Riding the PCH and Topanga Canyon

After returning from Big Sur, I was ready to make Los Angeles my home-away-from-home for the next 4 weeks. My motorcycle was shipped to me the week before so I finally rode through Bel Air, enjoyed some live jazz, and stopped by Beverly Hills Ducati for a check-up.

Farmers market finds

Monday. Routine day of errands.

Tuesday. I stopped by the Beverly Hills Ducati shop to get an annual check-up. I called the day before to see when they could help me out and they fit me in the next day. They have an awesome team that quickly turned my bike around. It took about 3 hours to tackle fluid changes and a full bike inspection for about $350. It's about the same in New York and Austin. My goal for this year is to learn more about the mechanics of my bikes so I can handle these type of projects myself though.

I went on a long ride through Bel Air to celebrate and then hit the Chestnut Club for a cocktail with friends.

Little Beach House Malibu, image from Soho website

Wednesday. We visited the Little Beach House Malibu, one of the Soho Houses, to visit with friends and family.

Thursday. Missing New York, my friends and I found a local jazz club with a mean martini. We bopped down to the Catalina Club to see Frank McComb, jazz and soul singer, musician and producer. Unlike the compact, basement jazz bars of New York, this jazz club was attached to a shopping center in Hollywood. It didn't quite fit the mood of a typical jazz venue but the music was great, food decent and cocktails strong.

Friday. A ride unlike any I have experienced, my first time on the PCH felt like a California milestone for me. My friends and I were attending Jack Guy's art show in Malibu and I took it as an opportunity to jump on my bike. Jack Guy is a world renowned photographer, shooting everyone from Gigi Hadid to Eva Longoria, and fellow motorcycle enthusiast. We were introduced at the event and the conversation was filled with motorcycle stories and pictures. He's a BMW man.

We left to catch the sunset and it was the most perfect first ride. It was still warm and the pink gradient of the sky bled into the blue water. I had my first experience splitting lanes and breezing by an immense amount of traffic, filling me with a bit of cockiness.

The ride home was less congested but quite chilly. I made a mental note to bring a heavier coat for any future night rides.

Saturday. A day of hiking and home cooking. My friend's boyfriend is Italian so we have been spoiled with big family dinners.

Sunday. We loaded up at the local Farmers Market for another Italian feast. Some highlights from the market include the Ginger Tumeric Honey, the Medrano Farms cava oranges and avocados, and the most gorgeous and inexpensive orchids that overflowed one of the stands.

We had all the Italian cousins over for a cookout; there was smoked meat, beers and big Italian hand gestures. My riding buddy from New York currently moved to LA so he stopped by as well.

We ate and then took a ride down the PCH to Neptune's Net, a kitschy, seafood restaurant and motorcycle meet-up spot on the PCH. We returned on Topanga Canyon and it was another motorcycle first for me! It was my first time riding a twisty road. I leaned into the turns with hesitation at first, being cautious to the new riding style.

The ride offered breathtakingly scenery and tested my driving abilities. The antithesis to my typical flat grid in NYC, the canyon was an exhilarating jaunt and left me wanting more outings to test and improve my motorcycle handling skills. After about an hour my skills had improved and I was feeling more confident. It was like seeing a new color when I felt the difference in riding styles and skills needed to tackle Topanga.