Groxie

I love riding my bike. It’s one of the reasons we’re in Portland, but we haven’t been doing enough of it lately. The crappy weather made it to easy to catch the bus or skip out on events rather than gear up and get on the bike. This lack of bikey fun made me cranky, lazy, and kind of sad.

So yesterday John and I went on the “small museums by bike” tour organized by Carye Bye of Red Bat Press and the Bathtub Museum. The weather cleared up for us, and it was gorgeous and sunny all day long. After meeting downtown in the morning, we headed to the Contemporary Craft Museum. There is no admission fee, and one of the staff members chatted with us about the museum’s history and the installations. It’s a neat space, but the museum is about to move to a larger place in the pearl district.

From there we headed to the Ross Island Grocery, where we met the lovely Bun Bun and had some grub. They make salads, sanwiches, quiche, and soup, but John and I didn’t end up getting any. We had packed sandwiches, so we didn’t spend a dime. We sat outside and basked in the sun, enjoying its rare appearance.

Our last destination was OHSU; we were taking advantage of one of the last days to ride the tram up for free. We took the Greenway path down to the river front. It was a beautiful ride, and there were oodles of people out strolling and biking. The existence of the path is truly an incredible thing, since it runs through private property.

Unfortunately, there were also oodles of people waiting to ride the tram, too, so we didn’t take our bikes up. The line moved pretty quickly, and the tram ride was much more fun than I had imagined. I don’t often get to hear almost 80 adults go “Woo!” in unison! We saw artwork, old photos, and a very disturbing sculpture at OHSU. The views of Portland were incredible, and it was clear enough for us to see Mt. Hood, Mt. Rainier, and Mt. Saint Helens. After another packed tram ride, we headed home.

In total we rode about 20 miles, had a great day full of new adventures, met some really cool folks, and didn’t spend any money at all! This is a beautiful thing. Carye runs these tours once a month, so if you’re in Portland definitely check the next one out in March. If you’re not—don’t fret! Why not start your own little bike tour? Museums, parks and gardens, little boutiques, cafes, bookstores—you could make a day of checking out whatever interests you. Grab some friends or get together a group from Craigslist; there are bound to be a few others interested in getting out and seeing new places. You could try to make it free, cheap, or as pricey as you see fit. When I’m feeling a little flush I might try to take a tour of fabulous dessert places.

This was the first time I really got to ride in a group outside of a “race” setting, and it was so much fun. It’s comforting because you know drivers see your big group, and it’s energizing to be among other smiling bikers! If you’ve been feeling sluggish or bored, it might be just the thing to make it all good again.