TO RIDE WITH LOVE

June 2, 2013 PEDALS ADVENTURE



Tom stopping
"Where the (Monon)
 Sidewalk Ends"

Between the Ride That Never Was on Memorial Day, May 27, and our next ride on June 2, the much anticipated arrival of our first granddaughter, Myla Rose, on May 28 occurred.  A quick trip on May 28 to Indy to meet her was arranged and a great time was had by all.  Of course that little bit of "Myla time" certainly wasn't enough.  So we combined our goal of finishing the Monon Trail in Indy AND visiting the newest family member into one awesome day.

Over last year, we rode most of the Monon Trail, starting at different points  but were prevented on our Double Birthday Ride from finishing the northern leg of the trail because the trail was closed.   Using our newly acquired smart phones, we found a trailhead in Carmel and set out going north to find the end.  

The Monon again went through some neighborhoods, through a light industrial area, and finally ended at a nice family park in Westfield.  It had taken some perseverance, but we found (with a nod to Shel Silverstein's famous children's book) ,"Where The Monon Sidewalk Ends."

These BBall goals are the largest I've seen!



The park was impressive, although deserted except for some bball players having a great time at the largest and heaviest bb poles I have ever seen!  A quick picnic lunch and we set off to find the other end of the trail where we were stopped  last summer.  

Passing by our car in Carmel we found we only had to bike a couple miles to our ending spot, and discovered the cause of last summer's bike path closure...a large overpass for the Monon!   It certainly was a large project and I was grateful we did not have to cross the traffic below. 

Impressive and new overpass for Monon users



We continued to Carmel's Hagan-Burke Trail which we also rode last summer on the birthday ride....and it also had its construction problems.  We were pleased to see that the construction was done, the path was easy to follow, and we again were amazed that so much nature could be preserved in such an urban environment.

Nature and US 31 together in Carmel!

A view down the Monon



We turned around (after all we had a darling granddaughter to visit) and returned to the car.  I stopped to read the sign about the namesake of this section of the Monon...and discovered another great motto, "I will do almost  anything outdoors.".  While this sentiment wouldn't describe me if taken to the  extreme, I will say it gave me pause and made me smile!

STATS: 11.57 (RT)  Time: 1:19   ODO: 489 miles

"I do anything that's outdoors!"



SOMETIMES I JUST EAT

PEDS Adventure

One of my favorite signs from last year was spotted on the Trail outside of St. Louis.  It was the motto of a local restaurant in St. Charles, MO, and it said,  "BIKE OFTEN, EAT WELL" and it paired well with my motto of June 9 blog "I BIKE TO EAT."  It was only fitting thatthe inaugural ride of the season was on one of our locally favorite paths, the Rivergreenway,  to our favorite Starbucks in downtown FW with Tom, Ryan and Heidi.  It was a beautiful afternoon for sipping an iced SB drink and an easy way to get "back in the saddle" again.  Nothing unusual happened except that we "felt" the lack of riding during the winter months!  But time will take care of that and we looked forward to our annual Memorial Day ride to help us gain more stamina.

The Stats :   8.3 miles  ODO: 478 , 1 hour 41 min

HOWEVER

We woke to the sound of rain on Memorial Day, which put a damper on the annual Neighbors Memorial Day Donut Ride (see May 2012: I Ride for Dunkin).  Gone was the opportunity to enjoy a leisurely ride on the Pufferbelly Trail, aka The Donut Trail.  Not to be deterred, I hopped in the car, DROVE to Dunkin Donuts, and the neighbors gathered in our screened room to enjoy sipping, munching, and chatting.

Tom, and neighbors Alex,Jen, and Ann enjoying DD despite the cold and rainy weather

The motto of The Ride That Never Was....sometimes, I just eat!

The Stats:  6 cups of coffee, 1 dozen  donuts and lots of chatting

WHERE WE'VE BEEN...IN THE MEANTIME...WHERE WE'RE GOING NEXT....

