Today was the most relaxing day of the trip. Our ride was relatively short and undemanding, with no significant climbs along the way; and New Year's Day traffic was quite light, especially the morning. We took our time getting out the door after breakfast, putted along at a leisurely pace all day, and didn't roll in to our room in Corona until about 3:30. With attractive and interesting scenery, fair skies and a mild temperature, it made for a great way to break into the new year.
Our route took us north through the basin rimmed by the Santa Ana Mountains to the west and the Temescal Mountains on the east. After researching this a bit, I've learned that this is the Elsinore Trough, a rift vallley created by a depressed block bordered by parallel faults - something I learned in Geology 101 fifty years ago but haven't given much thought to since. It is an attractive setting for a ride, with colorful ranges rising up on both sides and large Lake Elsinore at its heart.
We stopped for a light snack lunch at Tom's Farm, a produce stand that has exploded over the years and is now a significant tourist destination. The place was jammed when we arrived, filled with picnickers enjoying the holiday and fine weather. We really enjoyed sitting there in the sun for a half hour or so, watching children run foot races and frolic around.
The end point for the ride, Corona, has some interesting history. Its street layout is unique, with the near perfect giant circle of Grand Avenue at its center. It ows its nickname (the Circle City) and possibly also it's city name to this street. Surprisingly to me anyway, Grand Avenue functioned as an automobile race track for three high profile races between 1913 and 1916.
We had the best meal of the trip in Corona, at La Luna - a Mexican restaurant with a modern cuisine. Everything about it was perfect. It's reason enough to put the town on the list for a possible future ride down here.
