tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151683292024-03-07T22:09:58.701-05:00Velo FellowAndrew's adventures outside.Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09912451440409444061noreply@blogger.comBlogger305125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15168329.post-20635428120966750762021-06-13T11:30:00.003-04:002021-06-13T11:30:56.899-04:00Ready for Bikepacking weekend!<p>All ready for my bikepacking weekend next week! Starting in Bethel Maine and doing the <a href="https://www.xnhat.org/" target="_blank">Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail</a>. I'm camping 40 miles in, then I'll either ride back to Bethel the next day, or ride to the end if I can get a lift back to Bethel afterwards. My rig is better suited to a cross-continental odyssey, but it'll get the job done without any trouble - and humping a 45lb rig up and down the hilly NH terrain will be a good workout! Equipment includes my Thorn Adventure Tour with Rohloff hub, Tubus rear rack, Arkel panniers, and REI tent. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijSP8lNOpQJs8Bv-kYY2l_0Sx2n9ejKj1YyPjRD8BX9BvSL-MkUmaTcWOR36PdawObQaBfK2COfBpDE8bB3UkcxD2CCONi4pK2EU7E6ZOKBU1sUzFz18eo4oVAXH-MviLgBjLdCQ/s2048/IMG_7078.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijSP8lNOpQJs8Bv-kYY2l_0Sx2n9ejKj1YyPjRD8BX9BvSL-MkUmaTcWOR36PdawObQaBfK2COfBpDE8bB3UkcxD2CCONi4pK2EU7E6ZOKBU1sUzFz18eo4oVAXH-MviLgBjLdCQ/w400-h300/IMG_7078.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09912451440409444061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15168329.post-87727235908277957422020-10-10T12:12:00.001-04:002020-10-10T12:12:57.971-04:00Jack-It RV bike rack<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OIkHzRotEZ0" width="480"></iframe><br /><br />
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I replaced the manual tongue jack on our trailer with a new manual one (much more robust!) and installed this nifty Jack-It bike rack.Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09912451440409444061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15168329.post-88755992834881903512020-08-31T11:25:00.002-04:002020-08-31T11:25:45.795-04:00Half Marathon yesterday!<p>I had registered for a half marathon for this past weekend and only noticed it on my calendar last week - it was moved to next year. Instead, I decided to do one on my own. I came up with a perfect little route, starting at the Minuteman Visitors Center, mostly on traffic-free paths. It went great!</p>
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="405" scrolling="no" src="https://www.strava.com/activities/3986590747/embed/bf33020f81557892d1168f49951ab1490152130c" width="590"></iframe>Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09912451440409444061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15168329.post-23188506904877122212020-08-20T13:40:00.002-04:002020-08-31T11:18:33.876-04:00Kim's New Rivendell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRa8tqSsF5l7KRMInJOF34iByGg8K8SXRfzitHmOT5WQDyhkMtSdvR9IEqSKK9CwssCxAC4SdfCrSO9hvQ-28kvIu91hXi4_vhJRImT1YSWNctEE3EvXVjfo2yVvYRIlvDbZPSdw/s2048/IMG_6471.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRa8tqSsF5l7KRMInJOF34iByGg8K8SXRfzitHmOT5WQDyhkMtSdvR9IEqSKK9CwssCxAC4SdfCrSO9hvQ-28kvIu91hXi4_vhJRImT1YSWNctEE3EvXVjfo2yVvYRIlvDbZPSdw/w400-h300/IMG_6471.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>After Kim's beloved Rivendell Betty Foy was totaled almost exactly a year ago on our way to Acadia, we collected about $1600 from insurance. About $800 shy of the replacement value (hard to calculate, since we got Betty built up at a local shop, and Riv doesn't make that frame any more), but it was just about enough to cover a replacement.</p><p>So, after a wait of close to 5 months, we received a big box from Rivendell last week containing her brand new <a href="https://www.rivbike.com/products/clem-l-complete-bike-summer-2020">Clem Smith Jr.</a> (L for "Ladies"). It came literally the day before setting off for this year's Acadia adventure (largely unconsummated though, due to my back injury.) It's gorgeous, with some lovely details (lugs with heart cut-outs!), nearly rivaling her last one. </p><p>But better still, it's a more appropriate ride for her. With 26-inch wheels and a nice long wheelbase, it's a tip-of-the-hat to mountain bikes of yore and rides like a dream.</p><p>Very much looking forward to lots of fun family rides!</p>Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09912451440409444061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15168329.post-22445586740694590892020-08-20T10:37:00.001-04:002020-08-20T13:29:49.564-04:00Convalescing at Patten Pond<p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-789e5c10-7fff-36dc-01ed-910f1323e40e" style="color: black; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7j2GRDJ6d_Zt0wBwQUuSWRndmUyFbRApuPz1SraMOjGhyphenhyphenYBo0tYCvBRblp_Xm5iOpiYCxgSJ1G64-vYslLqBIBOtTb_Hbzyh2aGezj6-w4GZAZCGbXoxS_clIgpmCG90jQEYKQ/s2048/IMG_6499.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7j2GRDJ6d_Zt0wBwQUuSWRndmUyFbRApuPz1SraMOjGhyphenhyphenYBo0tYCvBRblp_Xm5iOpiYCxgSJ1G64-vYslLqBIBOtTb_Hbzyh2aGezj6-w4GZAZCGbXoxS_clIgpmCG90jQEYKQ/s640/IMG_6499.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-789e5c10-7fff-36dc-01ed-910f1323e40e" style="color: black; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-789e5c10-7fff-36dc-01ed-910f1323e40e" style="color: black; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Patton Pond. I am down by the water and it's a beautiful day. It's Thursday, but this is the first time I've been down here this week. I had planned to go to Acadia every day… But that plan was scuppered the moment I felt my back go out loading bikes onto the car when leaving the campsite in Wiscasset.</span></p><br style="color: black;" /><p dir="ltr" style="color: black; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Major bummer, trying to make the best of it. This is actually the first day I feel more or less human health wise. Kim and I got up at the ungodly hour of 3:45 AM and drove to the top of Cadillac Mountain to see the sunrise this morning. </span></p><br style="color: black;" /><p dir="ltr" style="color: black; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We often joke whenever we are on our way somewhere that all the cars we see around us are probably going to the same place… And this morning that turned out to be true. We couldn't quite figure out who all the other cars were on route three at 4 AM, and it turned out that a great many of them were indeed on their way to the top of the mountain as we were.</span></p><br style="color: black;" /><p dir="ltr" style="color: black; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We arrived at 5 AM and our steady stream of traffic more or less came to a halt about a quarter of a mile from the summit. Everyone just pulled off to the right, turned off their cars, and walked the rest of the way. I wasn't about to do that, as my back is a serious liability at this point. Instead, we just drove all the way up very slowly and double parked behind some extreme early arrivers. We sat on a wall along with literally hundreds and hundreds of other sleepy sunrise enthusiasts and waited for the sun to come up.</span></p><br style="color: black;" /><p dir="ltr" style="color: black; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Miracle of miracles, just before the sun made its appearance, I saw someone backing out of their parking spot right next to where we were squatting, I zipped right in and we were set!</span></p><br style="color: black;" /><p dir="ltr" style="color: black; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We stayed probably another 20 minutes or so and joined in with the rest of the sleepy, chilly crowd in applauding when the sun peeked over the horizon. We were also among the first to get back in our car for the dissent, and I am glad we were. There were cars parked on both sides of the road, leaving only enough room for a single lane of traffic going down. We got out of there relatively easily, but I'm sure it was a real nightmare for many of those who followed.</span></p><br style="color: black;" /><p dir="ltr" style="color: black; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We then took a circuitous route to bar Harbor, stopping at a few points along the way for more views on this beautiful clear morning. We ended up at Two Cat Café and ordered breakfast to go, which we ate in the park overlooking the harbor. Gorgeous!</span></p><br style="color: black;" /><p dir="ltr" style="color: black; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, while my back is feeling much better today, this morning's excursion is probably the most ambitious I will be this week. So no hiking, no biking unfortunately. But this morning's adventure is enough.</span></p> Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09912451440409444061noreply@blogger.com029 Pondview Way, Ellsworth, ME 04605, USA44.5502607 -68.55082819.888174191590288 -103.707078 69.21234720840971 -33.394577999999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15168329.post-16155934208596036652020-07-04T14:15:00.001-04:002020-07-05T07:07:17.620-04:00Guerciotti ad, mid 1980s<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5iHgNjVO-rzKTnFIz7axx1YW8MK9yNlsIRiSCJ7MQEh5_BOf5qLXGFtwUdKma1Ev-ISkjlTKvVBB3Xmp_qfnu1lsVrJ21Kz3lwT5als037mtJLlJ-M2ypvB_qJz1xROmOEqdsA/s1280/1C809D20-5399-4507-8FCB-D4429B606076.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="825" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5iHgNjVO-rzKTnFIz7axx1YW8MK9yNlsIRiSCJ7MQEh5_BOf5qLXGFtwUdKma1Ev-ISkjlTKvVBB3Xmp_qfnu1lsVrJ21Kz3lwT5als037mtJLlJ-M2ypvB_qJz1xROmOEqdsA/s400/1C809D20-5399-4507-8FCB-D4429B606076.jpeg" width="257" /></a></div>
Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09912451440409444061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15168329.post-42528269454777424842020-07-03T17:31:00.000-04:002020-07-03T17:31:47.967-04:00Best Berkshire RideI really love my new-ish job at <a href="https://www.nuance.com/index.html">Nuance Communications</a>. Lots to like about working there, including a bonus day off for the 4th of July! Since the 4th is on a Saturday this year, we have the 2nd and 3rd off. And because our annual Berkshires retreat with Nana and Papa is cancelled this year (for the same old reason....), I decided to treat myself and drive out to Lee and do one of my favorite rides.<div><br /></div><div>I left the house with my Raven around 6am and arrived in Lee just two hours later. I parked near the venerable <a href="https://www.ihg.com/holidayinnclubvacations/hotels/us/en/south-lee/psfcv/hoteldetail?">Oak N Spruce</a>, where we usually stay. </div><div><br /></div><div>My route (<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/3704679433">shown on Strava</a>, along with photos!) was all familiar territory. I started by riding south, and rode up Jerusalem Rd, with my favorite view of all at the top:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIEu1x-tYySFHJTO-dS_mICQTi6qyl2YTAW9bKHD97MG_h5-nBKUSittHFXFIwno4Cool5Jy7jWTSm11aD-mY2q48k0ncF5GDlAboODtfr-ikQT_-SUQQmrY7Vv7D_o08YX9cYLA/s4032/jerusalem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIEu1x-tYySFHJTO-dS_mICQTi6qyl2YTAW9bKHD97MG_h5-nBKUSittHFXFIwno4Cool5Jy7jWTSm11aD-mY2q48k0ncF5GDlAboODtfr-ikQT_-SUQQmrY7Vv7D_o08YX9cYLA/w500-h375/jerusalem.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>My descent into Tyringham was steep and quick (almost 50mph), with lovely views of the cemetery and church steeple to the left - but it's nicer in the fall. From there, the hill up to Monterey was long and torturous as usual. At least I did it early in the day, so maybe I had a little of my morning caffein left in my system. </div><div><br /></div><div>In Monterey, I was reminded that the General Store was still out of commission, but it looks like construction is continuing. I really hope it'll be open by this time next year! I've had lots of nice early morning snack breaks there. Heading out of Monterey, I passed <a href="https://www.gouldfarm.org/roadside-store-and-cafe/">the Roadside</a>, which, surprisingly, was open. But I passed it by and proceeded on to Great Barrington. </div><div><br /></div><div>GB was bustling - lots shops and restaurants seemed open (as was the case pretty much everywhere around there). My longest uninterrupted stretch of quiet road followed, north through Alford to West Stockbridge. I was planning to have the lunch I'd brought with me at Olivia's Overlook - after another long climb. So in West Stockbridge, I took a break at my favorite coffee place in the world, No Six Depot. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0uV9_YbYCp_mWyK4mkpx4Z5EoUgD8jYFK-933iKTcZz6DmxhccfWfYebJeBNMtogWLlKIu4sZZSzjeak1gmD3IFGSo1Ycls1-6M49uNT0IhcwzxyBjmnRoaIwtVFF0cSp-zJdg/s4032/sixdepot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0uV9_YbYCp_mWyK4mkpx4Z5EoUgD8jYFK-933iKTcZz6DmxhccfWfYebJeBNMtogWLlKIu4sZZSzjeak1gmD3IFGSo1Ycls1-6M49uNT0IhcwzxyBjmnRoaIwtVFF0cSp-zJdg/w500-h375/sixdepot.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>That gave me sufficient energy to make it up the hill to <a href="https://www.bnrc.org/trails-and-maps/top-berkshire-trails/yokun-ridge/">Olivia's Overlook</a>, and I had a nice turkey sandwich and potato chips overlooking Stockbridge Bowl far below. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpZ29cLKsiFsS13A-SUQOCYeNxl1FYKpxOmn_QNUU9-uqS23TPb1sYP8HV4qtf1dVUipOXqxhGM1znjc9fpgI9y0o9giIvZ2jETojELzayQQZ6ZFWe5IJmMcIJzB6UtuhuK6AQ-g/s4032/olivia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpZ29cLKsiFsS13A-SUQOCYeNxl1FYKpxOmn_QNUU9-uqS23TPb1sYP8HV4qtf1dVUipOXqxhGM1znjc9fpgI9y0o9giIvZ2jETojELzayQQZ6ZFWe5IJmMcIJzB6UtuhuK6AQ-g/w500-h375/olivia.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The descent from Olivia's Overlook took me past <a href="https://www.bso.org/brands/tanglewood-music-center/explore-the-tanglewood-music-center.aspx">Tanglewood</a>, right into Lenox. I felt like I was in the home stretch after that, and continued along Housatonic Rd to the little footbridge behind the old Lenox railway station. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5t1OOTZktuJpMNAiPFjkHgBvh4ZCPTPY4uxWX14gn4kdghYpL-iJBTkR7PW0IwRymP6M_92v8IMVoDKbGnJ8ekPGNwTzwpHKDRmvWACjLGo7fvDNfkUtCzKmpaSaKFX7dPFPpbA/s4032/bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5t1OOTZktuJpMNAiPFjkHgBvh4ZCPTPY4uxWX14gn4kdghYpL-iJBTkR7PW0IwRymP6M_92v8IMVoDKbGnJ8ekPGNwTzwpHKDRmvWACjLGo7fvDNfkUtCzKmpaSaKFX7dPFPpbA/w500-h375/bridge.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>From there, I took the gravel road along Woods Pond to the <a href="https://www.mass.gov/locations/october-mountain-state-forest">October Mountain State Forest</a> campground, where I gratefully used a restroom.</div><div><br /></div><div>(I'd been dreaming of camping there since the day we got our camper.... but discovered that there are no hookups available - boondocking only! So we'll need to get to be a little more experienced before tackling that. And maybe get a generator.)</div><div><br /></div><div>So after that, I rode into Lee and took Fairview back to the car. NOTE TO SELF: Fairview is brutal, with a couple very steep hills, and is ALWAYS a regrettable approach to my starting point... but I never seem to remember that.</div><div><br /></div><div>All in all, a GREAT ride, about 51 miles, including over 4200 ft of climbing! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09912451440409444061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15168329.post-19045086988290860042020-07-02T19:27:00.001-04:002020-07-03T16:42:59.777-04:00Weekend on the Cape<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For our second trip with the camper, we decided to go to the seashore. We hadn't been to Cape Cod really since our infamous Nickerson camping trip 10+ years ago when everybody came home with ticks. The drive to Truro reminded me why: the traffic was horrendous, and it took almost 4 hours to get there. Ugh. Plus, the AC in the Pathfinder broke during our last camping trip, so it was very hot indeed.<br />
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We camped at <a href="https://www.abcamping.com/abcapecod/">Horton's "Camping Resort"</a> in Truro. The campground wasn't bad, all things considered I guess. It's a spin-off from a chain with another campground near by. The main one is ridiculously jam packed and totally unappealing. Horton's has much more space, but no more personality. It's pretty big, including one whole bit that's disused, and scattered with carcasses of abandoned RVs. We never did see anyone working there, except (I think) for a woman with two giant off-leash dogs that scared the bejesus out of us when we arrived.<br />
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Our site was fine. I was able to reverse in (with Kim's help!) without much trouble. There were some tent sites across the way, and the spots on either side of us were empty when we arrived. Once we were settled in, a nice family came in with a beautiful, brand new trailer - a <a href="https://forestriverinc.com/rvs/travel-trailers/flagstaff-e-pro/E20BHS/5228">Flagstaff E-Pro</a>. I have to admit that I was briefly obsessed with it... it has many more deluxe features than ours. On the other hand, it was much more expensive, so I really can't complain! The mom is the proprietress of The Painted Pastry, a cookie baking enterprise on the North Shore. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBodrKXANBM/">Here's some more info about them - and their trailer</a>!<br />
