Vintage Bicycles, a heavenly experience

Okay so this entry is off topic for me but I had to post about it anyway. Today would be defined as one of those Great Days! After stuffing ourselves with Sushi Max, my mom and I headed to the coolest bicycle shop I've ever been to. Mind you I'm a HUGE fan of Jacks Bicycle shop in down town Huntington Beach and always will be, but I discovered a hidden and wonderful secret of a bicycle shop that I'm certain few other places could rival. Before going on at length I must give "Props" to my friend Michele who told me of this treasure. If it hadn't been for her I would still be sadly ignorant of this bicycle haven. Also, for those of you that don't know, that may be many if not most of you, I'm a bicycle enthusiast. They can't be just any ole' bike however, they've got to be "Beachy Cool" and these bikes fit the bill.

Upon Entry

Here's some of the goodies to choose from.

So the shop is in a most understated, almost seedy old strip mall in Westminster, CA. Apparently the owner of this shop has collected vintage bicycles for over twenty years but she has only been in this location for two. I think the shop originally occupied only one store in the mall but over the last two years it has needed to spread it's inventory into the store directly adjacent to it which can only be accesses through the back doors of both shops. The main restoration of the bicycles are done on the opposite adjacent structure (a home) that shares the same alley of the strip mall. This home is also where the owner lives full time. I imagine she must enjoy the bicycle scattered yard once the store is closed for the day, it appears to be a wonderful little sanctuary of pretty flowers, comfy outdoor seating and of course colorful bikes. There are hundreds of them in all shapes, years and sizes peppering her side and back yard not to mention the two store fronts. All three structures complete the shop.

Creepy alley pictured here, also shows the only entries into the adjacent shop and restoration/home area.

Quaint grounds of the home and bicycle restoration section

Why am I blathering on and on about this shop you ask? Well, if you or any one you might know are in the market for a truly unique, possibly even one of a kind beautifully cool vintage bike, then this is your place. The bikes here range in price from $125 for a basic, current day restored beach cruiser to extremely rare, late 1800's, early 1900's bikes in all states of restoration and price. The most unlikely bike that caught my attention as top billing was a 1963 1/2 Schwinn (first day production) sunset orange, banana seated goodie. If you're in the market for something like this it will set you back $5000! That's right, you read the price correctly, $5000. I wouldn't pay a price like that for this bike but I would consider many of the other beautiful, nostalgic ones they have in stock. The average price for a rare vintage bike was roughly $1,500, some were more some were less. They'll even custom paint your own bike if you bring them a pattern, how cool is that. I’m not sure how they determine the pricing for the bicycles but I can only assume Lynda (the proprietor) probably knows a bit about value on these bikes since she’s been in the biz for twenty years or more.

The $5,000 very rare 63 1/2 Schwinn

Pedals and name plates are just a few of the accessories offered.

This place was amazing, it's very shabby standing lent well to the overall feel of the bikes and the shop itself. This place is about vintage bicycles and parts and not about presentation. What you see is what you get, but it was all good by me. The staff I have to add were terrific, friendly, helpful, willing to answer any questions. They'll even give you a "tour" of sorts if you'd like.

The only down side to the store is there atrocious web site. It's practically none existent, there's only one poorly designed page, even the phone number is incorrect, BUT it does provide an address and a map and thankfully those are correct. I’ll have to drop a bug in their ear about an up and coming web designer that also happens to be a vintage bike enthusiast.

For all of you bicycle fans out there, this shop is a MUST SEE and Patronize.

Happy riding all,

Jane

A couple other samples of their goods.

Reno/Tahoe, fishing with Grandpa and Max

We just left Reno yesterday after six fun filled days. Max and I had a great time. It's always a happy and satisfying event to spend time with my Dad and his WONDERFUL wife Linda, not to mention their sweet dog Loki of course, I would be remiss in not mentioning little ole' Loki.

