AntSol Travel

Last time on AntSol Travel, I took Metrolink from Anaheim to Los Angeles Union Station, and then took the Antelope Valley line to Via Princessa Station in Canyon Country, Santa Clarita. I took video along the way and had information pop up along the way. It was fun and interesting to learn things along the way, I continued to do that again with my next video.

On this video, cycled from the Via Princessa station to the Westfield Valencia Town Center Mall, about ten miles. Along the way, I learn about the area and showcase the amazing 1/7th of the 77 mile bike trail network by the city of Santa Clarita. This is a ten-mile bike ride on sidewalks and bike paths. Biking time was an hour and twenty minutes, and editing out rest breaks and signals was about an hour. Below is the video too long, just want to read version of the pop ups. 

This train terminates at Via Princessa, and then we will see later that it will turn around to go back to Los Angeles as the AV 210.

Metrolink opened in 1992 with the Antelope Valley Line originally ending in Santa Clarita, then to Lancaster in ten years. However, the Northridge earthquake of January 17, 1994, sped plans as the I-5/CA 14 Interchange collapsed. Stations of Via Princessa, Acton, Palmdale, and Lancaster opened on February 7, 1994.

I should not bike on the sidewalk, however, the road is too narrow to ride my bike to with the traffic and does not have any bike lanes. 

Since I am cycling, I can still cross the intersections if the signal was green. However, I stopped at some of the intersections that were green out of precaution, a car turning right, or I just need a breather

Courtesy while on the Trails

While cycling & trying to pass a person at a slower pace, make sure to ring your bike bell & yell out the side you are passing from, and make sure you have their attention before passing by. If you are jogging, you just yell out to the side you are coming up from. 

If people have earbuds or headphones with sound isolation, it will be hard to get their attention. I don’t recommend wearing headsets at all since you are not fully aware of the surrounding environment. If you want to listen to music, I recommend using one earbud or using bone conducting headsets, like Shockz. Per their website, “Bone conduction uses Transducers to send vibrations through the cheekbones and deliver sound directly to the inner ear, bypassing the eardrum.”

Always be mindful of trail maintenance trucks and staff. The trucks are the main reason that bridge underpasses have to have high clarence to accommodate the height

When walking your dog, make sure that they are on a leash and under your control at all times, like on trails.

I did not realize it, but I needed to exit off Soledad Canyon Rd. to continue on the bike trail.

GiveMeGreen: Get the timing edge against cars on your cycling commute. The GiveMeGreen app by Sensys Networks uses Bluetooth in your phone while the app is in the foreground or a separate device at select signals with the devices in Santa Clarita & Fort Wayne, Indiana. When the app is active or the Bluetooth sensor is on when you approach a signal at 300 ft away, it triggers the signal for you so it would be or almost green for you by the time you get to the intersection. 

One of my friends from high school in the San Francisco Bay Area follows me on Instagram. He was born & raised in Valencia, Santa Clarita before his family moved to the Bay Area. He wished me a great day there!

The speed limit along this segment of Soledad Canyon Road is 50 MPH. Having a separate bike path is definitely needed to be away from the near highway speed traffic.

Due to the strip mall & Bouquet Canyon Road intersection, we will make a quick diversion towards the river and under the road.

The hilly canyon roads & bike trails make Santa Clarita a perfect segment of Tour of California, a Tour de France-style bike race from 2006 to 2019. However, a return date has not been announced due to 2020 closures. A stage goes from Pasadena to Santa Clarita. The painted bear sculpture is in tribute to the cycling race.

William S. Hart Baseball & Softball Fields

Named after the late silent Western movies of the 1920s. The league started in 1954, it is associated with the USSSA, Pony Baseball, and USA Softball leagues for the greater Santa Clarita Valley area.

Per their website, some of the major league players who played in the league were Tommy Milone, James Shields, Trevor Bauer, Jake Bird, and many more.

Westfield Valencia Town Center

Opened in 1992, it was bought by Westfield Group in 2005 for ownership & operations. The mall has 170 stores & restaurants, and seven anchor stores. This is the main indoor regional mall for the Santa Clarita Valley. 

Can I have a Cheesecake Factory?

This is the closest Cheesecake factory to Bakersfield 70 miles away. The city of Bakersfield had a survey in April about the most desirable restaurants & retailers. Restaurants were Cheesecake Factory, Porto’s, Claim Jumper, TGI Friday’s, and Buca Di Beppo. Retailers were IKEA, While Food, Bass Pro Shops, and REI.