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The next day, a couple checked in on the other side of us with a <a href="https://www.scamptrailers.com/">Scamp</a> - an eensy weensy trailer, very cute. I also became briefly obsessed with that, but I it was a passing fancy. Our next trailer will be an <a href="https://www.airstream.com/">Airstream</a> anyhoo.<br />
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The best thing about the campground was the location - an easy walk to Highland Lighthouse:<br />
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And a very easy bike ride to Coast Guard Beach, where we spent several hours baking in the sun, wading in the surf, and watching the seals!<br />
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One day, we ventured into Provincetown for a walk around, and even ate out for the very first time since the pandemic hit. It's an adorable town, I'm sure it's utter pandemonium when evening rolls around. But it wasn't terribly busy when we were there. We enjoyed our early dinner at <a href="https://ptownpatio.com/">Patio</a>, where they had good food and very nice outdoor seating with plexiglass dividers between the booths.<br />
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We debated bringing the bikes.... since we're using the trailer hitch to pull a trailer, we don't have a good place to put our four bikes. I'm debating getting a roof rack for the car ($1000+!!!), but we loaded all four into the camper and that worked just fine!<br />
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So we had some nice family rides around the campsite, and to the beach. And I did an epic ride down to P-town, around and back. Gorgeous! The bike paths are a little bit of a hodgepodge way out there, but there were lots of them, and I barely had to be on the road at all. All the paths are exceptionally well maintained, and I barely saw anyone else. Paths went through thick forest, sand dunes, and along the beach. Couldn't be better! <a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/3642957285">Here are the details on Strava</a>.<br />
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And then on Father's Day, I did a <a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/3648312143">fantastic 8-mile run around Truro</a>, including views of bay and ocean!<br />
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<br />Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09912451440409444061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15168329.post-68912863459534448342020-06-07T16:35:00.000-04:002020-06-07T17:31:55.770-04:00Christening the new camper<h3>
Our New Camper</h3>
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I've been fascinated by RVs since middle school. I used to get RV mags and read them when we were on family trips each summer. More recently, I've enjoyed going to the RV show each Februry at the Boston Convention Center. Until this year - the car show has been at the same venue at the same time for ages, but not this time for some reason. I chose the car show this year, I guess figuring that I was more likely to actually buy a new car long before I'd even consider a camper.<br />
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Until the pandemic hit, anyway. By the beginning of May, all of our travels and summer camps were cancelled, and we figured this would be the ideal time to think about a camper. I was reluctant (could we afford it? where would we put it? how much would we really use it? will our car pull it?) but relented after finding the brand new <a href="https://rv.campingworld.com/launch/coleman-17b">Coleman Lantern 17b</a>. It was a total bargain, relatively speaking. For around $10k, we got everything we need, weighing in at around 3100 lbs dry, well below our supposed capacity of 5000 lbs.<br />
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It's got bunks for the girls, a mini-queen for Kim and me, a little dinette that converts to another bed, a bathroom with shower, AC, electric fireplace, and a bluetooth stereo with speakers in the ceiling. It sat in our driveway for three weeks or so, while we waited for campgrounds to open.<br />
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<h3>
Our Weekend in Littleton</h3>
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So campgrounds in state parks won't open until July, but private campgrounds could open this weekend (June 6-7). Since we really had no idea what we were doing, we wanted to do something as close to home as possible, and it really couldn't be much closer than the <a href="https://minutemancampground.com/">Boston Minuteman Campground</a> in Littleton Mass. 31 minutes away, in fact - straight out Rt 2.<br />
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We reserved a pull-thru site (no. 14) with 30 amp electric, water, sewer, and cable (we didn't use the cable) to arrive on Friday and leave on Sunday. Kim and I both had super busy weeks at work, so our packing was a little haphazard. We got all the basics in the car though, including food and drink for three days - the highlight being a pound of lobster salad from <a href="https://www.freshpondseafood.com/">Fresh Pond Seafood</a> for lobster rolls on Saturday nite. Mmnmmm!<br />
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<h4>
Day One</h4>
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The staff were super nice and super duper helpful! On arrival somebody escorted us to our site and showed us how to hook everything up. It's complicated! We spent the next few hours unpacking provisions and implements into the cabinets, making our beds, and setting up our camp kitchen and Coleman stove.<br />
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Dinner our first night was going to be hot dogs and hamburgers (with veggie facsimiles for Gem) but stuck to hamburgers instead since it was getting late and we'd been snacking. Of course we topped off the night with a couple rounds of s'mores, then everybody slept well.<br />
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<h4>
Day Two</h4>
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I was up early the next morning (as usual) and had a cup of coffee in our camper-size Keurig. (Our little kitchen even has a handy place to store the pods!)<br />
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Finding a good route to run in a strange area can be a little nerve-wracking, and it was this time. I was just going by a Google map of the area, so my route the first day ended up taking me through a quiet-on-the-weekend industrial area and a long gravel road through forest and some wetlands. Fine, but nothing breathtaking. <a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/3572023844">Here's the route</a>. 4 miles at a pretty good clip.<br />
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The girls (and I, to be honest) were a little anxious about how we'd spend our time, since the clubhouse and the pool were closed. That turned out to be not an issue at all. We spent a good part of the day on Saturday making and eating breakfast, walking around the campground gawking at other campers and their rigs, and reading or whatever. (I went thru a 6-inch stack of back-issues of <i>Bicycling</i> from the early 1980s.) Also had a nice time playing Taboo and Bob's Burgers Clue (which I won, for a change). We had dinner around 6, consisting of sandwiches for the girls and lobster rolls with cole slaw for Kim and Me.<br />
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Then more s'mores, and inside just as it started to rain hard.<br />
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Our movie night (thanks to Amazon Prime Video streaming on a laptop) consisted of the classic RV film <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0449089/">RV</a>. It was no good of course, and we lost the girls halfway through and ended up watching a classic ep of Bob's Burgers.<br />
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<h4>
Day Three</h4>
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Our last day started a lot like the second one - coffee and a run. This time I stuck to this side of the tracks - both literally and metaphorically. No more factories or fallouts - it was all beautiful houses with big lawns, horses, and cows. I ended running a good way into Harvard Mass before turning around and heading back for about 5.4 miles at a great pace - 9:29 / mile. It was another out-and-back, but I figured out later that I could have done a circuit, which only would have added another 0.4. Next time!<br />
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We had some nice scrambled eggs and veggie sausages for breakfast, loaded everything up, and were home in a half hour!<br />
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<h3>
The Ins and Outs</h3>
