Dallas

 I actually hit the road just after 8:00, but with a stop for fast food, it took me an hour to pass The Woodlands!  Both I-45 Buckees were crawling with travelers, I finally got to a pump and did not bother going inside.

The Kia Niro has more side-to-side legroom than the Mazda, but I miss the hiding places the Mazda has.   My emergency paper towels and bath towels had their own compartments in the rear of the Mazda, I guess this stuff will ride in a milk crate!    The Niro rides nice.   Still need to figure out the infotainment system, but I listened to the 70s on Sirius all the way up.   Good signal.

I did the Bush Library 43 this afternoon.    This is a beautiful building!   Instead of bare walls, there are massive color photos all over, especially behind the displays.  The volunteer guides are rather active, maybe too active!   I avoided eye contact as much as possible because they were ready to expound on everything.   One lady wanted me to see the voting ballot that caused the rukus with "Hanging Chad".   No wonder!   A guide suggested I get a picture of Flat Stanley behind the presidential desk.   Got a professional picture of it as well.   When I remember how to move pics from iPhone to blog, I will post a few.

Houston has built a great bike trail system from the bayous.   As far as I can tell, Dallas is doing it with rails-to-trails.    Near-northeast Dallas has a number of them, and many of them link.   I will ride the Katy from SMU to downtown in the morning, and if I still have any power, I will cross Central Express way and go East from the Mockingbird DART station.   

Note to trail planners:  White Rock Lake trails have 911 reference stakes along the trail.   I guess if you call for help, there aren't a lot of addresses on the trail, so you tell the dispatcher  "WR125" or such.

Got my presidential mug, got a fridge magnet, got my "library passport" stamped.  

I just burped barbeque sauce!   Pork Ribs from Dickey's were so tender they almost didn't need to be chewed, which is good because my dentist told me not to chew for a while.   Lot she knows!

Next stop, Oklahoma City (Cue the music!)

Getting Ready for Vacation

 I know it's been a while, but I'm leaving home Sunday for Michigan.  Along the way I'm going to try to satisfy several hobbies and bucket list items:

Presidential Libraries - got my Presidential Passport packed.  Looking to visit 7 in Middle America

Bike Riding.   Several of my hotels were picked based on how close they are to bike trails.  There is an old rail line with a tunnel in Illinois - gonna pedal right through it.

Trains.  Gonna pedal a rail bike in Michigan.

Flat Stanley is going with me.  And not for the first time.

Sisters.   Kristen an Mark bought a vacation home by Lake Superior.   Lauren will meet us there.

Boats.    Kristen is learning all about lake steamers

New Car.   Kia Niro Hybrid.   Already been bumped in the rear and gotten a flat tire.   sigh.

As always, I invite, no, I crave comments.

Wish me Luck.

Dan

Bike buddies

 I may have a new bike buddy.   Not trying to replace Don, my Saturday bike buddy, but as a fully retired guy, I find I have room in my schedule to ride several times a week.

Jerry is new to the Brays Bayou area, but has lots of cycling experience.   He told me he wanted a 10 mile ride, no more than 8-9 miles an hour.   Great.   I'm there.   We ended up with 12 miles, but we enjoyed the ride.   I enjoy the company, and Jerry liked having someone who knows the route.  I also find, for good, or bad, that when I ride with someone, my rest breaks are not as long as when I ride alone.

One of the things we talked about was the possibility of putting together routes that can be shared with others, especially those new to cycling, or new to an area.   He was also interested in how easy it is to use a B Cycle.   I guess I need to learn a few more features of my Under Armour bike App.   It says I can share my maps, but I have been hesitant to share.

Those who like to bike on Keegans Bayou Trail should be aware that the flood control people are reworking Keegans Bayou, probably for the next little while, between Southwest Fwy and Dairy Ashford.   There is a lot of dirt piling up just off of Dairy Ashford, and the trail itself, between the freeway, and Kirkwood will also be affected.

Back to the Beginning

 If you have recently discovered my rambling thoughts on Houston B Cycle and the almost-over Tour de Bicycle, and don't quite understand what is going on, let me suggest that you scroll down to September 25.   It was just a month ago, and I did give an overview of the fun, but no one seems to have read it.

And (Ms Northen, English III, told me to never start a sentence with 'And"), as you are reading any of these posts, I remind you that part of social media, is being "social".    At the end of each post, there is a place to comment.   Please.    I know someone is there, because my view meter says something like 30 people peeked at this blog, but its been a while since anyone offered a comment.   Agree, disagree, tell me how you did it, share your thoughts on the crazy idea of riding all over Houston looking for a geeky bike with a basket.   By the way, I now look for the biggest basket, so I don't have to WEAR my backpack.

Hermann Park Conservancy will sponsor its 8th annual Park to Port Ride Saturday, November 5, 7:30am at the Bill Coats bridge.    About 20 mile ride to Mason Park and back.   Last year, it was about the most organized thing I went to .

