I took a trip to the beach yesterday, and it was a success. The LA public transportation, while not quite as user friendly as Trimet (no credit cards at the ticket machines, not every bus has bike racks), gets the job done.

As I’ve become accustomed to, the place was picturesque if crowded. I had chosen Santa Monica because I wanted to find a place with decent microbrews, and a place called The Library Alehouse fit the bill. It was a great spot, if expensive ($5 pints…youch!). I foolishly filled up on fish and chips, leaving painfully little room for the Racer 5 and Arrogant Bastard I enjoyed. Nonetheless, after travelling across LA on an empty stomach and walking the 15 blocks from the pier, it was completely worth it.

I’ve also noticed that b-boy street performers are the norm down here. This guy had a modest following, and exhibited showmanship by praying loudly that he wouldn’t break his neck busting a move for only a dollar. God smiled on him and the audience coughed up wads of money.

Another crazy part about the pier is the rings. These rings aren’t for kids. I’m pretty sure that I saw Newton’s laws being broken repeatedly yesterday.

I’ll close this post with some thoughts on cycling: how do I do it here? This is an open invite for anyone who knows good places to ride in LA to let me know about it. I’m foaming at the mouth trying to figure out how to ride down here, especially after yesterday in Santa Monica. I saw mobs of cyclists there, but here in NoHo it’s pretty scary. Back to the point about not all LA buses having bike racks, I’d be happy to take my bike there and ride all day but I don’t see how to do it. Ideas?

Anybody?