Coffeeneuring 2018

Got off to a pretty slow start this year, and am finishing up in the final three days. And because I haven't spent nearly as much time riding during the rest of the year as I really should have, I've really become quite the cycling wimp.

#1 To Walnut Grove Park in Old Colony Anaheim (or is it Historic Colony Anaheim? I keep forgetting), which really used to be a walnut grove. 9.75 miles.

#2 To Citrus Park, also in Old/Historic Colony Anaheim, adjacent to the original Santa Fe Depot. They have a couple of nice reproductions of orange crate labels on the east wall. The mainline tracks are on the other side of this wall. 8.95 miles.

#3 To Boysen Park, also usually referred to as "Airplane Park" because there is an airplane in the playground. This is the one named for Anaheim's first superintendent of parks and recreation, and Rudy is the guy whose hybridized berry was named for him by the guy who salvaged the canes before they were lost, a fellow named Walter Knott, who had a fruit stand over in Buena Park. 11.85 miles.

#4 To George Washington Park as an official Coffeeneuring destination and not a side trip as it was on one of last year's rides. This was the site of one of Anaheim's first schools, and the first paid-for-by-bonds school in the state. There are pillars like this one on the modern main streets bordering the Colony. 11.34 miles.

#5 This is the one which started out with me breaking the valve stem while trying to make sure both tires were well-aired up before beginning. So I went back in the house, checked the bus schedule, pushed the bike to the bus stop, took two buses to the bike shop, then rode home focussing on downtown Fullerton, where I stopped for brunch at a new-to-me place, Crepes Bonaparte. It would have been even nicer if the parental units resting there had exerted more control over their rambunctious offspring. Oh well. 9.52 miles.

#6 Was almost thwarted by the overnight and much-needed rain, but it sorta cleared off a bit, so I braved the leaden skies for a quickie to one of the nearer parks, named in honor of Albert Schweitzer. It's a little place, next to the same-named elementary school and alongside Carbon Creek, itself figuring in long-off plans to become a river trail (it would be a wonderful shortcut to Coyote Creek Trail and then to the San Gabriel River Trail if they'd ever actually make it happen!). There was a tiny bit of sprinkle while I drank my coffee, but the ride home was dry. 5.28 miles.

And finally, #7: This was a visit to a trail along the Santa Ana River, Anaheim Coves. The county sanitation district pulled out all the non-natives and replanted with natives. They're extending it north of Lincoln Av, which is nice to see. 13.29 miles.

I have a whole nother year to think about what to do for next year's "Without Walls" adventures.

Coffeeneuring

Sometimes I'm grateful that we don't have ad-blockers on the browsers at work, because that occasionally lets me discover new things I would likely never see here at home. One of those things is a Facebook cycling group The Slow Bicycle Movement. Because I joined that group, I also learned about Civilized Cycling (predominantly but not exclusively British) and Coffeeneuring.

The Coffeeneuring Challenge takes place in the fall/autumn, and this year, the 7th, runs 7 weeks (ending Sunday Nov 19). I decided to join, and spent several work hours on Google Earth and the mapping program I use at work and on Google seeking out coffee houses to ride to, or to stop at for a break on a ride from Point A to Point B and back again. As the start of the Challenge approached, there were more and more discussions about what riders were going to do, as there are a number of options. My original plan had been to visit some of the coffee houses in the area, but that fell by the wayside when I stopped for a break in a park on my very first ride.

And began a Without Walls Coffeeneuring.

That first stop was Central Park in La Palma, which was actually on the way to one of my planned coffee houses, but I found sitting under a tree Thinking Profound Thoughts (yeah, right) and watching baseball (the local Little League? I dunno) practices and working on a writing project quite pleasurable.

Number Two was undertaken during an abominable heat wave that saw me riding The Black Pearl, riding the MetroLink, riding The Black Pearl, riding OCBus, and riding The Black Pearl from Anaheim to Buena Park to Fullerton to Orange and back to Anaheim on a stupid-hot day. But I had a nice breakfast on the patio at the Kimmie's Koffee Kup in Old Town Orange.