It appears that when we put the bikes away for the 2012 biking season, I also put away everything else that connects to this blog of our Hoosier Moves adventures….my thoughts…my words…….my typing….and then  went into hibernation.   The intent was to write one more blog post, recapping our adventures and  totaling up the miles pedaled (too tough to do miles PADDLED!), and then  post any PEDS adventures from snowshoeing in the winter.   As you can tell by the date, my good intentions went awry.  So this post will be the “Where We’ve Been,”  “In the Meantime,” and “Where We’re Going Next” post…three for the price of one, so to speak.

WHERE WE’VE BEEN:   

A statistical analysis of last year’s blogs reveals :

BIKE STATS:

Bike rides:  23   (19 with mileage;  4 early rides with unaccounted for mileage)

Beginning odometer (from rides with accounted for mileage):  224

Ending odometer:  470

TOTAL MILES BIKED:  236+

Number of states visited on a bike:  4 (Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri)

Paddling adventures:  3   (gotta work on that this year)

Notable nature sightings: a bald Eagle, snakes, a crazed squirrel, deer, Scarlet Tanager, cardinals, peacocks, an Indigo Bunting, and our personal favorite--- camels!  

Notable Non nature sightings:  a Swamp Thing, an airboat, Elvis, a  water propelled Air Pack rider,  flyover by the US  Military,  a lake surfer, several oxymoron signs, and  Santa Claus (partially incognito)

Calories consumed on bike rides:  too numerous to count (see “I BIKE TO EAT”)

Calories expended on bike rides:  hopefully more than what we consumed!!!

By all accounts it was a very successful season of biking, less successful for paddling (the 2012 Drought contributed to this) and it was great fun to revisit our adventures as I reread my posts, which was the ultimate goal of this blog anyway….document our lives before memory loss takes over!!

IN THE MEANTIME…..



Self-Portrait of my Showshoes



The “PEDS” part of “Paddleandpeds.com” was chosen for its connection to pedestrian movement, not just pedals.   Since the snowy winter of 2010-11, Tom and I have taken up snowshoeing,  i.e. trekking, as a way to get outside in the winter and again enjoy nature on a slower pace.   The weather obviously has to cooperate, but we were able to have a few snow trekking adventures.

JAN 1, 2013:  We started New Year’s Day  with a snowshoe trek around  Cindy and Dick’s property in Whitley County.   It was a gorgeous morning with fresh snow…great way to start the New Year



Happy New Year 2013!!!!



JAN 3, 2013:  SNOWSHOE ADVENTURE:   The big Christmas present around our house was the purchase of two IPhones…one for me and one for Tom.   On the recommendation of our daughter-in-law, I downloaded Map My Fitness and found it to be the perfect accompaniment to snow trekking.   

 

On Jan.  3 we went to a local rural county park and snow shoed within the woods.   I really got into snapping pics of Tom AND being able to document our distance.  It was a beautiful  way to see the park at a time most people miss it!!

Distance:  1 mile         Time:  47 min.  (although it was longer…I forgot about the app until after we had started the trek)





JAN.  27, 2013:  SNOWSHOE  ADVENTURE:  Michigan was beckoning us once again and so we went to St. Joseph, MI, home to many family beach adventures and then a place of great snow.  We snow trekked 2 different parks, both with marked trails….who could get lost with such an obvious sign to follow!!!



Again, it was a beautiful winter day and it felt great to be outdoors.   A trip to St. Joe would not be complete without a visit to the beach and a view of the lighthouse…..Tom was NOT interested in trekking out to it!!!

Distance 2:50 miles  Time:  1’ 45”  (there’s a lot of stopping and gazing when one is snow shoeing….otherwise, what is the point of missing the views?



Tom snow trekking on a narrow "boardwalk" through the park...
it's an easier place to walk in the summer!



The unusual  beauty of the snow path is why we snow trek



St. Joe Lighthouse.....trek at your own risk



The Beach at St. Joe, Michigan in January....BRRRR!





MAR. 3, 2013:  The challenge of snow trekking is that you cannot plan ahead as the weather has to cooperate to provide the venue for snowshoeing.   A late winter snow storm gave us an unexpected chance for one more snow trek at Metea Park.   

