DISCOVER ORANGE COUNTY

* Looking for a new neighborhood to explore? Here are a few suggestions, culled from recent stories. Complete stories can be accessed at https://www.calendarlive.com/go/discover.

Santa Ana River Bikeway: Pedal Your Way Closer to Nature

Behind are seven cities, a handful of bridges, 31 abandoned shopping carts and 28 miles of the Santa Ana River Bikeway. Just ahead is the Pacific, which hasn’t exerted a pull this strong since Lewis and Clark traveled in tandem. But a final rush to the sea would sacrifice what in many ways is the most satisfying section of this 28-mile path. This is where the meeting of fresh and salt water attracts the channel’s most diverse array of waterfowl, many with blue, crimson or emerald feathers that glisten in the winter sun. Plus, unlike the industrial middle of the trail, where the river can look like a landfill, the two miles closest to Huntington State Beach are landscaped with coastal pines and native shrubs that add a crisp scent to the morning air.

So although the beach is the carrot at the end of this gently curving stick, it’s important not to forget to smell the sage along the way. It’s even fun to veer from the well-pedaled path and explore places of interest that neighbor the trail.

It wasn’t the stand of sycamores, the rolling sand dunes or the open fields that first attracted a pair of cyclists to the 210-acre Talbert Nature Preserve during a Sunday ride. It was the bathrooms. Such facilities can be a welcome sight on the trail, especially if you’re traveling with children, who otherwise take easily to the trail because it’s relatively flat and it’s far removed from car traffic.

But there are plenty of other welcoming elements at the nature preserve. Of the four regional parks that border the bike trail, Talbert is the most rustic. The sycamores encircle a broad grassy area that stands out for its lushness during this drier-than-normal winter. Picnic tables, a hitching rail for horses and a drinking fountain--complete with ankle-high catch basin for thirsty dogs--are some of the only other signs of development. The preserve is open 7 a.m. to sunset, but the bathrooms are locked up whenever the ranger leaves, usually about 2:30.

Getting there: There are dozens of places to access the bike trail, which the county says gets 500,000 riders a year. If you’re heading south and want to start at the beginning, take the Riverside Freeway east to Featherly Regional Park. A good central county starting point is just south of Edison International Field. Take the Orange Freeway to Orangewood west and then turn left at Rampart Street. Look for a covered area with benches and a bike rack. Park on the street.

* A new Discover Orange County will run next Sunday in the Orange County Calendar.