New Years Guests

“This is the most beautiful bike ride I’ve ever taken,” my Oregon friend Marcie was quick to say; we hadn’t gone far and there was much more scenery still to come. Living here in Corona del Mar I might take for granted the natural charms that surround us.

Old friends from college come to visit when their beloved Ducks are in the Rose Bowl; it’s become a New Years’ tradition.

I wanted to show off my everyday bike rides; they’re easy, even for Marcie who said it had been two years since her last ride.

So we pedaled to the Balboa Island ferry for a ride along the beach boardwalk to the Newport pier. There’s much vitality along this route as we weave through the pedestrians and the slower moving cyclists. We walked the bikes out onto the pier for the long view to Huntington Beach, longer on less foggy days. We would’ve traveled further, but there were last minute items to gather before the New Years Eve party. The fog rolled back in and took the sunset out of the dinner setting. Oregonians are used to the damp chill, so we sat out in the increasingly cool evening, toasting our friendship and hoping for a happy outcome for the Ducks.

The skies cleared on New Years Day and another bike ride sounded good to all; this time we’d head south along Crystal Cove State Park, taking in the sights and lingering at the Shake Shack. Without the roar of automobiles in our ears the off-road trails make for easy conversations as we leisurely rolled through the park. After turning around, no one wanted the ride to end so we headed to Lookout Point on Ocean Blvd. to soak in the harbor views. The only thing that got us moving was a plan to head to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients for Bloody Mary’s.