We got right down to the river and reminisced about paddling  through that very area many years ago on our very first paddling adventure….that was when the DNR (or someone) was clearing Cedar Creek to make it accessible.   They are not accessible any longer, so it was great to see Cedar Creek once again as it wound through the park.   We really moved along through this hike as it was pretty windy, but it felt good to be outdoors once again.

Distance:  2.21 Miles    Time:  50 minutes

SNOW TREKKING STATS:

Snow Treks:  5

Distance:  Around 6 miles (yes, there’s an app for that!)

WHERE WE ARE GOING NEXT . . . .

We are ready to start the new  biking and paddling adventures for  2013.  We already have plans to visit the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in July to paddle Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (Tom says we might have to rent wet suits for that one…YIKES!) and have our bikes on the back of our car to use along the way.     It is said that Ohio has some nice paths, so we are looking at expanding the states in which we pedal.   The  Rails to Trails Conservancy (www.railstotrails.org)  is a great help with that goal.

In re-reading our 2012 blog posts, I can’t imagine we will “happen upon” as many unusual things during 2013 as  crossed our paths in 2012…but I still intend to document our adventures for ourselves…and you are welcome to read along with us!









"The A-B-C's of Biking" (and you won't believe the "C")

November 10, 2012  PEDALS adventure: 

When we started this season of biking, we certainly did not expect it to last into November, but when November brought some unseasonably warm weather (relatively speaking), we quickly responded by loading up the bikes, putting on a few layers and setting out for a new biking adventure.  It became clear that this was to be “The A-B-C’s of Biking” adventure.

Susie, school secretary extraordinaire and fellow bike path enthusiast, has been raving about the Pumpkinvine Trail that goes right through the heart of Indiana Amish country, between Middlebury and Shipshewana.  Not too long, not too far away, and not too hilly was her report and it sounded good to us….plus, she said we could look for a very unusual animal on a particular farm along the path (that piqued my curiosity) …but more on that later.

We decided to start in Middlebury, and easily found the Pumpkinvine Trail  right behind the local Dairy Queen, just like Susie said.  We put on our layers, and our gloves and set out.   The path immediately is flanked by farms on each side (mostly Amish) , and many riders were coming towards Middlebury---and the Dairy Queen ---as it appeared to be a favorite Saturday activity of the local Amish families. 

A is for Amish--farms, harvesting and a school

We enjoyed farmland, which was easily seen because the leaves had fallen from the trees, exposing the beautiful scenery.   It was easy to negotiate the several country roads that crossed the Pumpkinvine Trail as many of farms belonged to the Amish, resulting in fewer than usual cars on the backroads. Although is seemed a bit late, there was still harvesting going on in the fields by the Amish farmers, driving their horses as they pulled the harvesting equipment.  Yes, “A is for Amish”  in our  A-B-C ride which also became clear when we came upon an Amish School.

Amish schools are common, and as they are not very large, many are needed to serve the Amish community…not mention that bussing students from all across the rural area is not an option.  All that I have seen are white, tidy, and always seem to have a nice playground area too, something that I, as an elementary teacher, always notice.  

B is for Bike Parking on a crowded shopping day 

We continued on to Shipshe, where I promised Tom a wonderful lunch at The Blue Gate Restaurant, a Shipshe favorite of ours…and hundreds of other tourists!  The Pumpkinvine Trail takes a slight jog and travels on the surface roads into Shipshe.  As we approached, it became clear that the tourists were out in force, cars were bumper to bumper, and the sidewalks were filled with people.   We learned that it was their pre-Christmas festival weekend, complete with a Light Parade scheduled for 6 PM.  Normally, this is the type of weekend we would avoid because of the crowds, and we certainly has some challenges avoiding cars and people as manuervered around town.  However, being located in Amish Country, bike racks are easily found in Shipshe, which led Tom to comment that we had a much easier time finding a place “to park” compared to everyone circling around in their cars..the “B is for Bike parking” in our A-B-C ride !!!  A fabulous lunner or lupper (lunch/dinner/supper) Amish inspired food (noodles, roast beef, fresh bread, apple butter, sweet potato casserole) and we were ready for the 10 mile trek back….I was glad for my gloves and sweatshirt.

