I saw our pictures taken at three official locations, but I found only one on the website (well, two almost identical ones, at the same location), even though I had noted the picture-taking time precisely. I am happy to have that one, because I never had a picture on an actual ride.
This one was taken closer to the end, and something funny happened shortly after. We heard the sirens and the sounds of a helicopter; even though the Drive was closed, we could imagine that there could be some emergency that called for an exception. Everyone started to turn their heads around and moving to the right side, but there were no blue flashes coming. Only after the helicopter appeared right above us did we realize that the siren sound was coming from above! And the blue lights were flashing at the helicopter’s bottom!
I wonder who was supposed to move and let them fly 😂.
I did Bike the Drive for the fourth time, and for the first time, Boris and I did it together. The total distance we covered was slightly shorter than our Friday ride (36 miles), but it felt mucheasier!
This year, we had helmet tags in addition to the loops on the handlebarsTwo minutes before startAt the Museum of Science and Industry rest stopOnly after somebody complimented my “jersey” did I realize that Boris and I standing together represent the Ukrainian flag, in addition to the flags I attached to both of my tops. When I realized that, I asked one of the participants to take a picture of both of us.We didn’t pick up our t-shirts at the start of the ride because they were not unpacked yet, and I decided we would be fine at the main entrance. There was a huge line, but it moved relatively fast, and while Boris stayed in the t-shirt line, I picked both our 30 -mile challenge medals.The view from the bridge
Belive it or not, but this t-shirt is size youth medium! Now I know which size to choose 🙂 The third 30-mile challenge!
And one more thing! The apples that we had for snacks at the rest stops were provided by Michigan Apples, and I could tell the difference! I didn’t know until I saw their booth and stopped by, but I knew the apples were different this year!
Today, Boris and I did what I wanted to do for a very long time: biked from our house all the way south, almost to the end of the Lake Front Trail. “Almost” was because of imperfect planning and our local problem of the absence of public bathrooms everywhere, especially in city parks, and specifically on the Lake Front Trail. Moreover, there were several portables sitting around during summer, but someone decided that summer was already over 🤷🏻♀️.
We planned for the worst-case bathroom scenario, so it was not a complete showstopper, but another thing I didn’t know was how many interesting things we would discover along the way. We should have planned a day trip to have time to stop by each overpass and look down, or cross the Lake Shore Drive and look at the small pond with swans, or stop at the wildlife sanctuary.
Also, for some reason, I thought that the Lake Front Trail ends by the Museum of Science and Industry, but it turns out that it doesn’t. I was determined to reach the very end, but there was a big traffic crossing very close to the abovementioned end, and I knew it was just a mile and a half left, so I made an executive decision to turn back.
In total, we covered 39.6 miles, and I was planning for 41 miles, but I decided not to focus on these small details 🙂
I took way fewer pictures than I planned, but it is definitely not the last time. Next time, we will plan for at least six hours on the road.
Last Saturday, I went for the longest non-stop bike ride I have ever done (28.1 miles), and then I went to the beach. I knew that a sharp temperature drop was in the forecast (and it happened, on the clock!), so I wanted to seize the moment. I know that’s not the “real” end of summer, and there will be more warm days, but it was definitely the end of an unconditional, abundant warmth – the default warmth with not a thought of an extra layer. So I soaked in the lake, saying numerous thanks to him, and then sat in my beach chair, and then lay down on the sand, and then sat in the chair a little bit more. As long as time allowed. And a little bit more 🙂
Before I sat down to work on my presentations last Sunday, I went for what turned out to be my longest non-stop bike ride so far (total distance 27 miles). I keep exploring the Lake Front Trail, going more and more South with the hope of finally reaching the Museum of Science and Industry. I already did it twice during Bike the Drive events, but it’s a shorter distance when going by the Drive, and also, there are stops.
I posted some pictures from my newly found lands 😀 here.
Here are more pictures from the shorter rides this week.
Very early in the morning on MondayVery stormy weather on TuesdayToday was equally stormy, but warmer, and I could not resist breaking the rules
Even when the work is insane, there are two things that bring me joy every summer day; two things that make Chicago the best place to be in the summer: biking early in the morning and going to the beach in the evening. Even half an hour by the lake helps me to recharge and gives me peace of mind like nothing else. Each time I walk into the water, I say: Thank you, Lake!
I had been wanting Boris to get a better bike for Chicago for a while, and he found a bike shop on the Near North, with a great selection and some discounts. Since he won’t be here until the end of August, I suggested he talk to Anna and delegate her to choose a bike for him from his list of preferences.
It all sounded very reasonable (after all, we had nothing planned for the weekend), but it ended up being a near disaster. I think at least half of the disaster was that the girls were still tired from Friday, but woke up on the inertia of early rising during the week. Boris and I thought that Anna could take the bikes into her van, but the girls said they wanted to take an L-train. There were a couple of minor disasters in the morning, the most significant of which was that Anna realized she had forgotten one part of the equipment to attach Kira’s bike to hers in a tandem manner. While she was figuring this out, I took the girls to the Artisan Market at Jarvis Square. We ended up leaving for the bike shop later than planned, and when we arrived, we found out that they were not allowing us to have an actual test ride; we could only use the mount on the shop floor.
Next thing, when we settled on the models for both me and Boris, the associate told us that they will assemble the new bikes for us (we could not take the bikes we tried), and it will take about an hour. I was ready to go home and come to get the bikes later, but Anna suggested we go for lunch somewhere close by, and then pick up the bikes.
The girls where already tired and acting up, and when we came back to the shop, the bikes were still not ready, and we had to wait for another half-hour. Retrospecitvely, I should have bought both bikes online, and we should have taken a van to pick them up when they were ready. That way, the girls won’t be so tired, and we could have some beach time.
The good part of that day was that later in the evening, Naida and I went for a bike ride. She is doing absolutely amaizing for a eight-year-old, especially for city biking on a Saturday night! My phone reported the 9.1 – 9.3 Mph speed! and she was excellent in following me at all turns and navigating the streets in general.
I rode my new bike on Sunday early morning (all the way to Monroe Harbor)
It is faster than my old one,and less bumpy, but somehow it looks like the seat post is too short. I can adjust the seat to the hight I need, but it goes below the “minimum” line; this is pending me calling the shop.
We walked to the Common Cup for breakfast, and then to the market, and made sure to show Anna new Rogers Park murals (the girls already saw them when they stayed with me earlier this year)
And finally, we had a couple of hours on the beach.
Next time, we should do more beach and more biking!
I went for long bike rides both yesterday morning and today, while the sunrise is still relatively early, and it’s warm in the morning. Actually, it is so warm that many people try to do their biking/running in the early hours, so by 6 AM, it is already pretty crowded on the Lake Front Trail.
Yesterday:
Bird sanctuary at Montrose HarborBreakfast at home for a change
Today: that’s me going out of my way to capture the stunning beauty of the view from the Aquarium terrace
Hettie's Reflections 