man oh man. as many different ways as there are to go in this city once you step outside, i end up going the same ways day in and out.

well today started out no different. but before you stop reading cuz you know what’s coming, there’s an explanation. i want to ride my bike. i don’t want to sit at stop lights and weave desperately in and out of traffic nonstop. 

so the creek trail it was. but after smashing my brains out into the never ending head on wind that seems to be the creek’s only option, i decided that i’d spin out before i got the ocean ocean and take the path that goes through the marina. when you’re not pedaling directly into a horribly strong wind the ocean-ish area is actually kinda nice. and when you’re not in a super duper hurry for no apparent reason the marina is an awesome place to see things like boats and people that own boats. i’m not as interested in boats as i am in the people that decide they want to be boat owners. don’t ask me why, i don’t have a good answer for you. i do know that it has nothing to do with me being jealous. i don’t want a boat…i want the money to own a boat but…

i should mention real quick, that once again, the gmap doesn’t recognize the actual bike path itself so any and all maps are an approximation. 

anyway, the marina path is entertaining. it’s not straight at all and it just winds though random parking lots and across the top end of the ol’ boat corral. the only lame thing is that it’s not very long and it spits you out in a kinda fucked up area on washington blvd. it’s not fucked up as in bad, it’s just an awkward spot and you almost always have to stop unless you plan on heading east. the one good thing about always having to stop is that there is a wildlife sanctuary right there on the side of the path and it’s pretty awesome (on the map it’s right at the curve between mile 12 & 13). i’ve never actually seen wildlife there but i like the idea that someone fenced off some nature to keep people out for the sake of the animals instead of the other way around. the “preserve” is probably less than an acre but it’s got a little pond and it’s all over grown. weeeee!

so kinda one of the things that got me really pumped on riding in this city and finding all the cool stuff was that one day i was driving for work and i had to go to this place down in the “canals”. i’d never heard of it and had no idea what to expect. well, i’m sure everyone else who lives in la la land knows about the canals and knows the history and everyone who’s ever been on a romantic date has taken a walk down there at sunset, but for those that don’t live in looney land - the canals were built by abbott kinney after he and his wife traveled to venice italy. he bought a bunch of land which is now called venice (wow how creative) and he literally dug canals to recreate venice for his wife since she loved it so much. now there are cute little houses and bridges and row boats and ducks and shit. 

http://www.vimeo.com/2086021  is a quick little video that zak and i made a while ago. the bridge at the beginning is dell st in venice. on dell st there are like six or seven of these little bidges and it’s all one way so you can just blast over them. super fun and super cool. as much as i despise the lack of creativity in the original plan, i’m really glad it exists. 

after venice and the canals i headed back to washington cuz i realized that i always take venice home and it really isn’t all that interesting or fun even. from washington i cut up centinela and then broke loose on culver blvd. i always forget how nice and paved and flat ol’ culver is. you can really get cooking. culver crashes back into washington and once again i decided to split. as i was approaching la cienega i noticed that the creek cuts back and under right there. there’s two bridges right next to each other. one on la cienega and one on washington that make a sort of “V” with each other if you were ariel. from the bridge on washington you can see under the other one and no shit you can see a waterfall right next to la cienega. in los angeles california right next to a major road way and intersection there is a waterfall! okay, it’s man made, but that’s not the point. there is a waterfall with algae and a little bush and and all sorts of things you would never expect to see in this normally but ugly boring city.

okay, waterfalls are only interesting for so long. then it was really time to get home. i took cochran up and over cuz from washington it’s got a crammer of a hill to go up, and then down, and then cross venice like a mad man cuz there’s no traffic and then up up up all the way home.

stats schmatz, who’s coming with me?   

chirp,

hillary