Dog Parks LA Style

On Memorial Day holiday I decided to ride from my Culver City motel to UCLA once again, to experience this Monday public holiday out on the streets of LA.

Unfortunately the Venice boardwalk path turned out to be ridiculously over-crowded, so I left it to get some lunch at SEED, a vegan, macrobiotic cafe in Venice that offers a range of great tofu burgers and delicious, spicy, almond milk chai ......

On my way again, via Main St, I spotted this weird park with no grass. In fact it was a sandy, dust bowl, with a few people sitting on the tables looking out over it. Yelping dogs soon revealed what this park was all about. A freeplay park exclusively for dogs !

Drive the dog to the dog park and let it run wild in Venice.

Not much need for supervision required, the dogs were having a ball. No need for high fences, they weren't goin' anywhere.

Rose Bowl to Mt Wilson Observatory

From the Rose Bowl in Pasadena to the Old Observatory on Mt Wilson
.... two tourist spots in one ride, who could resist ?

This is a long, but not steep climb. Averaging 5.2% 27km for 27km, with 1,500m of ascending.
The profile is like a bell ..... all up, then all down for the return.

The forecaster (Shawn) said it was to be a scorcher and my pre-ride enquiries at Helen's Cycles about the traffic on Angeles Crest Hwy (Highway!) and water stops (none ?), did not help ease my concerns.

I was apprehensive about this ride, to say the least. Mostly about the traffic. So I loaded my Garmin with the map I had plotted the night before, slapped on the sunscreen, thicker than usual, mounted an extra tail-light and even bolted on my super bright Exposure headlight, that I use in the dark on Kew Blvd.  I packed as many extra 500ml water bottles in my shoulder bag as would fit - FIVE ..... the report of water at the top was explained " but it could be "bad" .... "

Now, a word is needed here about riding with a Garmin 800.
It is not only about the map giving directions, profile and distance ..... no, it is also about parking.

Parking can be troublesome, to say the least, here in Southern California. You can't just park anywhere. You can get TOWED .... or clamped. On PCH I use car parking lots. My favourites even have restrooms. Planning strategic restrooms is important. Last thing you want to do is get caught peeing by the side of the road by the Highway Patrol ..... this is squeaky clean America, remember !

I also have a spot beside the road on PCH that has a couple of porta-loos nearby. I have used this spot for 3 or 4 rides and each time I have been asked by fellow parkers, where I was going, where I have been ..... I love a spot where the locals park. PERFECT.

For this climb I wanted to park right next to the Rose Bowl ..... just for the photo above. Kit and Remy and most of their local neibourhood mates, are NFL mad. During the pro season they record matches and watch for hours following their favourite teams. They even know the rules. So this photo is for bragging ......

Well, the night before I zoomed about on GoogleMaps for ages, finally selecting the Rose Bowl Lot 1, next to the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center. Guessing there would be restrooms somewhere handy there ..... and I was spot on. Shawn was happy about that after driving 1 1/2 hours to get there.

But there was also a big dog show in Lot 1. Dogs, owners, groomers and professional handlers everywhere. This was a big deal show. Shawn (the vet) confirmed that .... but luckily with our early start, due to the pending heat, we had no trouble and we found good spots with ease.

Caution - the 800 is fussy about making sure you start the ride at the right point. It is essential to make it as easy as possible to find the start of the ride. If you don't get it right, it keeps trying to take you back ... to the start. Which is the last thing you want if you are way out on the ride and you get lost, even just a bit, when you want to get re-assurance to go on.

This time I was spot on and my 800 quickly asked.
"You are near the start of the ride .... do you want to begin"
"YES!"

So off we went, with an extra 7 km to get to the start of the climb, we got to ride around the famous Rose Bowl, up close, then beside the swanky golf course next door. Then along some of the Pasadena bike lanes, with joggers and walkers out early to miss the heat.

Just as I thought, Pasadena is very road bike friendly. Soon enough, though, I was expecting to be riding single file, pushed to the gravel, avoiding cars.

