Orange County California, 100 Mile Loop
This trip was made November 4 to 7, 2021
November 4
I began in Fullerton California. The route for this first day was about 17 miles of flat and easy cycling. I first headed westward along the Orangethorpe Blvd bike lane (or several alternatives) until Beach Blvd, then south on Beach Blvd and west to the Coyote Creek Bike Trail. This paved trail headed south along the top of the dike beside the mostly dry riverbed and then it became the San Gabriel cycleway leading into Seal Beach.
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November 5
My friend Carole joined me at Seal Beach and we headed south along the Pacific Coast Highway using both the highway bike lane or a parallel bike trail. We soon reached the Huntington Beach Cycleway and it was flat paved-cycling for many miles. We stopped in Huntington Beach briefly. Carole left and returned home to Seal Beach and I continued south toward Newport Beach. The route between Huntington and Newport remains largely on a cycleway and then leads onto street lanes entering Newport Beach. I explored the Newport Beach pier and the beachfront cycle path frequented by many beach tourists on rented beach cruiser bikes. Again, the day was an easy flat 15 mile ride.
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November 6
I left Newport Beach about 8 am, and took the wrong direction for about 1 1/2 miles before I realized my mistake and turned around. The route followed the shoulder on Pacific Coast Highway, and then crossed the bridge over Newport Bay. The route in and out of Laguna Beach is actually treacherous. It is hilly, but in addition, there is no cycleway. There is a nice ocean vista from the cliffs at Crystal Cove State Park, but for the most part, the route follows the Pacific Coast Highway with no shoulder and fairly heavy traffic. I resolved that, if I did this route again, I would catch a bus from Newport Beach to Dana Point. Approaching Dana Point I found an ample bike lane along the shoulder. From Doheny State Beach, a dedicated paved bike path follows the San Juan Creek river bed to San Juan Capistrano. I reached my destination about 2 pm - my cousin and his wife's home just north of Capistrano.
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November 7
I left about 8:15 am for my destination of Fullerton California. The route headed generally northwest on side streets, crossing the Ortega Highway and then running parallel to the I-5 freeway. As I rode along at 10 to 15 miles per hour, I looked to my left and saw I was passing all the cars on the freeway which were locked in a traffic jam. The route all day alternated between urban streets and scenic paved cycleways. There was a short scenic section from Laguna Niguel along the Oso Creek Trail. But, at Laguna Hills, just west of Ladera Ranch my route took me west up some very steep climbs through neighborhoods of large homes situated on the heights. Finally, I had a good downhill into the valley and reached a nice concrete paved bike trail through the town of Irvine. The Pacific Electric Cycle Trail passed through the old Hispanic neighborhoods of Santa Ana. My route then followed urban streets past the Angels Baseball Stadium. It was a longer day then I had anticipated because of the hilly section, which could have been by passed, but I finally reached my destination of Fullerton at 3 pm, thus completing a very interesting 100 mile loop.
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