South Dakota

I finally made it to South Dakota to ride the Mickelson Trail. I've been wanting to ride this trail for 3 years. It's the closest rail trail to Denver - only a 5.5 hour drive (A LOT closer than driving across Kansas!). 

We spent the first night of our trip in Custer, SD. It's a really pretty little town with a lot of outdoor artwork, most of it dedicated to General George Custer (whom the town was obviously named for). He was a Union cavalry officer who was known for his reckless battles during the Civil War and later against the Native Americans. I'm kind of surprised there were so many statues of him still standing given that city governments seem to be removing all historical memorabilia that are in any way "politically incorrect."

"Rail trails" follow abandoned rail lines, which means they shouldn't have an incline greater than 4%. I started my ride in Custer knowing there was an initial uphill section, but I should have realized that with the first rest stop being named "The Mountain" it wouldn't be an easy climb. Bruce and Charlie met me at the trailhead and I seriously debated getting in the jeep to ride the rest of the way to Hill City. But after a short break, I decided to suck it up and keep going.

Good thing, because only a mile later, the grade flipflopped and I was riding downhill spending more time with my hands on the brakes than my feet on the pedals. Since the trail goes through the Black Hills, there were a lot of bridges and tunnels with absolutely gorgeous scenery. Some of the tunnels are really old (from the time the train line was first laid), but others were more recent (this one was built in 1993 - historic enough for me). 

One of the most exciting parts of the trail was riding past the Crazy Horse Monument. It's still not finished (as you can tell by the crane in the background). Some people wonder if it will ever be finished given that it was started in 1939. One of the interesting things about this monument is that it is 10 times taller than the presidential portraits at Mount Rushmore. But you can walk up to the Mount Rushmore Monument for free; it costs $30 to go into the Crazy Horse Visitor Center and you can't get any closer than I was when I took this picture from the trail. BTW, Crazy Horse was a leader in the Battle of Little Bighorn where Custer and all of his troops were killed (another controversial historical statue).

The Mickelson Trail was my last big ride on my Biking Bucket list. There are only a few minor trails left on the list which may or may not get done this fall. Personally, I sort of feel like switching to another activity for a while like hiking, walking, or just reading my Kindle. 

In other activities this week, I went to a porch pot class at the garden center. This was similar to the class I took last Christmas. The biggest difference with this class was that all the plants were real, whereas the Christmas planter was filled with mostly dried greenery. They gave us a ton of plants to squeeze into that pot, which is what makes it look so full, but was really hard to do without breaking off all the flowers. I managed to get it into my car to get it home (a 3 ft pot is heavy!), and hopefully everything will keep growing. We'll see.

Poor Bruce, while I was at the garden center, I also picked up a new blue spruce bush (they were half-price). The catmint had spread to almost a 5 ft circle. The purple flowers were pretty, but they were a major bee and wasp magnet. The catmint always had an ominous buzzing sound whenever you walked by. So Bruce snuck out there Friday night after the sun went down (and the bees went to sleep) and cut down the catmint. The next morning, he was able to plant the new bush in its place. We still have some spots of catmint in the yard, but they aren't right up next to the porch. 

I volunteered at our neighborhood club fair last weekend. Our club president (not this guy) tested positive for COVID, so he wasn't able to attend. Being the germaphobe that I am, Bruce and I went right out the next day and got our annual flu and COVID shots. Fingers crossed we won't get sick this winter.

Bikepacking

I've always wanted to try bikepacking, so when the bike shop in Ottawa, KS offered a bikepacking trip on the Flint Hills Trail, I decided to sign up. I was a little bit nervous about riding 20 miles to the overnight stop, since the Flint Hills themselves can have quite a lot of elevation change, but the trail was completely flat. It was a beautiful day - sunny and 70°. I was pleasantly surprised given that early September can be quite hot, especially in the Midwest. 

We rode from Ottawa to Pomona State Park. I'd originally planned to camp in the park overnight like the rest of the participants, but when I discovered an available cabin rental, I grabbed it. I felt kind of bad sneaking off to the cabin (not in true bikepacking spirit), but the cabin had a huge deck with a gorgeous view of the lake, plus a real bathroom. The other bike riders had to shower in the communal bath house or jump in the lake. 

Part of the bikepacking adventure included a chuckwagon dinner. It was absolutely scrumptious with a huge slice of prime rib, baked beans, macaroni & cheese, and a roll. There were 5 different kinds of cheesecake you could choose from for dessert. I picked the chocolate, but the other flavors looked equally tempting.

While we ate, there were 3 different bands playing bluegrass music. I'm not really a fan of fiddle-picking, but the bands reminded me of the Grand Ole Opry show we used to watch at the Lake of the Ozarks. (I didn't really care for that show either, but it was the only TV channel we could get at the lake.)

