Industrial Esthetic

It may not be the prettiest cycling route, but it does have a gritty, desolate beauty. Today, Saturday, was a good time to explore this industrial area as there were no heavy trucks on the road.

Dayton’s Reimagined

On my cycle ride through Downtown, Mary Tyler Moore was back on her perch, tossing her tam, competing for attention with the spiffy, just-opened Dayton’s building. It took over $350 million to transform the department store into office and retail space.

Honoring Ordinary People

On my cycle ride: Sheridan Memorial Park. Surrounding plaques honor veterans of ten wars while reflecting on the futility of so much conflict. I appreciate how this memorial focuses on the ordinary people called to fight in wars, rather than leaders.

Afton State Park

Caught a glimpse of a ski run as we hiked the trails of Afton State Park. The snow probably came out of a cannon rather than the sky.

Dunston Staiths

On my walk along the River Tyne: Dunston Staiths, possibly the largest wooden structure in Europe. This was a shipping point for coal from 1893 to the 1970’s. Coal is no longer mined in the area, but a new electric car battery factory promises to provide up to 8,000 jobs.

Tynemouth to Whitley Bay

The northeast of England has some of the loveliest beaches I know. Walked past some of the beaches from Tynemouth to Whitley Bay, towns I knew well when I was a kid. The North Sea was untypically placid and blue today.