Alaska!!

We celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary by going on an Alaskan Cruise.  As luck would have it, two of the shore excursions offered were bike tours.  My hubby agreed to forego a salmon fishing trip to join me on the bike tours.  How fun is that!?!

The first ride was outside of Juneau.  We began our 8.5 mile ride near University of Alaska/Juneau - we actually biked through the campus to Auke Lake.  We took the  Mendenhall Loop Road, with good shoulders and a few miles of off road trails, to Mendenhall Lake on the West side Mendenhall Glacier.  After a short rest and a chance to take a few pictures of the glacier and lake, we continued the ride on a fire trail to the east side of the Mendenhall Glacier for a stop at the Visitor’s Center.

It was neat to ride in Alaska and see the glacier.  The bikes did not have fenders and I was not wearing rain pants, so I did get quite wet and dirty from the stripe of dirt up my back.  All in good fun.

Near Auke Lake - Before the Rain Started

Our next bike tour was outside of Skagway, Alaska on the Klondike Highway.  We took a train from Skagway to Fraser, British Columbia, Canada and biked the 15 miles back to Skagway.  It was cold and rainy at Fraser but I was much better prepared with rain gear and gloves.  Roughly 1/3 the way down the mountain the rain stopped and the temperature warmed.  The ride was AWESOME with spectacular views and wide shoulders!!  We passed through US Border Control on the bike too.  A first for me!! 

The only climb - and a short climb - on the entire ride.

The Klondike Highway!! 

Returning to Skagway, Alaska!! 

Paul Bunyan Trail, Minnesota

The lake house we rented for our family vacation was only a few miles from the famous Paul Bunyan State Trail.  So, of course, I was eager to rent a bike and take a spin on a portion of the 84 mile trail that transverses the state of Minnesota. 

The bike shop suggested that we ride south - it was more scenic at the time since the trail to the north  was under construction.  We were not disappointed. 

The Paul Bunyan trail is miles and miles of a flat, tree-lined path that is away from traffic.  In the short section we biked, we passed four lakes - Clark, Molly, Hubert and North Long Lake.  There were plenty of places for a picnic stop and several towns to explore along the way. 

This would be an overnight bike tour dream!! 

 

 

 

Minnesota is lucky to have the Paul Bunyan Trail!! 

 

 

Toronto Islands

Our Toronto bike tour included a twilight ride on the Toronto Islands in Lake Ontario.   We biked Toronto's Waterfront Trail to the ferry.  Lots of day visitors were coming off the ferry after a sun-filled day at Lake Ontario's beaches away from the city.  We were the few actually going TO the islands at sunset.  Bikes were welcomed on the ferry with little rules - just lean your bike up against the wall.  :)

Bikes on Ferry from Toronto to Islands

The Islands were a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of the city.  There are very few residents (600 +/-) on the islands and hardly no cars, just official park or emergency vehicles.  We biked near picnic areas, by beaches (even a "clothing optional" beach), along a shoreline wooden boardwalk, down the pier on the far south side of the island and through the small residential area.  

Total BLISS the entire time !!  

Toronto Island Pier

Residential Area of the Islands

The best part of the evening ride was watching the sunset behind the Toronto skyline.  Although, we had a light cloud cover, it was AWESOME!!  The setting sun casted a bright orange glow behind the city.  We then caught a different ferry back to the city.  Still an easy bike transport - just lean your bike along a bench seat. 

 If you ever make a trip to Toronto make sure to leave the city, take the ferry across Lake Ontario and spend some time on the islands.  If you can, take a bike and enjoy the sunset.  It will be a memorable time for sure. 


 

 

 



Ground Rounds, Minneapolis

We were joining my family for a week's vacation at a lake house in northern Minnesota.  I could not pass up the opportunity to bike around Minneapolis before joining up with the family.

For a city that has a short warm season and a population of almost  400,000, Minneapolis has a wonderful recreational biking area.  It is called the Grand Rounds Science Byway and is one of the country's longest continuous systems of public urban parkways.  The Grand Rounds has a 50 mile walking and biking path near lakes, creeks, woodlands, lagoons,  riverbanks, wetlands and other greenways. The Grand Rounds basically goes around the entire city. 

