Spring! (time to get out after hibernation)

The weather has been fluctuating quite a bit lately from cloudy rainy days to blue sky sunny days. This past weekend, we were lucky to have had the latter, so it seemed like Spring has arrived. A couple of days later, it's cloudy and rainy again, but I'm sure we'll be having Spring days more often from now on.

Nice weather makes you want to get out and do things you haven't done much during the Winter. I had been a bit of a hermit since I'd gotten back from Japan and haven't socialized much, but with the nice weather, it was time again to see friends I hadn't seen since last year.

On Sunday, I had a Sunday brunch with my friends APAK (Aaron and Ayumi).
You may recall from last year that they did a guest post about their trip to Seattle. They are a bit similar to us in that they are a married couple and make artwork. The top picture is one of their cards of a couple riding a tandem bike. (You can get a set of their cards from their Etsy shop)


This is another example of their art.

Anyway, so we went to a place called Jam in South East Portland.

Ayumi had the pancakes and Aaron had the bowl of stuff (don't remember exactly what was in it).


I had this. Poached eggs and hash browns. It was all very good.

After that, we rode our bikes a bit.

Ayumi has a nice old Peugeout mixte bike. Not sure the make of Aaron's bike as it has been painted over.

We went to Goodwill.

Aaron tried out this blue helmet. It matched what he was wearing, but he decided to hold out. They weren't that into riding bikes before, but I think they are starting to get into it now. And why not? Biking in Portland in nice Spring weather like this is so much better than sitting inside a metal box (car).

Flowers are in bloom too.

I think it's too early for Chery blossoms, so these must be peach or plum. There are so many of these trees in bloom all over Portland, and there's a faint, but nice smell as you ride by them.


I have been riding a bit too. This is the top of Rocky butte which I wrote about last time. I rode there 3 weekends in a row and I'd been refining my position each time. I'm still laboring my way up the climb, but I think I'm starting to find my climbing legs again. It was warm enough to take off my shoes for the first time as well. That small white mountain in the distance, I believe is Mt. Rainier in Washington.

Anyway, so it's a nice time of the year again here in Portland. We're still having cold rainy days as well, but from now till like end of Summer is really the best time of the year here in case you're thinking of visiting.

Seattle Trip! (guest post by APAK)

Hello Cyclebreezers!

We are Aaron + Ayumi aka. APAK! We make art together and live in lovely, green, and bike friendly Portland, Oregon, our friend Kinya asked if we’d like to guest blog about our train/bike trip and art show in Seattle, hope you enjoy it. It was really easy to take our bikes on the train and only cost $5 extra to reserve a spot for each of our bikes. It took a little less than 3 hours to get there by Amtrak and was a peaceful scenic ride.



We arrived in downtown Seattle. It would normally be only about a 20 minute ride from the station to the gallery but it was our first time in Seattle so we took a few wrong turns and went up and down some humongous hills before we got there an hour later, but it was fun to get lost and explore a little. We got to ride by the impressive Central Library by Rem Koolhaas...



The gallery is near Pike Place fish market where we ate fish sandwiches and clam chowder for lunch...



and delicious russian pastries at “Piroshky Piroshky” for dessert...



Our show was at a cute little toy shop called Schmancy. We did some paintings and felted woolen dolls.





The next day we rode the “Burke-Gilman Trail” from the University District to Golden Gardens beach in Ballard on Puget Sound. Our friend and rad artist Kinoko showed us the way. It took about an hour or so and was a scenic lovely ride.





Lots of people were out enjoying the sun and sand but not many swimmers because Puget Sound is really frickin cold....





We found a dead jelly fish washed ashore...



We really wanted to eat some of this seaweed but decided not to...



We had lots of fun biking around Seattle and it was quite easy to get around thanks to the bike lanes and map. It was the first time we’ve explored a new city by bike and now it’s our favorite way to get around while intimately experiencing a new place for the first time. We hope to bike around other cities in the future.




Thanks Aaron & Ayumi for the lovely post! I didn't know that taking a bike on Amtrak was so easy and cheap. I think I would do the same if I go to Seattle. Be sure to check out Apak's site and their Etsy shop.

ride to Tryon Creek

I had a nice ride over the weekend with my friend Aaron Piland. He's one half of APAK, a husband and wife art unit much like ourselves. (They have been doing that much longer than us) He's been living in Portland longer as well, but have not been into riding the bike so much until recently. He says that I inspired him to ride the bike more. I think there's plenty of inspirations to ride the bike here, but if that's what he says, I'm glad to have been the catalyst.

We met at the Sellwood Riverfront Park and headed to Tryon Creek State Park. We crossed the Sellwood Bridge to the West side of the Willamette River. The last time, I crossed the Sellwood Bridge was during Bridge Pedal, but the road there is not exactly bike friendly, so I have been reluctant to go that way. Aaron told me that there is a way through a cemetery to the Tryon State Park.


Aaron at Riverview Cemetery

If you follow Bike Portland, you might have come across this post last week about dangerous speed bumps in a cemetery. The cemetery we went through is that cemetery. We were well prepared thanks to Bike Portland, so we didn't encounter any danger. It's quite a climb through the cemetery. Aaron's bike has no gears or to be exact no derailleurs, so he had quite a difficult time climbing (and sometimes walking the bike). He wants to get a derailleur for his bike, but he hasn't been able to find a cheap one. I guess he's not yet used to the prices of bike parts. When you think of it as transportation vehicle, it doesn't seem so expensive. Anyway, I hope he will find a happy bike set-up soon.

After we got through the cemetery, we made our way to Tryon Creek.


View Larger Map

There was a nice bike path through the woods as we got close.
We parked our bikes and went for a bit of a hike in the park. This is not a park with a huge lawn, but more like woods with trails through it.


Lots of big trees and plants

We walked a bit and then found a spot by a creek to sit down for a break. We both brought some snacks, fruits and hot drinks (me coffee, Aaron tea). We sat there and ate while talking about everything from Hopi legends to polar shifts. It's always interesting talking to Aaron. He knows a lot about Buckminster Fuller, that's for sure.

We then walked to the Western end of the park where there is a community farm.

There were goats, chickens and sheep there as well as vegetables,


some fun looking buildings,


and a swing!

Such a nice park and only an hour's bike ride from home (closer if you live in South Portland). Going back, through the cemetery, it was like a maze and we had to be a little more careful as we were going down hill and watch out for those new speed bumps. It wasn't an epic ride or anything, but it's good to combine riding the bike with some walking in the woods. It's an especially nice time of the year to do that.

Be sure to check out APAK. They have an Etsy shop like us with super nice and affordable artwork as well.