On Sunday, Spencer and I set out on the trail-a-bike for a bicycle adventure. Bicycle Sunday is a program run by Seattle Parks, where Lake Washington Boulevard is closed to car traffic on summer Sundays. The weather was good and our schedule was clear, so we decided to try it out for the first time.
Technically, this is not a panda shot since we are beside our bikes, not on them.
Lake Washington Boulevard winds gently along Lake Washington with parks on one side and attractive houses on the other. It was a fun, family crowd, with trail-a-bikes, trailers, training wheels, and wobbly new-to-two-wheelers.
Friendly people from the Cascade Bicycle Club were out, selling and fitting helmets for new riders.
Neighbourhood kids had a lemonade stand. I don't know how much business they did that day, but it was certainly a hit with my kid.
Now, Spencer wants to set up his own stand, so he can earn money to buy more toys. Spencer: I could ask people for $5 for a glass of lemonade.
Me: No one is going to pay that much for lemonade.
Spencer: Well....what if I gave them lemonade AND let them play with one of my toys?
The protected road ends at Seward Park, home to a very nice playground.
Bicycle parking was at a premium!
And, of course, we had to end the day with ice cream. Hey! I just asked you to HOLD my ice cream while I took a picture!
Bicycle parking was at a premium!And, of course, we had to end the day with ice cream. Hey! I just asked you to HOLD my ice cream while I took a picture!I'd never gone to a Bicycle Sunday before, so I was curious to see how the experience compared to riding in the neighborhood or on the nearby trails. The combination of wide roads and the complete absence of cars created a remarkably relaxed and fun atmosphere. In comparison, the Burke-Gilman trail is quite narrow and, on a busy day, requires a lot of attention, especially when passing or being passed. Spencer is just learning to ride a two-wheeler (sans training wheels) right now. Once he gets a little steadier, he'll want to move beyond the school playground, but won't really be ready for streets or even the BG Trail for some time. Bicycle Sunday will be the perfect opportunity for him to spread his wings.
All in all, it was a lot of fun and we'll certainly go again. However, it will never be an every weekend activity - I'm not a big fan of driving 12 miles in order to ride for 3. Now, if only we could convince Seattle Parks to do a similar event in north Seattle....
Aw, the lemonade/toy comment is priceless. :) Looks like a lovely day.
ReplyDeleteThat's wierd, I think blogspot ate the comment I left on this a week ago... let me see if I can reconstruct it.
ReplyDeleteI think Bicycle Sunday is such a great concept! I really wish there were more family-centred bicycling events here in Edmonton. An event that involves closing a street or setting aside a big park for families on bikes would be amazing. I'd settle for once a summer instead of once a week.
Also, Spencer is getting so TALL!!!
Thanks, Dottie - it was lovely and was so much fun. I hope to be able to recruit a few friends next time we go.
ReplyDeleteHey Deb, that's annoying to lose comments - I've lost a couple on other blogs recently too. I really appreciated the family-friendly atmosphere. There's a gap between when kids are old enough to ride on their own but still a bit too young to handle roads or busy trails. This is a great opportunity for them to spread their wings. Seattle city parks used to do this every Sunday in the summer, but reduced the number this year for budget reasons. I have to admit, I really don't know how it could cost much. Posters? Staff to put up barricades at intersections? If I ever manage to track the info down, I'll let you know.
In the meantime, did you see these pictures from Portland's Sunday parkways?
http://bikeportland.org/2011/07/25/downtown-shines-for-sunday-parkways-56745
I can only imagine how much fun it would be to do this downtown!