The Historical Marker for
Chief Shipshewana

As we approached Shipshe, we noticed a historical marker which we decided to visit on our way back to Middlebury.  Turns out it was a marker to Chief Shipshewana (who knew Shipshe was named after a person?) of the Pottawattamie Indians who was allowed to return to die at Shipshewana Lake (who knew there was a lake in Shipshe?) in 1835.  Curiously, Chief Shipshewana’s name means “vision of a lion.”  Now, I may not know all the ins and outs, but how does an Indian, in the early 1800’s , in the center of the  United States, come  to have a name that references an animal that is indigenous to central Africa?   Enquiring minds (like mine) want to know!

But, what about the “C” in our A-B-C trip?  Along the Pumpkinvine Trail, halfway between Middlebury and Shipshewana, you can find an Indiana farm that is raising CAMELS!   Yes, as hard as it is to believe, camels are being raised just off the Pumpkinvine Trail.   Susie, my source for all things Pumpkinvine, gave me the heads up to watch for them and we weren’t disappointed.   There they were, calmly grazing in a couple of large pens, oblivious to the fact this wasn’t Egypt nor a Christmas Pageant (the most likely place you could see a live camel in northern Indiana).  Now I’m not sure what the purpose is for raising them, but I heard that camel milk is a very healthful alternative to cow’s milk for some people, and I actually did once see a live camel at a Christmas pageant.  I just never considered where they came from….or went back to after the program.  Now I know! 

C is for Camels (even in Northen Indiana)

Technically, the Pumpkinvine Trail goes beyond the DQ where we parked our car, following some surface streets in Middlebury and ending up on the other side of Middlebury…but that’s for another day.

Today we learned the A-B-C’s of the Pumpkinvine Trail.  This unexpected November ride, leading us to unexpected crowds, Indiana Chiefs and animals (camels…really?)  was an awesome ride to end our season. 

The stats: 13.5 (RT), Time: 1:28:30 , ODO: 469.30

Notable Nature Sightings:  Camels being raised by an Indiana Amish farmer

Oxymoron Sighting: Camels being raised in northern Indiana by an Amish farmer…yeah..it covers 2 categories!

 

 

BIKES, COLORS.....AND AN ELVIS SIGHTING!

FALLING WATERS TRAIL

September 29, 2012  PEDALS adventure: 

A path we have been looking at for a while is Falling Waters which has one of its trailheads in Jackson, Michigan.   Realizing that the last day for riding this season was fast approaching, we took advantage of a good forecast and headed north, hoping to catch some early fall color.  It was a good call on our part because it was a perfect day for riding, a beautiful path, and more unusual things “crossed our path,” which come to think of it, seems to be becoming “the usual.”

We stopped at the rest area/visitors station that is just over the Michigan border to arm ourselves with brochures for this new to us area...you never know what you don’t know! As luck would have it, there were several brochures that gave us great information about the area to which we were traveling.   We scored a great lunch at a little bistro in Jackson at art gallery in a park…..who knew such a thing existed without the brochure.  We had brought a snack with us to stretch us , but decided on an early lunch with snack time to come later if needed.  We made a great choice.



CAN YOU FIND THE SNAKE?  I BARELY DID
BEFORE ALMOST RUNNING OVER IT!

After eating, we found the trail parking lot, right under the cell phone tower like they said, and there were a fair amount of cars.  After traveling down a sidewalk about 1000 feet to the trail, we were off.    The sun was out, the sky was blue and the trees just about at their fall color peak made a for great backdrop.  I was cruising along, enjoying all of this when all of a sudden in front of me was a SNAKE on the path.  While I don’t like snakes, I certainly didn’t want to run over it and have its carcass on my bike tires for the rest of the day..yuck!!  So I quickly braked and got a great picture of the snake before he slithered away….score 1 for wildlife!!

The path was straight and even, and eventually took us to Lime Lake.  We stopped several times just to enjoy the tree colors and the contrast of sunlight on the lake.

