SoCal Exploring and Intermodal Transport

With a busy schedule, it's unusual for self-employed entrepreneurs (like me) to do something different. Uncertain of how much work may be available in the future, we live work in the moment. And sometimes we work too much. But last Tuesday provided the rare opportunity to explore a bit of Orange County, CA in an active yet leisurely fashion. An instrument student had a work meeting near the Fullerton Airport that would start early on Tuesday. He proposed an instructional flight on Monday afternoon, an overnight stay, and a return on Tuesday afternoon. The gears started turning in my brain and soon there was a plan: Load my BikeFriday Tikit into the back of the DA40 and use it to explore Fullerton and environs. I've done this type of intermodal transportation before and have found a folding bike a great way to travel, transforming a potentially boring trip into exercise and adventure.

Tikit (just) fits without disassembly.

With full fuel, BikeFriday Tikit, and our minimal bags, we were below maximum gross takeoff weight and right in the middle of the center-of-gravity range. The southbound flight was smooth and uneventful, culminating in a practice RNAV approach into Fullerton. Between the evening haze, the glare from the setting sun, and my vague familiarity with Fullerton (I've visited handful of times) it was a good choice: We visually acquired the airport about 2 miles out.

Approaching the LA Basin

The folks at General Aviation Co. had a rental car for my instrument student. I had my trusty BikeFriday Tikit. As we headed our separate ways in the evening twilight, I turned airplane mode off on my iPhone noticed it was searching for a cellphone network. I had reviewed the 3 mile route to my hotel in nearby Buena Park when I made the reservation, but hadn't paid close attention. Being unable to navigate with the iPhone, I did what any good pilot would do: I reverted to pilotage, of course.

I knew the general direction. Head west on Commonwealth, then a left turn, followed by a right turn, another left, cross I-5, right turn on Orangethorpe Avenue, and a few blocks down on the right. An interesting feeling, being forced to revert to basics. At the hotel, my phone was still "Searching ..." I connected to the hotel's WiFi and used Skype to call home. Skype calls appear as a "private caller" which, heretofore unknown to me, are blocked by our telco. So I sent an iMessage. A bit later, my wife launched Skype on her Mac and we were in business.

Waking up to overcast skies, mild temperatures, and light winds, I saddled up and headed back to the General Aviation Co. to drop off non-essential items. I yearned for a light breakfast and good espresso. My iPhone was still "Searching ..." so I was reduced to pilotage and intuition. Cycling eastward on Commonwealth Avenue, I got my first taste of the roadway facilities provided to cyclists in Fullerton. Every community integrates bicycles in a unique way, but the first thing I noticed was the local cyclists ride on the sidewalk. I'm not a fan of cycling on sidewalks because 1) sidewalks are for pedestrians, 2) many municipalities have ordinances against bike riding on sidewalks, 3) sidewalks have numerous, often blind intersections with streets and parking lots, and 4) it takes longer to get where you're going. So I rode on the right side of the rightmost lane. The road surfaces ranged from smooth and clean to seriously mangled and potholed. There are some nice bike routes in Fullerton, but finding them requires local knowledge, a functioning iPhone, or both.

In the business district at Harbor and Commonwealth, I located the Rialto Cafe  where I didn't find espresso, but did discover better-than-Starbucks coffee, nice oatmeal, and sidewalk seating in the shade. Try as I might, I couldn't locate any bike racks so I locked the Tikit to a bench on the sidewalk. I was too slow to snap a photo, but an elderly Asian woman appeared amused by the Tikit and inspected it very thoroughly. When one is behind the Orange Curtain (as some refer to Orange County, CA) it seems the accepted conveyance is a super-sized, gasoline-powered vehicle. Ah, America!

Freaking out the locals ...

Next on the agenda was to continue eastward to the Cal State Fullerton campus and the Fullerton Arboretum. But first, I found myself diverting westward again. I spotted a residential street flanked with blooming jacaranda. I was first attracted by the purple blossoms, then noticed an entire block of beautiful craftsman bungalow-style houses.

Continuing on Harbor, then on Brea Boulevard, I discovered ... bike lanes! Not only that, but a very nicely maintained, tree-lined walking path. And this: A baseball field with a deactivated oil rig, neatly fenced in, situated in the field's parking lot. Holy hydraulic fracturing, local residents!

Without a map or a functioning iPhone, I made a wrong turn and got lost. So did the uncharacteristic thing for a male of the human species - I asked for directions to the Fullerton Arboretum. I found the arboretum, took a few photos, but truth be told, it wasn't my cup of tea. Besides, I had consumed considerable calories with the unnecessary detour and was in need of espresso and something sweet. Following my nose, I made my way through the Cal State Fullerton campus and retraced my steps. That's when I stumbled upon McClain's Coffeehouse.

The sun being out in full force made McClain's all the more appealing with it's chill, slightly dark atmosphere. The espresso was tasty and the pumpkin pastry had just the right mixture of sweetness and calorie density. And thanks to the wifi, I was able to receive an iMessage about our proposed ETD. Time to hightail it back to Fullerton Municipal. Refueling completed, preflight completed, Tikit and luggage loaded, and a right downwind departure toward El Monte. With luck, we'd make it back to the Bay Area before sunset.