Sunday, April 28, 2013

Day 886: Valdez Alley Eastward Park - Ortega Adobe - Simpson Tract Historic District - Spencer Makenzies Fish Company

Thugles inside the Old Water Filtration Building
 
Inside the Ortega Adobe

Day #886 * Hike #1115 * New Track #872
Valdez Alley Eastward Park - Ventura, CA

Ortega Adobe - Simpson Tract Historic District - Spencer Makenzies Fish Company
Saturday April 20, 2013
My Tripometer:  2.5 Hours * 10 Miles * +150  Feet


 Fish Tacos!!!

Continuing on with our bike ride from Front Street and Ash Street, we found this popular Fish Taco Joint on Thompson.  After our meal, we continued riding...



 Valdez Alley Eastwood Park on Main Street in Downtown

 Ditch the bikes - Trailhead

 Museum beneath us

 I've never been back here...

 Water Filtration Building

 Trails...

 Up top by Poli

We then walked back to our bikes and pedaled over to a bike shop.  Jess's handle bars were loose and the nice guys there tightened her bolts.  This was next to the Ortega Adobe on Main Street.  We passed this earlier in the day and took a break.  I had no idea what this place was; take a look:

 Way Cool - Hidden - Free to the Public!!!



We then began riding through the poverty stricken area of the Avenue.  Jess showed us all the houses that she lived in as a kid...

 Simpson Tract Historic District

 We found our way to the Avenue Trail...


Research my blog and you will find this trail.  It was nice coming back to it.  Don't go the wrong way though or you will end up in a Hobo Camp with guard dogs and cable TV.  All in all, great day, great bike ride and hike!  Still finding new places in the city that I live in that I had no idea of before.  I didn't think that was possible, but today proved it!

Day 886: Born Learning Trail - Front Street Hobo Trail

El Camino Real - Ortega House

Day #886 * Hike #1114 * New Track #871
Born Learning Trail - Ventura, CA

California Door & Hardware Hobo Trail
Saturday  April 20, 2013
My Tripometer: 1.75 Hours * 8 Miles * +75 Feet



 Born Learning Trailhead

Directions:
West Park Community Center: From the Avenue in Ventura, turn down Harrison and head west to the very end.  West Park is on the left and the brand new Born Learning Trail is on the right!!!

 We read about this trail in the Newspaper

It was a nice write up.  Something to the effect that it took them an extra month to finalize the trail.  Not sure how much money went into this, but the trail is essentially just a very short sidewalk with a half dozen signs around it.  If I ran at top speed I would have completed this trail in under 8 seconds!

The signs are meant for kids to interact with nature.  I guess there are other such trails throughout Ventura County.  I don't know, this area... I suppose there is good intention here but the way this trail is set and presented, I don't presume it will be utilized for its purpose.  I have a hunch that within the next six months, there will be graffiti on these sign.  At least someone in some administration made a few bucks on this one.

In the same Extra Newspaper from the VC Star, I read about the newly completed Harmon Trail, this is at Kimball Park and I have taken it, just didn't know it had a name.  That 1000 foot of concrete cost 2.6 million dollars!  Now I give them the fact that there is a small bridge and several trees that they needed to contend with, but really, 2.6 million?!  I just don't get why all these non profit and/or community projects come with such a hefty price tag!  Wait, I get it...  Lol, I really ought to start my own non-profit like I had intended to.  If I could raise just $100k, I'll take $50k for myself and with the other $50k, I'll create a new 10 mile trail through the wilderness.  Give me a shovel and it's on!

 Leads to real bike path...

On our bikes, we decided to take the Ventura River Bike Path back to Downtown VTA (it's like a mile from here).  Of course if you turn right from here, it would be a half marathon ride to Ojai...

 Ayden struggles getting up the hill

 On our way
 

taking it to the streets

 Leads to Promenade, but we kept to the streets

 Secret route on the north side of the 33

We had planned to ride down here today.  Jess said when she drives down the 33 she sees people jogging down here all the time.  She thought it was a new path but legally, this is off limits.  Many of the homeless live down in there so we left it alone and continued down the streets to Santa Clara...

 The Love House

 Tortilla Flats Mural

 Above the Ventura Pier

 People Bridge across the 101

First time for me on this - Looking out over the pier

 California Door & Hardware alone down here (Out of Business?)

 Hobo Trailhead...  Ditch the bikes

Directions:
From the corner of South Ash Street and East Front in Downtown Ventura, follow the train tracks down to the California Door and Hardware...

 The trail

 Open fields, several trails.  Man, this land is worth some money!

 To the fence line

 Hobo living in a nest


We got out of there and from this, concludes the hike.  To be continued...

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