Bike Ride! - Hollywood to the Ocean

West Sunset Blvd: Bel Air, Pacific Palisades & Malibu
via Metro Rail > Hollywood/Highland > Sunset Blvd > The Beach!
ETA from 23rd St = 4.5hrs
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Used the subway to skip most of the mid-city area, got off at the farthest-west station (Hollywood/Highland mall.) Rode me bike down Hollywood Blvd to its merge with Sunset then followed Sunset down the entire long remainder of its length. The ride was easy enough through West Hollywood & Beverly Hills but got a whole lot worse once UCLA hit.

The sidewalk began playing hide-&-go-seek with a road clearly not intended for pedestrian traffic and dangling branches/vines threatened to behead. Flatness gave way to what felt like an endless, sometimes pretty steep uphill climb through the otherwise gorgeous Pacific Palisades area. This along with Bel Air is the legendary exclusive domain of celebrity mansions and Star Maps/Tours, the windy road was so densely lined with fairy talesque old trees it probably came as close to "enchanted forest" as LA can.

Following the peak of Endless Uphill Climb, the road swerved and dove down into Malibu, revealing... the ocean! It was an epic view that made the whole struggle worth while. From here I merged onto the beach bike path, following the sand and water down to Santa Monica Pier. In this neighborhood I rendezvoused with Mr Wheeler, some beers were had and I enlisted his chariot to carry me and my now battered bike home.
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Verdict = A gorgeous ride that was totally worth it but so grueling at points that I may never do it again. Definitely a one-time thing.
Difficulty = Ridiculous
Discoveries = Nothing really.