Day 31

Tuesday, 29 June 2004
  Oxnard, CA to Redondo Beach, CA
67.7 miles, 5h07m, 13.2 mph
Elapsed Time: 7h30m, Max speed: 40.7mph
Total Climbing: 1341ft, Max elevation: 173ft
Total mileage: 1832.4


Copyright 2002 DeLorme. Topo USA. Data copyright of content owner.



It was gloomy in the morning when we left Oxnard. It even rained a little bit over our first 20 miles, but never more than a light sprinkle. It took a while to get out of the Oxnard area and back to the coast on Route 1 (or "The One" as it is known locally). There was little traffic at first, but when we entered the extremely long city of Malibu things started to get busy.


Early on The One

We stopped at the Starbucks at Trancas and I had my usual: a Cafe Mocha and one of their Crumble Coffee Cakes. Yum. JT had nothing.

As we continued along, the traffic got busier and busier. There was plenty of shoulder on the highway but there were almost always cars parked on the shoulders. So we were constantly weaving out into traffic and back to the shoulder. It was a little dicey, but the miles pass quickly when you have to concentrate on your riding and soon we were on the beach bike path at Santa Monica. The beach was pretty much deserted. I noticed that they actually groom the beach. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant in the sand.


The freshly groomed beach awaits more footprints.


Lunch on the beach at Santa Monica: Better than the cafeteria at work.

The clouds broke up as we ate lunch and we resumed riding on a sunny day. For most of its run, the beach bike path is "bikes only." Pedestrians are not allowed. Of course, this rule is widely ignored. Either that or roller blades, baby carriages, and human legs are considered to be bicycles.


There's another bicycle up ahead.

We had to get off the trail for a couple of miles to get around Marina del Rey.


The streets of Marina del Rey.

Then it was back to the beach to pass through Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach. Finally we reached Redondo Beach and found the Best Western. It was right across the street from the Cheesecake Factory. I'm sure you know what happened next.


I think this is the promenade at Hermosa Beach.

This might be the last report until we return to Maryland next week. Linda is flying out again tomorrow and we should be finishing the ride on Friday.


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"JT and BC's 2004 Pacific Coast Ride" Copyright © 2004 By Bob Clemons. All rights reserved.