LIME LAKE

 

The path seems to cut the lake in two, and we spied a picnic area in the park that accompanies the lake, so we cut over on a county road to get to the parking area, and prepared for reading, rest, and snacks.   While there were several cars in the parking lot, we really didn’t see anyone, until we looked carefully across the lake….there was a paddleboarder working his way around the perimeter of the lake, one stroke at a time.  It reminded me of the water-propelled jet pack person we had seen in Chicago…except this guy WAS his own power.  While it was a nice sunny day, it was definitely too cold to fall into the water, and I was glad we were not called upon to be heroes and rescue the guy on the paddleboard.



While the tree colors and relative solitude of the area would be enough to stay, we decided to go back with enough time to stop at key places along the lake and enjoy the colors.   Again, as on other trips, we were greeted by some unusual signage.   First, we came across a tractor crossing sign.  In and of itself it is not too unusal, but this sign bore a striking resemblance to the Little Tikes Farm set that the boys played with when small.  Really, isn’t there way to make this sign so that we can be on the lookout for more farmers than Old MacDonald.

ELVIS...REALLY?

The  second sign was actually an ELVIS SIGHTING…right there on the Falling Waters bike path.  AYou just never know when Elvis might cross your path! Someone in Jackson MI has a sense of humor!

The trip was over, there was always the ride home to finish our day…but it wasn’t done yet.   I talked Tom into going to a favorite Italian restaurant outside of Angola, IN, just off of I-69.  With soft, pillowy breadsticks that literally SWIM in butter with just a hint of shredded parmesan on top, Caruso’s is a favorite of ours in the fall and winter.   As dinner finished, I glanced at my watch and saw that we could go to an annual fall square dance at Pokagan State Park, just up the road 3 miles, and listen to our favorite band from Johnny Appleseed a couple of weeks earlier.  Having a full belly, there was no reason not to go, so off we went.

As the sun went down, we met at the site of the dance, only to find among the several hundred people there, a teacher that I used to teach with and his family, and a young couple who are friends of ours and in Jon and Ashley’s wedding.  We  bravely (or should I say TOM BRAVELY, as this stuff was old hat to me) joined this couple and their friends and took a couple of whirls around a few dances.   It was clear we were out of our league, or was it the 13 miles we had already pedaled that day, so we gracefully bowed out and finally found our way home, richer for having spent the day in nature’s fall coloring book, seen Elvis,  and do-si-do’d with the best of them….a perfect fall pedaling day!

The stats: 13.7 (RT), Time: 1:23:45 , ODO: 455.84

Notable Nature Sightings:  a snake on the path….narrowly avoided him AND a head-over-heels crash from suddenly stopping.

Oxymoron Sighting: Elvis on a bike path in Michigan….Tennessee maybe, but not Michigan!

COFFEE, APPLES, AND SANTA

Sept. 12 and 16, 2012  PEDALS adventures: 

Sometimes good rides are very short ones…they don’t take you anywhere new, they just give you pleasure because you did them.   We had two short September rides that were just such times.  First, we took advantage of a beautiful fall evening and rode the Towpath trail of the FW Rivergreenway.  It is one of my favorite paths because it starts in a park, goes through a bit of residential area, and then finishes with a decidedly rural feel of cornfields and open spaces at Eagle Marsh..all in FW and within a few miles.  It was an unremarkable ride, but it felt good to ride after work, enjoying the outdoors and the quiet that biking brings.

VIEW FROM THE WESTERN END OF THE TOWPATH,
4 MILES FROM DOWNTOWN FW

Of course, I can’t go near downtown on a ride without stopping at my favorite Starbucks (see "There and Back" blogpost ), even if we rode there in a car after the bike ride.  I had a coupon for a free drink of any size, so I ordered a venti Pumpkin Spice latte to share w/ Tom at one of the outside tables.   Of course, he had to bring papers to grade (can’t have even one free night when you are an English teacher) but I enjoyed the time “posting” our status at SB on my Facebook page and watching parts of the FW Tincaps playoff game on the big screen down the street.  It was a perfect nightcap to a perfect night ride.

