We’ve lived n NE LA for almost (gulp)12 years and I absolutely love finding new areas to explore, especially when they are so close to home.
Case in point, the LA River bike path which proved to be something of a revelation. Sure we’ve driven over the river many times but it mostly looked like a grotty cement gully.
However we were in a peddling frame of mind this weekend & with a 20% gas hike this week we had no desire to drive far.
We chose to enter at the “Heron Gate” located on Fletcher drive and take the path south which is almost completely flat, this is very important for little legs, with training wheels.
It’s a delightful ride and I was astonished by the rapidly moving water even in October, when we haven’t seen major rainfall in 6 months. The quantity and variety of wild life was also surprising. We saw Ducks, herons, egrets, kingfishers & Moore hens as well as a red tailed Hawk that circled for much of the ride.
Mile markers are helpfully painted on the path so the children could proudly boast with accuracy that they had cycled 5 miles (2.5 each way).
A short stop at rattle Snake Park made a good rest stop especially on the way back when we realized that 5 year old legs contending with training wheels had exceeded their limit.
The bike path does have a rail long it but I would be nervous with a toddler on a trike if peddling themselves as they could quite easily roll under.
Some of the streets that run behind Riverside drive are pretty rundown (as well as industrial) so not an area I’d want to spend time after dark, but by day the path was well trafficked by a steady flow of bikers, bladers & walkers all of whom were pleasant and smiley.
It’s all been a flurry for me, yet when I found your post in my reader today, I stopped and remembered. You are the first person ever to followed my blog. : ) Didn’t know what follow was or anything.I was just writing through being afraid to publish anything.
Then you, then everything changed.
So, you are special to me.
I love how adventurous your family is!
What a long ride for legs tugging training wheels. I’m impressed.
Discovering nooks and walks and parks thrills me. Can’t wait to read more stories.
Hugs.
This looks like a fun bike trip! I love CA!!
Natural redheads, huh? Fabulous! You sound like a happy family. Smile to you!
I ride there often.
Thanks so much for visiting my blog, Dabble…I really appreciate it. 🙂 Being very fair skinned, blonde hair, blue eyes and having preserved my skin my whole life, I can appreciate your blog very much.