Coffeeneuring Ride 6, Museum Day!

Coffeeneuring Ride 6, Red Line Cafe

After several days of gray, wet weather, it was nice to see the sunshine this morning! Will and I had tickets to see the Salem Witch Trials exhibit at the Peabody Essex Museum, (ending on November 27th), but with the weather being so nice, I wanted to take advantage of it while I could and get out on my bike! We made a plan to meet at the museum later in the morning, and I headed off to Salem on the road bike.

The sun was deceiving. There was a cold headwind!

1941 Columbia Superb

We met at the museum and had a great time exploring the galleries for a few hours -- we can both easily spend an entire day there -- and then walked down to the Red Line Cafe on the Essex Street pedestrian mall. I'd actually never been to the Red Line Cafe, as so many of my favorite coffee places are nearby, but I'm glad we checked it out! It was packed -- but we were able to find a cozy table, and went ahead and ordered two iced mochas and some food. The coffee was great and the lunch hit the spot and we enjoyed the vibe. It was still quite busy in Salem post-Halloween, which was surprising to see. 

Heading home I had a tail wind, which wasn't so bad. 

Coffee, art, bikes, and Will. It was a perfect Saturday.

30 Days of Biking, Weekend Vibes

Day 25, Short and sweet to the beach (Pic 1)

Day 25, Sunny but still on the chilly side. (Pic 2)

Day 26, Remain Hungry. (Lol. Not a problem lately.)

Woke up early on Sunday and made dough for cinnamon rolls! I had planned to make the dough the night before, but was distracted by a group of middle aged women drinking, laughing, blasting bad 80s music, and having a party, with a fire, on the trail below our bedroom window. What the hell?! WE HAVE A STAY AT HOME ORDER IN TOWN. How do I emphasize with the boys that they can't go off and hang out with friends while these chicks are partying it up next door? I walked over and spoke to them -- not very effectively -- and it left me unsettled. Needless to say, I did not make the cinnamon roll dough.

When I woke up on Sunday, I decided to make cinnamon rolls anyway... which is like a three hour process. While the dough was rising, I took a quick spin -- on another damp and gray day. Oh, Spring.

It was a productive morning, which turned into a lazy afternoon.

Homemade cinnamon rolls from scratch

A bit of icing added

So good. #pandemicbaking

Coffeeneuring Ride #2, Cheers to EOD friends

It was chilly this morning when I headed out for coffee -- and Ride #2 of the Coffeeneurring Challenge. Thinking of friends heading out for their second day of the EOD Undefeated Two Day Ride, I laughed at the extreme opposites between us. For me on the East Coast it was 55 degrees, (I needed arm warmers today), a 15 mile ride, with a coffee stop mid-way. (I grabbed my coffee to go from Jaho Coffee and Tea Shop and brought it to Winter Island). In contrast, friends Julia, Christina, Schreck, Tim, and Christine, (along with Matt, Jimmy, and Nancy), were riding on the West Coast in 100 degree temps, 100 miles, with a beer stop (or two) along the way. Hahaha... my ride was so tame in comparison.

Coffeeneuring Ride #2 was spent at Winter Island on Waikiki Beach... another gorgeous day.

Hot Buttered Popcorn

Looped out to Winter Island and Salem Willows on my ride yesterday. As I turned down the path from Beach Street to the back end of the Willows, I could smell the popcorn at E.W. Hobbs. Mmmmmmm. So good!! I don't eat popcorn, but I did stop to buy a few popcorn bars for the boys -- orange and vanilla, their favorites -- and carried them home, stuffed down the back of my jersey, for the rest of my ride. Hahaha... Lucky boys. (They were happy.)

Winter Island, In memory of Bill

It was 36 degrees this morning for our ride in memory of Cyclopath Bill Cantor today. After several text messages and emails last night telling me it was going to be too cold to ride, (and my response being "suck it up" or "it's not going to be that cold"), I ended up coming close to bailing out on the ride myself!! Planning to get back for Will's football game after the Cyclopath ride and breakfast, I chose to drive and park at B&S Fitness, near our Salem start, and ride from there... but as I got ready to head over to meet the gang on Washington Street, I realized I left my helmet at home! Damn!!

I began to imagine the eyerolls I was about to receive, as I told folks I wouldn't be able to ride afterall, when Brandi Dion arrived and rescued me! She loaned me a helmet, thus allowing me to narrowly escape future Cyclopath retellings of how I convinced people to ride on this freezing cold 36 degree day... and then didn't ride myself. (Thanks for the rescue, Brandi!)

In honesty, after a bunch of emails and text messages on Friday, I really wasn't sure how many people would ride today. (I get it -- it was a chilly one -- but we've ridden in colder weather. I think people forget that.) In all, seven of us showed up to ride -- and a few others joined us for breakfast by car. It was a perfect morning to be together, with fond memories of Bill, and I'm sure he would laugh at us and call us crazy for riding today. That's what makes it perfect.

