I used to live on my bike. When I was a kid, it was my freedom and fun, completely. I think I was one of the last generations of kids who were allowed to pedal away from home Saturday morning and stay out until dark. As the sun would start setting, I’d listen for my mom’s super-powered whistle to ring through the canyon and I knew it was time to pedal home, fast. We didn’t have to worry about kidnappers … er, I guess we did (there was one window-less white van we always hid from … I think there’s one in every neighborhood). But I feel like times were still fun then (before Wii and the awareness of child predators). And I also feel super old as I read this and can genuinely say, “Back then …,” with fondness.
But over the weekend, I tasted a little of that childhood rush when my friend C invited me out on the bikes for a morning ride. The air was cold and crisp, and it was fun to push our way over the streets and through the forest (ok, maybe it was a nature area, but I can pretend).
Here are a few Hipstamatic shots from along the way. If you’re in the area, many of the shots are from Oak Grove Park, where you should definitely visit its nature center. And, did you know this is pretty much the best time ever to bird watch and enjoy their sweet chirps in the garden? Yup. It’s awesome.
Pretty photos! I wish I knew how to bike and make my own adventures to nature parks!!
I haven’t been on a bike in years; I, like you, used to live on my bike in the summers in Canada when I was a kid. Looks like you had a great time, and the photos are terrific! Thanks for sharing.
I don’t own a car, but a bike and ride it almost every day. I love going down new streets, discovering short cuts, scenery I never noticed before and that feeling of being a kid free to roam until dusk.
I will ride to the Farmer’s Market tomorrow. There is nothing more satisfying than a pleasant ride…