Los Angeles to San Diego

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My original plan was not to travel to the USA on my way to the UK and Europe this year. I had planned to take the bicycle to Japan and ride there before flying to London. However, the cost of taking the bicycle on that route was prohibitively expensive – over AUD 1,800.

I changed my plans and decided to fly the Los Angeles with an onward flight from Orlando Florida to London.

Leaving Brisbane

My flight to LA was from Brisbane.
In a separate post I will talk about my experience with QANTAS and the ‘alleged’ need for Australian travellers to the USA to hold onward for return flight tickets.

Some time in LA

The flight to LA was absolutely full.

After landing, I caught a ‘Super Shuttle’ into Downtown LA and my Hotel/Hostel, The Freehand. This place turned out to be very good.

The Downtown area of LA is undergoing a bit of a resurgence, albeit progress is a little slow. The Freehand is an example of new businesses establishing themselves in the area. It is in an old hotel building and offers a mixture of hostel and hotel accommodation. It has a good restaurant and bar on the ground floor and a roof top pool and bar. It is very popular with the ‘Millennials’.

This was my third visit to LA in four years. I have done most of the tourist stuff – Hollywood, the Getty Center, Disney Theater etc.
However, I do have a ‘ritual’. That is to visit to Santa Monica. I took the ‘Expo’ Train out to Santa Monica. One of my stopping off places was the Ye Olde King’s Head. I have posted about this place before. I will always remember my first visit there in 1979.

Problems with a Train Pass

I decided that before I left LA to head south on my bike, I would purchase a Train Pass to take me across the country to Florida.

It took me a quite a time to sort out the Train Pass. Apparently, Amtrak have recently changed the process for the purchase and activation of the pass. These changes have not been properly communicated to staff on their ‘helpline’ or staff in LA Union Station. The upshot of this was multiple charges being made to my credit card that were reversed minutes later. Anyway, this put Westpac into a real tis. It was several hours before the whole mess was sorted out and I was able to pay for the pass and reserve the first leg of the trip.

Looking around Downtown LA

While staying in Downtown LA, I took the opportunity to wander around. This included going to the Angel Steps and the Grand Central Market.

As I noted above, the resurgence of the area is a bit slow. There are a lot of ‘homeless’ people wandering around. One result of this is the need for pharmacies to put shampoo under lock and key. I have never seen that before.

Heading South

It was soon time to head south towards Long Beach. This is part of the Pacific Coast I haven’t visited. I had book my first night’s accommodation in a motel in Huntington Beach and my plan was to take the train to Santa Monica and ride from there. Four years ago, I started from Santa Monica on my ride north to San Francisco.

When I pulled the bike out of its box to resemble it, I noted a couple problems. One was that the front shock absorber was completely deflated and the other was an issue with the front rack. I won’t bore you with the details, but the net result was a visit to a nearby bike shop.

By the time both problems were fixed, was well after midday. I decided to take the tram to Long Beach and start my ride from there.

Long Beach

When I got to Long Beach I discovered that my phone was not working properly. It was either getting the internet or telephony coverage, not both. At other times it was not working at all.

I found a T Mobile shop and ask them to look at it. After a lot of mucking around, with ‘resets’ etc it seemed to have been fixed. The so called ‘expert’ told me that the problem was probably due to the fact that it was “a UK” phone. He told me to “get and Apple” and they could “do me a deal”.

I didn’t take his advice.

I left the T Mobile shop and headed south. The route took me on a path along the beach. I could see the Queen Mary on the other side of the harbour. In its day, it was that largest ship in the world. Of course, now it is tiny compared to the modern cruise ship.

I have been on the Queen Mary twice. The first time in 1979. It is good to see the it is still a tourist attraction. However, I am sure it hasn’t change since my last visit.

Scottish Couple

Leaving the beach, the route took me slightly inland. I came across two cyclists at a set of traffic lights. They turned out to be Scottish couple who were on big tour of the west of the USA. They had started in San Francisco and were heading to the Mexican border. Their plan was then to ride inland back up to Canada and then down the coast back to San Francisco.

The girl told me that, “Angus was very well organised that the all their accommodation was booked in advance and he didn’t like to vary his plans”. My brief chat with him made me think he was the epitome of the ‘dour Scotsman’.

