Ciclavia is a celebration of our city.

The Ciclavia in October 2011 marked an historic day in Los Angeles - the bike festival that turns Los Angeles ito a Giant Park Playgound - dipped its toe into our neighborhood.

They created a spur that took riders from center city at 7th and Hope (or thereabouts) to the African American Firefighter Museum on Alameda. Next time we must convince Ciclavia to get  a little bit closer now. Other areas - such as the San Fernando Valley, Santa Monica and Culver City - are trying to get Ciclavia spurs as well I hear.

Find more photos like this on Leimert Park Beat

The sense of discovery and the feeling of unity with tens of thousands of other Angelenos was jaw dropping.We left our house in Leimert Park and rode our bikes to Mercado La Paloma to meet up with about 20 South LA riders. Trust LA was well represented, as well as USC. We then drove over to the Jazz Park on Central and then up to the museum. Appropriately Duane in his Earlez Grille food truck took a spot soon after we got there.

We mounted up and headed across the city - often on Wilshire through MacArthur Park and Westlake to West Hollywood.

On our way to Boyle Heights we stopped and saw history being made at Los Angeles City Hall. Thousands of my fellow Americans camped on the lawn to say "we've had enough." I think it's time to take that phrase back. It's time for all those making less than $250,000 decide we're on the same team.

Every available piece of grass was crammed with tents and peoples of all different backgrounds trying to get something done. Very tough to do.

As you leave east downtown on 7th it's filled with murals all different type - Japanese  anime, Shepherd Fairy propaganda, graffiti styles, political  and cultural.

Then to Hollenbeck Park, which used to be a developer's front yard. Seriously. A lake and hilly terrain. A place I had never been.

We also took the spur to Olvera Street, still buzzing at the end of the day.

We were on our bikes from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. We had lunch and dinner and walked around some. But for the most part we just kept pedaling.

We saw two Michael Jackson murals at two different stages of his life - one near Union and Pico and the other in East Hollywood.

There's so much more to tell you. But you should see it for your self.