Reader Ride: San Pedro, California-The Long Way Home

San Pedro enjoys a mild year-round Mediterranean climate with cool ocean breezes and usual temps around 72 degrees. In addition to easy access to kayaking, skin diving, mountain biking, hiking, surfing, and sailing, it also happens to be a great place for motorcycling.

I ride my 2003 Triumph Bonneville America 22 miles to work, but sometimes it takes a bit longer to get home. Despite my eagerness to return to my family, an occassional detour along the waterfront seems in order, and I’ve never gotten tired of the scenery.

At the foot of the Vincent Thomas Bridge (one of the larger suspension bridges in California) is the Catalina Cruise Terminal. On a trip to Catalina Island, my family and I have seen dolphins, flying fish, and whales, as well as some beautiful sunsets from the Catalina Channel.

Continuing south on Harbor Boulevard, I pass the Rancho San Pedro Public Housing Development. Tied up by the main channel on the other side of the street is the retired 887-foot battleship USS Iowa.

Next are the LAFD fireboats and the Los Angeles Maritime Museum. Every so often I enjoy browsing through this exhibition and reveling in the ancient glories of my seagoing years with the U.S. Navy.