The Los Angeles River #9: South Gate to North Long Beach

Greetings fellow Canine Angelenos!

Welcome to Part 9 of my dog-centric look at the Los Angeles River. 

In Part 8, I reached the end of the South County L.A. River Bike Path in South Gate. To continue my journey, I must now cross the Imperial Hwy. bridge and use the LARIO Bike Path the rest of the way.

The LARIO begins at Whittier Narrows and travels for 12 miles along the Rio Hondo to its confluence with the L.A. River - just upstream of the Imperial Hwy. bridge. From there it follows the east bank of the river to the ocean.

What awaits us on the other side? The first thing you'll notice is how big the river channel is. It looks like a walled airport runway. This is the widest part of the river and it's used for a variety of things other than flood control...such as training taxi drivers!

What's more "L.A." than driving cars in the river?

While there's nothing natural about the river around here, only Glendale Narrows has more easy access to park land than this section of the trail. Surprised? I was.

About 1/2 mile downstream from Imperial Hwy. is the north end of Hollydale Park. An equestrian center occupies most of the area and a horse trail stretches between the park and bike path.

There are many horse facilities along the river from here into Long Beach.

A short walk down the bike path finds stairs that lead into the heart of this 56 acre park. The grassy field that makes up the majority of the park is split down the middle by a row of electrical towers, but there is still plenty of room to roll in the grass and play soccer.

This way to the parking lot too - a good place to start this adventure.

There are courts for basketball, tennis and handball as well as picnic benches, playgrounds, and Hollydale Dog Park, an off-leash area with a poop bag dispenser and water fountain.

What more does a dog need in a park? I give it 4 paws.

Back on the bike path, Century Bl. marks the end of Hollydale Park and the border between South Gate and Paramount. Another 1/3 mile of walking and you'll be standing beneath the 105 Freeway. Past the 105 you'll see an industrial park and some great, post-apocalyptic looking views of the river channel.

I'm not the only Canine Angeleno enjoying the river today.

About 2/3 mile south of the freeway is the Rosecrans Ave. bridge. Once you pass the bridge, you'll see the north end of Ralph C. Dills Park.

Another park so soon? Nice.

The two ends of this 9 acre park are open fields with plush grass, shady trees, playgrounds, and water fountains. The south end has restrooms (but no poop bags) and a nice picnic area too.

Ralph Dills was California's longest serving state legislator - 43 years!

Connecting the two ends is a nature trail that doesn't allow dogs on it. How can you connect two parks with a nature trail and not allow dogs?

The nature trail. I hear it's nice.

Dills Park ends when you reach the Somerset Bl. bridge. South of Somerset, a small section of Compton lies east of the river. For the next 1/4 mile or so, you'll be in the city of Compton - just long enough to walk along the fenced boundary of the Compton Par 3 Golf Course.

Who doesn't love chasing a ball around in plush grass?

Once you pass the golf course you're back in Paramount and it's 1/4 mile more to the Alondra Bl. bridge. 

The Home Depot nearby is another great place to park while you explore.

About 1/4 mile south of Alondra you'll see a long metal staircase that provides access to L.A. County's 72nd Street Arena. It's a facility for equestrian exhibitions and a nice rest stop for travelers on the bike path. There are restrooms, a water fountain, and a small picnic area next to the arena.

An obnoxious rooster will greet you at 72nd St. Arena. Trust me, you'll hear him.

1/5 mile beyond the staircase is the Atlantic Ave. bridge. If that sounds familiar it's because the river has gone beneath Atlantic before - in Vernon where the South County L.A. River Bike Path begins.

We meet again Atlantic.

Somewhere between Atlantic and the 91 Freeway, which is just over 1/2 mile away, you'll enter the city of Long Beach.

I made it to LBC! I can almost smell the ocean from here!

The Artesia Bl. bridge is only a few hundred yards past the freeway. From there walls on both sides keep you on the bike path for the next 1/3 mile, until you reach the first of two entry points into DeForest Park.