The bikepacking trip was actually called the Moonrise Bike Ride. They must have scheduled it perfectly, because the moon was completely full and bright. I didn't stay up to ride with the others at midnight, but when I rode back to the cabin, the moon was bright enough to light the way. Counts for me.

All in all, I ended up riding parts of 3 different trails over the week - the Flint Hills, the Prairie Spirit, and the Trolley Track. It rained off and on the Friday before the ride, but I managed to get in the latter 2 rides. Luckily the sun came out on Saturday. I would have been really bummed if I'd driven all that way and not been able to ride.

Before I went to Ottawa, I spent a couple days in KC. Janet, Teresa, and I went to Andy's for jackhammers. That's where they drill through the center of the ice cream and fill it with the topping of your choice (I picked hot fudge, of course). 

I got to see Melisa's kids for a quickie visit when they got home from school. Violet is almost as tall as I am. She's very happy in this photo, because she just made the A volleyball team at her middle school.

Hazel, Lincoln, and Goldie were playing on their new trampoline that Jamie just installed. It's level with the ground rather than being raised up on a frame, which makes it extremely sturdy. Plus, you don't have to worry about jumping too close to the edge and falling off.

Pearl is also really growing. She's an incredibly happy baby - always smiling at everyone. She tried to steal a couple of the kid's cookies they'd left behind her chair, but Melissa caught her before she could eat any.

Pearl made me laugh, because like most babies, even though she was surrounded by colorful toys, she always kept crawling toward Melissa's drink bottle. It was one of those crinkly plastic ones that make a lot of noise when you squeeze them.

Before I went to KC, I stopped in Manhattan. We must have picked a good color scheme back when we painted our old house, because it's almost exactly the same color 47 years later.

Brian's elementary school looks totally different. It used to be an old stone building. I think parts of the original school may still be in there, but it's all been swallowed up by rock and glass.

There's a new coffee shop on the corner of our old neighborhood. Of course, I had to stop and do a quick sketch while drinking an Oil Can Latte. They used caramel and chocolate syrups to represent the "oil." 

The downtown was sporting K-State's wildcat colors. I'm not sure who would buy that purple polka-dot shorts outfit, but you would certainly be noticed.

Speaking of team colors, Janet, Teresa, and I went to breakfast in Lee's Summit on Friday. It was the Chiefs first football game of the season. Everyone was wearing Chiefs gear, except me (even the waitress and all the other customers in the restaurant and half the people in Ottawa). The Chiefs ended up losing that game, probably because Taylor Swift opted to skip traveling to Brazil where they were playing. She's their lucky charm.

Still Hot

Since the temperatures have still been reaching into the 90's every day, the bike club decided to have an evening social hour. We all laughed about not being able to recognize each other when we weren't wearing helmets - especially the men who tend to be gray-haired or bald. The people who hosted the party had a nicely landscaped back yard complete with patio, pergola, firepit, barbeque, and even a mini putting green.

I had to take my car in for its annual oil change. No, this is not my car hanging on the wall of the dealership, but it is a real car on display up there. I guess that's one way to get a buyer's attention. At least it's not one of those giant SUVs.

In the process of doing the oil change, the mechanic said I also needed new brake pads. So, I went back to the shop on Thursday, and rather than wait around again, Bruce, Charlie, and I went on a hike to Panorama Point Park in Morrison.

I hiked up to the top of the point, but when the trail started to go back down again, I let Bruce and Charlie carry on while I stopped to do a sketch. I rarely get a chance to sketch something besides a coffee shop these days, so this was a welcome opportunity.

I went to one of my ladies lunches this week (this is the original group). It's been quite a while since we've been able to get together since everyone's been so busy. The lady in back is getting ready to move to Dallas, mostly to be closer to her kids. If it were me, I think I'd try to get my kids to move to Colorado. Dallas weather and traffic are horrendous.

We had our last concert for the summer on the family side. As a member of the social committee, I volunteered to help with setup. My job was to move the orange cones blocking the entrance to the parking lot when the food trucks showed up. After they all arrived, I decided to "reward" myself with a hot fudge sundae from the Sweet Cow ice cream truck. 

Along with the concert, they always have a lot of activities for kids. This time they had glitter tattoos, face painting, tie-dye t-shirts, a selfie studio, a foaming bubble machine, and this climbing wall. I couldn't believe that there were no mats at the bottom - just the bare asphalt. Luckily I didn't have a kid who wanted to climb that wall, even if there were ropes hanging from the top.

We're supposed to get a lot of rain this week, so we decided to separate and transplant some of the perennials. Bruce is a lot braver than I am, because he didn't mind working next to the catmint which was loaded with bees.

But I did manage to put in a Mugo pine by myself (grass and rocks don't attract bees).

While we're doing all this, Charlie likes to supervise from the garage. This is just a temporary little fence Bruce got off Amazon, but Charlie hasn't figured out that he could probably knock it over if he leaned against it.

