I liked Mission Viejo in 1984 because it was free (other than the gas, the motels, the food) and you got a chance to see the racers six times. I remember some of the dropped riders got some great cheers from the crowds, including the ones from Malawi who were way out of contention but still pushing along. As the pack zoomed by on one of the middle laps, a rider from (I think) New Zealand tossed their empty bottle out of the pack and it skidded and rolled right up to where we were standing. Still have that bottle as a race memento. Most of the day, it was just a bunch of people out having a good time and able to say "we saw an Olympic event."

Don't know if I'll head over for 2028. I don't think the family would be interested in traveling that far just to see the riders briefly once (and none of them would want to go up into the hills for the loop) so it would probably be solo or with riding friends. Maybe stay east of town, take Metro in with the bike really early that day, see near the start in Venice, then mosey over to Hollywood or Griffith for a later view.