Took a day off to catch up on some chores after being gone for a few weeks, including a painting project for Mrs. G, and raiding a few local thrift stores to piece together a very dapper outfit for next weekend’s Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride.
Took a ride toward the beach in the afternoon and remembered that there are some neat bridges in Newport Beach. None that you can stop, dismount and take a photo of with your bike due to the traffic, but ones you can capture with video.
In particular, I wanted to ride over the small bridge to Balboa Island, which is festooned with American flags for upcoming Memorial Day. But, everyone in the area had the same idea, it seemed. Traffic getting over the bridge onto the island was heavy. Meh, I was on a bike and could squeeze through a hole to turn around. You can see it up ahead past all of the cars as I’m about to flip around. No desire to get caught in a bunch of traffic.
I rode over Newport Back Bay, a great place to hike and kayak. It’s also a wildlife sanctuary just below the takeoff pattern for John Wayne Airport, which is why they perform a “Noise Abatement Takeoff”, gaining altitude quickly then pulling the throttle back to make slightly less noise as they pass over the bay.
Finally, I headed over the little bridge to Lido Island. Can’t stop a vehicle on the bridge, but on foot, it’s a great place to take in all manner of boats. Plus, one of my favorite Italian restaurants is nearby.