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One of the more daunting aspects of RV life is all the technical ins and outs. Apparently, you're supposed to figure everything out based on one flimsy user manual and a 45-minute walkthru when you drive off the sales lot. Good thing we have YouTube and Facebook! There's an active FB group for Coleman owners, and I posted lots of questions over the weekend, from how to turn on the water heater to how to undo the hitch. It's complicated because there are so many manufactures and models, that they're all a little different. Answers to the water heater question were all over the place until somebody chimed in who has the same exact model. (Turns out you just have to run the water, then turn on the heater. And voila!)<br />
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The really scary thing is all the hookups and hoses. But the sewage dumping thing was awesome! Gross, but awesome! No spills or leaks, and I think we got everything cleaned and emptied just fine, no issues.<br />
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The thing that really stymied us was the fact that we couldn't figure out how to unhitch it from the car easily. It was a big rigmarole, with cajoling and scootching back and forth. Then Kim figured out that there's a little locking tab on top of the ball, and we hadn't been pulling it out all the way. Fine, we'll get it right next time.<br />
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The shower and toilet worked really great too.<br />
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The biggest worry had been how it would get along with our car. And it went just fine. Gas mileage was much better than it had been on the way home from the dealership - right around 21mpg. I think it's because this time I pushed the "Tow" button and a little corresponding light came on in the car. I have no idea what the difference would be, since I think the lights and brakes work regardless (as long as the electrical cable is plugged in.)<br />
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We're hitching straight up to a ball connected to the 2in receiver that came with the tow package on the car. There's lots of talk out there about getting extra stabilizer and load balance bars installed, but I really don't see any point in doing that at this point. (There were lots of people at the campsite with bigger trailers and similar tow vehicles.)<br />
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<h3>
Next Time</h3>
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We're already looking for a campground for Father's Day weekend. Can't wait!<br />
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<br />Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09912451440409444061noreply@blogger.com0Boston Minuteman Campground, 264 Ayer Rd, Littleton, MA 01460, USA42.5499514 -71.53684717.027916899999997 -112.845441 68.0719859 -30.228252999999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15168329.post-4172336718075900732020-05-24T17:00:00.000-04:002020-05-24T17:03:00.763-04:00Memorial Day 2020 - Family RideWhat can you do during a pandemic on Memorial Day Weekend? Well, I did a good run yesterday (6 miles in Minuteman National Historical Park. I'll probably do the same tomorrow.<br />
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Today, though, we did a family bike ride, all four of us. And what a ride! The day was gorgeous, if a little chilly. We left the house right on time at 9am and rode up the Minuteman trail to the end. It was pretty crowded between Arlington and Lexington - sometimes uncomfortably so. We were all masked up and still warming up a bit, and I wasn't sure how the day would go. But once the crowds thinned out, we picked up the pace, everyone was having fun, and it was clear that we were in for a nice day.<br />
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From the end of the bike path in Bedford, we rode up Railroad Ave towards Concord, which eventually merged onto Rt 62 into Concord Center, and then another short shot to the Old North Bridge Visitors' Center. We had a short diversion to the Great Meadow Lookout tower and admired the lovely views there. There seems to be an easy, direct route to our destination from there, but no bikes allowed unfortunately.<br />
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We found a great shady spot under a tree and set up our picnic. There were a good number of people there, but not crowded by any means, and everyone kept their distance and pretty much behaved as far as I could see. I'd filled one entire pannier with goodies, including pretzels, sandwiches, Wegman's Picnic Chicken, Fig Newmans, carrots, grapes, and apples.<br />
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We stayed there eating and relaxing for about 90 mins before finally heading home. The ride out was about 15 miles, and everyone did really great! It was another 13 home, and some of us struggled a bit - but no substantial complaining, and everyone was very pleased with themselves at the end.<br />
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All the bikes also behaved well - and Kim was on her 18-year-old Fahrrad Manufaktur, which I dusted off just the other day! She'll have her new Rivendell soon - then we can avoid lots of the roads we were stuck on today by using the Narrow Gauge Trail and the Reformatory Branch Trail.<br />
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What threatened to be the biggest challenge of the day was all the public bathrooms being closed. I was super worried about that, but we managed fine. I unreservedly made use of hidden spots off the side of the road, and the girls held out until finally succumbing at the Lexington Cumberland Farms.<br />
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Awesome day all round!<br />
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<br />Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09912451440409444061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15168329.post-65790761308552455102020-05-22T16:22:00.002-04:002020-05-22T16:23:24.274-04:00The Christiania's New HomeSo, it was only a matter of time before we outgrew our wonderful Christiania cargo trike. The girls were too big to ride in it, and it really wasn't practical to use it around town. I knew another family would make good use of it, so I tried selling it here and there.<br />
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No results for ages. But then in February of 2016, I saw an email on a Boston family cycling Google Group:<br />
<blockquote>
Anyone out there looking to sell their Christiania cargo bike (or similar trike) this spring or summer by any chance? It's a long shot, but I thought I might get lucky with this group.</blockquote>
What? Incredible. And a dozen or so emails and $1200 later, a nice young family pulled up with a rented van, and it was gone.<br />
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Then six months later, I got a lovely email from them with a handful of pictures.<br />
<blockquote>
Hope you and your family are well! I just wanted to drop you a line to say we are LOVING the Christiania. We are all moved into our new place in Pittsford, NY and ride the trike to the library, bakery, dairy, and up and down the Erie Canal daily. We get all kinds of nice comments and questions (as I'm sure you did too!)--a great conversation starter in a new place. It's been so much fun--and man, a great thigh workout too! I'm sharing a few pics so you can see what your old ride is up to these days. Thanks again!</blockquote>
I'd love to ride the Erie Canal path with the fam. Maybe we'll make it up to the Rochester area one of these days and run across these guys.<br />
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<br />Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09912451440409444061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15168329.post-79646590575272367972020-05-22T16:02:00.001-04:002020-05-22T16:02:35.978-04:00What? A new post!After AGES, I'm back. I'm also going to start focusing on cycling again. And some running I guess.<br />
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One bright side of the ridiculous quarantine situation we're in is that (like many others) am eating better, sleeping more, and getting a lot more exercise. Which has included running every day since February (3-9 miles per day). I did a nice ride last weekend and a really good one today before work - so I'm hoping to get 20+ miles on the bike in at least 3 times per week starting today.<br />
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I've been really inspired recently because:<br />
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It's springtime (okay, now summer!)! It's relatively easy to run a few miles in gruesome weather, but sunny skies and dry surfaces are really much more conducive to biking.<br />
