Pacific Coast Bike Tour Day 40-42: Hermosa & Newport Beach
Don’t miss: Pacific Coast Bike Tour Day 37-39: Santa Barbara & LA!
We really couldn’t have asked for a better day off here in Hermosa Beach, CA. What’s not to love about beautiful weather, friends, food, and beach volleyball?
Two of our friends from high school have been living out in Hermosa for the last few years and so when they heard we were going to be passing through, they immediately contacted us in hopes that we would spend a day or two at their place.
I was sort of thrown off when we arrived at their house. Will had been telling me that they live in this big old mansion looking house but the last thing I expected was to see this house below.
Once we got settled in we hung out with our friends over some food and drinks. Before we knew it, it was time to get to sleep as we had a long day of fun in the sun planned for the following day.
A little bit of luck and some California sunshine…
The next morning we headed off to the local store to grab some sandwiches and drinks for the beach. It must have been my lucky day because I ended up stumbling upon $50 on the ground on the way over to the store. What a great start to the day!
We spent most of the day hanging down on Hermosa Beach playing volleyball and enjoying the seemingly never ending California sunshine.
LA Meetup!
Later on that night I ended up meeting up with my two friends (Araseli & Mike) out in LA who have been following my blog for the last couple of years. Prior to our meeting, we only knew each other from online. I helped plan their trip to Thailand a while back and because they had such an incredible trip they wanted to give back by taking me out to dinner. How cool is that?
We dined at a local Peruvian joint called El Pollo Inka and it was delicious. Check them out if you’re in the area!
Afterwards we splurged on one of those DIY Frozen Yogurt joints before calling it a night. I look forward to getting back out to LA later this year to visit these guys again. Great times!
On to Newport Beach
The next morning we woke up and hit up breakfast at Martha’s 22nd Street Grille with our buddy Ryan. Afterwards, Will and I packed up our bikes and hit the streets yet again. Today we would ride a record 71 miles from Hermosa Beach to Newport Beach, CA.
Most of the ride was on smooth bike paths that winded alongside the beach. Was it scenic? Sure, but at this point everything has become a blur to us. I guess you could say we’re numb to the scenery after riding 1,500 miles of Pacific Coast.
Huntington Beach
Once we entered Huntington Beach we made a short pit stop to grab something small to eat and take in the sights around us.
One thing we couldn’t help but notice was the old creepy guys that park their trendy beach cruisers along the edge of the beach and inspect each and every inch of every girl as they walk by. Is this what retirement is all about out here in Huntington?
We posted up in front of the Huntington Pier for 45 minutes before hopping back on the bikes and pedaling the rest of the way to Newport Beach.
Warmshowers in Newport Beach
Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to get a photo of us with our Warmshowers hosts in Newport Beach but man was it an interesting one to say the least. The couple who hosted us was an older couple who have traveled all over the world on their bicycles. We sat around and shared stories before heading to bed.
Only two more days until Mexico!
Today’s Mileage: 71 mi
