Thursday, 10-April-2025
What does one do when they need to escape the city of Dublin, but don’t quite have enough time to rent a car and actually escape? Or to take the 90min train ride out to Howth?
Well… if one is like me, and has a bike…
Then one can take a lovely afternoon bike ride through the largest enclosed public park in a European Capital!
Yep, lots of caveats to that “largest” marker… but you know what? It still makes for a very lovely bike ride. So I won’t complain.
Saturday, 14-Sept-2024
While I really loved the hike out in Glendalough, it was a bit far outside of town… since I don’t have a car here in Ireland, I’d need to rent something, or get a bus, and… man, it’s just a lot of work. I was missing the park near my apartment back in Wilsonville, and needed a replacement.
Bushy Park was perfect – I can’t quite walk to it, but it was a nice and easy bike ride… which makes it kind of special, you know? It’s got a river running through, some ruins scattered around… and seriously. Just look at the lighting through those trees.
There was even a farmers market! Granted, it didn’t have any veggies or other produce, but… great grilled cheese, and a cool book vendor whose shop I absolutely adores exploring.
Friday, 23-June-2023, through Sunday, 25-June-2023
The Summer Solstice behind me, I drove South.
Green Lakes, and its barrier mountains, receded behind me. Shasta loomed ahead, then passed beside me. Huge spillways loomed around me, and I ate a burrito as I entered Sacramento itself.
The drive was long, but I enjoyed it and appreciated the stillness and solitude. I continued my mental wanderings from my earlier backpacking trip, and took notes (speech to text, of course) as insights popped up.
It was lovely – I’ve learned to appreciate, and even seek out, long drives in the past few years. They’re a form of meditation for me, and they keep my hands busy while allowing my brain to wander… forcing it to wander, in essence, since I don’t have the limitless distractions that I have available at home.
I arrived in the evening, after being gifted a stunning sunset and equally stunning views of Shasta. We caught up, relaxed, and frankly headed to bed earlier than I normally would… but later than Mike and Michelle probably would have liked – impact of having a young one around.
The next morning we hit up an excellent brunch spot that Mike had recommended the last time I was down, and then kicked around town on the bikes – all four of us, excitingly, as this was James’ first chance to ride in his baby carrier, attached to Michelle’s bike!
We rode, checked on the setup frequently, and played around. We relaxed, flew the drone a bit, and enjoyed the sun and surprisingly moderate weather. In short – it was chill, and I adored it.
Sunday was my driving day… but not before another bike ride to breakfast where I was introduced to Acai bowls – for the first time, if you can believe it! I don’t know how I’ve lived in Portland so long and not tried them before… but damn if they weren’t amazing! Crunchy, fruity… all the good things!
Then the sadness of departure, and another gloriously long and meditative drive home – with my traditional stop at In n’ Out for dinner, of course. A drone flight or two, a leg stretch, and I was home before I knew it.
