Transportation at its Best: Biking to Balboa
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- The view up top.
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- Beach Cruisin’
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- Cue Ariel singing “Aaa aah aah”
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- …”Is this real life??”
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- Ok God, I see you
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- Looking toward the bay
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- Windy day blew all the people away
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- Where’s my snow shovel?
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- It’s a beach cruiser, not a mountain bike
In the land of perpetual good weather, there is one mode of transportation that surpasses the rest: biking. Here in Southern California, it’s warm, sunny and biker-friendly 90 percent of the time. Unfortunately, these perfect weather conditions and the nearby beaches come with a lofty price tag. With gas prices threatening to turn me into a hermit, I try to use my bike whenever possible. It saves me money and I get to enjoy the weather while getting a little exercise.
Now that I have some time in the day, having recently retired from college athletics (a story for another day), I am finally taking advantage of one of the main reasons I came here: the beach.
Each time I catch that first glimpse of the ocean, my heart swells with joy and I find myself like David after the Dentist wondering “Is this real life?” And amazingly enough, it is.
For the ride, I make my way from where I live in Costa Mesa down to Newport Beach in about 30 minutes. Most days I’ll turn on 36th street and continue along the boardwalk to the end of Balboa Peninsula and then back. That adds about 40 minutes to the trip. From the moment I 
first catch sight of the ocean my eyes begin to take in everything: the glint of the water, the soft sand, the tanning bodies, the bobbing surfers, the hovering seagulls and the many unique houses.
So, as soon as you get the chance, hop on a bike and take a ride. It’s a free, leisurely activity that can be done just about anywhere. I’ll keep you updated with any interesting bike adventures I have and I hope you’ll comment with yours!
