Balboa Park

Today's ride had a mix of urban street riding, off-road trails and on-road bike paths/sidewalks. We parked near the tennis courts at Balboa Park, and rode to Panera Bread in nearby Hillcrest. We ate outside and enjoyed the beautiful weather. Here's a cute picture of Eliza enjoying her grilled cheese sandwich.

After lunch, we rode back to Balboa Park in search of the fun mountain bike trails I've heard about. We found one short, steep trail that led us to a fun playground. She loved this play structure so much! I wish I had taken more pictures, but I was busy talking with other parents there. Here's the one picture I did take.

After prying her off the playground area, I got her back in the Weehoo and continued in our search for the mountain bike trails. It didn't take long! The trails were nice. Mostly smooth and easy, with little climbs and descents thrown in for fun. I only saw a couple other mountain bikers along the trail. The majority of people using the trails were walking dogs or running. We even found something really cool that I didn't know existed - a velodrome! We stopped off to watch some riders practice, and ended up talking with a woman who was in charge of the Junior Development Team that practices there. She was very nice. She talked about the history of the velodrome and the famous people who have ridden here. Then she allowed us to ride a quick lap! This was a nice gesture since normally they do not let just anyone ride on the velodrome. They require you to sign a waiver and participate in a velodrome safety class first! I have done a track race before (at the Kenosha Velodrome), so I knew what to expect with the super banked turns. We had fun! I wish I could've taken a picture. Another reason why I want a GoPro camera someday.

After the velodrome ride, I could tell that Eliza was getting very sleepy. I continued riding the off-road trails and before I knew it, Eliza had fallen asleep! I couldn't believe it. She's never fallen asleep on a Weehoo ride. At this point, I found the quickest way back to our car. I let her sleep until she woke up. Here's a couple pictures I took of her sleeping.

Here's our Strava summary. I really liked this ride and hope to do it again soon.