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I've been helping Gemma clear out the attic, which includes literally hundreds of back issues of cycling mags. Turns out we brought at least 5 years' worth of Cycling Plus magazine back with us from London. It's such a good magazine.... I had a lot of fun last weekend poring over back issues - including March 2004, with the first full review of the Raven Adventure Tour. That's the review that sparked my obsession with the Rohloff derailleur and ultimately ended up with me going up to Somerset and being fitted for my very own Raven.<br />
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The girls are now both reasonably cyclists, and they have nice Specialized hybrid bikes - they should be able to keep up with me on most any adventure I should dream up, I should think.<br />
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And I just (minutes ago!) ordered a new Rivendell for Kim to replace her beloved Betty Foy. (Why? It's a long story, which I hope to tackle another day). I'm sure that she's going to LOVE her new Clem Smith L, when it arrives in July! Rivendell put them on sale at 3pm today, and I'm pretty sure I was one of the very first buyers. No need for a seat or pedals - Betty will be the organ donor. Here it's a pic from the Rivendell website - what a beaut!<br />
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More to come!Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09912451440409444061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15168329.post-56823112757019051062014-04-05T12:37:00.001-04:002014-04-05T15:27:41.344-04:00Playing Sound of Music with just one tromboneI'm now doing my second run of the sound of music as a single trombone in the orchestra. It is scored for two, plus the tuba.<div><br></div><div>I suspect that, more often than not, orchestras will do it this way. The second bone part and to the tuba part aren't exactly superfluous, but it is reasonably easy to cover all the best bits with one instrument. (As long as the instrument is a large bore symphonic horn, that is. Also presuming that there is someone playing the trumpet book. There are several spots with unison trumpet and first trombone, and I've tried to avoid those, opting for harmony parts instead.)</div><div><br></div><div>There really isn't much of any interest in the tuba book, but here are the numbers where I've been playing second instead of first. </div><div><br></div><div>6. My favorite things - m167 to the end</div><div><br></div><div>21. The grand waltz</div><div><br></div><div>24. So long, farewell - play cues at m93</div><div><br></div><div>28. Climb every mountain - m28 to the end</div><div><br></div><div>29. Entr'acte</div><div><br></div><div>32. Reprise: my favorite things</div><div><br></div><div>37a. Processional</div><div><br></div><div>37b. Canticle (if nothing else 37a and 37b are crucial - and fun to play)</div><div><br></div><div>46. Finale ultimo</div><div><br></div><div>47. Bows - m53 to the end</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09912451440409444061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15168329.post-57605575619830173032014-04-05T12:23:00.001-04:002014-04-05T12:23:16.126-04:00Actors' performance notesFor Elsa's second go at Gretl (Footlight Club this time), I made up a little notebook for her to keep track of the notes given by the choreographer, director, and music director after each rehearsal.<div><br></div><div>I had a page for every number and act that she was in. I started with some notes that I already had for her, and some from the directors. Then, after each rehearsal, we took any additional notes and wrote them in by hand.</div><div><br></div><div>Then, we reviewed them before each subsequent rehearsal and performance! Organizing the notes this way made it much easier to review scene by scene and number by number, and it made a big difference!</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ62Vi_M3QDwXiyrpm9GPKFSKOQneJ3UCUiAltg-VBcWyy76dFjMeokW48-s3Jh8CgYH9yHSU4y8gcAvrHkf4o8lPuYnBhajHpohyphenhyphenSqu-f8HUS68Ae2BAOHjCReqEvhDEwsSu7zg/s640/blogger-image-373701832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ62Vi_M3QDwXiyrpm9GPKFSKOQneJ3UCUiAltg-VBcWyy76dFjMeokW48-s3Jh8CgYH9yHSU4y8gcAvrHkf4o8lPuYnBhajHpohyphenhyphenSqu-f8HUS68Ae2BAOHjCReqEvhDEwsSu7zg/s640/blogger-image-373701832.jpg"></a></div>Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09912451440409444061noreply@blogger.com0Jamaica Plain Boston42.310346 -71.116067tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15168329.post-42265246941634699202014-03-08T07:37:00.001-05:002014-03-08T08:40:14.523-05:00CCB Spring Concert<div dir="ltr">
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Our first concert with Lucinda Ellert as director went great! Especially considering the limited rehearsal time we had. We were at the <a href="http://www.elks.org/lodges/home.cfm?lodgenumber=2310">Elks again</a>, and that worked just fine for us. Because she had a conflict later in the day, we swapped our part of the program with the jazz band, and I think that worked okay - it didn't present any real problems, anyway.</div>
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Our audience was pretty good - they outnumbered the band, which isn't something we could boast of at some of our our concerts!</div>
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I also enjoyed introducing Lucinda at the start.</div>
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<b>Here's our program:</b></div>
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<li>Flourish for Wind Band (listen below!)</li>
<li>Army of the Nile</li>
<li>First Suite in Eb</li>
<li>The Sun Will Rise Again (listen below!)</li>
<li>The Magic of Andrew Lloyd Webber</li>
<li> Suite Miniature*</li>
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<li>III. Moment Triste</li>
<li>IV. Tarentelle</li>
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<li>Eros Thanatos*</li>
<li>Festival March*</li>
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* Arranged and directed by Timothy Moore<br />
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<object height="81" width="100%"><param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/138544635&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true&show_playcount=true&show_comments=true"></param>
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<embed allowscriptaccess="always" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/138544635&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true&show_playcount=true&show_comments=true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%" height="81"></embed></object><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ahconway/flourish-for-wind-band">Flourish For Wind Band</a> by <a href="https://soundcloud.com/ahconway">ahconway</a>
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<object height="81" width="100%"><param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/138544637&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true&show_playcount=true&show_comments=true"></param>
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<embed allowscriptaccess="always" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/138544637&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true&show_playcount=true&show_comments=true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%" height="81"></embed></object><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ahconway/the-sun-will-rise-again">The Sun Will Rise Again</a> by <a href="https://soundcloud.com/ahconway">ahconway</a></div>
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Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09912451440409444061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15168329.post-46701154859187571952014-03-02T10:03:00.001-05:002014-03-02T10:03:32.693-05:00Trombone's POV in the Pit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipAVCRRv850ozBHI_6AEFfLtPzzvZ_YcebXElOa1yBuQXB9roAxpKYHroGyS9CgaN7q_pT7FKRzpLuViYTlLm4Pn5Sjnjx3z7TOaCw4psjFyZUeQ2VVL27iCJk9LBmJCeUouLdKg/s1600/photo+(9).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipAVCRRv850ozBHI_6AEFfLtPzzvZ_YcebXElOa1yBuQXB9roAxpKYHroGyS9CgaN7q_pT7FKRzpLuViYTlLm4Pn5Sjnjx3z7TOaCw4psjFyZUeQ2VVL27iCJk9LBmJCeUouLdKg/s1600/photo+(9).JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here's my view from the pit. I'm at the back on this side, with only the percussionist behind me. Fortunately for me, I can see most of what goes on on stage when I'm not playing!</div>
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What I hear is usually quite different from what the audience hears. </div>
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Here's the Pirates overture from the audience.</div>
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<object height="81" width="100%"><param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/135455590&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true&show_playcount=true&show_comments=true"></param>
