Ghost Town Before Christmas

In this episode, Ghost Town Before Christmas . . .

According to the headlines, the world was jammed solid. Freeways locked. Airports bursting. Humanity is on the move in what the news helpfully labeled a Holiday Travel Apocalypse.

So at 9:00 Sunday morning, we rolled out on our bikes expecting chaos.

Instead, we found… Nothing.

The San Luis Rey bike path was empty, as if we’d pedaled through a rip in the fabric of time. The air had that rare late-December clarity—cool, clean, almost polished. Trees along the path dropped gold and amber leaves that skittered across the pavement like small, polite ghosts. The sun wasn’t loud or demanding—just warm enough to make the world feel calm and contained—a private trail of asphalt and light.

By the time we reached Oceanside Harbor, the travel warnings felt almost absurd. While the news promised mayhem, the harbor delivered stillness. The water rippled, reflecting the sun. The Pier stood against a deep sapphire sky brushed with thin, quiet clouds. No crowds. No shouting. Just the soft creak of boats and a town that hadn’t gotten the memo; it was supposed to be busy.

I don’t know where everyone went, but I was grateful for their absence. While the rest of the world was wrestling carry-on bags into overhead bins of destiny, our coastline had gone silent. The roads were so still I could hear my own pulse. For a moment, I wasn’t just cycling—I was curating an empty world.

Of course, the spell eventually broke.

Taking an unusual route home through Carlsbad, I finally found the missing population. They hadn’t vanished; they’d relocated. As I crested the hill near the outlet malls and Costco, the quiet dissolved into a familiar hum of holiday urgency—parking lots packed tight with chrome and brake lights, shoppers orbiting for bargains and spaces.

Just a few miles apart: two entirely different worlds.

While everyone else was hunting for deals, I had already found the only thing worth keeping this season—the quiet, golden center of the storm.

I’m Patrick Ball. Stay curious, ask questions, enjoy the ride — and Merry Christmas!🎄