Father's Day, It's a Good Day to Ride

 

 

    It's father's day today and we wanted to do another bike ride.  The weather was in the high 70's and there was a nice breeze.  We actually got to the parking lot before 11 am.  Unusal for us.  The trip we took into Nebraska and to the lake will be repeated today but I have my trusty camera with me so I can share the ride.  We started out at the usual place by the Lewis & Clark Center. They have the 13 star flag flying which is huge and looks so pretty agains't the sky.

 

          

   Below is the bridge across the river we will be crossing.  What you can't tell is how high it is and it's in the shape of a bow.  You climb up one side and then coast, or fly down the other.

 

  I was hoping you could tell how high up the bridge is.  Have I mentioned that heights bother me?  I like the fact that the guard rail looks pretty sturdy.  No cars crashing into us.

   It is all uphill that you are looking at.

  Yah, finally safe on the other side.  I was able to pedal up without stopping unless you count the pictures.  I used my inhaler before the rideso it helped prevent an attack.  Below is the Dance Pavilion that I have shown on other pictures.  Now it is on the other side of the river.  We are in Nebraska now.

   I love the sign below and would love one for my driveway.

   Below is the old railroad bridge.  It is also really high up there.  Once, as a silly 15 year old, I walked across it to meet my boyfriend.  Coming back I met a train.  I had to climb underneigh and sit on the cement piling until the train crossed.  I was scared to death and the noise was deafening.  This might account for my fear of heights.  I broke up with my boyfriend after that because he lived too far away and he was afraid to cross the bridge.  Around the same time a kid I knew rode his shetland pony across the bridge.  Stupid, stupid.  I even thought it was stupid back then.

  The trail brings you through the corn fields.  By the 4th of July it is suppose to be knee high.  This looks like it will make it.  Not as good as Iowa corn though.  The recent rain has helped.

   As I kid I used to de-tassel corn in the summer for money for my school clothes.  I don't think kids do that anymore but we all did when I was growing up.  Below is one of the reasons I hated it.  Big, Big, hairy spiders.  Yuck.  Better out there then in my house.

  Along the route were some pretty wild roses and we ran across some wild raspberry patches and we stopped and had some treats.  I am bringing a baggy next time.

Below is just more of the trail as it winds around the field.  The weather is perfect for this and we have come around 6 miles so far.

  Rick is patiently waiting while I take pictures.

  The foundry where my brother used to work.  It is very hot in there.  They melt down scrap metal.  The building is old, old, old, and smells terrible.  Didn't trigger an attack.

                         Follow the green signs

  The trails curves out around the building.  What is weird about this trail is soon we will be riding through neighborhoods.  I think they took their alleys and turned them into the bike trail.  Then you ride through the high school.  It is still a nice ride but I like woods better.

  These old quonset huts just screamed to be antiqued.  They are old already and were probably around when the pictures looked this way.

  The trail also winds through a pretty park.

                    Here we are at Crystal Cove park.

  The dock makes me want to fish.  I want to go on one of my days off but not here.  I don't have a Nebraska liscense.

  I think it is a mile around the lake which we include in the ride.

   It is a long way back to the park where we parked so I take advantage of a handy porta pot.  A necessary evil.  Fortunately a clean necessary evil.

  Across the river is the Floyd Monument.  The picture turned out terrible so I will drive there and get a good one but for now here is the sign.  Sergeant Floyd died here in 1804 in Sioux City and is buried here.  They built the monument on the hill.

  I thought I would mention my footwear because another bike rider was commenting on my choice of bike shoes.  She had on the skin tight bike outfit with the expensive shoes and a helmet.  I had on my croc's.  Sorry but they don't hurt my feet and they grip the pedals better then anything else I have tried.  I look terrible in spandex and I like to be comfortable when I ride.  Love my croc's!

   So another ride is over.  We did 16 miles and yes, we did end up at Jolly Rogers for a cold one.  We got caught in some rain on the way back and really kicked it up.  The wind also picked up and it was more challenging on the way back.  I was worn out by the time we got to the top of the bridge and did have to stop and rest.  My new computer for my bike says I only burned 678 calories and 65 gms of fat.  Seem like it should be much more then that.