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<embed allowscriptaccess="always" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/135455590&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true&show_playcount=true&show_comments=true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%" height="81"></embed></object><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ahconway/pirates-overture">Pirates Overture</a> by <a href="https://soundcloud.com/ahconway">ahconway</a>
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And here's what I recorded from my seat:</div>
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<object height="81" width="100%"><param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/137520704&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true&show_playcount=true&show_comments=true"></param>
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<embed allowscriptaccess="always" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/137520704&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true&show_playcount=true&show_comments=true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%" height="81"></embed></object><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ahconway/sounds-from-saturday-evening">Pirates Overture from the Trombone's POV</a> by <a href="https://soundcloud.com/ahconway">ahconway</a>
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<br />Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09912451440409444061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15168329.post-27579364706190783782014-03-02T08:01:00.003-05:002014-03-02T08:01:51.696-05:00Candidate Statement for Sudbury Savoyards Board of TrusteesYesterday, I was elected to the <a href="http://www.sudburysavoyards.org/">Sudbury Savoyards</a> Board of Trustees. Here's my the statement I submitted to the group in advance as part of the election process.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfLC81u53pAG0rpz7batDvgu3Jti8-5pV1lMHgtP890eivkJDAzRwuIFXlVwSSw8Q0amr16BIoDlkfACdmRZcUj1ZgwozME25tWXICrNr_kEombazwIOZFKV0tJIMc7S-g73I1wQ/s1600/tuxy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfLC81u53pAG0rpz7batDvgu3Jti8-5pV1lMHgtP890eivkJDAzRwuIFXlVwSSw8Q0amr16BIoDlkfACdmRZcUj1ZgwozME25tWXICrNr_kEombazwIOZFKV0tJIMc7S-g73I1wQ/s1600/tuxy.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<b>ABOUT ME</b><br />
I’m a trombonist, and I live in Arlington with my wife and two daughters – all big G&S fans like me. The 2014 production of Pirates will be my third show with the Sudbury Savoyards, following The Gondoliers (2013) and Ruddigore (2012). I’ve also played The Mikado (second trombone, no less), The Yeomen of the Guard, and The Grand Duke, in addition to many other musicals. I’m the trombone section leader with the <a href="https://www.chelmsfordband.org/wordpress/">Chelmsford Community Band</a> and President of the band’s board. Before settling in Arlington, I lived in London for many years, where I developed my appreciation for all things Victorian.*<br />
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<b>WHY I'M INTERESTED</b><br />
The Sudbury Savoyards has a different feel from other musical or theatrical groups with which I’m involved – this could stem from the charitable focus, or the tradition of the cast applauding the orchestra in the music room after each performance, a rare phenomenon indeed! I’m very interested in learning about what goes on in a production outside of the pit, and this seems an ideal opportunity pop my head above the parapet. I’ve also developed a deep appreciation for Gilbert and Sullivan and I would relish a chance to broaden my exposure beyond the trombone book. Finally, I admire the dedication of the Sudbury Savoyards to relief of world hunger, and I would be honored to have a more direct role in supporting this mission.<br />
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<b>WHAT I CAN OFFER</b><br />
Apart from my boundless energy, enthusiasm, and curiosity, I do have a handful of practical skills that may prove useful. I led the search committee for a new conductor of the Chelmsford Band, so I’d be quite comfortable helping find directors. I also have lots of experience with nonprofit groups and fundraising. I’m an I.T. guy in my day job, with various social media and marketing mumbo jumbo thrown in, if that’s any help.<br />
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* With the possible exception of doiliesAndrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09912451440409444061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15168329.post-23665157096346087192013-08-24T12:36:00.001-04:002014-03-01T10:31:12.443-05:00Acadia Camping 2013<div>
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So, for my first non-bikey blog post, we can start with our yearly Acadia camping trip with our friends. As with many of our summer plans this year, this trip was curtailed by theatrical commitments... This time, we need to be in Lexington for the DASH awards ceremony where Elsa's Sound of Music is up for several honors.<br />
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So we cut our two nights to one and will have to hit the road early to head home.</div>
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That hasn't stopped us from having a great time, though! We started the day with lunch at Jordan Pond House (seated outside, despite a bracing wind!), and worked it off on a beautiful 3-mile hike around Bubble Pond. It warmed up nicely too. </div>
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We had made reservations for 2:15 but queued up at 11ish instead and made the first seating without any trouble at all. That's the way to do it - we even got our pick of parking places! </div>
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We headed over to Seawall campground mid-afternoon and checked in. Site D19. Nice to be easily accessible to the car, but they <i>really</i> pack you in here! Too close for comfort, really. </div>
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For dinner we got lobsters and other goodies from Sawyer's Lobster Pound nearby. Not too expensive and really good!</div>
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We capped off the day with some s'mores and tame ghost stories. </div>
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We do plan to be back again next year, but maybe Blackwoods campground. We had preferred the spaciousness of Seawall, but that seems to be luck of the draw. And next time we also want to do some biking, and Seawall us too far from the carriage roads to make that practical. Also hoping to do three nights so we can really make the most of it here.</div>
Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09912451440409444061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15168329.post-30315798869424880922012-04-22T07:32:00.001-04:002012-04-22T07:32:14.088-04:00Guerciotti's big florida adventureSpring breeeeeeaaaaaak!<br />
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It's great to be back in Palm Beach for a week with the family. Again, I'm trying to make the most of the weather and beautiful roads (okay, <i>road</i>). But this year, I've decided to forgo my usual rented racing bike and bring my Guerciotti from Boston.<br />
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I used a borrowed flight case and, I must say, it worked pretty well. It was a bit of a chore to disassemble my bike (stem/bars out, pedals off, wheels off, skewers out, seat/post out) because I'd never done it before and some parts were pretty stubborn. But once it was done, it was done.<br />
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JetBlue's policy is to charge $50 for a bike, but, remarkably, I wasn't charged at all - that could have been because my person didn't want to bother about it, but it was my only checked bag and I think it came in under the 50lb weight limit.<br />
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The thing I was most worried about was actually pre- & post-flight, but the bag did fit perfectly fine into the back of our Subaru and into Papa's trunk on this end. Whew!<br />
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And everything made the journey just fine.... almost. The points where the frame was supposed to attach to the bag came undone, so everything was rattling around in there and I got a couple little chips in the paint. Grrrr. (I'm planning to do a trip to Sephora later for some touch-up nail polish.)<br />