Seattle

 

I just got back from my annual visit to see Brian. I always go in August to celebrate his birthday. He just turned 47 last week. Hard to believe I have a son that old... or one with gray hair!

We finally got to have dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant - Fogon's. For the past 2 years, they've been closed for their summer employee party. This year, it was a good thing I called in advance, because they were having their party on Monday (the day we'd planned to go), so we had to shift it to Tuesday. 

Normally, I just meet Brian and Amber downtown at the restaurant, but on Tuesday I'd gone out to Redmond to play board games with Brian. So, instead of taking the bus back downtown, we all hopped into an Uber. I take mass transit all the time, but this was my first Uber ride. Thank goodness our Uber car had air conditioning, because it was 93° outside and many homes in Seattle (including Brian's) don't have A/C.

I always try to do something new when I go to Seattle. This time I took a walk north along the waterfront to several different places. This was Olympic Sculpture Park - an offshoot of the Seattle Art Museum. I don't know if they were undergoing renovation, but there were a lot more sculptures pictured on their website than there were on the grounds. But this one was nice with killer views of Bainbridge Island to the west and the Space Needle to the east.

I walked all the way to Belltown (only about 1.5 miles) and had dinner at Moto's Pizza. It was a quirky little shop in a renovated warehouse with just about the best pizza I've ever had. It was deep-dish with tons of toppings, but the sauce wasn't soupy like Chicago's deep-dish pizza tends to be (sorry Chicago). The pizza doesn't come in slices, but big rectangular chunks. Totally delicious.

The next morning, I went to Ghost Alley Espresso (I found this on Google Maps hidden next to Pike Place Market). Their specialty is a "Mystery Mocha" (right up my alley). They ask if you have any allergies and then mix up their own concoction. Mine tasted a bit like coconut and, of course, dark chocolate. 

To get to the coffee shop, I had to walk up Post Alley and the famous gum wall. It's supposedly considered a "work of art," but it's really a bit disgusting. Those are all wads of used gum that people have stuck onto the walls, windows, and posts along the alley. Ick.

Since I took the Uber back downtown from Brian's, I had an extra bus ticket, so I went up to Capitol Hill to VooDoo Donut. This place is known for its bizarre combinations of donut toppings. I got the Old Dirty Bastard. I thought the brown squiggles were going to be caramel, but they turned out to be peanut butter... still tasty.

A block away from the donut shop was an REI store. This store is on a huge piece of property that includes patios, firepits, and a bike trail for testing out bike repairs or purchases. All this greenery looks a bit deceiving that the store is out in the country, but actually it's right in the heart of the city. I-5 is just behind all those trees. 

They finally completed the renovation of the waterfront and it is gorgeous. There are planting boxes and benches everywhere (my hotel is just a block away). 

Some of the seating areas are swings where you can just rock back and forth and enjoy the view of the water. The overhead walkway in the background connects the ferry terminal to 1st Street. You used to have to climb about 200 steps to get up to street level, so this new walkway is really convenient, especially for commuters.

A couple years ago, I posted an architect's rendering of what this waterfront renovation would look like. I never thought it would really come to pass, but it has. This is a giant seating area (also climbs up to street level) where people can sit and look out at the water. Sometimes they hold concerts here, but there wasn't one going on while I was visiting. 

You can tell I took these pictures early in the morning. There aren't nearly enough tourists. There was a Norwegian cruise ship in port the day before and the place was packed.

August Already

Every Monday I usually go out riding by myself, because I like to find new trails. There are a ton of "gulch" trails around here, but this one really caught my eye because of its name. I thought it was appropriate, since I had just dodged a guy walking his dog without a leash (my pet peeve).

Of course, Bruce stayed home having his usual fun working on the house. This time, he was trying to plug up a gap in the stone so the birds would stop trying to make a nest above our porch. There really isn't enough room for a nest, but they keep trying and every time they do they drop poop on the porch. Gross.

But the next day, we all went hiking in Castlewood Canyon State Park. It was supposed to get up in the 90's, so we went really early. I did my usual climb up to the top of the cliffs and then sat down to do a sketch while Bruce and Charlie hiked on to the dam. Turns out there were a ton of ants, so I had to balance myself on the tip of a rock.

The bike club went out on our usual mid-week ride. Nothing fancy, just our loop down to Panera's. I had to cut it short to go to my painting class at the Senior Center, which unfortunately was cancelled, because the teacher had been exposed to COVID. 

While I was out riding, Charlie went to Doggie Day Care. He always looks so cute at the end of the day patiently waiting for Bruce.

But then he gets home and turns into a maniac tearing through the house with his toys and turning over all the area rugs. Doggie Day Care used to wear him out, but these days it just seems to rev him up.

Courtney and I have started painting again on Saturdays via GoogleMeet. This was a tutorial on painting landscapes with just a few colors. They always make it look so easy in those videos.