Number Three took me to Founders' Park in Old Colony Anaheim, where I discovered that while they have both iron and concrete benches, they have no picnic tables! Well, I sat on a bench and had most of a pack of those mini-donuts, a banana, and my coffee. The vines are the same variety as, but not descendants of, the vines planted by the original German settlers. The house in this photo is the oldest residential building in the city, and out of frame to the right is an exquisite Victorian.

Number Four took me to Anaheim's Central Library to drop off the DVDs I'd borrowed the week before, and then back toward home to Betsy Ross Park, on the western edge of Old Colony Anaheim. Picnic benches there! And another person at another of the benches having a riding break with a beverage. I haven't seen any posts from other Anaheimers, so I'd guess he wasn't a part of the group. I actually got a bit of writing done that time!

Number Five was a post-work afternoon ride to Maxwell Park, also in Anaheim, the next-nearest to my home, and also home to the Edna Haskett Branch of APL, named for the city's first children's librarian. That one was hot chocolate, because I have a self-imposed time limit on coffee consumption.

Number Six actually happened on the eastern edge of Lakewood, in LA County. I had started out to attend a rubber stamp convention, but got some expensive news about van repairs, so I turned around and headed home again, stopping for a break at Palms Park.

Number Seven was a shorty, basically a ride around the big block to gain the necessary minimum mileage, at the nearest park to home, Brookhurst Park, squished between a middle school on the east and an elementary school on the west. The whitish case on the back is the case I carry my spiral notebook and pen in. The brick-bounded area in the background to the left is the park's skateboard park.

Number Eight, my just-in-case ride, ventured over to Pearson Park, one of those in Old Colony Anaheim. And in an act of utter laziness, I'm copying and pasting from my laboriously-typed-on-the-phone-post-to-the-group! The cactus garden was planted many, many years ago by Anaheim's first parks superintendent, a gentleman who also hybridized a berry made famous by a fellow down the road in Buena Park. The berry grower was Walter Knott. The hybridizer/park superintendent was Rudy Boysen. There is also a park named for him, not far from the place us oldtimers still call Anaheim Stadium.

I also rode over to George Washington Park, even more centrally located in Old Colony, built on the site of one of Anaheim's earliest elementary school and the first elementary school in the state to have been financed by bonds, according to the plaque on this column: 

The Coffeeneuring Challenge has been wonderful fun, both the doing and the reading about others' doings. I'm really looking forward to not only participating in next year's challenge, but also in continuing with "off-season coffeeneuring"! Thank you, Mary! I'm really glad I stumbled over this all because of the lack of an ad-blocker at work!

No Cardio Today

For some reason, I just wasn't in the mood for it. So I just did as many of the Cybex machines as I could, which was most of them, including 3 I'd never used before--at least not in the current form. It's a good tired.

Took the Weekend Off

But I've made sure both Monday and Tuesday to stop at the gym on the way home. I'm also working my way around the Cybex machines. Some of them are much-newer versions of the machines we had at the Y; some are newer versions of the machines at 24-Hour Fitness. And some are completely alien to me, but work the same muscle groups as a couple of the machines at the Y. Weird. And, of course, I have to completely re-learn how to set each one up. I've also finally remembered which option I like for the elliptical. Still poking along with just 10 minutes plus the 3-minute cool down--such a long way from the hour I used to do pretty easily! Baby steps. It'll all come back.

Boy, Do I Feel Dumb!

Gee, it's amazing how well a Fitbit Zip will work when you take the little protective sticker off the new battery.

Thanks, Fitbit, for the Help-page reminder to take the battery out, wait a few seconds, make sure it's + side up, and put it back together.

Make it a Triple!

