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Riding down Foothill Road at 6:45 on a Saturday morning is awesome. I know where my three stop signs are, (and, yes I stop at each one!) and I can navigate the few potholes I notice each time I drive up the hill. I did not see a single moving car until I got down to Aliso.

As I settled in to the ground level of the valley, I felt the temperature drop. It is true! Cool air does sink! Down a ways, a quick left...then a right, and I was on to one of my favorite bike trails of all.

I have ridden along the Tow Path out of Washington, DC, and I have passed underneath the towering peaks of Telluride in Colorado. I biked along Kings Road out to Richmond Park in London, and I have even ridden through a farm in Mexico, but let me tell you how lucky I really am, I have access to the Ojai Valley (bike) Trail!

If you have not ridden (or walked or jogged) along this trail lately let me give you some highlights...

Toward the eastern end of the trail, if you time it right, you can hear the symphony of dogs singing outside the Humane Society. Wonderful conversations, if you know what to listen for! I have often stood outside, just listening in to see if I could possibly understand what they are saying.

Walk (or ride, or jog) a little bit more (toward the west end) - and again timing is everything - you could catch a concert or a show behind Libby Park. We have heard everything from jazz to big band to rock and roll…to Shakespeare!

In my experience, one of the best spectator sites in Ojai during the annual Garrett Lemire bike race is at the intersection of Signal Street. Here, you can watch professional and semi-professional riders battle for position on three corners within the space of three football fields!

Continuing on, you will pass by the lavender farm at the Ojai Valley Inn; the smell is accentuated by the eucalyptus trees that line the paved and dirt trail.

(Oh, I should add, you will most likely see bikers, walkers, horseback riders, even picnickers along the trail. Here are some pictures...)

One of my favorite parts of the Ojai Valley (bike) Trail is the area across from Villanova, just before the elementary school (see the picture above). There, I have seen kites and kestrels hunting, and egrets and a coyote lounging. I have even seen deer in that meadow (I would imagine just not at the same time as the coyotes!).

I leave the rest of the views and experiences for your next trip along the Ojai Valley Trail. I will let you know that if you head south-west for about 15 miles, you will pass through the north end of Ventura, and eventually reach the beach. There, as you look over the Pacific Ocean out toward the Channel Islands, you could think about the “little trail that starts in our valley.” It is quite a reward for riding all the way "down the hill."

Please do feel free to comment, I would love to collect inspiring stories and pictures of your trip along the Ojai Valley bike trail. Leave a comment here, or send me a quick e-mail.