It turned out that I had booked a reservation at the same ‘budget’ motel in Huntington beach as the Scottish couple. I was pleased to know that I too, had found that cheapest place into town. Angus struct me as bloke who would have searched for hours to save a dollar,

After we checked in, that was that last I saw of the couple. I suspect that they left before dawn to lessen the risk of not making their planned destination for the next day.

Onto Dana Point

Leaving Huntington Beach, I continued along the coast towards Newport. Much of the route was on dedicated bike paths right on the beach. This was really good to see.
As I came into Newport, I got a little lost. Some locals gave me a really good tip, “ride back to the beach and head along the boardwalk and take the ferry across to Balboa Island.

I took their advice. I turned out that that was where I should have been heading.
I was to return to the same area a couple of weeks later in the company of an old friend from my Caltex days. I will post about that later.
Anyway, I found the ferry and stopped off the really lunch at really good fish restaurant nearby before taking the ferry across to the island and then a cross a bridge to the mainland.

Camping at Dana Point

Leaving Newport, I continued onto Dana Point where I had booked a night in camping ground. This turned out to my first and only night under canvas on this trip. Staying in camping grounds in the USA can be very expensive. The pitches are typically for up to 12 people and they are the same price irrespective of the number actually staying there. It is not very cost effective if you are just a single bloke on a bike.

I was also having problems will my tent. As is the case with all tents of its design, the poles eventually break. However, it has turned out to be impossible to get replacement poles for this particular Northface model. This is notwithstanding the so called, ‘lifetime guarantee’ and the promised availability of replacement parts.

I will not be getting another Northface tent.

On towards Carsbad

The route from Dana Point took through Laguna. Again, I was to visit there a couple of weeks later and will post about that.

After Laguna, the countryside becomes a bit bleak. It is very dry.
I was aware that I was approaching a Marine training camp called Camp Pendleton as it is mention in my guide book. As I rode along, I saw a really strange aircraft in the air. It looked like a mixture of a plane and a helicopter. Check out the video. Some Facebook followers told me that it was an Osprey. Check out the Wikipedia link.

As I got close to Camp Pendleton, I came across a group of cyclists. They told me that it was possible to ride through the camp to the town of Oceanside and this would avoid having to travel of the Highway 5 (I5) Freeway.

As I was chatting to the cyclists we heard a lot of the yelling. It turned out to be a group of Marines on training march.

I asked the bloke, who was obviously, a trainer if I could take a picture. He said no problem. Check out Flickr.

The cyclists were clearly impressed by the sight of the Marines and called out. “thank you for your service” many times as the line passed.

I have no problem with recognising what people of the armed forces, or ‘military’ as the USA people prefer to call them, do. However, I think it should be recognised that the USA Government does not treat its armed forces personnel well. For the most part they are poorly paid and get very poor ‘post service’ benefits in terms of pensions and healthcare.
The lower ranks of the US military are disproportionality drawn from disadvantaged groups like minorities and people from economically depressed regions. After a short period of service, they are effectively ‘thrown of the scrape heap’. Many of them end up homeless.

No Place for Aliens

Not long after seeing the marching Marines, I came onto a road that led to the entrance to Camp Pendleton.

As I approach that guard house, a soldier called out and told me to “dismount”. When I got closer he asked me if I “had a pass”. I told him I didn’t. He asked my for ID and I gave him my Driver’s Licence. He said, “you are NOT from this country….even if you want a pass you are NOT able to get one as you are an Alien”.

I ask him how was I “to get to Oceanside”? He “said you will have to take the I5”.
With no other option, I headed back down that road to freeway. I was not a very pleasant 16-kilometre ride into Oceanside. Checkout the video.

Motel 6 in Carlsbad

After a late lunch in Oceanside, I continued to Carlsbad, where I stayed in a Motel 6. These are basic, but very clean motels that are reasonably priced.

Riding into San Diego

The next day was to see me in San Diego.

The route took me through Ecinitas and over a big hill through the Torrey Pines Reserve. I took the obligatory video of the descent.

A bit Lost

I got a bit lost, on my way into San Diego. Getting on the wrong side of the freeway in city in the USA is always a pain. Finally, I found my way to my hostel in Point Loma. I was glad to be there.

Flickr Links

Long Beach

https://flic.kr/s/aHskwv5nZv

Dana Point/Dohoney Beach

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmgr6gfk

Carlsbad

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmj9uEap

Into San Diego

https://flic.kr/s/aHskwHfspR

Garmin Links

Long Beach
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2634795467

Huntington Beach
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2639485410