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The weeks leading up to a planned trip with my husband to Minneapolis, Minnesota were hectic. Not only were we planning to fly to Minneapolis on July 10th, we were also planning to host over 100 of my relatives for our family reunion here in Orlando from July 5, 2007-July 8, 2007. While they all checked into a hotel on July 5th, there were about 10 of them who had planned to lodge with us in our home on July 8-9. As usual, when other family members heard that 10 of them were coming to our home on the 8th, we quickly had to prepare for 35 people to stop by for a cook out, swimming and playing a myriad of family games until 2:00 AM on June 9th. While it was enjoyable, I was exhausted. Much too exhausted to even think of packing for our trip to Minnesota. In fact, I was so exhausted, stressed and swamped with work at the office I entertained thoughts of not going to Minnesota. But, my husband was going to Minneapolis for a conference and he had carefully planned the trip for me to come along for vacation. July 9, 2007. I made 3 airport runs beginning early that morning in order to get the 10 family members to the airport who had lodged overnight with us. Afterwards, exhausted and existing off of practically zero sleep, I went about the business of trying to clean and put our house back in order after our family’s departure and pack for our trip. For about 3 weeks prior, I had searched possible cycling opportunities in Minneapolis but had not finalized any cycling plans. So, with less than 24 hours remaining prior to our departure I made a few calls in an attempt to rent a bike in Minneapolis only to be told that I was only able to rent a bike for one day because all rental bikes had been reserved for a triathlon that was taking place in Minneapolis on July 14th. I immediately decided to take my bike with me. Because I am not capable of properly dismantling my bike and packing it I had to drop my clothes packing and rush to the cycle shop, rent a bike case and have them pack my bike for me. I dropped my bike off at 5:00 PM, made my final family airport run and returned to the bike shop to pick up my bike at 7:00 PM. I returned home and packed until 1:00 AM in preparation for an 8:00 AM flight. July 10, 2007. Upon our arrival in Minneapolis, I checked with the Concierge at our hotel, with whom I had spoken the day before, about the closest bike shop to the hotel. While my husband went to register for his conference I caught a cab, with bike case and bike in tow, to Penn Cycle in Minneapolis for them to reassemble my bike. As our bike shop employees are in Orlando, everyone at Penn Cycle was most helpful. While waiting for my bike to be assembled, I went about the business of asking all the bike shop employees where I could go to get do some long distance cycling. After browsing there for about an hour my bike was almost ready. In walked a couple dressed in bike clothes with bikes in tow, to fill their tires with air. (As I discovered, because Minneapolis is such a cycle friendly town, all the bike shops in Minneapolis provide an area in the shop where cyclists can just walk in, fill their tires with air, their water bottles with water and go on their way. This is all complimentary.) I approached the couple, identified as April and Brian, introduced myself, told them that I had just arrived in town and needed to know where I could go to do some long distance cycling. April and Brian asked me if my bike was ready. I said "almost". They offered to wait with me until my bike was ready and then they would show me how to find the bike trails. They also invited me along to ride with them as they were training for an Ironman. I graciously accepted their invitation and they took me out and rode the Greenway Trail with me. This Trail connected with the Cedar Lake Trail which connected with the Kenilworth Trail. (I did say that Minneapolis is cycle friendly didn't I?) These trails are Commuter Trails. They are marked with 2 bike lanes, a pedestrian walking lane and a lane for folks on roller blades. That was great. People actually stayed within their respective lanes too. I never found anyone walking or jogging in the middle of the bike lanes and vice versa. Additionally, the trails have minimum stop signs which are great for a long distance cyclist. All these trails have very well-marked exit and entry ramps onto streets and parkways to get folks downtown to work, to visit the many lakes or just go wherever they choose. It was wonderful. I was told that the City of Minneapolis is currently working with the City of St. Paul to connect each City's trails so commuters can travel between the Twin Cities by bike, foot or roller blade. The trails have very good lighting for night riding and have park rangers patrolling them both by car and bike. April and Brian were very helpful in terms of telling me how to make all of the connections on the trail. After riding with them for about 15 miles at an 18 MPH pace, they showed me how to veer off and ride back towards downtown on the trail to my hotel room. I thanked them for their generous hospitality and we said our goodbyes and headed in opposite directions. After leaving April and Brian, in route to downtown, I saw a deer on the trail just casually observing all the cyclists as we sped by him. When I made it downtown, I saw one of the major streets downtown, Hennepin, and decided to take it towards my hotel. I quickly observed other cyclists riding in the middle of this street and realized that the bike lane was in the middle of a 4 lane street. (Where our streets have turning lanes some of their streets have two (2) bike lanes, heading in both directions.). At about 8:30 PM I still had about an hour of daylight left so I continued to cruise down the bike lane in the middle of the street as other cyclists passed me in the bike lane going in the opposite direction. At about 9:00 PM I saw a large group of cyclists heading in the opposite direction. I watched them as they cruised by and wanted to ask if they regularly ride downtown but the traffic light prevented me from making contact with them so I continued on my ride through downtown. At about 9:30 PM I arrived back at my