My daughter and I biked a portion of the Grand Rounds that started in the Chain of Lakes area of town.  We rented bikes a few blocks away from Lake Harriett and biked around three lakes - Harriet, Calhoun and Lake of the Isles. 

In these lake areas the Grand Rounds has two paths - one for walking and one for biking - separated by a small greenbelt.  The biking path was a one-way, paved path around each lake.  We truly enjoyed the leisure biking environment. 

 

It did take us a while to understand the signage.  We missed one turn and had to back track on the car street due to the one-way bike path. It was no big deal - the drivers were very understanding.   After that detour we figured out the frequent directional signs and did not take another wrong turn. 

I wished we had another day in Minneapolis to bike more of the Grand Rounds.  There are several other sections, like the Downtown Riverfront and the Mississippi River, that look wonderful to bike.  I will have to return to Minneapolis for another go around on the Grand Rounds!! 



 

Downtown Toronto, Canada

 

CN Towner

My daughter and I visited Toronto as part of a longer vacation in the area.  We spent two days biking through downtown and the islands in Lake Ontario.  

Our downtown tour took us all over the city to see historical areas, new landmarks and scenic city sites. 

Cycling is very popular in Toronto.   The drivers were courteous and patient.  Cyclists are accepted pretty much everywhere - shopping centers, train stations, sidewalks, promenades....  However, the city could use a more robust cycling infrastructure.  There is really only one off-street bike path - along the waterfront.

The weather was perfect for biking.  I kept wondering if I could bike year-round in Toronto.  It would be tough. 



Historic John Street RR Roundhouse

Toronto Waterfront



Historic Distillery District

St. Lawrence Market Place



 

 

Sunday Streets SF

This weekend our daughter graduated from college.  YAHOO!!  While in the area, I participated in a San Francisco "open street" event.  One Sunday a month San Francisco closes a portion of a city street to car traffic.  For a couple years I have wanted to bike in Sunday Street SF, but never had the opportunity.  I was excited to see that The Great Highway along Ocean Beach and JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park would be traffic free this Sunday.  My husband agreed to be my SAG team and on the way home, after enjoying the graduation festivities, we stopped in SF.  GREAT FUN!!    The photos below tell the whole story. 

The Starting Point was SUPER windy!! 

The GREAT Highway!! 

The Kite Surfers were AMAZING!! 

No Traffic in GG Park!! 

 

 

Free Swing Dance Lessons in GG Park!! 

 

I really enjoyed the car-free experience in The City.  I'll be back on another Sunday for a new Sunday Street SF experience. 

 

Overnight Bike Camping Weekend

Adventure Cycling designated June 4th & 5th as National Bike Travel Weekend.  I joined a group of family cyclists on a short ride from the State Capitol to a group camp site along the river. 

Making our way to the river campsite!!

We were a small but fun group.  It was forecasted to be HOT, but we lucked out with a slight cloud cover.  Once we arrived at the camp site, and had a picnic lunch, the families with kids went swimming in the river.  As the only solo adult on the trip, I spent my time leisurely setting up camp and reading in the shade. 

Pretty AWESOME campsite!! 

The night started warm, almost too warm for sleeping in a tent - even with the fly off - but quickly cooled down.  I comfortably slept all night INSIDE the sleeping bag.  Sunday morning we had a leisurely, simple breakfast of oatmeal and packed up.  The nice part of bike camping is that you can only pack a small amount of gear on the bike, so packing up is easy, peasy!! 

That is all the gear !! 

Bike camping is a ton of fun.  I love the adventure, falling asleep under the stars and waking to the sunrise.  I won't wait until next June's National Overnight Bike Travel Weekend to bike camp.  Just need to find the place and the group. 

Scottsdale to Tempe

About 90% of my bike ride  from North Scottsdale to Tempe was on bike paths. There is a fabulous green belt that runs through parks & by golf courses. I actually forgot I was in the desert!

Phoenix & Scottsdale Drivers are very courteous. I had to remember to watch out for cars turning left on the green light. In No. Cal. left turns are usually only allowed on a green left hand turn arrow.

25 miles of biking in the Desert heat & Sun was too much for this Northern California girl so early in the Spring. The "Valley Metro" system was easy peasy with the bike.

The Desert is Blooming!

The morning ride through the bike trails of the Cooper Ridge area of North Scottsdale was full of color.