Fifty Plus (50+) - Pics from Bike to Work Day / Festivities - Seattle

It was Bike to Work Day today in Seattle (and many other places, of course). The Cascade Bicycle Club and a bunch of sponsors organized a bunch of activities....and it was *by far* the nicest weather of the year so far.

Some pics, for those of you not yet bored by Seattle ride pics....

First, our guest host, Mt. Rainier, who was "out" today....

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There were 20 or more "Bike to Work" welcome stations around the city with free coffee, bottled water, water bottles, etc....this is the one I passed. There were *thousands* of people out cycling to work today...the Cascade Club is also sponsoring a "Bike to Work" challenge; there are 8,568 people entered in the contest (there are 89 at my employer alone).

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I passed Seattle City Hall about 7:45 a.m....they were getting ready for the Mayor and others to speak at 8 a.m. Pretty good sized crowd...

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Even the landlord of my office building set out free coffee and pastries outside the shower rooms that are used for bikers:

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Nice weather all day. This is the view from my office building -- Seahawks stadium, Port of Seattle, Smith Tower..

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A shot of beautiful downtown Bellevue on my way back home to the 'burbs...

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Yeah my employer. A formerly Seattle based maker of commercial airplanes did absolutely nothing to promote bike to work day or month or anything. We tried to get showers in our Building in Auburn and got bupkis its nice to see some employers in the Seattle area are promoting this. I missed riding on Thursday cause I had oral surgery on Tuesday and the doc told me no biking for 2 days. Well you bet yer buttons I was on the bike today what a great day to ride.

Yeah my employer. A formerly Seattle based maker of commercial airplanes did absolutely nothing to promote bike to work day or month or anything.

Really? I thought that unnamed maker of commercial airplanes was number 2 in the ranking so far, right behind that software maker from Redmond.

In fact, I talked to one of your co-workers during the May Day Metric a couple of weeks ago...she commutes about 30 miles a day and she said she had to talk her way onto a team because they wanted to be *sure* she was going to put in the miles all month. Sounded hard core to me!

At least you guys got to bike in. It rained all day yesterday in NYC, not that I was planning on riding anyway. I don't have a good commuter bike and I wouldn't leave any of my bikes on the streets of NY. There were supposed to be welcome stands at each of the bridge crossings into Manhattan.

I'm not tired at all of the pictures of my old home, Seattle. One question: The picture of the view from your office. You didn't say "Smith Tower". Have they renamed it, or did you just not mention it? I remember when that was the tallest building on the west coast. My cub scout pack went on a field trip there when I was about 8 and enjoyed the view from the observation deck. This was before the Space Needle and the Seafirst building and all the other skyscrapers they've since built.

"Memories....."

It's encouraging to see cities doing the cycling promotions.....along with Minneapolis's investment in Solveg's post. Down here pickups are still king........

I just can't seem to find a way to make bike commuting during the work week practical for me. But weekends are different. I try to ride in anytime I work on weekends, like I did today.

You didn't say "Smith Tower".

Fixed. I don't know what I was thinking...

Really? I thought that unnamed maker of commercial airplanes was number 2 in the ranking so far, right behind that software maker from Redmond.

In fact, I talked to one of your co-workers during the May Day Metric a couple of weeks ago...she commutes about 30 miles a day and she said she had to talk her way onto a team because they wanted to be *sure* she was going to put in the miles all month. Sounded hard core to me!

Nothing in the south end that I heard of. Auburn division the armpit of the B*&^%g company

Fixed. I don't know what I was thinking...

No problem. I wasn't criticizing, I was just curious if they had changed the name. Remember when Ivar bought it and they were calling it "Ivar's Smith Tower" or something like that?

Anyway, I appreciate the pictures. I've been in California for 22 years. My wife and kids (who were born here and have always lived here) can't understand why I still consider the northwest to be my home, but I do, and I think I always will. I'll be up that way again this summer. I'm going to resume the tour I aborted last summer. Then I started in Edmonds, when across at Mukilteo to Whidbey Island, rode the length of Whidbey and turned right onto the North Cascades Highway, rode over that, and stopped at a friend's house in Omak. This summer I'm planning to start in Omak, head east to Lake Pend Oreilles in Idaho (one of my childhood favorite spots) then hopefully on to Glacier National Park.

(And I may be one of the only posters who knows what a Benge trumpet is - though I played a Bach. I still have it - pre-Selmer.)