Bike the Basin

Oil up your metal steed and hit the bikeways at the 2,000-acre Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area in Encino. Pedal a 9-mile loop around the area's perimeter, or venture deep within on a number of other concrete paths. One option is to start at Victory Boulevard and Balboa Boulevard where the Orange Line bike path intersects the parkland, and head south. Turn east onto a bikeway just before passing over the Los Angeles River, an unpaved, riparian zone running through the park. The path swings around Balboa Lake then passes a golf course before hitting Woodley Avenue. Head south along an open expanse, where you might spot a model propeller plane—or even a mini jet—taking off from the neighboring Van Nuys RC field. At Burbank Boulevard, roll west. You can stop for breakfast or lunch at the Encino Municipal Golf Course Restaurant, which serves up hearty, home-style breakfasts all day and offers patio seating near oak trees.

TIP: After chow, consider biking a few blocks south to the tiny Los Encinos State Historic Park, tucked discreetly behind Ventura Blvd. This 19th-century rancho has restored adobe buildings and a natural spring that feeds a duck pond. Head back up Balboa Blvd. to complete the bike loop.

Directions: The recreation area is wedged northwest of the 405 / 101 freeway interchange in Encino. If traveling by car, exit Victory Blvd. from the 405 and head west until Balboa Blvd. — or exit Balboa Blvd. from the 101 and drive north to Victory. There is a parking lot on the southeast corner. You can also ride the Orange Line bus to the Balboa Blvd. Station. Bike path is dog-friendly! Los Encinos State Historic Park is dog-friendly!