Secret Walks #25: Arroyo Seco River Walk, 4 miles (we did 3)

I've heard of Arroyo Seco, but never really understood its significance until today. The Arroyo Seco River flows @25 miles from Los Angeles National Forest, through Pasadena, and south to downtown. Explored by de Portola in 1770, the river heavily influenced early settlement and is often referred to as the birthplace of Pasadena. Arroyo Seco means "dry creek" in Spanish, and that's exactly what we walked along on the first half of the hike. Standing under the concrete Beaux Arts arches of the Colorado Street Bridge was breathtaking. Give it a nod the next time you drive past it on the 134. Built and named in 1913 before Colorado Street became Colorado Blvd., the bridge is a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. After we climbed a rocky slope at the base of the bridge, the dry bed became a short but bucolic stretch of water and wildlife. (We're getting to know every duck in the county.) On the return we intended to hike another 2 miles south, but past the Pasadena Roving Archers (very Robin Hoodly crowd) we hit a wall. More precisely, a chain link fence blocking the path for construction on the La Loma Road Bridge. Fences? No problem. I shimmied under a branch, Barbara walked around the tree. A quarter mile up we had another decision: tightrope a pipe across the Arroyo Seco River bed (we thought about it!), climb a fence with a Poison Ivy Warning! sign (no way), or turn back. So the remainder of the history on this hike went on our RE-DO list, and we hightailed it to Intelligentsia Coffee on Colorado Blvd.