Friday a group of riders from work got together and rode to the lovely Kubota Gardens, a free city garden in south Seattle. It was the first time I visited the area, and it was a fantastic trip. Everything you look at and take in is better when viewed from the vantage point of a bike.

We made a lovely loop that took us up some hills headed south from downtown, and also took us through Seward park on the way north. This route lends to great riding with is mostly smooth roads, accommodating vehicles, and views of Lake Washington in the sunshine. We captured amazing glances of Mt. Rainier while pedaling up and down the charming Chief Sealth Trail. I felt like I was riding the through Powerline Park in Beaverton, Oregon. Both parks boast a well maintained, multi-sue path down a long and narrow greenway that follows power lines. You could steal amazing views from either park if it weren't for the obtrusive powerless in the way. Just check out the photos I linked above- they could be the same park!

The group took some fun photos once in the Kubota gardens. Check them out!

Today I rode into Boulder via left hand canyon. The day started out cold with my winter jacket and legs, but within an hour I was super hot. For some reason I saw lots of women on the road today, which is rare. Maybe all the women do all their riding on weekday mornings, or maybe I was on a popular route for women. Whatever it may be, that was inspiring! What was not inspiring was the hills. I am tired of hills. I flat out (har har) don't want to ride any more hills for a very very long time. I spent most of the day being very grumpy because of all these hills. Needless to say, the ride was beautiful. I live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. And as annoying as the hills were, the views they allotted were breathtaking. I am taking the long, long descents for granted, and know that I will look fondly back at them when I reach a time where such descents are not so readily available. I also love NCAR. It's one of my favorite places in Boulder. I met my dad there and we walked around. We planned on hiking but a thunderous rain fell upon us as soon as I finished my ride, so we stayed in and l0oked at the exhibits. Then it was off to Tokyo Joes for lunch and Sunflower Market for groceries.

distance: 33.52 mi
time: 2 hr. 38 min.
av. speed: 12.69 mph
max speed: 46.21 mph
av. cadence: 63
climb: 2521 ft
max altitude: 9094
av pulse: 149
max pulse: 171
temp 50-85