Off the beaten path...

Yesterday we were looking for something active & cheap to do to break up the monotany of our day-t0-day unemployed Summer lives. Some mountain biking was in order, so we did a little online research and decided to drive up North to the Malibu Creek State Park, which includes part of the Santa Monica Mountain Range. The Friday afternoon traffic on Independence Day weekend did not allow us a quick drive along PCH, but after ~ 75 minutes or so, we arrived.The online review referred to this site as appropriate for beginning mountain bikers, which we definitely are. However, this site was in NO WAY for a beginning biker. It was tough! Too tough! We ended up pushing & carrying our bikes for most of the route as it was incredibly rocky through most of the trails. And, it was 86 degrees outside, so we were melting with the heat & the workout. Had we known there were some pools, we would have brought along our bathing suits for a much-needed dip.

Another reason we chose this site is because it used to be the backlot for 20th Century/Fox Entertainment. The television series, "M.A.S.H." was filmed here, and apparently their set-up remains. However, we were so exhausted, and after several wrong turns we realized we weren't up for the 2 mile trek/ride to the site, so we never got to see it. Our neighbor, Barbara, tells us that if we'd been "in the know" we would have been able to look at the mountains around us and see the spots where the studio used to post actors for cliff-diving work, and where gunpowder was stored. We saw no such thing with our untrained eyes.

We returned home sweaty & tired. Perfect for a Friday!