Just a few days later, the Johnny Appleseed festival was held in Johnny Appleseed park, through which the path of the Rivergreenway trail system goes through.   After finding out the FW Trails group was sponsoring secure bike parking at the festival, we decided to forgo the huge lines of traffic waiting to park/leave by parking at IPFW University and riding our bikes into the festival.  The plan was flawless as  we arrived, parked our bikes just inside the festival entrance (and received our  claims tickets for them), and entered the festival in record time. 

PRAIRIE FIRE STRING BAND PERFORMING
AT JOHNNY APPLESEED FESTIVAL

As always, biking and eating go hand in hand, and we enjoyed apple rollup pancakes, caramel corn,  ham and beans and corn bread, and apple cider as we strolled through the booths and watched pioneer aficionados demonstrate old fashioned skills and perform old folk songs to modern audiences.  It was at one of these “concerts” that Santa sat down on the bench in front of us.  How did I know it was Santa?  The beard, the belly…and the giant belt buckle that said “SANTA” gave it away.  Who knew Santa was a fan of country bluegrass?

 

"YOU-KNOW-WHO" ENJOYING SOME
BLUEGRASS MUSIC BEFORE HIS
BUSY SEASON STARTS! 

While neither ride covered significant mileage or covered new ground, the memories of both adventures will stay with me as memories tied to our bikes….NICE!

The stats: Towpath: 8.4 miles (RT), Time: 49:44 , ODO: 440 miles

Johnny Appleseed Festival  2.065 miles (RT), Time: 17:22, ODO: 442.07

Notable Nature Sightings:  none

Oxymoron Sighting: Surely Santa announcing his presence at  the September Johnny Appleseed Festival through a belt buckle constitutes an oxymoronic moment, dontcha think?

CHICAGO, CHICAGO....That Biking Town, I'll Show You Around..

September 9, 2012  PEDALS adventure: 

We’ve done some urban riding in the past, but nothing prepared us for the craziness that awaited us on the Lakefront Trail in Chicago.  It was a beautiful fall day, we met our friends Jill, Nancy and Jeff at 7 AM and off we went to the Windy City.   Since Jill needed to rent a bike, I did some bike rental research and we decided that parking at North Ave. Beach would give us a safe place to unload the four bikes we brought and give Jill an easy place to rent a bike.  We were right about the safe place and rental but it was more difficult to get to North Ave. Beach than we thought….we met a Chicago mini marathon was just finishing on Lake Shore drive south of downtown, so we had a bit of detour…Tom’s fabulous driving and Jeff’s great navigating and we soon found ourselves at North Avenue beach, ready with our bikes.

Looking south, soon after
starting at North Ave. Beach

The Lakefront Trail goes along the lake front, often parallel to Lake Shore Drive, for a total of 18.5 miles. It was a bit windy along the Lake Michigan (well duh…it is the Windy City) , but the biggest challenge was  the crowds of people riding, walking, jogging, running, roller blading and everything else along the Lake Shore Trail.   The crowds weren't so bad; it was the speed with which some people were traveling….it was challenging not to get run over while on our bikes.



Chicago Police boat w/ fans!! Tax dollars at work!

Not only was the lakefront busy, but the lake too had lots of boaters enjoying the day on the water. We stopped for a quick snack we brought along and the first of many unusual sights: a Chicago Police boat with several Chicago Bears fans on it….it looked like a pleasure ride, but it was a bit weird!  Chicago tax dollars at work.

  Did I mention that there was a home Bears game that afternoon….against the Indianapolis Colts?   Bears fans, and the occasional Colts fan, also joined us on the path, adding to the general traffic and mayhem.

Soldier Field, Home of Da Bears!




Water Propelled Air Pack rider

It was incredibly beautiful and festive to be riding along the lake.  Many football fans were tailgating on the boats in the harbor and we even heard the Super Bowl Shuffle being played on one boat, presumably by optimistic Bears fans..before the season becomes hopeless!!! 

A stop at Buckingham Fountain, a quick spin around the aquarium,  and a nod to Soldier Field (rapidly filling up with fans) and we made it through the bulk of the crowds.   It was here that the 2^nd of our unusual sightings occurred, a man flying over the water with a water propelled jet pack (and a friend on a jet ski) providing his fuel.  Quite the crowd gathered to watch, including one of Chicago’s Finest who appeared to be making a call to find out if what the guy was doing was legal….apparently it was as he kept on flying around for quite a while.   It was  an unusual sight to be sure!

