Two-wheelin' weekend

After a chilly few days in Colorado this week, I thoroughly enjoyed the mild climate of Southern California this weekend! Saturday, I spent a little more time trying to get organized and completely moved into my apt. I can't say that everything is put away yet, but the weather was just too nice to stay inside.

As a Christmas present to myself (OK, I just wanted it so I bought it!), I got this really cool blue Hawaiian beach cruiser bicycle! As soon as I picked it up from the bike shop around the corner from my place, I jumped on it and started pedalling. This was such a different feel from "cycling." Cycling is what you do when you're training for fitness or for something like a bike race or triathlon. With this kind of riding, you're usually hunched over in an uncomfortable yet aerodynamic position in order to go faster (+15 mph). Unlike "cycling", you can only go about 5 mph on this thing because it's only got one gear and has big squishy tires! In order to brake, you have to pedal backwards just like the bike I had when I was a kid! I swear I felt like a little kid on this thing as I sat up right with my hair blowing in the breeze while cruising completely around the island of Coronado! I don't know how far around it is and I didn't care as I leisurely cruised the loop in about 45 minutes!

Sunday morning brought another beautiful day, so I met up with Whit & Kathie and their friends Adam & Laura for another kind of bike ride- motorized! As you can see from the ocean in the background of this picture of Whit & Kathie on the bike, we rode along the coastline for most of the morning! Now this is what I'm talking about- coastline riding in a half helmet and no gloves in JANUARY!!!

We started off at Mount Soledad near Adam & Laura's house. It's a memorial honoring veterans and active duty military who have served during a time of conflict. It's at the top of a huge hill overlooking the ocean and the whole of San Diego. It's quite impressive and very informative. Each military member honored has an etched plaque with their likeness and details about their military history.

After a fitting stop at Mount Soledad (Whit, Adam and I have all served in the Navy during times of conflict), we continued north along the coast. We rode through La Jolla, Solano Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad and Oceanside before we had to take the interstate for a bit.

After a brief jaunt on I-5, we headed east on Hwy 74. We rode some fun twisty, windy roads reminiscent of Colorado canyons on Ortega Hwy until we reached our lunch destination- Hell's Kitchen! This place had all the trappings of a typical biker bar/restaurant except something was different. As we parked our bikes amongst the hundred or so bikes in the parking lot, I realized that there was quite a mix of bikes there.

Instead of only Harleys and the sometimes acceptable Indian bikes at these places, there was the full gamut of motorcycles: cruisers, trikes, sport bikes, choppers, euros and even a few dirt bikes. This motorsports restaurant's motto is "If you're in the wind, you're in!"

Although you would think the name is self-explanatory, it wasn't chosen just for its bad-ass appeal. According to the menu, Hell's Kitchen is a neighborhood in New York known for it's acceptance of various cultures. It's a melting pot where folks of different persuasions and beliefs live side by side in harmony. Unfortunately, the New York neighborhood is now also known for the high loss of fireman it sustained during 9/11.

Whatever the history of the name, this place served typical Americana food (i.e. greasy spoon!). Burgers, hot dogs, tacos, fries; it's all the fare expected at a roadside diner. Diner isn't really the appropriate description though, since it has indoor and outdoor seating as well as vendors set up in the parking lot selling leather goods and biker gear. In true form to PC (politically correct) times, there was a veggie burger on the menu! No, I didn't order it. I just couldn't bring myself to order a veggie burger at a biker hangout!!

Probably one of the most unexpected sights was the condiment coffin! All the fixins for burgers and dogs are in containers set into a chrome- and flame-adorned coffin complete with a hydraulic lift for opening the lid! It's such a random attraction, but one which doesn't seem morbid in its surroundings!

As we pulled out of the parking lot of Hell's Kitchen, I had to chuckle as I read the sign that stated: in order to preserve our little slice of heaven, be considerate as you're leaving hell (I'm paraphrasing since I can't remember the exact sign!). The day ended with a ride through the hills and around Lake Elsinore as we headed back south to San Diego.

All in all, a very relaxing and fun weekend. It's easy for me to get all caught up in work and forget to take advantage of living in such a great place. It's a small, yet immensely satisfying victory when I'm able to step back and live in the moment. I hope everyone reading this had as good of a weekend as I did!