Walking club hits 400 miles

Earlier this week, the Costa Mayberry Walking Club reached the 400-mile mark.

Led by Mayor Pro Tem Steve Mensinger, the participants have been walking the streets of Costa Mesa several times a week since January, starting about 5:30 a.m.

Monday they arrived at Mile 400.

The club is named after the fictional town of Mayberry in “The Andy Griffith Show.” Estancia High School football Coach Mike Bargas is credited with coining the name.

Mensinger — who uses his phone to record the route, time traveled, miles walked and calories burned — said an estimated 30 people have participated in the club thus far. Individuals have missed walking days here and there, but the group as a whole hasn’t.

“The most common thing that we see during these walks are people coming outside,” he said. “They’ve heard about the walks and they come out and want to tell you about their neighborhood.”

Mensinger said his favorite streets have been Arbor Street, and Continental and Federal avenues in the Westside.

The older houses are well-maintained and there’s character in the tree-lined neighborhood, he said.

“You feel like you’re back in the ‘50s and ‘60s when you walk those streets,” Mensinger said.

—Bradley Zint

Twitter: @bradleyzint