10/30/10 - a good book and a sit-down. Plus, offroading!

Tonight, I decided to go on a ride out to my favorite place, with a thermos of tea and a holiday-appropriate book. Here are my travels:

We start out in little Bohemia - this is where all the late-blooming hippies would come to roost. Ten years ago, the typical issue for the area was corduroy pants, flannel shirts, and a VW of some sort - the dude in the white house had a Karmann Ghia. Riding down this street was the first time I ever smelled weed smoke...


Tarabithia...need I say more? In the front yard is a tombstone dedicated to "Duke, the Mailman's Dog"


Pedestrians? Yeah right...


Getting onto the Park lake-path, we see the Culver brothel

It was once a legitimate brothel, right next to the town park (and railroad station). It originally had a staircase going up the outside of it, and no provision for getting upstairs from the inside of the house. It's obviously been repurposed since.

The bike path:


All the boats are in, and the lake is once more peaceful


No swimmers at the park today


Now on campus, you see the Math and Science building in the foreground - Huffington library behind it


Need I say more? Near the Senior Ring


"Where we're going, we don't need...roads


Through the rabbit hole


And back out


The Council Ring. Originally built in the teens, this structure dates to 1979 (East portion), 1980 (West portion), and 1981 (center portion). It's scheduled to be completely replaced within the next 5 years


The High Ropes Course


My favorite place...might not look like much now, but in the 3 growing seasons, it's amazingly gorgeous.


Decked out for an afternoon of Max-Relax


Leaving, we look left and see...primordial soup


Inspired by this,
http://www.yehudamoon.com/index.php?date=2008-09-01
(which is a fantastic read no matter - it's daily wake-up material for me)
I decided to go off-roading...kinda. Horse trails!



Yeah, we're not going up that trail...


Well, it IS a horse trail!


no comment necessary:


There are two wild turkeys in the direct middle of this photo - can you spot 'em?


Queen road!


Onto Queen, and off the off-beaten path:


Queen and SR10


Let's play "find the deer!"


The abortion that's become the Fleet Field. BRING BACK AVIATION!!!!!!

Bastards...

There are three deer in this photo - can you find them?


To the left lives a professor and good friend of mine:


I need to take photos of them during the day (as it was getting really dark), but in the little garage of the Guest House is a Whippet Model 4 and a Model T, both in as-new condition. I'd wet myself to get one of those things...


Across the road, the golf course:


This one's for Ben:


The Culver Homestead:


The Bedwetter (Ledbetter) Drydocked:


West shore sunset:


South Shore sunset:


Why fenders are invaluable:


And then back home - if you've been this far, you've seen the return route. Still thinking about a route for next weekend.

Last week's ride - 10/24/10

Here's the photos I took last week - the ones mentioned in my opening post. Today's ride will most likely be posted this evening or tomorrow.

No shots of the town, but we'll start out in the "Indian trails" between town and the Culver Academies' campus:


Getting on campus, Jeffrey (the dignified, yet snarky English 3 speed) decides to take a breather by the lake:


But, the damn Yanks have decided to park their Howitzers on the shore. What boors!


Finally getting out of town, and on the open road:


Wave a friendly hello to the truck, contemplating another year of farm life:


Having coasted down a huge hill and over the train tracks, we salute a farewell to West End Hibbard, and another sunset:


Crossing the (aptly named) Yellow River. We don't want to get in THAT particular water...


A quick right turn shows us the rolling hills that are a signature of the rolling sand dunes that make up much of the region:


Finally done with the rollers, we're turning left at this intersection,


But not before snapping a shot of the rainbow (home of a particularly pissed off wee-man immigrant)


Another right takes us onto the road the 'rents live on:


Down the hill - can you spot the driveway?


And we're here!