Hermannpark.org   

Will I see you there?

Uptown and Memorial Park

   

One of the challenges of bicycling as well as B Cycling, is getting to the start point, if you live some distance away.  I have gotten pretty good at taking Park & Ride buses down Southwest Freeway to downtown and the Medical Center, and then getting on my own bike, or using a B Cycle, but how the heck can you get to the Post Oaks and 4 Oaks Station in Up Town?

I am very leary of parking in Houston.   Commercial Park garages charge too much, and most store parking lots have signs that threaten to tow me away if I am not a customer.   One of my favorite group of videos on YouTube are the tow truck videos (GTOGER) where idiots who ignore the numerous signs, come back to find they must pay $150 if they want their car back.

What to do then?   Well, in Uptown, there is the Silver Line.   This is a bus that acts like a Metro Rail train, with it's own dedicated roadway, and stations, but without the massive cost of  overhead power and tracks.   I parked at the Lower Uptown station on West Park and took this novelty.   Do not be afraid of the fact it's a bus, I was almost the only rider.   The bus took me right to the 4 Oaks station area.    Stopped at one of the nicer McDonald's for a fish sandwich, and then crossed the street to look for the B Cycle Station.    Aah, someone is getting sneaky!   The app said there were four bike, and not only were there NOT four bikes, slots 10, 11, and 15, that showed bikes, the slots didn't exist!    What the......?   I looked around for a few minutes, and found the rest of the station a block away!    Don't I have enough trouble with technology?

Got me an E Bike and headed North East, following Uptown Park Blvd right to the Loop frontage road, where I turned left onto an almost hidden, but very smooth concrete trail that took me North to Woodway, where I crossed under 610 Loop and entered Memorial Park.   Full separation from car traffic, put the brain in neutral and cruise!   I soon found myself at the Living Bridge and a B Cycle station.   The Living Bridge makes about 3/4 of a circle up and over Memorial Drive, then falls prey to construction detours.   That's OK, I had nothing  else to do.   

I followed a very nice dirt/crushed gravel trail that followed the Memorial Loop Dr, a fair piece until I found a legal way to cross loop drive and headed back South where I picked up an East Bound trail that took me around the Land Bridge construction and almost out of the park before it would let me cross Memorial and go to the MP Picnic Loop, where another bike station is.    Continue West on the trail.

Right in the middle of Houston, it looks like they are recreating the prairie that once was here.   The city planners, I guess they miss their Tonka Trucks,  are constructing two land bridges over

Memorial Drive and I hope eventually there will be cool trails over them.   But right now, I kept going west until  I encountered the trail that parallels the railroad.   A bonus today was two trains heading south at the same time.   I will tell you the first one was going to Sugarland Business Park, because I have chased that one so often, that I know these things!

I got back on the Memorial Drive trail and headed back to Uptown, with a minor trip down South Post Oak lane.   Total distance on the bike: 7.19 miles, but I could have done a shorter trip into the park.

If you take your own bike on public transportation, remember:   Silver Line and Metro Rail, take the bike into the train.    standard city bus, put it on the rack on the front of the bus (there are only three steps and they are numbered!), and there is a rack under Park and Ride buses where you can slide your bike.   I would drop the seat before stashing.

And a final thought, it took me a long time of experimenting, but if I insert the pictures first, I can type around them and put the text next to the right image.    I can be taught, but it is very messy.

Texas Medical Center by Bicycle and a final Evening ride

 Wednesday, October 19.

I actually went by Bill Coats Bridge the other day, but its a cool bridge.

I drove to Hermann Park and grabbed a bike.   I visited B Cycle Stations South of Brays Bayou last Saturday, so today I just had to mop it up.   I have been joking that riding a bike in Houston is like playing Frogger.   The real game can be played in the Medical Center, at any Metro Station!   Try to cross lanes of traffic, only to find there is a train in your way, and there is no median of safety between the train and the car lanes!   But, none of the 257 ambulances in that area were for me!

A few blocks South East of the Metro, in the part of TMC where patients don't venture, is something called the Commons.   A food court with water wall on the outside!

Thursday evening, I was back in Hermann Park for a group ride through the Museum District.   It was a short ride, four stations.   We went past most of the more popular museums.

Our group consisted of about 7 young people (I'll guess around 20-30 yrs old) and me, who will turn 70 in November.   During introductions, one young man, after 3 weeks of riding, has four points.   I was feeling smug, until I realized it's not the age that makes a difference, it's the time!   I am fully retired and have made myself available up to three times a week.   I can take public transportation to Downtown and TMC and I have not been worried about getting to work on time.   So, time definitely makes a difference!  Which doesn't explain the first two gentlemen who finished this treasure hunt in two weeks!   My bike helmet is off to them.

