BnB: Happy Father’s Day; appreciating Portland’s greenways
Happy Father’s Day! I’m kicking mine off with this second edition of Bike and Blog, which I started a few posts ago.
I woke up at 4:15 this morning because I’m 45 and often have to do a peepee around this time. I figured I’d fall back asleep, but my mind started churning about supremely important concerns including whether or not to buy a handlebar bag for my bike and which coffee shop I might hit on my ride.
4:35 a.m. Determined to get some more shuteye, I start counting my breaths, trying to calm my brains. Before long, the early morning sunlight begins seeping in unhindered through our bedroom skylights, brightening the room. No matter, I think, donning my sleep mask.
4:51 a.m. My nose is half-plugged from allergies, and my stomach is upset from too much popcorn at the movie last night with my son, a bonafide popcorn fanatic. In other words: I can’t breathe and am polluting the marital bed with toxic farts. This is not helping the cause.
But I persist. I can do this.
5:04 a.m. I hope I’m making some progress when the crows launch into their morning cacophony, which is comically loud outside our cracked bedroom window.
Fuck it. I’m up.
I tiptoe down to my basement office, farting more privately now. I brush my teeth, pack my bike bag, and impulse-buy that handlebar bag. 💸
The bike, the shop, the order
Bike: My new Marin Larkspur of course! Loving it!
Shop: Albina Press, a Portland coffee institution that I’ve somehow never been to. Like my last destination, this one is also featured in Portland Monthly’s coffee shop guide. I chose it mostly because it opens at 6:00 a.m., earlier than most shops, making it compatible with my unintentionally early morning. Here’s a shot from the outside:
Order: An Americano. My usual, except this time I ordered a regular. I’m a decaf guy these days (perhaps the subject of a future post). But today Sal’s goin’ wild for dad’s day!
Today’s topic: appreciating Portland’s greenways
In the cheery weather of late Spring and the honeymoon period of my new rig, I’ve got bicycling on the brain, and my city is a good place to be in this state.
Portland has a network of Neighborhood Greenways that span much of the city. These are streets that “prioritize people walking, bicycling, and rolling.” They tend to be wide streets with relatively few stop lights and signs. They’re also clearly marked with bike symbols and directional arrows painted on the pavement, as well as occasional guideposts that tell you which way to go to find your way to particular neighborhoods and landmarks.
Here’s an example from this morning’s ride:
Where to?
Once you’re on one of these greenways, you can mostly follow the signs to find your way across much of the city, or at least the east side, where I live. This means I don’t need to rely on my phone or watch to beep or buzz or yell directions at me, leaving me free to pay more attention to the the sights, the sounds, the breeze, the vibes. Again, from this morning:
Turn right for more greenway!
This system must have required a large investment from the city: the route planning, street painting, signage, website, maps, budgeting and approval processes, and much more I’m sure. And as I wind through these greenways, I see all manner of bespoke efforts: unique paint and lanes at dangerous or awkward streets crossings, barriers between the bike and car lanes on busy roads, designated places for bikes to stop at lights so they’re out of the way of cars, etc.
On behalf of everyone who’s ever ridden a bike here: thank you, Portland and every person who has somehow contributed to this excellent civic perk!
It’s 8:00 a.m. now. The coffee shop is coming to life, and I’m buzzing from the full dose of caffeine. Time to bike back home for a day with the fam.
Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there! It ain’t easy putting decent humans out into the world. Thank you for your service.