We biked to Sherwood gardens yesterday to hang out with A’s friends from playgroup. When they all entered school this year playgroup fizzled a bit. A has been missing them and asking about them lately, so I decided we would join them.
5 1/2 miles away, Sherwood garden is outside of my goal area. We could have taken the car, and technically not felt guilty about it, but I decided to see if I could ride it. The biggest issue with riding in Baltimore is that going north means spending much of the ride going up hill. The nice part about this trip is that it could be done on the Jones Falls Trail and the Guilford bike boulevard.
It was a beautiful morning for a ride. The kids were both happy and I was excited to push my limits a bit. We got around the harbor and up the path in record time, for us. Then we used the Guilford bike boulevard for the first time. I was amazed at how simple modifications could make a road so much more pleasant to ride. The crosswalk at North Ave. has a space for bicycles to wait, as does the road. The speed bumps have a cut out in them for bikes, and there are circles at some of the intersections. The result is that traffic moves slower, and bikers have a more enjoyable experience.
Once at Sherwood gardens we looked at tulips and met up with our friends. The kids had a great time. It was a perfect spring day.