Touring * Beginner *

From U.S. 101 in Oxnard, take the State Highway 1 exit south and pass through Oxnard. At the intersection with Wooley Road, go straight to remain on what has now become Saviers Road. Follow Saviers to its end at Port Hueneme Road and turn right. Turn left at Surfside Drive. Just down the street on the right, a big sign announces the Evergreen Springs Recreation Greenbelt and Park. Turn into the parking lot here and park. Map: Bikeways Map, A Guide to Biking in Ventura County, published by the Ventura County Transportation Commission; (805) 642-1591.

This tour follows a lush, beautifully landscaped greenbelt path to reach the elegant Port Hueneme Cultural Center located just across the street from the Pacific surf at Hueneme Beach Park. Leave Evergreen Springs Park, heading south. Be careful on the steep, narrow little dip under the low footbridge as you exit the park and enter the Bubbling Springs Greenbelt--there's a blind curve blocking your view of oncoming traffic. After the footbridge, follow the gorgeous little creekside corridor (for details, see the previous listing) until you reach Surfside Drive at the Cultural Center. Here you'll find a ramp and some wide sidewalks near the main building, but you'll exhaust those opportunities in no time. Next, cross Surfside Drive to get to the waterfront walkways of Hueneme Beach Park, just across the street. There, six- and eight-foot-wide concrete sidewalks curve next to a well-tended lawn that runs along a wide beach. Near the main entrance to the pay parking lots, a 10-foot path encircles a trio of high flagpoles with brightly colored banners that snap in the breeze. Dwellers in the multistory apartment buildings across the way have a broad view of the beach, the white-capped surf, and the stacks of a power plant up the coast. The wind is a constant companion on this beach, a fact confirmed by the wooden windbreaks set up near the picnic tables. You may be tempted to skate on the narrow sidewalk that extends up the coast from the parking area, but be forewarned: it terminates quite suddenly and unceremoniously in the middle of the sand, leaving you no choice but to skate back the way you came. When it isn't crowded, Surfside Drive next to Hueneme Beach Park is wide enough for skating, even with cars parked at the curb. Heading down the coast from the park entrance near the Cultural Center, the sidewalk broadens to eight feet, curving lazily through the palms, ice plants, and street lamps for a very pleasant promenade. The walkway ends at a bridge that crosses the creek to some gated apartment buildings. Turn left at the foot of the bridge to follow a short path that returns you to Surfside Drive. From here, cross the street to regain the Bubbling Springs Greenbelt, and head back to Evergreen Springs. If you're ready for another two-mile trip once you're back at Evergreen Springs, continue up the Bubbling Springs Greenbelt to its northern end on Bard Road; see the previous lisitng for details.