Around Mission Bay on Two Wheels

Start of Mission Bay ride —the new baby is on the right

Tuesday, May 29

(Possibly this post is more of a candidate for Crazy Guy on a Bike...)

Having straightened out the fit of my new Bike Friday, we looked for a good ride. Last fall, our friends, California authorities Bob and Carolyn, suggested pedaling around Mission Bay, just north of Point Loma (a giant hill) and the various YC’s we’ve stayed at. Having a rental car makes a big difference in the places you choose to go for activities. We simply drove over, parked on the east side and off we rode for a flatland circuit of about 16 miles.

The route is very well signed. Basically it follows the shores of this large, multi-lobed inland bay, really more like a lake than a bay. We passed the vast Sea World parking areas and watched shrieking kids, on year end field trips, I presume, plummeting down the roller coaster. 

A variety of beach rescue vehicles are all equipped with surfboards
Cones mark their special driving lane on the sand.

Arriving at the ocean we were dazzled by the “boardwalk” activity at Mission Beach. (Really it's a concrete strip.) No beach in the cool northwest has ever been so popular! Thousands of people had turned out on this bright, warm weekday afternoon. Strollers, joggers, bikers, musicians, surfers, volleyball players and bathers of all kinds flowed past. Apparently everyone in California’s beach scene has a tattoo. Somehow we managed to ride the length of this strip without collision. 

The quiet side of Mission Bay: rusting paddle wheeler,  flat water, perfect for the ever popular stand up paddleboards.