This last April my family and I took a trip down to California for our spring break. I brought my bike with me in case I had the chance to get away for a little while and take a ride down the coastline; you don’t get this opportunity often. I woke up early one morning and took a ride from Oceanside down to La Jolla. It was about a 45 mile ride down the PCH and it was beautiful.
The early morning fog was just burning off the road and since you are right up against the coast you can feel and smell the ocean breeze. I was lucky too, because there wasn’t a lot of traffic and I seemed to be hitting every green light along the way. The other benefit to this ride is the view. Most coastline rides are dotted with beach houses that obstruct your views of the ocean. However, this stretch is full of open spaces and nice beaches so you have a clean panorama of the entire coastline. It is amazing.
Once I got to La Jolla, I got off the PCH and went into the Torrey Pines Natural Reserve. The trails are abundant with ponderosa pines; you are immersed in undeveloped and unspoiled land. I took a steep trail, about 2 miles with a 4% grade, up to the top of the reserve. The top had overwhelming views of the ocean and the beautiful Torrey Pines Golf Course perched on the cliffs. The climb was definitely worth it.
It was a beautiful ride and highly recommended. Here are a few more pictures:
