My first big girl bike ride of the season!

     This past weekend was turning into the perfect weather for a bike ride, and my plan was to get out on Sunday afternoon with a few riding buddies.  I had already gotten my "sea legs"  with my two little "baby rides" over the past couple of weeks, so I needed to amp it up just a tad.

     Two of the riders were just getting back into riding again after years of sabbatical, and I knew this would give me a chance to slack a little on this ride.  If I managed to ride ten miles I would consider it a job well done.

     However, when Sunday came around the bike ride totally fell apart.  I guess sometimes the best laid plans get put on hold. I knew the days of seventy and sunny were few and far between, so I was a little bummed, but the day wasn't over.  Things always have a way of working out, and where there's a will there's a way...

     I managed to get a ride in after all.  I ended up riding with a new riding buddy I met, of all places, in the parking lot of Wildwood Park.  It was just the two of us (and about 14 thousand others) there.  Here I thought I was the only one who thought it was a good day for a ride...

          The park was so packed that cars were backed up waiting for others to leave so they could take their parking space.  Before long cars started lining the streets, even though there were signs that clearly stated parking was permitted in marked spaces only... oops!

     After being locked up indoors all winter it was as if the prison guards had opened the gates and the inmates just swarmed this park.  

     My original thought was to just take a couple laps around the park, but after dodging a million cars as well as pedestrians who had no idea how to share the roads with cyclists, the trail seemed like a much better idea.  Once again, about 14 thousand others had that same thought...

     People or no people, the day was beautiful so it was very hard to end my ride.  After completing the entire bike trail and riding back into the park I looked at my computer only to discover I had rode almost  fifteen and a half miles!  Not to mention I had another possible prospect for the Bike To The Bay:)

          I guess it's official now.  No more excuses about "phasing into riding" anymore.  And that was my first "big girl" bike ride of the season:)

Have a great day!!

Christine:)

Side cut park; what's left of it now??

                                 

        All last summer I had been meaning to get to Side Cut Park but I never managed to make it there.  Someone told me the trails were only dirt at last check, so it may not even have an actual bike trail.

     I was there a few years back, but at the time I wasn't at all thinking about bike riding, so I couldn't tell you.  I know it had a great view of the Maumee river and a lot of ducks, but I really needed to go back there to refresh my memory.

     Of course the harsh winter we had was devastating for this quaint little park.  The heavy snow and tons of ice, according to the news reporter, ripped it apart.  Now I had two reasons to go back.  One; to check for a bike trail and two; to see how different the park looked after the brutal winter and since I was there last.  

     This past Saturday I was at breakfast with my mom and some friends and as it happens all so often, we were eating breakfast at one place, and talking about who had the best Chocolate eclairs in town.  Hands down, my vote was for Wixey's Bakery in Maumee, though, I hadn't been there in a million years.  My mom, my sister and I used to go there to get one as a special treat, back in the day.

     I had plans that evening so I was unable to fit a bike ride in before hand like I had hoped I would.  I asked my mom if she wanted to take a road trip to Side Cut Park just to check out the winter damage, as well as the possibility of one more park to ride my bike at in the future.  It was a gorgeous day and we both loved the thought of getting outside.

     I couldn't remember where this park was so I put the address in my GPS and went on auto pilot.  As we were nearing our destination the GPS lady told us to turn onto Saint Joe's Cemetery drive.  This made no sense, but I remembered Secor Park has a cemetery smack dab in the middle, so maybe this cemetery has a "park" in it...

     We never found the park in the cemetery, but I was never more thrilled that we were sent on this wild goose chase, because this is what we found clear in the back... 

     

     There was an entire colony of deer just hanging out.  I was so excited and I stopped the car in the hopes of getting a picture of this miracle before they fled.

     I couldn't believe my eyes, as I walked closer and closer they just stared at me.

     It was as if they were saying "TAKE A PICTURE!  IT'LL LAST LONGER!!"  Hello... that's what I'm doing...

     After I took about 40 pictures (imagine that...)  we got back in our car and left to find the park.  We found a sign that said Side Cut Park but it wasn't what I had remembered... there was no river and no ducks.

     We weren't giving up though.  We wandered aimlessly until we finally saw the park I remembered from before.

     The river was like I remembered, and it sure didn't appear to have suffered much devastation.

                       

     And the ducks...

     We saw three... but give them time; it was still early.

The last thing we needed to do was check out the trails.

Uh... it doesn't look like I'll be riding my bike here.  I guess this park is better for just sitting and enjoying the view of the river.

     This was such a pleasant afternoon and my mom and I were so glad we didn't give up on our quest.  But what she didn't know was I had one more stop on my agenda...

     When we left the park I turned right, onto the Anthony Wayne trail, which was in the opposite direction from the Highway.  My mom must have thought I was still discombobulated from the trip here.  She said "aren't you heading towards the zoo?"  I told her I knew where I was, but I just wanted to go home the other way.  She agreed it's nice to take side streets once in a while just to look at the scenery.

     However, I totally threw her for a loop when I pulled up to Wixey's Bakery.  I think she thought I had gone crazy...

     But sometimes it's the tiny unexpected surprises that give you the most joy.  And there's no better thrill than stepping outside of the box on a whim every once in a while.

     If you think these eclairs look "to die for", you should taste them:)  Of course, we shared one;  do you think I'm crazy or what?!?!

     It's true, after this Saturday afternoon adventure I never did find a bike trail, but that doesn't mean I didn't find what I was looking for:)

Have a great day!!

Christine:)