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I also discovered that I'd forgotten my old flea-bitten helmet, so I needed another. So I went to <a href="http://relentlessbicycles.com/">Relentless Bicycles</a> in Lake Worth to and got a new Giro for $40... I also got a basic Cateye cyclometer (which I have yet to install, already more than half way through our holiday). The dude there is really friendly and we had a nice time chatting about this and that. I love bike people. Mostly.<br />
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I've had a couple great rides so far down the island - one to Boca and back, another just to Delray. Nothing epic, but nice and quick and perfectly pleasant.<br />
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I've been enjoying using Strava to track my rides - more basic than MapMyWhatevers, but also less battery-hungry.<br />
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Hoping for another good ride today! Better get out there....<br />
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<br />Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09912451440409444061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15168329.post-39106233839252862162012-04-12T09:36:00.002-04:002012-04-12T09:36:55.418-04:00Chalk one up for John HenryJohn Henry might have been a steel-drivin' man, but I'm a wheel drivin' man. And I beat the train and will live to ride again, unlike poor Henry. (The creepiest children's song of all, IMO.)<br />
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I finally got it together to commute into Boston on my bike once again, and I made it door-to-door in 40 minutes. According to Google, the fastest route on the T is 53 minutes - but I don't think I've managed it in less than an hour.<br />
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I obeyed all the rules of the road as well.<br />
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I took the most direct route, which worked out at about 8.5 miles, not bad. On the way home, I took a more circuitous route amounting to 10.6 mostly traffic-free miles, which took 54 minutes, including my long, steep slog back up the hill to my house.<br />
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Not bad! Of course, I didn't see any clients today, so I didn't have to worry about changing - but if I can keep up this pace, I should have plenty of time for my ablutions on arrival from now on!Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09912451440409444061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15168329.post-66625522297556788382012-04-10T08:55:00.001-04:002012-04-11T08:37:42.087-04:00Another day on the TSo I didn't quite get my act together to bike all the way in today... But I did have a nice ride to Alewife and locked up there. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgyQ2iVYk33egW_lWRWcKyZPr59i4Yhp4OX_4HRDnWa5GxPUZvWBZpuyi5iSDJF7_iOQggWMGu7VcS2Vnfp75qroarTdmhcEUrdJZVXFkc5jUztc-FazzSJz0S0r1AUoAK9N6ZZg/s640/blogger-image--919211799.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgyQ2iVYk33egW_lWRWcKyZPr59i4Yhp4OX_4HRDnWa5GxPUZvWBZpuyi5iSDJF7_iOQggWMGu7VcS2Vnfp75qroarTdmhcEUrdJZVXFkc5jUztc-FazzSJz0S0r1AUoAK9N6ZZg/s400/blogger-image--919211799.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09912451440409444061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15168329.post-21132546846506208612012-04-09T13:27:00.001-04:002012-04-09T13:31:39.394-04:00I am a commuter againWith the advent of my new job (very exciting!), I find myself heading into Boston with increasing frequency.<br />
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Because I've been in a hurry and kitted out in relatively smart duds, I've been reluctant to bike all the way in - but that's due to change soon. It's chilly. Might rain. Must look spiffy. These are all the excuses I've heard from others for years and summarily poo-pooed. But they're pretty much what's been relegating me to the MBTA over the past couple weeks.<br />
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As a result, my average time door-to-door has been close to 2hrs for a trip of only about 10 miles. Infrequent and unreliable bus connections is the biggest culprit, but I've also spent plenty of time waiting on Red Line platforms. What a waste of time!<br />
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This will only get worse when they cut service this summer with a price rise to boot.<br />
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So today, at least, I biked to Alewife and caught the T (after a 20 min wait). Definitely an improvement over having to rely on a bus. <br />
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Tonight, I'm going to mount my trusty Ortlieb commuter bag and ride all the way in with a change of clothes tomorrow. <br />
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Probably. Unless it looks like rain...Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09912451440409444061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15168329.post-8706172810533731992012-04-03T16:59:00.002-04:002012-04-03T17:00:37.033-04:00My first Hubway ride<br />
It's a beautiful if chilly day in Boston. I've come into town for a meeting with my new client near Chinatown, and this morning, I got a message from Boston Bike Czar Nicole Friedman about the spring relaunch of <a href="https://www.thehubway.com/">the Hubway</a>, Boston's own bikeshare program.<br />
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I've been dubious of the program from the start... the climate, the limited number of bikes, and the great number of irresponsible students all seemed make it a non-starter in my book. But now I'm not so sure. I decided to get a bike at Park Street Station and ride it over to where Mayor Menino was speaking in Copley Square to see what's up.<br />
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All I needed to take out a bike was my credit card, and I paid $5 for 24 hours of bikes. The machine spit out a secret code, which I then punched in to the first bike bay - and I was off! The bike felt great - it was heavy of course, but that was barely noticeable. Very solid and easy to ride with a nice upright posture.<br />
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I rode through the Common and then walked across the Garden (trying to set a good example, you know), then down Newbury Street, and finally cut over to the Public Library, where the event was being held.<br />
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Lots of people were there, including a handful of my bike community buddies, so it was nice to see them and hang out for a bit. I also got a refund of my $5 as part of the event - sweet! I missed out on a free novelty-size burrito, though. :-(<br />
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The mayor did his thing, but I left in the middle and rode over to Charles MGH to hop back on the Red Line towards home.<br />
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Three big impressions:<br />
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<li>The facilities are fantastic! The bikes, bays, and payment stations are in great nick and very easy to use</li>
<li>As much as Boston's improved it's cycle-friendliness, lots of work needs to be done on the routes still - it's really REALLY hard to get from Copley to Charles MGH without going the wrong way down one-way streets (I ended up going down the Esplanade just to stay on the right side of the law!)</li>
<li>LOTS of people are using the bikes already! I saw people at every bay I passed, and saw at least a dozen users biking along here and there</li>
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The last point gives me the most optimism about the program. If people like the system and the bikes stay in good shape, they'll always find a way from here to there.<br />
