After riding up several mountains and around the desert I decided that it was time for an easier ride ... a gentle spin by the ocean.
The 'village' of La Jolla lies on the coast 20 kilometres north of the centre of San Diego.
I parked in a side road near a roundabout called Union Place Circle ... unpacked my stuff ... and headed towards the ocean.
The northern end of La Jolla is marked by a rocky promontory indented with a number of inlets.
From a shady path on top of the rocks you can see right around the Bay to the north towards Oceanside.
I was headed south ... so I left the rocks to the sea birds and pedalled round to La Jolla Cove.
Several divers were entering the ocean to explore the underwater environment.
Further round the coast seals had taken over a number of beaches and, as they lay resting and sleeping, visitors snapped their photos.
The cycle trail follows a line of low cliffs with frequent access points to the sandy beaches below.
The Museum of Contemporary Art overlooks the ocean and has a dramatic sculpture on its roof ... which looks as if a storm has thrown a collection of canoes into a pile.
On the next few beaches seals and divers were replaced by surfers.
The path then turns inland as expensive homes take over the bluffs.
As I approached Pacific Beach the path returned to the ocean shore and Crystal Pier appeared in the distance.
Crowds of visitors were strolling along the front or relaxing and people watching on the grass covered bluffs.
A friendly parrot was also people-watching ... and I suspect hoping for some tasty morsels.
Fortunately ... for humans at least ... Pacific Beach has plenty of beachside cafés.
It was definitely time for me to visit a café and watch the world go by.
Most of the world was on foot ... but a significant proportion were on skateboards or cruiser bikes.
Some of the restaurants at Pacific Beach look extremely smart ... and the diners are separated from the passing hoi polloi by glass barriers.
As Pacific Beach transitions to Mission Beach the number of tourists increases and the attractions become tackier.
After cycling a little further south I turned around to return through the back streets to La Jolla.
Time to find another ... suitably smart ... café.
Kirby James