I am still not in the habit of moving over a couple of lanes once I'm past the 710 on my way home, so I missed the exit today. I didn't want to backtrack, especially on a Friday afternoon, so I went to the Buena Park club for my workout. Still a piddling 10 minutes + 3 minute cool down on the elliptical, but I used 4 of the Cybex machines today.

Two Consecutive Days!

Another 13 minutes (10 + 3 min cool down) on the elliptical, then 3 of the Cybex machines.

Made It!

Made it to the gym today on the way home from work. A whopping 0.65 mile on the elliptical (13 minutes including the cool-down period). Plus I hit a couple of the upper body machines that I recognized and could figure out how to work them. I really do need to meet up with a trainer to go over the various machines and learn how to set them.

Just Like Starting Over

I transferred my gym membership from 24-Hour Fitness to Planet Fitness. No pool, but I wasn't using the pool anyway! Did that yesterday afternoon online...well, the signing up for Planet Fitness was done online; when I went to the "cancel" page on the 24-Hour Fitness website, I had to call!

So today I stopped on the way home. It really is more convenient, since PF is in a center that's right against the freeway, with easy off/easy on options, as well as easy to take the streets home. I opted for the more expensive choice, since that gives me access to all the PF facilities. Even so, it's $15 per month less than the other club.

Since I've lost track of where I was on the Walk to Rivendell, I'll just start over. And so today's (exhausting) 10 minutes on the elliptical has me traveling a whopping .52 mile! I don't think that even gets me out of Hobbiton! Baby steps; I really am starting over, and horribly out of shape. I used to be able to spend an hour on the elliptical.

I need to spend some time with a trainer to learn their machines. My first chance for that at my home club will be next Tuesday, so maybe I'll cruise by the local facility and see what their options are.

And I still managed to spend about 30 minutes out in the yard, pulling weeds.

Wow!

Over two years since my last post. I need to resume reporting to myself here.

Mapped My Ride...

...today and compared it against the bike computer.

Map My Ride: 20.28
Bike Computer: 20.13

Endeavour's Homecoming

I drove to the Norwalk Green Line Metro station, unloaded the Black Pearl, and took the Green Line, with the Black Pearl to the Mariposa station, which is the first stop after the LAX shuttle/Aviation Blvd stop (and the stop right on top of the Kings' practice rink). I chose to ride up Mariposa rather than Imperial Hwy because I thought a paralleling side street would be a better option.

Mariposa can be quite hilly!

Immense gratitude to the City of El Segundo and their police and fire departments and parks and recreation department!!

First pass inbound across LAX.

Also the first pass.

Second pass across LAX, headed out to sea before coming around for landing.

Last pass, again.

And again.

And again.

Taxiing off the runway and headed to the Boeing hangar.

Headed to the Boeing hangar.

Making the turn in front of the Boeing hangar.
I have more in video, but the videos need to be converted from QuickTime.
Let's try a little YouTubery for the post-landing rollout.

There and Back Again

Or something along those lines. My total mileage since I began tracking it is now 11,131.697. Yes, I'm tracking to the third decimal: it's what the treadmill does.

Expo Line

I got a really early start this morning because I wanted to ride the Black Pearl to the Metro station, and ended up riding around and didn't get on the Green Line until the first stop, Lakewood Blvd, instead of the terminus in Norwalk. Green Line to Blue Line to Light Blue Expo Line. I actually went ahead and took the Metro all the way to the 7th St station (northern terminus), then doubled back on the Expo Line. The two lines share a track from the 7th St Metro station downtown to the Pico (Staples Center) stop, then the Expo Line heads down Flower until it reaches Exposition Blvd, where it heads west to Culver City. I only rode as far as Exposition Park this time.

