Sunday afternoon was CicLAvia, the event where streets are closed to vehicle traffic as a celebration for bikes, skateboards, and non-motorized vehicles. Sunday was the first time the event was thrown in South LA. I did the ride with my friends, Skippy and Samantha, and we had a blast!

We met up at my place for breakfast and last-minute tune ups before we rolled out around noon. It was such a beautiful day for a ride! The recent rain had washed away the smog. It was warm, yet not uncomfortable.

The route included participants who dressed up and treated it as a parade. I love it!

We saw many parts of the neighborhood that were new to us, including the swimming stadium from the 1984 Olympic Games. Pretty cool stuff!

And what experience through a new neighborhood is complete without sampling the local cuisine? Samantha and I split the soul food sliders from the Taste of Soul food truck. I’d like to say we also split the cobbler, but I don’t do so well at sharing dessert!

I think yesterday’s event was the smoothest, well-operated CicLAvia that I’ve been to. Great work, planners. We had fun, and those awful bottleneck areas weren’t too problematic. All and all, I’d say it was one successful CicLAvia!

All photos by Adriane Hoff.