Sat in Lunds & Byerly’s, consuming a donut and coffee, and watched as a downpour drowned my bike. A few minutes earlier, the heavens had opened as I was locking up the bike, soaking me to the skin. Back home, a hot shower made everything OK.
Category: Cycle
Cycling the Shimanami Kaido
Rented bicycles and took a ferry to the midpoint of the Shimanami Kaido cycle route. Cycled back across the Seto Inland Sea on huge bridges and around islands.
Where Bicycles Rule
Onomichi U2, a repurposed 1943 warehouse where bicycles rule. The 28-room Hotel Cycle, plus bar and restaurant, provide us with a comfortable base to cycle part of the Shimanami Kaido across the Seto Inland Sea tomorrow.
Sticking it to Diabetes
Chatted with a man who was sticking arrows to the trail. He explained that the arrows marked alternative cycling routes for the American Diabetes Association “Tour de Cure” tomorrow. There are four routes: 5 miles, 27 miles, 50 miles, and 72 miles.
A Cyclist’s Oasis
Even my phone overheated while cycling through Nordeast Minneapolis. Finding relief, I took a quick break in Surdyk’s walk-in beer cooler. A six-pack of Bauhaus Lounge Wizard in my backpack kept my back cool on the journey home.
Cognitive Itch*
Spotted an octopus’s garden on my cycle ride. My earworm for the rest of the ride was inevitable: I’d like to be\…\In an octopus’s garden\In the shade. (*Cognitive itch: the cause of an earworm.)
Plan B
Met a friend over coffee in St. Paul. The heavens opened as I started to cycle home, so I made a beeline for the nearest light rail station. Conveniently, each train car has two upright bike racks.
Spring Bike Ride
Cycled a loop via the 28th Street Greenway, Chain of Lakes, Minnehaha Creek, then up the Mississippi. Stopped to view the blossom on this section just before Lake Nokomis. In the final stretch, we were ready for a late lunch at Longfellow Grill.
Money Machine
On my random cycle ride, the popular Giant Slide at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds was about to get a fresh coat of paint. At $3 per ride, it generates about $600,000 in revenue during the twelve days of the annual fair.
Good Karma
Fair weather prompts cycling, not walking, and allows me to rediscover faraway cafes. Carma Cafe is across the road from Good Carma Auto Repair.