The Bicycle Adventure Club - Come Ride With Us!

CA Coast: Santa Barbara to San Diego

May 7th to May 16th

Ride Director: Roy Brubaker
Ride Co-Director: Kristi Brubaker
Report by: Karen Bailey

Pedaling between Santa Barbara and San Diego, BAC’s Central Coast trip was a sampling of every nostalgic beach movie of our youth. The ride welcomed the warmer weather of May after a wet California winter. The green hills, sprinkled with wild mustard and flowers, infused the beautifully organized trip by Roy and Kristi Brubaker. Kristi offered lovely appetizers and drink options at nightly Happy Hours while Roy’s route raps curated the next day’s ride. Appreciated was how the Brubakers encouraged a relaxed space for the group to jell. 

Our trip began in the hills around Montecito and Santa Barbara, home to a classic California mission, gorgeously landscaped homes, and the shimmering Pacific Ocean. We spent two evenings getting to know fellow BAC riders hailing from Florida, Connecticut, and Texas, while the thirteen riders rounded out with a contingent of Californians. A homemade breakfast in the suite of our leaders set the tone for a growing camaraderie throughout the trip.

Pedaling south through small towns like Summerland, Carpinteria and Ventura, we viewed coffee houses, enticing shops and an orchid farm, all future reasons to bypass the freeway and spend time exploring the central coast.

From a windy Point Hueneme through flat farmlands of Pt Mugu and its military installation, we eventually popped out at Malibu riding a stretch of Pacific Coast Hwy (PCH) adjacent to the iconic Zuma Beach. Careful pedaling through an urban landscape eventually dropped us onto the beach bike paths along Los Angeles beaches of Santa Monica, Venice, and Manhattan Beach. The path unfurled along the sand with volleyball courts and beachgoers. Leaving the crowds, we then climbed through the hills of Palos Verdes, treated to stunning views above the surf.

Accompanied by the strains of the Beach Boys, we pedaled along the Huntington Beach promenade into Newport and Balboa. The strand created car-free riding while multiple piers invited walks out to the ocean. A sweet ferry ride across the Balboa Bay dropped us onto the tiny streets of Balboa Island, known for its bayfront homes and frozen bananas. We then continued down the coast on PCH towards artsy Laguna Beach. At the end we were like the swallows known to return to the mission at San Juan Capistrano. 

With encouragement from our leaders and the fact the train was derailed due to winter mudslides, we rode seven miles on the shoulder of Hwy 5. What could have proved stressful was in fact uneventful as the lane was clear of debris and we often were pedaling faster than traffic. Our final point to point ride down the coast, traversed the beachfront towns of Leucadia, Encinitas, Cardiff, Solana Beach and Del Mar. An ascent over the top of Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve placed us in the tony town of La Jolla. An extended ride out to Pt Loma was an added addition to the day’s ride landing us comfortably for the night in Old Town San Diego, 

Last ride was a circuitous route along the San Diego Harbor. The Bayshore Bikeway cruises along a 3900-acre wetland infused with May color and birdlife. Cruising along the Silver Strand State Beach with views across the water towards downtown San Diego, our destination was the Sun Deck at the gorgeous Hotel del Coronado. Finally, an easy pedal brought us to a ferry taking us back across the bay.  Dinner that night was a festive affair at a local Mexican restaurant in Old Town. We played games, toasted our ride and leaders on another successful BAC ride.