CicLAvia Returns to the 'Heart of LA,' and We're Back Too

It had been a while since we grabbed our bikes and headed to the open streets for one of our favorite Los Angeles events, CicLAvia -- a function both of the pandemic and our busy schedules. But Nathan and I made it out to Chinatown on Saturday, and rode our bikes all the way to Mariachi Plaza and back, enjoying the sights and sounds of the city along the way. 

It's been easy to get a little down on Los Angeles lately. There are a lot of frustrating things about the current state of our city. But being back out with thousands of other Angelenos and enjoying the beautiful day... it brought back some of the passion for LA that had been starting to wane. (Later that evening, we also hit a Lakers preseason game — quite a day in LA!) More shots from our Sunday in downtown:

CicLAvia Returns to Wilshire Boulevard, and Blogger Kid 2.0 is Ready (PHOTOS)

CicLAvia was back for a shorter course this Sunday, shutting down Wilshire Boulevard between downtown and Western. But that was good enough for the thousands who came out and took advantage of the empty street to ride their bikes, skateboards and other contraptions -- or even just walk it.

It was an even bigger deal for the Franklin Avenue crew, as it was the first time Blogger Kid 2.0 rode his own bike, without training wheels, at a CicLAvia! We only took the training wheels off a few weeks ago, so we were mighty proud.

Also: A shout-out to the CicLAvia personnel on hand, who rushed to our aid when the Blogger Kid 1.0 snapped off his bike pedal and tumbled to the ground. Luckily, he only got a few scrapes. But his bike is going to need some work!

More shots from a beautiful -- but hot! -- Sunday at CicLAvia:

Scenes from a Valley Cic-LA-Via

Back in November The Great Los Angeles Walk took on the Valley, walking Ventura east from Topanga Canyon all the way up Lankershim to North Hollywood. On Sunday, Cic-LA-via followed the tail end of that course, picking up from Coldwater Canyon. I brought along the Blogger Kid, and together we biked the entire route, 6 miles each way. As usual, it was a blast, and we had a chance to revisit some of the things we spied on foot back on the Walk. Some pics from the day:



The Cic-LA-via bus


A brass band joins in


Even E.T. and Elliott joined in!


Free books from the LA Public Library on this book bike (bookcycle?).


The Blogger Kid and I discussed the merits of this NoHo sign. I still find it gaudy, but he points out it's at least not boring.


No cars were being washed on Sunday!

CicLAvia's Next Stop: The San Fernando Valley

CicLAvia is following the lead of the Great Los Angeles Walk and heading to the Valley! On Sunday, March 22, 2015, from 9am-4pm, the CicLAvia path will follow the final 6 miles of last November's Great Los Angeles Walk path, heading from Studio City to North Hollywood via Ventura Boulevard and Lankershim!

For those of you who walked with us in November, it's another chance to see the Valley up close, this time either on bike or back on foot!

Other CicLAvia events planned for 2015 include:

Pasadena - May 31
Culver City to Venice - August 9
Heart of LA - October 2015

Read all of our past CicLAvia coverage here.

Scenes From CicLAvia, from Echo Park to East Los Angeles

CicLAvia was back this past Sunday, as thousands of Angelenos braved the heat and hit the empty streets with their bikes, skateboards, strollers and other contraptions. I was there, and rode my bike from Echo Park to the East Los Angeles Civic Center and back again -- drinking lots of water and eating many tacos along the way. (That'll be a separate post.) It was a great day -- here are some pics.


Riding through the famed 2nd Street tunnel -- as seen in virtually every car commercial.


Riding down Bunker Hill


At the Echo Park starting point


Riding over the bridge spanning the Los Angeles River


L.A. City Councilmember Tom Labonge -- Mr. L.A. -- shows off the sights from the bridge


Mariachi Plaza


The view from Mariachi Plaza


Riding down Cesar Chavez Ave. in Boyle Heights


Boyle Heights painting at Guisados


Creepy Elmo!


Oh thanks, Cic-LA-Via volunteer, you're awesome too!


Greetings from East Los Angeles


Evergreen Cemetery


Performances at the East Los Angeles Civic Center -- the eastern hub of this Cic-LA-via


The Los Angeles skyline


Dance-LA-Via!

PRIMETIME EMMYS 2014: The View from Backstage

OK, so it wasn't the most exciting Emmy Awards telecast ever. "Breaking Bad" and "Modern Family" duplicated last year's drama and comedy wins. Most of the other winners were also repeat winners. But Seth Meyers' monologue was solid, Billy Crystal's tribute to Robin Williams touching, and Billy Eichner a highlight. I talked to "Late Night with Seth Meyers" executive producer Mike Shoemaker, who also produced this year's Emmycast, to get some backstory on the show -- read all about it here.

And some snapshots from backstage, where I once again watched the show from the Emmy press room:


Emmy winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus tells the crowd how she and Bryan Cranston came up with a bit for this year's telecast.


"The Colbert Report" wins for outstanding variety series again. Next year, Stephen's new show could be competing against his old one.


Louis C.K. tells us how he got to meet and later become friends with the late Robin Williams (who appeared in an episode of "Louie").


Jessica Lange, a winner for "American Horror Story: Coven."


Emmy winner Sarah Silverman tells the press she's not stoned. And that she's enjoying her work on "Masters of Sex," helped by the fact that she's "f--ing the star" (Michael Sheen).


A year after not getting a nomination, Juliana Margulies wins the Outstanding drama actress Emmy.


Noah Hawley, Warren Littlefield and the rest of the "Fargo" producers celebrate their Outstanding Miniseries win.


Rivals "Entertainment Tonight" and "Access Hollywood" sit right next to each other in the entertainment TV magazine row backstage.


"Jimmy Kimmel Live's" Guillermo could be seen walking around the press room all night.


Outside the L.A. Live area, bicyclists who made the trek to the Emmys gather.


One more shot of the bikes.
"Modern Family" star Eric Stonestreet participates in an ALS Ice Bucket Challenge video on the street behind the Nokia. First, the setup.


Then, the ice water pour!


And finally, the chilly aftermath.