Water spraying along the bike path

The path crowd eventually thinned until, at McCormick’s Place it was finally easy to ride without worrying about someone flying up behind you and dashing around you!   We decided to turn around and rode back closer to the lake…..being careful to stay out of the  water being sprayed up on the path. (NOTE:  I found out 2 days later that some of the Lake Shore Path was closed the day before we got there because high water was knocking down joggers and bikers…I can certainly see why!)

Northerly Island Prairie

As we traveled south, Tom spied a section of land that appeared to be jutting out in the water with people riding bikes on it.  I recalled from studying the Lake Shore map that there was a peninsula that could be accessed by the Planetarium, so that became our goal.   We were glad for Tom’s sighting, as we continued north, biked to the Planetarium and the found the path to Northerly Island.

Tom and I put our collective memories together and recalled that Northerly Island must have house the small airfield known as Meigs Field.   We shared with our friends the sordid story of Mayor Dailey presumptively closing the airfield, sending out bulldozers to destroy the landing strip in the middle of the night, effectively closing the airfield and stranding many private and corporate airplanes to boot.  While the control tower is still present, the island is a large expansive prairie within the shadow of Chicago Skyline, a surprising natural element in the vast ocean of concrete that is Chicago.  It was there that we enjoyed the singing of National Anthem at Soldier Field and saw our third unusual sighting….a very LARGE and dark and ominous jet, appearing for a fly-over at the game.   It was one of the largest airplanes I have ever seen and it commanded one’s attention.  Awesome!



Flyover of Soldier Field

Jill, Nancy, Jeff and Tom
 enjoying Giordano's pizza

With the Lake Shore path empty of the football fans, it was an easy ride over to Michigan and Jackson Avenues to the Aon building plaza to drop in at Giordano’s Pizzeria for a late lunch.   We locked our bikes on the plaza, and ate outside on the dining patio, enjoying the fabulous weather and the TVs that were broadcasting the game.

Stuffed spinach pizza..
a Chicago visit necessity.

Some of us were cheering for the Colts, and some for the Bears, but mostly we were cheering for the stuffed spinach pizza!! 

An unusual sight for
Chicago parallel parking

When we were leaving we jealously gazed on a parked truck containing a kayak AND a bike….that owner would be a great paddle and peds person!






Heading south, and into a headwind
while avoiding the waves on the path!

We were more than halfway back to our car, but we were  headed for the most challenging ride of our day.  The brisk wind of the morning was now a severe head wind and we bravely fought it by pedaling our hearts out…straight into it!   We were able to only go 6 mph at max, while those passing us going the other way were smiling and relaxed.   It was THE HARDEST pedal I have done all summer…and it was on flat land no less.  Again, we had to avoid getting swept away by the waves, but it still was one of the most beautiful rides all summer.

We arrived back at the car, got out of town just before the Bears/Colts game let out (Bears won….Go Bears!) and headed back home.  

A stop at Valparaiso for ice cream (always a necessity after pizza) brought us to the Oberweiss Dairy, and some fabulous treats for all : chocolate peanut butter  ice cream, Key Lime Pie ice cream, Black Cherry ice cream and blueberry cobbler alamode.   It was a great fulfillment of the restaurant motto we saw on the Katy Trail:  Bike Often, Eat Well!  Three cheers for Nancy who bought and ate 2 servings of the Key Lime Pie ice cream AND got a quart to-go that we put in the snack cooler.  We will remember this stop when next we travel this way!



With this adventure along Lake Shore Trail, we have now ridden in 4 states this summer…and brought along more friends to help us commemorate this urban adventure.

The stats: 15.4 (RT), Time: 2:10 , ODO: 431.53

Notable Sightings:  A Police boat with Bears fans, a water propelled jet pack rider, a flyover of a VERY LARGE military airplane.  COOL!



Chicago Skyline from Northerly Island