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The biggest development should be when they expand across the river (come on, Cambridge!!!) - but in the meantime, I'm going to get my Hubway key!Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09912451440409444061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15168329.post-41625336078827178872012-02-04T12:40:00.003-05:002012-02-04T12:53:56.408-05:00Biking around NYC<div>When I was in New York this week, I decided to rent a bike and experience for myself all the new cycling infrastructure developments I've been hearing about for ages. </div><div><br /></div><div>I mostly wanted to check out the new and improved (depending on who you ask!) Broadway from Columbus Circle to Union Square. And since my time was limited, having a bike would also allow me to get where I needed to be for meetings and still explore parts of the city I wouldn't have been able to otherwise.</div><div><br /></div><div>A couple notes:</div><div><ul><li>I had a copy of the New York City Bike Map, <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/2011_bikemap.pdf">which can also be downloaded here</a></li><li>I intended to map my route online, but Mapmyride.com infuriatingly doesn't recognize many bike-only routes, so I finally gave up on that</li><li>The photos here are all from <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahconway/sets/72157629160148993/">my Flickr set</a>, which has lots more photos with full descriptions and location info </li></ul></div><div><b>Bike Rental NYC</b></div><div><br /></div><div>So I started by Googling places to rent a bike and decided on <a href="http://www.bikerentalsnyc.com/">Bike Rental NYC</a> on 57th Street, largely because I like the website and the price was good with an advanced reservation ($32 for the day). On the whole, I supposed I'd recommend this place - my bike (a Giant hybrid) was in good nick, and it included a nice Wald front basket and a heavy chain lock.</div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahconway/6813213277/" title="Rental Giant by ahconway, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6813213277_65116973ae.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Rental Giant" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahconway/sets/72157629160148993/">See more photos here</a></span></div><br /></div><div>The staff there weren't tremendously helpful or friendly, though, and I was a little put off at the start when the person behind the counter said that they rent bikes for a lot of different websites, so there didn't seem to be much if any connection between the site I was on and the store itself. The only significant issue was the quality of the helmets. Shockingly poor! I was thankful it was cold enough to warrant a wool stocking cap underneath because I wouldn't have wanted any of their helmets to touch my head directly. I'll bring my own next time.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Biking Down Broadway</b></div><div><br /></div><div>I started my tour at Columbus Circle and stuck to Broadway all the way to Union Square (14th Street). On the whole, they've really done a nice job with it from a cyclist's point of view. The segregated path is clean and smooth. I thought they did a particularly good job with the left-turn exchanges. At crossings with east-bound streets, there's a set of lights that stops cyclists first so that cars on Broadway can turn left across the bike path, then east-bound cars can go straight across. (I'm always a sucker for bike-specific stop lights!)</div><div><br /></div><div>Broadway is tricky because it goes diagonally across the grid system of streets and avenues, but they've also done a good job with that, with infrastructure and associated signeage. </div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahconway/6813213679/" title="Time Square by ahconway, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7008/6813213679_006a39f1e2.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Time Square" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahconway/sets/72157629160148993/">See more photos here</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>The biggest problem I encountered was pedestrians on the cycle path. Hard to prevent I know, and it requires the cyclist to really pay attention - but that's always going to be a prerequisite to safe cycling anyway. A bigger problem was other cyclists heading the wrong way on the path. I can completely understand why you'd want to do it, but it's still annoying - particularly with almost all the offenders I encountered riding on the left for some reason, making each passing a game of chicken.</div><div><br /></div><div>Another strange thing was the pedestrian plazas that have popped up along the route - at several points, the it isn't clear where the bike path goes and you're left navigating between cafe tables and peds to get to the marked path on the other side.</div><div><br /></div><div>And finally, at the end of the path in Union Square, the whole thing ends abruptly, with no warning, no instructions, no thanks. There's a bit more marked bike lane on the East side of the square, but as you head back onto Broadway, there's no mention whatsoever of bikes. There is a bus lane that prohibits cars all the way downtown, and that provides a nice space for cyclists, but it's impossible to know whether it's strictly allowed or not.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Other Highlights</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Once I'd arrived at City Hall, my Broadway exploration was over. From there, I rode over the Brooklyn Bridge, which is one of my favorite things to do ever. I did a little circuit around my old neighborhood in Brooklyn Heights before meeting a friend for lunch on Henry Street. </div><div><br /></div><div>At his suggestion, I then rode down to Brooklyn Bridge Park en route to the Manhattan Bridge. It's a completely new park since I was last in Brooklyn. It seemed a little sparce that day, but it's got huge potential. Beautiful views of course, and lots of space right at water level. Seems very accommodating to cyclists and walkers.</div><div><br /></div><div>After exploring to the south, I turned around and headed north towards the Manhattan Bridge. When I reached the bridge, I asked a hipster DUMBO girl cyclist how to get to the bridge (not as easy as it seems when you're standing 200ft or so above the surface of the bridge!), and she pointed to a sign... That was probably the first of a dozen signs over a quarter of a mile that eventually led me to the bridge entrance. Hurrah! </div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahconway/6813221305/" title="Bikes only? by ahconway, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6813221305_08954f1b2c.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Bikes only?" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahconway/sets/72157629160148993/">See more photos here</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>The cycle track over the bridge was perfectly nice, with great views of course. Interesting that peds are supposed to stick to a different path, but as usually they do not. But not a big deal.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Manhattan Bridge pops you out in Chinatown, and I proceeded up Bowery with the rest of the traffic on a marked cycleway to a meeting with another friend until 4:30 or so. Then it was starting to get dark and I had to eek my way through the West Village over to the West Side to catch the Hudson River Greenway back up to Midtown to return the bike.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahconway/6813225751/" title="Hudson River Greenway by ahconway, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6813225751_873c32af4f.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Hudson River Greenway" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahconway/sets/72157629160148993/">See more photos here</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Next Time</b></div><div><br /></div><div>On my next cycle sojourn in the city, I'd like to do Central Park, ride more around the Village (East and West), and also venture further into Brooklyn to Prospect Park. (I'm also dying to do the High Line and Governor's Island, though those will be best in warm weather and a bike is not required.)</div>Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09912451440409444061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15168329.post-29981153768680932072011-12-31T12:00:00.002-05:002011-12-31T12:11:25.938-05:00Electric Assist ChristianiaWhen we were in London this fall, I rented a lovely Christiania from my friends at <a href="http://www.velorution.biz/">Velorution</a>. Quite similar in most ways to my own trike (though black & red as opposed to red & black!) - in all ways except the addition of an electric assist motor! <div><br /></div><div>London isn't as flat as Denmark by any means, but it was pretty sweet, very much appreciated on a full day out! Especially when we discovered that we'd forgotten something and I had to whizz back three miles to the hotel...</div><div><br /></div><div>I shot the video at the playground in <a href="http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/The-Regents-Park.aspx">The Regent's Park</a>.</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DvWjBwJyxro" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>Kim rented a green & purple Brompton to ride that day. It worked out just great, though more favorable gearing would have been appreciated. Perhaps she rode it a bit too hard... my friend Richard (in London for work completely coincidentally!) had trouble with the gearing when he rented it the following day!</div><div><br /></div><div>Also: Here's a longer video from our trip, including a tour of Primrose Hill by Christiania!</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5bjLGt7C_VQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br /></div>Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09912451440409444061noreply@blogger.com1