COVID-19 be damned, it was time to get out and do some exploring by bike. I made arrangements to pick up my nephew and drag him along for the ride. He was ready, willing and more than capable!
We loaded up the bikes and headed north to start our day.
We started biking from Ventura and the spring weather was typical for the coast. Gray skies and foggy with an onshore breeze. We headed north on the beach bike path.
As we got close to Carpinteria, we took a detour along some gravel paths lined with Eucalyptus trees and mustard weed.
Normally you'd see the Pacific behind us. Not during "Gray May", however.
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A mid 1990's steel showcase. Elder's '94 Specialized, my '94 Bridgestone.
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The Seal Overlook
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A Golden Eagle
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Made it to Carpinteria. The campground is very closed. But cyclists, dog walkers, joggers can stroll among the empty sites.
LUNCH TIME.
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Heading inland, we climbed the foothills for many miles.
The fog and drizzle eventually gave way to blue skies and warm breezes as the Pacific's on-shore push tapers off.
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A Turkey Vulture. Not going to mention why he was at that exact spot.
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Many miles later, we finally made it to Lake Casitas. Or, as the sign says: Lake Casita
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Casitas)
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We're feeling great, warm sunshine and blue skies!
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Next leg of the ride: Working our way around the lake.
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Low on calories, we desperately needed lunch #2 in the shade. Riding along we saw yet another COVID-closed picnic area through the bushes. Then found an easy way to get past the wire to sneak a spot among a collection of abandoned picnic tables.
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Our illicit meal disappeared quickly. Time to move on. We'll need to find a place to replenish water next.
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Final views of the lake.
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Starting to get views of Los Padres National Forest. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Padres_National_Forest)
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Waiting for Uncle Doug. I think he's using the bushes. Again.
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Made it to the Ojai City line and began the final leg > The Ventura-Ojai bike path that follows the Ventura River, mostly downhill!
Many bike-only features such as this trestle bridge.
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Late season rains for Spring 2020 so the Ventura River is really flowing.
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You know you're getting close to the end when you start to see the oil rigs. About 4 miles till we get to the car.
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Thanks for tagging along! I'd love to read your comments (see below). The comment password is > life is good