Last Mile Biking

Sometimes vacations turn into epic to-do lists driving around to see every sight. We challenged our family to vacation without a car: slow down, be present, and live like locals.

We decided to stay in the Mission Beach neighborhood to take advantage of time at the beach and bay that are both just blocks away. We were happy to find the area was very safe even in the evening hours. Another factor deciding to stay there is walkability with small convenience store, trendy restaurants, bars, gear rental very close by. Pacific Beach area also would have been a great more affordable option in more of a neighborhood setting further from the beach.

We rented beach cruiser bikes from one of many gear rental areas nearby. There are nicer bike and e-bike options, but we thought that the one-speed cruiser would be enough for any quick trips or adventures at slow-speeds. Prices were reasonable for a week rental and much cheaper than renting a car. Originally, we just got the bikes as an option to expand our travel radius, if needed, but quickly found the area offered a lot of fun biking opportunities.

The Mission Beach Boardwalk mixed-use path spans 2.3 miles and is a lively example of how the right infrastructure can create an enjoyable car-free experience. There were walkers, joggers, bikers, skateboarders, rollerbladers grooving to music; everyone seemed to be having a great time. The Boardwalk also connects to the Mission Bay Path which adds 12 more miles of paved pathways.

Bike Ride from Mission Beach to La Jolla

Our first bike adventure was a 13-mile round trip ride from Mission Beach to La Jolla. We took the Mission Beach Boardwalk north until the end of the pathway near Law Beach. After that, we took the streets close to the coast marked with bike route signage.

We took a quick pitstop for coffee and pastry to-go at Wayfarer Bread & Pastry in Bird Rock which was fantastic. This small community also has other quick options for coffee and lunch.

Then we continued on to the La Jolla tide pools and finally to the La Jolla cove before returning back to Mission Beach on the same route. There were a lot of tourists, but on bikes, we had zero stress with a convenient front row parking spot.

Neighborhoods were quiet and lined with beautiful houses, palm trees, and periodic ocean views. Our beach cruisers were able to handle any small elevation changes with a little extra effort, but we did get passed by a lot of sport bikers effortlessly speeding through the route. You won’t find this route in online trip planners, but we recommend it for a great detour and change in scenery.

Read more about our biking adventures in Part 2 of the series post here.