The first item, naturally, is getting to experience the joys of bike touring. I was thinking the other day while riding into Montreal that it is extraordinary that I was riding into Montreal. Twelve years ago when I first started riding in a reasonably serious manner, I told myself that one of the reasons for riding was to go on bike rides while on vacation. Little did I anticipate what a vacation retirement can be, nor where my rides would take me.
The second aspect of my life that I enjoy greatly is relatively new. A couple of years ago I stumbled on to a group in Tucson by the name of Living Streets Alliance (LSA). LSA's mission is to improve transportation-related infrastructure, in Tucson/Pima County, for pedestrians and cyclist. Being a volunteer with this group has opened a world that I am passionate about. Seeing what other cities/towns are doing for cyclist has brought great joy to my bike touring. The adjacent photo is of one of the many separated bike lanes/routes that are very common here in Montreal. Bike share (short-term rentals) is very prevalent also, with many rental stations scattered around the city. The last 20 miles of my ride into Montreal, this past Sunday, was on bike paths and roads along the lake shore. My guess is that there were between 1000 and 1500 cyclist out on this route. Very enjoyable.
Now, to the third item of enjoyment. Yesterday I took the "double-decker" bus tour of Montreal. Very good way to see the primary tourist spots of any large city. After the two-hour tour I returned to the Pointe-a-Calliere History Museum. While I had hoped to be able to learn more about the lead-up to the War of 1812 (British history is not a thing of pride in this area), there were some very informative displays of how the City of Montreal developed from the time of the early fur traders up to present day. But, for me, the highlight of my visit to the museum was yet to be seen/heard.
As a high schooler in the mid-60s, there was an invasion that had a great impact on even a naive kid living a naive life in Scottsdale, AZ. The Beatles!!! Even though I am a Medicare/AARP card-carrying member of society, the music and history of The Beatles brings much joy into my heart. I imagine when my sons get to be my age they will no doubt experience similar joy when they see a retrospective of the works of Vanilla Ice.
It is time to head off toward Quebec City ... three days of riding along Route Verte #5. My fear of all things French has dissipated to a great degree. I have found that most of the locals that I have interacted with speak both French and English ... and I have not experienced any of the reported "rudeness" that is so often reported. Lovely city ... I am glad I made the decision to come this way. By the way, Kim is having a wonderful ride over in the Lake Placid area ... if you so desire, you can follow her ride at Biking with the Tailwind.
So, it is time to load up the bike and head to Quebec City, then to Bar Harbor, Maine.
As I say, I am a lucky guy.
Hey lucky guy. We all hope that your luck bears fruit. Here is hoping that you arrive in Maine just as the colors burst.
ReplyDeleteIts starting to cool off just a bit back in Tucson. It should be perfect when you return.
Lucky? Maybe. Smart? For sure.
I hope I can do better than Vanilla Ice!
ReplyDeleteGood times... :-)
ReplyDeleteWonderful commentary and photos...when are you near Boston? call same cell # would love to see you
ReplyDeleteThe double decker bus ride must have been a real thrill which I too experienced in London 40 years ago. Good, good blog, Randy. Thanks to you, I am subscribing to the The Alliance and even here in backward El Paso, slowly the area is becoming more bicycle friendly.
ReplyDeleteBob in El Paso