... wow that place STINKS!

 

[Syn]

LOL Viva la Maxipad..

 

[chams1]

Must be nice!

BTW what smog are you talking about? The chicago pics? That is mist from the lake... It was a very clear day.... but yeah, southside taking the skyway to Gary, In.... wow that place STINKS!

It is! This is the first year I haven't gone on my "annual trip" for a week.!

Sorry, I guess I'm too used to seeing the smog ... lol Seriously, it is pretty nice at the lake and the skyline and downtown (I work in the loop) IS pretty great. I guess I just get very green with envy when I see these lovely pics of the ocean...

 

[Pure]

LOL Viva la Maxipad..

You know, I was wondering just why he picked that rock for a photo op. Kinda makes me wonder what was on the other rocks.

 

[summoner12]

It is! This is the first year I haven't gone on my "annual trip" for a week.!

Sorry, I guess I'm too used to seeing the smog ... lol Seriously, it is pretty nice at the lake and the skyline and downtown (I work in the loop) IS pretty great. I guess I just get very green with envy when I see these lovely pics of the ocean...

The LUP FM!

hahaha is that station still up? WLUP?

As nice as California is... I still LOVE going home to Chicago. There are a lot of good things about it that you miss when you've been gone for a while.

Hey Ryan, we'll have to ride next weekend. I only did 21 miles..... pushed hard at times and had a lot of head winds... but I think I can pace you for 30 miles... How fast do you ride? I did an average of 12.6 mph.... but the last two miles I charged hard into the wind... kept it at 19+ mph LOVE that burn!

New Port beach... what time?

 

[summoner12]

uh, huh?

You know, I was wondering just why he picked that rock for a photo op. Kinda makes me wonder what was on the other rocks.

I think I have a couple of others... that one was just kinda more 'shocking'

 

[summoner12]

Summoner,

That big rock in your picture on PCH is called Mugu Rock after the Pt. Mugu Navy Airbase next to it. I grew up surfing this coast line and it is gorgeous. Funny thing is you would never know it, but this is one of the best waves in California about once every 2 years. It looks like pipeline when it breaks on a big winter swell-check it out on google. It is worth a trip up to watch if it is breaking-it is spectacular.

I knew the name of the beach.... heheh I just wasn't sure if others would know it. When I first moved to LA, I would drive out to the point and just spend a few hours hanging out and exploring the area. There are some FUN roads to drive on up in the hills. One time I drove through the middle of a Mercedes Benz commercial HEHEH.

Sorry about the quality... these were film prints that I scanned.

 

[ToniandGizmo]

Beautiful pics. Back in the 70's I worked right acrossed the street from the HB pier at a great club called the Golden Bear. By the way, we hippies do not bite!