So, anyways, I finished!   Mary tells me I get all sorts of SWAG, including the right to name a bike.  I don't do flashy nicknames, and my dog Cocoa really doesn't resonate with anyone but me, so I think I will ask for "DAN, THE MAN".    Many, in and out of my circle, seem surprised I did the Tour de Bicycle    Even more question WHY I did this biking exercise.   I'll tell you.   It was there, and I thought I just might be able to do it.  I saw interesting parts of Houston, previously unexplored by Nagel eyes.

Here is a thought for all of us.   I saw a number of people trying to figure out how to check out a bike, while those of us on this scavenger hunt would pull out our phone, or the cute little key fob, and be on our way in seconds.    Could we establish a volunteer group who would hang out at a couple of busy stations, like Centennial Park, or by the Zoo Train, with brochures, and a friendly offer of help?   If the first ride is frustrating, there may not be a second ride.   We might even suggest a couple of routes.   Give me a B Cycle T-Shirt, and a clipboard, and people will assume I know what I'm doing.

Here is one more thing before I change subjects:   Any time I had trouble with the station technology, I called the service desk.    Even if Daisy (also known to me as Angel) couldn't answer the phone, if I left a message and/or emailed her, my station problems were resolved very quickly.  The staff tell me that many of my fellow riders would yell at Daisy if things didn't go well.   Not nice at all.   It's not like we are on bikes that cost $20 and hour, a monthly pass is what?, $15?    Daisy kept me from getting stranded in some pretty isolated areas.   I met her last week, she is just as sweet as she sounds.

On to my exciting news!

I went riding in Alief (Southwest Houston) yesterday.   My ultimate goal was Der Wienerschnitzel on Hwy 6, but I'll tell you I was riding to see how the Brays Bayou Extension is doing.   Without crossing any construction barriers, I was able to ride 1.3 miles East from Arch Bishop Fiorenza Park, on eight foot wide concrete trail, with underpasses at Eldridge and Synott!   Serious work is being done all the way past Wilcrest.   It is very possible that Summer of next year, I will get an opportunity to ride from South of Addicks Dam, all the way East to the Ship Channel!  There is a great spot where Broadway meets Harrisburg Blvd, to look out across the ship channel and see ocean-going vessels up close and personal! 

Looking East from Synott Rd in Southwest Houston

Midtown by B Cycle

 Again, I am running behind on my posts.   This trip actually happened Monday, October 17.

I took the Park & Ride bus up Louisiana and got off around the Pierce Elevated.   YMCA let me use the restroom.    Hey, I'm almost 70, I don't pass up many opportunities.  My first intended stop was behind Randalls, but was out of service, so it good that I started at YMCA.   Then I started meandering around Midtown, defined, apparently, by B Cycle, as East of Spur 527, South of Pierce Elevated, West of 288, and North of 59, except for Peggy Park, which became my bridge to Texas Southern University.  Was that sentence too long for you?

I read the Historical Marker in the middle of Midtown.    Way back when, the state fairgrounds were here, with a baseball park and a racetrack, at the edge of the prairie that marked the end of Houston!   I enjoy the murals that have been constructed all over town.   I very much like the idea that most of them remain undisturbed by vandalism.

Houston Community College has their main campus here in Midtown, near the old Sears building, which is now The Ion

Columbia Tap Trail is one of my favorite Hike and Bike trails.   It goes from the soccer stadium, through TSU (my destination) across Brays Bayou, and ends at Dixie Road where a short ride will put you on the east edge of Hermann Park, and the Bill Coates Bridge.   This is one of Houston's Rails to Trails.   Years ago the railroad ran from about downtown, to West Columbia, on the Brazos.  "Tap" is a railroad term meaning the line was usually owned by the industries (sugar and cotton) that it served, and letting these industries tap into the main trunk line.   I enjoy rails to trails because of the lack of hills for my 70 year old knees. 

Had to take my picture because this station ate my bike!  Mary, at B Cycle will give you credit for out of service stations, if you show were actually there.  No need to notarize and certify.

Texas Southern University is a beautiful campus, fairly compact, and with five bike stations.   You can be at University of Houston in about 5 minutes, and at Hermann Park in about 15.   But TSU seems to be a much slower pace than UH, and also is not near as crowded.

Hermann Park has wonderful bike trails, Bill Coats Bridge, and the kiddy railroad.   It tried to rain pretty much all day, which kept the crowds away.   

Rice University is full of the super intelligent students, although they didn't LOOK any smarter than me.  Maybe one of them knows what this sculpture represents!

I finished up and went back by Memorial Hermann to catch the Park & Ride.   One of my fellow commuters had his bicycle, and I watched him load it in the compartment under the bus.   I had tried this last week, and maybe I read the instructions too carefully, because this guy literally threw his bike onto the rack and then slammed the rack shut!   And it fit!

We are getting very close to the 153rd B Cycle Station!

I