Car in shop = biking!

I took the car in for a tune up today in Ballard and thought...cool...I'll be able to load my bike and use it to get back home and around town for the day! So in I go at 7:15am drop off the car get all my snazzy bike gear on...the guy at the counter was like, "oh, I'd offer you a shuttle, but it's obvious you don't need one." I felt like a true seattlite (sp?). Anyway, biked home, rested; biked to the gym, did pilates; biked to edmonds waterfront, had a snack; biked home through woodway and shorline, died on the hills! It was such a scenic ride on the way home, but kind of like a rollercoaster...

I was so tired of biking I had to have one of my roommates drop me off at my car because I didn't want to get back on my bike!

alki

Today rach and I loaded up the bikes and drove to the start of the elliot bay trail where we got on our bikes and headed for alki. We rode through Myrtle Edwards Park and through downtown over the West Seattle Bridge and onto Harbor Ave. It was a beautiful ride...we both almost ran into posts in the road because we were enjoying the view. Once we got to alki we stopped and had a cranberry turkey sandwich at Alki Bakery (not as good as Specialty's) and the service wasn't that great. The ride back seemed to go by so much faster...I didn't want it to end. What a treat to live in Seattle on sunny days like these.

the isle of lopez

This a.m. we packed up the beetle with 4 bikes and 4 friends for a 4 hour journey around lopez island. First of all, I'm amazed we even were able to get 4 bikes on the beetle...secondly, I'm amazed two guys over 6 ft. and meg and I all fit inside the beetle...and thirdly, I'm amazed we made the ferry - barely - it was a close call due to a late start, which occurred because some took too long to eat breakfast and make sandwiches for the road...Meg and I were so on time and ready to roll.


The weather was phenomenal and the company relaxing...I love adventuring with these friends. They are so flexible and easy-going, incredibly funny, and rediculously good looking! We went through a thick wall of fog on the ferry that filled our cups full of whipped hot chocolate, then so many nice people mentioned our left behind bike helmet...which I gladfully retrieved. We biked off the ferry into pure sunshine and continued through rolling hills, with views of pastures, sheep, horses, vultures, cows, wildflowers, haystacks, farms, and then to a spit near fisherman's bay. We rode out along the spit - amazing beach views...the grooves in the pavement were filled with crushed shells and it smelled like the sea. Then we headed for Shark Reef...went through more fog to get there and sang a song about baby sharkies and swimmers swimming. Finally, arrived at the Shark Reef sign...after going through more fog and thought for sure we would find the Black Pearl...unfortunately to get to the actual Reef you had to hike 10 minutes which we opted out of and continued to loop around lopez back to the ferry. We at lunch at a small park near the ferry where I cooled off in the water, threw seaweed at the camera...and Alec, ate pb&j, took funny montage pics, and laid out in the sand...the sun and warm sand felt so good!

I can't believe I hadn't mentioned it by now, (probably because I feel like such a natural...knock on wood) but last night before we went riding today Brian switched out my pedals and helped me put my clips on my new shoes...we took the bike out for a spin last night around g-lake and today I extended my record of not falling down another day! yay!

I am so thankful for...adventurous friends and gear jammed in the beetle, outlets, new bike pedals, the ocean, fog, and island cultures where everything seems to move a little bit slower...

spring is in the air

Today my friend Rachel and I went to the Tulip Festival in Mt. Vernon. We loaded up the bug with two bikes, a cooler of food, and stopped at Starbucks for a triple tall carmel macchiato and then headed north.

First stop, lululemon outlet. Purchase: funky mantra pants and two fun tank tops.

Second stop, tulip festival office. Free: a map and directions on where to ride our bikes to see the fields.

Thrid stop: Red Apple and port-a-potty. Purchase: Tim Cascades salt and vinegar chips and two aquafinas.

Finally, we were reading for our adventure. We started off heading west and looked to the left and right, but no tulips...none...anywhere. You'd think the lady at the tulip festival office would have informed us of the lack of blooming flowers....but no. So we saw a few fields of daffodils, talked to a nice lady at an espresso stand, took pictures of ourselves and the local wildlife...things we may not have noticed if the tulips were blooming I guess.

I kind of maybe want to move to the country now and grow veggies and fruit to sell at farmers markets...

Saturday afternoon bike ride

Yesterday, my dad and I went on a long, refreshing bike ride. The weather was beautiful! The sun was shining, but not warm...my fingers were still ice cold. But it was still so good to get outside. I love my new road bike...I can actually keep up with my dad (or pass him on the hills!). I'm excited to use it this summer in a few triathlons. We had beatiful views of the country (I can call it that because I live in Seattle) and the water as well. I'm hoping we'll go to the San Juan Islands this spring. I've heard it is a great scenic place to bike!