South L.A. County sure has a lot of parks along the river!

Here you'll find plenty of grass to roll in, trees to sit under and squirrels to chase. A community center, playground, and courts for basketball, handball and tennis are in the middle of the park. There are also two bathrooms and a water fountain, but no poop bags.
 
Most of the park's almost 50 acres are part of the Deforest Nature Trail, a floodwater detention basin. It was closed when I visited, so we got back on the bike path via a staircase next to the nature trail's entrance.

Maybe next time.

1/3 mile south of those stairs is the Long Beach Bl. bridge, where there is access to the street and the DeForest Wetlands.

More parkland on the way? Nice work Long Beach.

The wetlands are a 34 acre former debris basin that will someday become a park. It's a work in progress, but will be a great addition to the growing chain of green spaces along the river.

It ain't pretty...yet.

You can walk through the wetlands or on a dirt path that runs parallel to them if you don't want to return to the bike path. All roads soon cross Del Amo Bl., which marks the end of the wetlands, and of today's adventure.

People often get excited about a big announcement that’s revealed at NAB or IBC, but by the time it comes out it’s already dated, or the people that were waiting for it have moved on. - See more at: http://www.provideocoalition.com/the-other-side-of-content-creation#sthash.4v1USEG2.dp
?Dominguez Gap Wetlands? Del Amo to 405? 30 acre East basin
?Compton Creek? 14 acre West basin
405/710 junction bridge
Wardlow Rd. bridge
East of 710 is LBC; West is Compton

Looking north from Del Amo Bl.

Alright! I made it all the way to Long Beach, the last city on our journey!

Subscribe to my blog, follow me on Twitter and Facebook, or visit my website to come along as I make my way to the Pacific!



See you on the river!

Chloe Canine-Angeleno 




Some of the information I've shared in this blog was found at:

Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Works

KCET 

City of South Gate

City of Compton

City of Paramount

City of Long Beach

All photographs were taken by my pack leader, Jim Gross. Everything else was discovered by getting my paws dirty and the extensive use of my nose.



For pictures and information about the places I've visited upstream of the Imperial Highway, click on the links below:

Part 1 - Western San Fernando Valley

Part 2 - Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area

Part 3 - Eastern San Fernando Valley

Part 4 - Burbank and Glendale

Part 5 - Glendale Narrows East

Part 6 - Glendale Narrows West

Part 7 - Downtown Los Angeles and Vernon

Part 8 - Vernon to South Gate

*Orange County Beach Roadtrip - Part 2

Greetings Canine-Angelenos!

Welcome to Part 2 of my roadtrip to some of the dog-friendly beaches of Orange County. In Part 1, we visited Laguna Beach and Corona del Mar before checking into our hotel in Newport Beach. It was an amazing day full of sight seeing, wave dodging and rolling in the sand. I slept like a puppy.

The next morning we drove to the Balboa Peninsula, a 3-mile long strip of land that protects Newport Beach Harbor from the Pacific. Heading west along mostly residential Balboa Bl. for a couple of miles brought us to our first destination: the parking lot at Balboa Beach.

The beach is wide, clean, and stretches for miles. On a typical summer weekend it will be packed with swimmers, surfers, and sun bathers; but go early on a nice spring morning and you just might have the place all to yourself.

Balboa Beach & Balboa Pier

The highlight of this beach for many humans is the Balboa Pier. I hear its nice, but dogs aren't allowed so I can't say for sure. :/ 

(The humans will have to visit in shifts. If they do, the dog is well within its rights to guilt them into bringing back a snack.)

If I can't walk on it, I'll hang out under it.

At the beach end of the pier are fire pits, restrooms, water fountains, and Peninsula Park. The park has nice grass, picnic benches, BBQ pits, a playground, a gazebo, and a giant American flag surrounded by plaques engraved with the Bill of Rights. I think the country needs a 'poop bags at the park' amendment because there aren't any here.

