This Sunday’s Ride – NBX #131- The “Bridge Ride” – 10:00 AM Start – FYI Clock Change

NBW #131 “Bridge”l Ride – 10:00 AM Start

FYI – Clocks change Saturday Night – The start is still 10:00 AM

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Where.  East Bay Bike Path  Start at Fort Hill parking lot. 500 Veterans Memorial Parkway, in East Providence

When:  5:30 PM

Do as much or as little of the ride that your comfortable doing.  Ride at your own pace.

It’s going to be a beautiful night to ride.  Clears sky near 50 degrees.

The hurricane barrier was built in the early 1960’s to protect the many textile mills that were the heart and soul of the city. These mills are also the reason that the New Bedford harbor area of Buzzards Bay is a super fund clean up site.

John Mitchell the new mayor is a very environment friendly politician.  He is also a proponent of public transportation and alternate transportation. Bicycle being at the top of the list.  Since Mayor Mitchell took office two years ago, bicycle infrastructure has improved dramatically with sharrows, wider streets and designated bike lanes.

As always, click any photo for big. Click again for bigger

The latest project is a multi use path built on top of the hurricane barrier. It’s not a long path but have no doubt that this will be the most popular walking and biking area in the city during the spring and summer months.

The East Bay Bike Path (EBBP) is a Rails to Trails converted Multi Use Path that connects East Providence to Bristol, Rhode Island.  The MUP a 16 mile path, also passes through the towns of Riverside, Barrington and Warren, R.I. (The 16 miles is one way.) Every Saturday a group of riders gather to ride the “Cafe Tour” on the EBBP.  The numbers vary week to week and this crisp, sunny, still Saturday morning, six riders set out from Fort Hill in East Providence.  Everyone rides at their own pace and there is a designated pit stop to wait for the slower riders at the local bike shop in Warren, R.I. that sits right on the path.

Click any photo for big. Click again for bigger

Click Here to see all the photos.

Riding in New England is always a visual treat.  Riding New England in the Autumn offers spectacular scenery. Bursts of color that are so bright and diverse that many travel from near and far to witness nature’s change of season. On a quiet still day, those of us on bikes or walking can also be part of the sounds of New England in the fall.

A chilly 46 degree 9 AM start insured that the path would not yet have many people out and about.  The first audio cue came as I was crossing the outlet pipe from the pond into the bay.  The babble of water squeezing into the 2 foot pipe got my attention and that’s what influenced me to slow down and not only look around, but also listen.  From the top of the trees, the distinct peekatchu, peekatchu, chorus began.  Next was the Crows warning of impending danger, usually shouted by the lookout in the tree along a country road when a vehicle approached.  CAW, CAW.  They have not yet learned to say BIKE, BIKE, so CAW made do.  They get the message.  Next was the angry screech of the Blue Jay.  If you have ever seen the Blue Jay in action, you know why other birds don’t mess with them.  My wife calls them the bullies of the back yard bird kingdom.

Are you one who likes to take photos of things that intrigue, or inspire you, if so, it is difficult not to stop often, get out your camera and shoot away.  Not that long ago a ride on the East Bay Bike Path would be a 35mm three roll photo session. Because I did stop or slowed so often, there was no one at the bike shop meeting place when I arrived.  I did make up a little time so I could get to the Bristol Bagel Works in time to sit and chat over coffee.  I get my coffee at Dunkin Donuts a block away and that allowed me to be the first to grab an outside chair because of the 20 minute line at the bagel works.

Many, if not most of those on bike trails and paths pay little attention to the surroundings.  They are talking with fellow riders, trying to get to the end fast, and many of the younger riders have their headphones on and are mostly oblivious to anything going on around them.  Every once in a while, because I am looking, I see someone who is obviously taking everything in.  When I pass a slower rider I usually acknowledge them with a “howareya or a mornin” in my best New England dialect, without giving it much thought. Today as I passed a rider on a tricycle, I made it a point to look at her and say good morning.  I could see that she was so enjoying her ride that I regretted not talking to her and taking her photo.Thinking about this article, I decide to pull over and get a zoom photo .  As she approached I spoke to her saying that I don’t often see people enjoying a ride as much as she obviously was doing.   She then said,  “I like to ride slow so I can hear the sounds of the birds and nature”.  Her next words really got my attention when she said that she used to ride the train on this route to school as a child.  “I’m 91 you know”.  I asked if I could take her picture, she smiled and said “sure”.

