Beaumont, CA. Probably the reason Adventure Cycling starts its southern crossing of the US from San Diego is because it’s too complicated getting out of the L.A. area. I started late from Riverside because I waited until the nearby bike shop on Magnolia Avenue opened at 10. I needed a safety pennant and a Camelbak hydration kit before venturing farther east. I also wanted a … Continue reading Riverside to Beaumont–a Higher Elevation
Compared to Washington’s Capital Crescent Trail along the Potomac, the Santa Ana Trail is a poor cousin. It’s not well marked in places, making it easy to wander into dead end side trails, as I did three times. But it is a splendid trail for jogging and biking and serves a touring cyclist well by proceeding inland 30 miles, avoiding the road traffic of the … Continue reading Huntington Beach to Riverside
Newport Beach, CA: This attempt to ride from L.A. to Phoenix is underway. Arriving at Long Beach airport from Salt Lake and DC, the bike box was intact and waiting at baggage claim. It took 30 minutes or so to get it assembled, dispose of the box and get under way on a sunny 70 degree Southern California afternoon. East of what was the main … Continue reading From Long Beach to the Santa Ana Trail
Beginning with a trickle and then growing rapidly, a steady flow of money into Cuba will be the first tangible effect of normalized US-Cuban relations. With more cash reaching the island’s impoverished citizens comes hope for a better life, something all Cubans desperately want. Cubans typically earn only $20 per month so that tips from visitors rank just below remittances as a financial lifeline. Like … Continue reading Easing of US Restrictions Promises Better Lives for Cubans
HAVANA, CUBA: In light of the historic thaw in US Cuban relations announced on December 17th, three items stand out from a four-day visit to Havana: 1/ Cuba’s economy is a disaster in desperate need of reform. 2/ The communist party retains its tight grip and political change is a long way off. 3/It is likely to be months before normalized bi-lateral relations produce real … Continue reading A Look at Cuba Before Normalization Takes Hold
Barry D. Wood 