Totally 70

And about time, the average high temperature for this date is, in fact, 70.  So today officially qualifies as nice.  Checking my weather gadget over there on the side bar it appears that it may even actually be 73.

I woke up a little bit achy today.  A little bit achy feels pretty darn good as building fitness is the point of all of this.  A little bit achy means I got a good work out yesterday.

But today was totally 70 so I headed out to do it again.  It was another one of those days when there was absolutely no reason to pedal hard when headed south or west (mostly west) but my south route permits me when traveling south or west to spend a lot of time going downhill.

I had to ride through dead man's curve to get down into the big city.  The area under the bridges has been swept but potholes have been filled only on the northbound side of the street.  This sorta works as northbound is the more problematic from a bicycle standpoint, the cars coming from behind cannot see a bicycle as well as they can on the southbound.  But the uncertain vision because of the shadows under the bridge still means that it's a gamble riding through there just hoping you won't dive into one of those winter created craters.

After running that gauntlet (the bridge over the railroad tracks is still totally covered in winter debris, lots of gravel, lots of broken glass, most unpleasant) I came across some good news in the city.  They had a big pavement project over there late last year and I had not actually ridden down this portion of street since that was completed.  It turns out there is good news.

This is Raymond Avenue, the most direct route for passage across the big main streets, the railroads and the freeway.

Before the pavement project there was parking on both sides and one of those share the road signs.  I think everyone knows my opinion of how well the road gets shared even when one of those signs is present.  There were always cars parked along here which meant riding up that hill meant having to ride as far from the parked cars as possible (one door width) to avoid being doored by one of the parked cars while also being squeezed over against the parked cars by traffic usually somewhat exceeding the 30mph speed limit.  Not a friendly riding location.  I mostly rode through the industrial area off to the left of this photo to find another way through.

But looky here, no parking on this side of the street and a BIKE LANE.  Also a bike lane in the opposite direction.  Not even mentioning the new pavement.

Excellent.

Just over the top of the hill there used to be a NiceRide kiosk.  It wasn't there today but I know the NiceRides are out so I assumed the kiosk has been relocated.  I went looking for it in the most natural relocation area, near the new Raymond Avenue station on the new light rail line.  How's this for fortuitous timing?

The line isn't officially open yet but they are running trains to train the crews.  That's actually Carleton Street with the Midtown Post Office branch behind the train.

Only three NiceRides available this afternoon.

It WAS 70.

I got all the way to Minnehaha Falls.  Instead of a photo I took a video.

Video.

So many things to think about.

User error.

Hint, you can rotate the camera to get a nice tall image of the tall falls when you are taking a photograph.  See, for example, the first photo in this post.

You can't really do that when you are taking a video.  What you get is the water moving from camera right to camera left.

*sigh*


I detoured through the Fairgrounds on the way home.  The Minnesota Cheese Festival was going on over there at the International Bazaar.  I know there is lots of pretty good Minnesota cheese although seeing the crowd got me to wondering if there is any good smooshy cheese from Minnesota.  Something to work on trying to find out.

Totally 70.