Yesterday I celebrated Father’s Day with a ride. This may not sound like an unusual occurrence for a Sunday morning, but it has been quite some time since I got a proper ride in. I commute almost every day to work on a bicycle, but that’s not real riding. It’s too short, I have a heavy backpack with a computer in tow, and the ability to explore is stymied by having to get to work. My precious weekend rides have been far and few between due to travel, work, and in all honesty, probably a bit of laziness. That changed yesterday. At 7:30am, I was out the door, equipped for whatever the ride might bring. I rode my usual course, up Nichols, down and over to Barham, Forest Lawn, and ultimately the Observatory. This is my favorite ride, and I admit my legs suffered a bit today. Nevertheless, when I reached the Observatory, I decided a bit of exploring was in order. I wanted to head east to see the newly reopened Echo Park. I meandered through Los Feliz, then Silver Lake, and ultimately Echo Park. Cycling through a city exploring is still one of my all time favorite things to do. It reminds me of being a kid and the unlimited freedom a bicycle brought into my life. It is an invigorating experience to see the city this way, and it allows you to discover new and different places. This little side trip only added about 7 miles to the ride, but the enjoyment of those 7 miles will likely last me through the week until next weekend’s ride. Until then, the backpack comes back on, and I’ll wave to all the other cyclists on their way to work.