Bike ride in O'side

A ride on the San Luis Rey River Trail and beyond ended up being a good 29 mile ride with a few hills when we turned off the path. The return to the coast has pretty good headwinds. We came upon the finish line later in the day for So California's Ride Across America Bike Ride.

The cycling in Southern California is fabulous and  diverse.  The topography is the most varied of any cycling event around - avocado orchards and orange groves, the ridges and valleys of the Coast Range, the Anza-Borrego Desert – and the weather is beautiful this time of year.

 The 200-mile course is said to be the toughest “double century” in America. The Amgen Tour of California, a ride with pros, was also ridden in San Diego this weekend.



 

 Jacaranda trees are a beautiful mess leaving a sticky substance after the purple leaves fall.

At the halfway point of our ride was Guajome Park with two ponds that attract a wide variety of migratory birds and serve as home to a variety of fish. The 4.5 miles of park trails meander through diverse Southern California habitats such as woodlands, chaparral, wetlands, and mixed grasslands. 

Just 8 miles from the Pacific Ocean and has plenty of walking and biking trails.

 Matilija Poppy

The ocean has a different look on different days. Today was almost Caribbean like.

 

 

 

 

 We don't go to the movies very often. One morning, we woke to much needed rain, "Papa-Earnest Hemmingway" was playing and sounded like a good way to stay dry. With Cuba in the news and  where the movie was filmed, it made it more intriguing.  When we arrived, we were the only people seated until another couple walked in. For some reason, they thought they should sit directly behind us. I guess they felt safer being so close to us.  It was a nice treat when we walked out at noon to the sunshine.

We recently read a book called "The Boy Who Said No,  Escape To Freedom" about a young man in Cuba during the overthrow of Batista that I got on Book Bub for $0.99. It was so interesting and well written that we read the sequel.  

I guess we have Cuba on our minds. 

 

Oceanside

What a great week we have had living across the street from the ocean in our little RV park. We can take a morning walk or ride our bikes as we listen to the waves crashing along the 3.5 mile long beach. Now that I have finished my first week at work and orientation, I have to say that I am going to like it here working at a community hospital and some very nice people.

 

Historic Oceanside Pier is one of the longest wooden piers on the West Coast, spanning 1,942 feet in length.

The walk from where we live to the pier is 1 1/2 miles each way. Add walking on the pier and up the street for coffee, we get about 4 miles in with plenty of people watching

Fishing poles and  bait are available for rent right on the pier. No fishing license required. Plenty of people bring their fishing gear on a special cart. Some of the older people look like they might not make it out to the pier but just keep moving until they get to their spot and look pretty content.

 

San Diego’s North Shore, Oceanside is a classic California beach community with its warm sandy beaches, historic wooden pier with unlimited water sports and recreation. We need to get the kayak out and recreate soon. Most of the time, we just splash our feet in the surf.

 With its year round sunny climate, and average temperature of 70 degrees, Oceanside’s weather has been rated as the second most ideal climate in the United States, and the fifth most ideal weather in the world.

 

Riding our bikes along the ocean and then the San Luis Rey Rails Trail, it seems everyone is outside playing one way or another on the weekend.

Fortunately, my contract covers our housing expenses. This cement slab with full hookups and a daily newspaper goes from $900 per month to $2200 starting Memorial weekend. These are discounted monthly rates. The nightly rates go from $70 to $120 for the cheap, sites which we live in on Memorial Day and an additional $30 premium for Memorial and 4th of July weekends. You can imagine what people pay for the premium sites.

I found the entrances and doorways to homes interesting on our morning walk along Ocean Drive.

 

As we walk there are public access to the beach between the condo and houses.

What a nice treat to find the farmer's market that we would visit when we lived in Carlsbad previously is still here.

After so much sightseeing and moving around the past few weeks, it is good to settle down and just enjoy the area for a while. Don't doubt for a minute that we will be ready to head out once my contract if finished. But for now, 7pm we grab out beach chairs and head across the street for sunset.