What a great day!

How could a day that begins like this be bad?

We headed out from Gaye and Ben's house about 7:40 this morning. It was crisp, and cool, and the weather today just couldn't have been more spectacular. Until after our lunch break, it was super - and even then, when it began to get warm, it was still cool as we passed through the shade. Just a perfect day on the bike.

A big part of our day was on two spectacular bike trails.  In Seattle, we rode the Burke Gilman trail from the University all around to the north side of Lake Washington and beyond. It was busy with cyclists, walkers, runners and commuters - a fine example of the adage: if you build it, they will come. What a fabulous public amenity. I considered one of the interesting ironies of our age: what would once have been a terrible impact on one's home value (i.e., a train running through your back yard) is now transformed into a great property value booster: proximity to a 15 mile trans-city bike path linking you to everything!  All the neighborhoods we rode through looked interesting and appealing to me, whether modest or spectacular. Shops and cafes were everywhere. Even in a city where winter weather can be cold and rainy, cycling connects communities. It was exciting to see.

Then, we spent about 25 miles on the Snohomish County Centennial trail. It's also a former rail corridor, and it keeps cyclists off the main roads. Great views, perfect surface, lots of pull-outs for picnic tables, parking every few miles. It was full of runners and riders, miles into the county.

Places that invest in trails like these see a benefit. Look at all bikes lined up at this eatery!

And lastly, Seattle has lots of twisty roads through lovely neighborhoods. To keep speeds down, many of the intersections have planters, like the one below. Great idea to both beautify the street, and slow the cars racing through.

Well, I will find that photo later. In the meantime, here's Roger.

Seattle to Mt Vernon, 80.5 miles
Climbing, 2760 ft
Avg speed, 12.1