hotel. July 11, 2007. After working on the computer until about 11:00 AM I decided to go on a solo bike ride. With no humidity, lots of sunshine and a very comfortable 75 degrees, an 11:00 AM start time for a bike ride was great. I found my way back to the trails and had ridden about 20 miles around Lake Calhoun and Cedar Lake when I saw a cycling park ranger. Of course I stopped him and asked how I could continue around the lake without getting lost. He graciously provided me with a very colorful map of all the trails and the downtown area. I told him that I was in town from Florida and really wanted to do some group riding. He told me about the Major Taylor Cycling Club. He said they were the best cycling club in town. As my husband's conference was at the convention center which was about 3 blocks from our hotel, we did not have a car. When I told him that I did not have a car to drive to meet anyone for a bike ride and that my bike was my only mode of transportation, he told me "don't worry, someone from the Major Taylor group will ride their bike to your hotel and pick you up from there. After riding another 5 miles, I returned to my hotel and got on the internet and found the Major Taylor Bicycling Club of Minnesota. The Club's president, Louis Moore, had his contact information listed on the website. I called him and introduced myself, told him that I was referred to his club by one of the park rangers and wanted to ride with other cyclists while I was in town. When I told him I did not have a car, without knowing what the park ranger had said, he quickly offered to ride to my hotel the next day and take me out for a ride. July 12, 2007. No humidity, 75 degrees and bright sunshine. Louis met me at my hotel at 11:00 AM and we began what turned out to be a breathtaking journey. We took advantage of the great bike lanes and rode through beautiful downtown Minneapolis, traveled down to and around the Mississippi River, as we rode past the original Pillsbury Mill where old railroad tracks had been converted to beautiful bike lanes, pedestrian walking lanes and lanes for folks on roller blades. We continued on our ride and were stopped by the Mayor of Minneapolis. He was preparing to do a photo shoot and taping for the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He told the Tonight Show’s film crew that Louis was the president of the best cycling club in Minnesota and he wanted us to ride with him on our bikes as they filmed him riding a bike as well. We did. The show is scheduled to air in September. After participating in the taping of the Tonight Show with the Mayor we hit the road. We rode for about 10 more miles on a well paved trail that ran parallel to the Mississippi River. The trail led us to breathtaking Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis. We continued on the trail through Minnehaha Park past the statute of Hiawatha, and veered off onto another very secluded trail where we were surrounded by a canopy of trees, chipmunks and rabbits. I am sure there were other animals out there but thank God we did not see them. We stopped for lunch at the very popular Caps Barbeque and I pigged out on finger licking barbeque, fries, cole slaw and marvelous Texas Toast. After stuffing our face we hopped back on our bikes and rode, at break neck speed, for another 15 miles on the road. We toured beautiful neighborhoods on streets with bike lanes. (Did I say that Minneapolis is cycle friendly?). After a full day of beautiful weather, great riding, gorgeous scenery, and no motorists pulling out in front of us, cutting us off the road, honking their horns at us or making obscene gestures at us, we ended our ride for the day and I headed back to the hotel to meet my husband for a Minnesota Twins/Oakland A's baseball game. July 13, 2007. This was another picture perfect weather day of sunshine, no humidity and 73 degrees. I left my hotel at 7:30 AM and rode about 5 miles to meet Mary Cunningham, another member of the Major Taylor Bicycling Club whom Louis had introduced me to via the telephone the day before. Mary offered to ride with me and we took off for a 30 mile ride of breathtaking views, tree-canopied streets and more beautiful views of the Mississippi River and the local lakes. After our ride I headed back to my hotel to meet my husband for a picnic in beautiful Lorring Park in downtown Minneapolis. Afterwards, we visited the Mall of America. I never thought that I would not be able to shop in a mall. The MOA is so huge I felt overwhelmed and settled for walking around watching people ride the many roller coasters within the mall and eating ice cream. July 14, 2007. Sunshine, 68 degrees, no humidity, perfect. I left my hotel at 8:00 AM and rode through downtown Minneapolis, out to the Greenway Trail for about 10 miles. I met up with Mary and 4 additional female members of the Major Taylor Bicycling Club and rode about 20 miles. I had to cut my ride short this day as I had to get my bike to Penn Cycle in time for them to disassemble it and pack it for the trip home the next day. Before leaving the women of the Major Taylor bicycling Club I thanked them for another beautiful day of riding and for reaching out to me with such love and kindness. I headed for Penn Cycle. However, because by now I had become very familiar with the trails and streets nearby, I exited off of the trail onto Lake Calhoun Parkway and found my way onto the trail around Lake Calhoun. Again, I experienced breathtaking views of beautiful Lake Calhoun, watched people cycling, walking, running, canoeing and sail boating. While looking out onto the Lake, I stopped for a moment of reflection. I thought of how beautiful God had made this part of the Earth and how wonderful my trip had been. I thought about how I had enjoyed every moment on my bike and realized that the decision to bring my bike was the best decision that I made. I thought of the passion and love that I have for cycling and of all the wonderful, kind people whom I had met on my bike during my stay in Minnesota and how they had made my vacation in Minneapolis that much sweeter. Thankfully, I did not remember how exhausted and stressed I had been 5 days prior.
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