curmugeon | this morning...

I was awakened by the snap of one of my traps (I'm at war with an invading army of mice and rats) and since I caught one I was wide awake. Thinking at that hour (before dawn) can be dangerous and thus I decided to go for a bike ride, but not just any bike ride, a ride after a long drive, oh, give or take 100 miles.

I loaded my car, got my cycling clothes on, loaded my 29er on the roof, and departed. I started before dawn, and it finally got light after about an hour of driving. I was headed to Long Beach.

I arrived in Long Beach and had breakfast at the Shoreline Cafe...a place I used to go to when I lived in Belmont Shore. I had a good breakfast, some good coffee, and then went looking for a place to park (unmetered) near the start of the bikeway. I found a spot near Alamitos Bay Aquatic Center and got ready to ride.

It was drizzle, so I had a jacket on, and rode at a good pace (about 10-15 mph) along the path towards downtown Long Beach. I found the path a pleasant way to cover the distance, no cars, light pedestrian traffic with a few skaters in the mix. I went to the end near the Long Beach Downtown Marina, and took some pictures along the way.

Here is a shot of the bikeway and also a shot of the Queen Mary and a Carnival Cruises ship in port.