Day 5: 30 Days of Biking, Essex with Ethan

I took a 35 mile ride out to Essex and back with Ethan this morning. We had a really great ride -- I always have fun riding with Ethan -- but the commute through Salem, both at the beginning and end of the ride, was insane. The traffic in Salem, (drivers and pedestrians), is just horrendous, but we managed to eek out those final 5 miles without any incidents. It's not even October yet... and it's bound to only get worse. (Haunted Happenings is around the corner. Eek!)

Remembering Sam, Stopping at Winter Island

Remembering Sam Zoll

Honorable Chief Justice, Mayor, Cyclopath, Beach Master

Day 9: 30 Days of Biking, Winter Island, Magnolia, Gloucester, and thoughts of Sam

It's been hard finding balance lately with all of us moving in different directions, but so far, so good -- I haven't cracked yet. Wednesdays are always my toughest day -- juggling the boys' swimming, guitar lessons, and lacrosse schedules -- all jammed between 3:00 and 7:00. Of course I have yet to take a shower today, but don't judge.

I had an indoor trainer session, (P2 course work), planned for this morning, but I just didn't have it in me to ride indoors. After yesterday's sad little jaunt in the rain, and a hill workout later in the day with SpiderOne, I didn't want to be on a trainer going nowhere today. I needed to be outside. I just wanted to ride.

I started out from Salem, heading towards Manchester, but had a sudden urge to swing by Winter Island. I've been thinking of Sam a ton, so I stopped by his beach, (Waikiki Beach), and just sat there for a bit, watching the waves and feeling some peace.

Sam stayed with me all morning.

"Tamara, how much did that jacket set you back?" "It was free Sam." "You paid too much."

"Tammy! Be careful. We're coming up to the bridge." "Sam! It's a mile away!" "I know. I want you to be ready for it."

"Tam, remember. If the light turns yellow, it means slow down. It's not a pale green." "Yes, Sam." (Sigh.)
"We're getting closer to the bridge." "Sam! It's another half mile!"

Hahaha.... He made me crazy, but I miss him so much.

I rode up to Manchester and just kept going, swinging down through the cove and out along Magnolia. I poked through Stage Fort Park and then headed home, against the headwind on the way back. It was good to ride today -- I needed it -- and now I'm ready for the Wednesday afternoon shuffle. I just hope I can squeeze in a shower before bedtime.

#30daysofbiking

Day 2: Thirty Days of Biking, Parks and Trails

I had an indoor trainer session at B&S Fitness this morning, which I doesn't really play into my 30 Days of Biking challenge. (I mean, if you could ride indoors on a trainer, where would the challenge be?) So, I rode my bike to Salem, got in 20 miles of riding on the computrainer, and then took the pokey way home, along the bike paths and trails, stopping at the park and post office on the way. I stopped by Pioneer Village, which was boarded up and closed. It looked pretty beat up, and I wasn't sure if it was meant to look that way, or if it's just totally neglected. (The last time I'd been to Pioneer Village, I was in the third grade.)

A cold, raw, overcast day... 20 miles riding inside, 10 miles outside... and I think I earned some chocolate today.

#30daysofbiking

Haunted Happenings

I love that there is a carnival downtown on Derby Street right now... as if SALEM IN OCTOBER wasn't carnival enough?!! Hahaha...

Just one more day...

Cyclopath Sunrise, Beverly-Salem Bridge

It's not often that I head out for a ride in total darkness, but today's Cyclopath ride, a week before Daylight Savings Time ends, had me riding blind. I headed out at 6:30 a.m. in the dark, taking the rougher roads to downtown Salem because I knew those roads had the most light. (By "rough" I mean potholes, cracks, debris and glass... Canal Street is the pits to ride on.) There I met 8 other Cyclopaths for a very cold ride to Larch Row and Wenham, with the temperature registering a bare 44 degrees.

Despite being bundled in layers, the chill still managed to sneak through to my bones -- especially to my toes and fingers! Winter is here. It really is. I know the calendar claims it's fall... but I am calling it winter now. (Frankenstorm is expected to bring snow to the area next week, which just backs up my declaration that it's winter.)

I'll probably skip next week's ride if the plan is to head out at 7 -- It's just too cold and dark at that hour (for me) -- though the glorious sunrise over Beverly Harbor this morning, as we left Salem, almost made it worth the effort.

Haunted Happenings on the Road

I have a love/hate relationship with Haunted Happenings -- the month-long Halloween-centric celebration in Salem that swallows the entire month of October. I love that it generates much-needed revenue for the city... (and doesn't Salem look great!?)... but man, oh man, do I hate the traffic and clueless tourists!! Yesterday, while riding past the common, a very large man nearly wiped me out while stepping into the street to take a photo! Hey there! Really??! Then, a car with Texas license plates decided the center bike lane was the perfect lane to drive in, because why drive in the left or right lane when you can straddle both?! Arggghhhhh... Wearing my brightest orange jersey for safety... but wondering if I'm just blending in with the pumpkins. Be safe, riders! It's going to be a long October!