Spotted in the news: Ventura County region seeks to lure cyclists with its beauty and ‘Grand Loop’

 

Under a new tourism initiative, bicyclists from around the world could be drawn to the businesses and beauty of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

Private and public interests have started the Cycle California Coast organization to market and develop the concept. They say it’s a natural for the region that some bicyclists compare to the garden spots of Europe.

“When I come home, I think we have it all here,” said Sonia Sandomer, a Ventura nurse who has taken bicycling vacations in six countries in Europe.

The tourism effort is rooted in a bicycle path that opened in 2014, ending a harrowing ride along Highway 101. Built with a barrier between the beach and the freeway, the path linked the two counties.

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