Peninsula Park

After a quick roll in the grass, the pack took a 5 minute walk down Main St. to Balboa Village, a waterfront recreation area with shops, restaurants, and the historic Balboa Pavilion. The pavilion, once the southern terminus of the legendary Red Car, is the launching point for the Catalina Island ferry and commercial fishing ships.

Next to the pavilion is the Balboa Fun Zone, a tiny amusement park with a rides, arcades, and carnival food.

Balboa Fun Zone

All that stuff is great for the humans, but the most fun thing for a dog to do around here is take the dog-friendly harbor boat tour. I'd never been on a real boat before!

My previous boating experience was aboard an inflatable raft.

Our tour took us slowly past the expensive homes Newport Beach Harbor is so well known for and we heard stories about some of the people who live in them. 

Boating is alright! The pack should do more of this.

And, of course, we saw boats; lots and lots of boats. Over 9,000 of them call this harbor home and they come in all shapes and sizes. 

That O.C. canine is chillin' while the human does all the work. Nicely done.

After exploring the inner harbor, we rode to the end of the jetty and saw a buoy full of sea lions. Our guide said that sea lions are called the "dogs of the sea". I don't know about that. They may bark louder than I do and nap like champions, but they're named after a cat. No self-respecting dog would ever be named after a cat.

Did you know that sea lions evolved from canines?

When our tour was over we grabbed a cool drink and returned to the car. It was time to visit the "crown biscuit" of Orange County's beaches!

Huntington Dog Beach is over a mile of canine nirvana just off the PCH in the city Huntington Beach. There is metered parking on the bluff overlooking the beach alongside a narrow park. The park has water fountains, restrooms, poop bag dispensers, trash cans, a paved walkway, and plenty of benches to enjoy the view from.

Another park right next to the beach. Kudos again for the O.C.

From there it's a short walk down to a beautiful, wide beach with perfect sand. This beach has a special place in many canine hearts because it's OK to be off leash! After spending the whole roadtrip tethered to the pack, it sure was nice to roam free and make some canine friends.

If you want to see happy dogs, this is the place to be.

After a couple of hours of splashing and an intense game of chase with some of my new pals, it was time to head back to the car for a cookie and a quick nap; the perfect ending to my roadtrip.

Dirty, wet and smelly is the only way to go through life.

Laguna Beach, Newport Beach and Huntington Beach share a special space along the Southern California coast. I'm so grateful that the residents of those cities think it's important to share some of the world's finest beaches with their canine friends. I wish more cities would do the same (I'm barking at you L.A.).


Every place I visited on this trip is less than two hours away from anywhere in L.A. County, so tell your pack it's time to hit the road! 

Until next blog...I'll see you at the beach!

 
Chloe Canine-Angeleno







Some of the information I've shared in this blog was found at the following sources:

Visit Newport Beach

City of Newport Beach

WhoZoo

All photographs were taken by my Pack Leader, Jim Gross 

Everything else was discovered by getting my paws dirty and the extensive use of my nose.

*Orange County Beach Roadtrip - Part 1

Greetings Canine Angelenos!

There are many words humans say that will get the undivided attention of us canines. "Walk", "ride", "car" and "cookie" are among the most popular, but one of my favorites is the topic of today's blog:

"ROADTRIP!"

My pack had to run an errand in Orange County and the forecast called for great weather on the coast, so we decided to get a hotel for a night and spend a couple of days at the beach. 

The O.C. has 42 miles of beach to explore and the adjoining cities of Newport Beach and Laguna Beach are, for the most part, dog-friendly. 

I couldn't wait to hit the waves.

Nothing like the feeling of wet sand between my toes.

We finished our errand around noon and headed for Laguna Beach. In Laguna, leashed dogs are allowed on almost all city and county beaches from September 11 to June 14. However, from June 15 to September 10, dogs are NOT allowed on any beaches from 9AM to 6PM.

Our first stop was Heisler Park. Located just north of downtown, it's a great place to park the car and begin the day's adventure.