Got off the Metro and walked across the street to the Park, where I learned they don't like bicycles in the rose garden. :-Þ~~~ Walked the bike back out to the perimeter sidewalk and headed east to Figueroa and rode down to the parking lot entrance on the south side of the museums. I stopped to take a photo of the A-12 Blackbird on display, then continued westerly past the Science Center and the north wall of the Colisseum. Up the western perimeter sidewalk and east along the south face of the Natural History Museum to a construction site, then around to the east, and far prettier, face of the Natural History Museum. A little more riding around the perimeter of the rose garden, a brief conversation with a staff member, then back to the Metro. This time I just rode the train back to the Staples stop to pick up the southbound Blue Line to the Green Line, and then the Green Line all the way to the eastern terminus.

And back home again.

The Black Pearl at the north gate of Exposition Park:

An interesting building or two at some college or other across the street from Exposition Park:

 The fountain in the middle of the rose garden, from the north:

The LA Memorial Colisseum, from the Figueroa entry:

I hate lawns. They're a awful waste of land, water, and labor. I'm sure they could find something more practical to plant here.
The A-12 Blackbird:

The ugly south facade of the Natural History Museum and a bit of the construction site I mentioned:

The Black Pearl at the western edge of the Rose Garden:

Then turn around and walk the Black Pearl across the sidewalk to the far more beautiful eastern facade of the Natural History Museum:

Then turn again to face the south:

and Endeavour's "temporary" home. They'll house her here for about eight years while the old aviation museum building is torn down and a new one built. I don't envy them getting her into this spot, and can't imagine how many cranes it'll take to get her there without tearing out all the trees on the south lawn (the lawn you can see a part of in the pic of the south face of the NHM).

The only rose I photographed, because it was so close to the perimeter walks (in this case, the ramp you can see behind the Black Pearl in the photo of the rose garden from the east facade of NHM).

The north face of the Science Center building:

It's the building in the background behind the fountain.

From the Metro train, a view of the Watts Line of the Pacific Electric:

There really is a railroad right-of-way behind the two walkers on the platform. This right-of-way eventually ended up in downtown Santa Ana. Only one segment, in Bellflower, is currently a Multi-Use Path.

La Mirada historical marker:

A flower of a type I've never seen before:

This was in Norwalk on the Foster Greenway MUP, and actually on the outbound leg of the trip today, not on the homeward leg.

CicLAvia 120415

Today was CicLAvia, a closed-streets ride through parts of downtown Los Angeles. I actually drove to the Metro Green Line station in Norwalk, rather than riding, and I'm glad I did. The hills weren't that high, but they were long! I transferred to the Blue Line for the ride to the Washington Blvd station, and rode the three blocks or so to the Central Av hub.

 My first stop was the African American Firefighters Museum, one of two all-Black fire stations in LA. It's beautifully restored and obviously lovingly maintained.

 An old fire wagon.

 One of the two poles from the living quarters to the truck bay.

 Another shot of the fire wagon.

 The front.

A bad shot of Steamship Coca-Cola, a Streamline Moderne bottling plant that's been there since the first time Streamline Moderne was popular.

 Old sign.

 One of the oldest buildings downtown.

 This building was once home to the Pacific Electric.

 City Hall.

 The LA River, looking seaward from the 4th St bridge.

 I rode right past it the first time, and finally found someone who knew where to look. The little red thing on the street sign is the Rising Sun flag (I've actually seen a rosy-fingered dawn like that which the Japanese flag was based on!).

The Challenger Memorial in Little Tokyo, with the Black Pearl in front and City Hall behind.

 It's hard to see in this shot, but this is just one of the many old buildings in LA with interesting facades.

 MacArthur Park.

 Another interesting building in LA.

 A Korean Presbyterian synagogue. No, really! The Jewish congregation which built this outgrew it, built another sanctuary, and sold this one to a Korean Presbyterian congregation. I didn't get any good shots of the facade, but there are quite a few distinctly Jewish elements still there. One example is the 10 Commandments tablet, the light-colored element above the blue Korean sign.

End of the ride. This is the Black Pearl at Steamship Coca-Cola. This is the opposite end of the building from where I started my ride.