So far so good .......

The Goal .... the two historically important observatories.
The 60" (on the left) was built in 1908 and the gleaming white 100" in 1917.

Samosa House, Culver City

What's been powering me up all the LA Canyons .... ?

Surely not just three Samosas and a Mango Soy Lassi from Samosa House ?

Thick, smooth lassi and hot, freshly fried samosa for brunch .... yum !

Just a block away from Villa Brasil Motel, same shop where I first discovered Barry's Tea.

Rewards Cards USA

Three Essentials when in Southern California.

When next you find yourself in the USA, don't forget to ask when you are at the check outs for a rewards card.

I didn't bother at first, until some keen VONS SUPERMARKET check out guy simply handed me a card when I replied that I didn't have one. Checking the receipt I could see that my $33 spend had been reduced to $24 !

Well ... my interest was sharpened from there on ....... surely this wasn't limited to VONS ?

Later I noticed in RALPHS SUPERMARKET that Clif bars were reduced from $1.40 to 99¢

But only for customers with a rewards card. This time I asked for one. Sure enough, I was charged 99¢ for the bars. Woo hoo ... we had about 30 of 'em !

These are big savings .... why not take advantage of them, wherever and whenever possible.

RITE AID is a huge pharmacy chain .... prescriptions, shampoo, bottled water, even food and CANDY !

Now most supermarket candy is in HUGE packs that are just way over the top. But RITE AID has small packs that are perfect to buy loads of for gifts. Valentines day ones where still on the shelf, reduced, and Easter versions where available too .... Kit and I loaded up and, of course, with my RITE AID card, we got rewards prices !!

McCabe's Guitar Shop, Pico Blvd, Santa Monica

My best discovery on this trip has been Tuna Canyon Rd, but

McCabe's Guitar Shop is right up there with it.

I'm not much interested in browsing guitars, but I am in the sounds they make

.... and in particular the artists who play 'em.

I discovered that this Guitar shop has concerts in a back room (seats about 150),

and that there were two artists playing while I was in LA, that I really wanted to see .... 

Dan Hicks & the Hot Licks and David Lindley

McCabe's Guitar Shop, on Pico

Jogger Crossing, Santa Monica

San Vicente Blvd is a wide, divided road, with a big grassy, treed median strip.
Wide bike lanes go in both directions and are heavily used by cyclists.
There are joggers galore as well. They run up the median strip, at any time of the day.
At this busy intersection with 7th Street there is this very handy Jogger crossing.
When I took this photo, there were two more joggers waiting on the other side.

Daily Specials

Maybe you are thinking it's all done with Oats ?

Well sometimes here in LA I do make porridge, but too often it's breakfast in one of my favourite diners.

I have two .... Dinah's Diner (remember the photo of Kit standing in the rain, under the huge Dinah's Chicken bucket), and Cafe 50s (Kit standing under the "Good times POWER breakfast sign).

Both are a must visit when anyone comes to LA.

Well this trip has seen me eating more cheaply. "Why not eat fast food .... it's cheap" said Shawn in Palm Springs as we munched a delicious salad and toasted cheese burger. Then there was the Subway 12" roll that I ate with relish .....

I think I agree with Shawn. American food is never going to be the best thing you ever ate, even if you pay top price at some up market restaurant. There are too many additives and flavours for the local palette that turns down the enjoyment level. 

So why not go fast food joints and diners. There are plenty of healthy combos to be had.

Then there are the DAILY SPECIALS  ..... even cheaper !

Example - I went to Dinah's and had a stack of buttermilk pancakes that was delish,

and only  $8.25, with taxes.

Then a few days later, I had another craving for the same. But this time I discovered the morning special.

STACK OF PANCAKES with 2 EGGS ..... $5.43, with taxes !!!

The $5.43 daily special at Dinah's. Loaded with carbs and protein.
The perfect fuel for a hard day's riding in the SMM ?

Night Scene in Culver City

SPOOKY !