Heisler Park

A paved walkway winds past all the things you want in a good park: clean grass, flowers, trees, benches and picnic tables. There are plenty of poop bag dispensers, trash cans and water fountains too. What makes this place unique are the cool sculptures along the walkway and the spectacular views of the ocean and beaches below. Access to those beaches is via staircase.

Stairs provide the only access to most of Laguna's beaches.

To the north is Picnic Beach. About 700' of clean, soft sand and gentle waves make this beach popular with families.

Picnic Beach

To the south is Rockpile Beach. The eroding piles of tide pool filled rocks are home to a variety of sea creatures. A chart can tell you when low tide (the best time to visit the pools) will be.

Rockpile Beach

Just off-shore is Bird Rock, a sanctuary that is off limits to people and dogs. Frankly, I don't know why you'd want to go there because I'm pretty sure the white stuff all over the top isn't snow. :P

Bird Poop Rock?

Walk south past Bird Rock and soon the sand beneath your paws belongs to Laguna's Main Beach. Located downtown, this beach is popular with tourists and is loaded with fun things to do.

Main Beach

A boardwalk traverses the beach past benches, picnic tables, a playground, basketball and volleyball courts, restrooms, and outdoor showers. There's also a small park with nice grass, a water fountain, and a poop bag dispenser.

Parks next to the beach...well played Laguna.

Across the street, the downtown sidewalks were packed with people and there wasn't much for a dog to do. I was trying to convince the Pack to return to the beach...until we stopped for ice cream. I got a cup of vanilla. I just can't say no to vanilla ice cream.

Back at the beach, a different flight of stairs returned us to Heisler Park. We checked out the parts of the park we hadn't seen earlier before returning to the car and driving north on the PCH.
                       

About 7 miles north of downtown Laguna is Corona del Mar, a seaside community in the city of Newport Beach. There are two outstanding beaches to explore there, but you need to know that Newport Beach only allows leashed dogs on the beaches before 10AM and after 4:30PM. 

Turn left onto Poppy St. and continue until it ends at Ocean Bl. At this intersection, Little Corona Beach is to your left at the bottom of a steep walkway. Park on the street and enjoy the view for a moment. On the way down to the water you'll find restrooms, a shower, and signage with info about the beach.

The path to Little Corona Beach

Little Corona is a gorgeous, rocky beach that's a little off the beaten path; making it popular with the locals. It's a small beach, so sunbathing real estate might be hard to come by, but splashing around the rock formations at the south end is more fun anyway. 

Little Corona

When you're done exploring Little Corona, head back to the car and drive north on Ocean Bl.. Almost right away you'll pass Inspiration Point, a popular scenic view spot, before coming to the entrance to Corona del Mar State Beach, aka. Big Corona.

At half a mile long, Big Corona is much bigger than its brother to the south and very popular. The gentle waves make it family friendly and there are restrooms, showers, volleyball courts, fire pits, and an information center.

Big Corona

The south side of the beach ends at one of the jetties that make the channel into Newport Beach Harbor. You can walk along the jetty for some great views of the luxury boats that use the harbor and maybe see a sea lion or two.

The late afternoon sun feels nice on my wet fur.

Wow! What an afternoon. I was tired and it was close to supper time, so we said goodbye to the beach and made our way to the hotel. It was time to clean up, eat, and set the alarm clock to go off early because dogs have to be off the beach by 10AM tomorrow.


[FYI: Newport Beach's Fashion Island may be the world's most dog-friendly mall. It's a large outdoor shopping complex where most of the stores allow dogs in and restaurants with outdoor patios provide us all with a place to sit while the humans eat.]



In the Part 2 of my trip to Orange County we'll visit the Balboa Peninsula and the "Crown Biscuit" of dog-friendly beaches in Southern California.



See you at the beach!

Chloe Canine-Angeleno






Some of the information I've shared in this blog was found at the following sources:

City of Laguna Beach

City of Newport Beach

All photographs were taken by Jim Gross.

Everything else was discovered by getting my paws dirty and the extensive use of my nose.