I rode away even more attuned to the sounds of nature listening to the chirps of the chickadees, the distant sounds of the crickets and the calls of the geese and ducks that frequent the bay.   I’m sure the 91 year old lady also loves to hear, peekachu, peekachu, from the tree tops.

CLICK HERE to see all the photos.

Saturday Oct. 25th  9AM Start

The Cafe Tour leaving Fort Hill at 9AM.  Some ride slow, some fast but most pedal at around 10-11 MPH for the bulk of the ride. The is an everyone welcome ride at your own speed 27 mile round trip route.  The leaders stop at the 1/2 way point at the Warren Bike shop to let the others catch up.

The turn around point is the Bristol Bagel Works. Here everyone gathers for coffee and a leisurely light breakfast before the return trip.  It’s a straight line back to the start on the MUP and everyone rides at their own pace.  (your on your own going back). 

Sunday Oct. 26th 10 AM Start

Dale Chihuly (born September 20, 1941), is an Americanglass sculptor and entrepreneur. His works are considered unique to the field of blown glass, “moving it into the realm of large-scale sculpture,” (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston). The technical difficulties of working with glass forms are considerable, yet Chihuly uses it as the primary medium for installations and environmental artwork.^[2]

We spent this warm sunny Sunday afternoon at the Denver Botanic Gardens that was featuring the glass work of Dale Chihuly.  The Gardens should definitely be one’s must see things when visiting Colorado. CLICK HERE for the full photo collection

We ended the day dining on the outdoor area of Root Down restaurant in Denver. A wonderful kale and Brussels sprout salad followed by PEI mussels cooked in coconut red curry, white wine and Israeli couscous with scallions and fine herbs, was my choice.

We were hoping to be joined by our friend Dave, The Polish Ambasador but things didn’t pan out. The sold out concert in Denver the previous night was off the hook at they say. There was an upstairs lounge where us old timers could sit and watch everything on the big screen away from the mayhem of the club atmosphere.

All the Botanical Garden photos are HERE

Wifey and I are in Colorado for the Thorne Institute annual fundraiser.  We will be rubbing elbows with some VIPs and some schmucks.  I am comfortable around both and look forward to the diverse group of benefactors.

That’s the business end of this trip which is about 4 hours out of this week long visit.  The rest is shorts and tee shirt stuff. We drove to Cheyenne, Wyoming and overdosed on shopping at the Sierra Trading post, buying mostly twice returned athletic and dress shoes. There was a nice looking thong in the twice returned miscellaneous bin, but the size was not right.  I was going to offer that item as a prize for a contest I’m thinking about running on this site. Maybe next year.

On the return trip to Boulder, we stopped for lunch in the League Of American Bicyclist gold star city of Ft. Collins.  Bikes were everywhere and the bike infrastructure and driver awareness of those walking an riding was refreshing.

Tonight is the gala, Tomorrow is the Polish Ambasador/Saqi concert followed by an after concert backstage brownie tasting party. Sunday is set aside for emergency room detox if it’s needed.

Another station was installed this week at the Town Yard on Arsene St. in Fairhaven.  There is also a station at Fort Tabor and another near No Problemo Taqueria in New Bedford.  The town of Fairhaven has also installed a few bike racks in various location.  We are slowly becoming a candidate for at least a Bronze award from the League of American Bicyclists.

Our good friend Margie from Toronto toured Austria with my wife and I a few years ago.  She decided to do another European bike ride this year in the Provence area of France.  Needless to say, I’m kind of jealous.

She is posting daily on crazyguyonabike, a popular bike touring web host.

CLICK HERE to keep up with her daily postings. Be forewarned that reading her adventure will make you want to tour on your bike.