Ah the smoldering San Fernando Valley. Encircled by mountains that both block the cooling Pacific breeze and trap the accumulating inland heat, it’s the Los Angeles equivalent of a Dutch oven on steroids. Not exactly the kind of place one would expect to pedal a rental bike around a crystal blue body of water.
But hey, isn’t that the very definition of an oasis?
Welcome to Lake Balboa Park in the Sepulveda Basin. At 80 acres, it’s amply sized to house all the Angelenos who arrive en masse in search of a lush summertime escape, complete with bike trails, bbq pits, and over 2,000 flowering Cherry Blossom trees. As you can probably imagine, all those pink and white petals make for an unexpectedly beautiful scene come the early vernal months.