Riding with Dan
A couple of weekends ago, our friend Dan came to Seattle for a visit. In between talking, eating, and drinking, we also fit in a couple of bike rides. We were very intrepid.
We rode to Gas Works Park, the former site of a gasification plant. When the city bought the site to convert into a park, much of the former plant was preserved. It’s a gothic, rusting hulk that makes a fascinating contrast to the lush greenery of the park. Saturday was overcast, but the views of downtown and of the boats on Lake Union are always worth the trip.
We then took the Burke-Gilman Trail to nearby Fremont, and off-beat little neighbourhood that a bit self-consciously artsy, but is a great deal of fun. We checked out a second-hand book store, Theo’s Chocolate factory, and paid homage to the troll, who lives under a bridge and is clutching a real, full-size VW Beetle in one hand.
Then it was time for lunch at El Camino. The plantain chips with guacamole and pico de gallo were delicious. As were the margaritas.
At some point in the midst of all this, we had fancy coffees and cake at Simply Desserts. It was delicious, as always. Unfortunately, I was distracted by the chocolate and forgot to take a picture.
All in all, our bikes were a great way to visit and see some of the city. We kept a fairly relaxed pace, which allowed us to visit and sight see along the way. I didn’t want to use my road bike for these trips, because it’s quite a bit faster than the other bikes, making it hard to keep together. Plus it’s less comfortable with street clothes. However, we only have two other bikes, so we couldn’t all go out together. Luckily for me, Andrew took the parenting shift, so that Dan and I could go out. I may look into renting a bike next time we have visitors so that all of us can go out at the same time.