It's funny, I've always thought Reno/the Greater Reno area is beautiful but every time I go to visit I grown more and more in love and in AWE of it. It's simply breathtaking. I know a lot of people probably scrunch up their noses at the thought of Reno, God knows I used to, but that town/city is like nothing I've seen or experienced before. It's a large town, small city nestled in a valley between the breath taking beauty of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range. There's beautiful views from every angle in this city. And if you're one that appreciates high desert foliage, such as myself then the city of Reno is candy for the eyes as well. I digress.

So my dad took Max fishing for the first time while we were there. Our first try was at the "Marina" which I found somewhat comical since it's simply a flooded rock quarry, but quaint none the less. They had no luck there, so we all packed up and made a very worth while forty five minute drive up to Davis Creek Park to try our hand at fishing there. Still no luck, I don't think a single person had even got a nibble the entire time we were there, but the surroundings were so beautiful that it just didn't matter. As soon as we opened the car doors and took in the delicious, crisp, dry pine scented air I knew we were in for a nice time, and we were. Max grew weary of waiting for fish to bite so after forty five minutes or so of hanging on to a fishing rod and catching nothing but creek moss he gave up and we went "exploring in nature" which amounted to hiking down very well worn fishing paths a half a yard from the creek. I didn't mind, it was eye candy still and I was able to get lots of great pictures. I did however feel a little bit bad for my dad who had lugged all of this fishing gear half way across Reno and back only to have Max bail in just shy of an hour. What can you expect from I five year old I guess. Max did have fun trying though and was up for going fishing again the next day. That didn't happen.

Any way, I'm happy to be down in So Cal now but oh do I already miss Reno/Tahoe and of course my Dad and Linda. I look forward to seeing them again soon.

Here's a collage I needed to do for an online class I'm taking. It's several images of Davis Creek Park and of course my dad and Max. I just wish I could somehow convey or include the smell and feel of the air there. It was heaven.

Good night for now,

Fire flies

Yeeee Hoooo!!!! So most of the summer weather aside from the lush green foliage, I am not a fan of (although I will take it over winter weather mind you) EXCEPT for the Fire Flies. I just adore this time of year simply because of them. I suppose some, if not all of my Mid West friends may be thinking "what's up with Jane, so what about fire flies", but if you're from some where that does not have them, such as ohhhhh let's say the West Coast, then you may not quite understand the awe that these little creatures can instill upon a novice such as myself. They are truly MAGICAL. It's heavenly to drive by a young corn field, baseball diamond, expanse of weeds even and see this entrancing show. It's impossible to describe how special it is. Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean ride does a decent job of reflecting this, but oh so obviously it's just not quite the same as seeing it up close and personal. I do not look forward to the summer heat and humidity, but the fire flies are a different story and thankfully I got my first glimpse of them for the first time this season, tonight. I'm delighted. Here's a picture that I hope captures the essence of what a fire fly experience is like for me. Regrettably, none of the images used were taken by my camera but as usual I still had fun with them in Photoshop.

Happy Firefly watching and Happy Summer.

p.s. for those that don't know, this is what it really looks like. It's amazing, and way better in person.

Pretty Bloom

I found more time not to unpack by creating this picture instead. I know, shame on me but I'm trying to catch up on my creative impulses since I've been behind these last several weeks. Any way, the bloom is from the neighbors tree across the street in my old neighborhood. As always I had a lot of fun with it in Photoshop. I'm thinking I might, MIGHT do a series of images using this one and see how many different ways I can use it. We'll see if I get the motivation to do so. Any way, here it is.

Peace Out

Settling In

We've moved and are two thirds of the way unpacked, yea. So far so good, I'm LOVING it here. It's been good fun exploring our new surroundings, meeting nice neighbors and settling in. Several days ago Max and I went to the play ground behind our house and romped around, it was becoming over run with weeds so I started yanking them out as we played. One little weed turned out to be a seedling of an Oak Tree (I think). It was too sweet to just trash so once Max and I were done playing at the play ground we came back to our yard and planted the seedling there. Max did most of the work. He was very diligent and loving with the way in which he planted the little shoot. Now we'll have to see if it actually grows. Who knows. I'm thankful for our new home, although I do miss some of our old neighbors in the "hood". Hopefully we'll see some of them soon and better yet have them over here for a house warming. We'll see.

Happy Day all,

Jane