As we approach another weekend where I should have run the
Texas Water Safari, I’ve got an itch to get out and do something
adventurous. One bucket list item we’ve
had for a while is a multi-day cycling trip.
I’ve been talking to Chris Lee about a ride from Katy to downtown, so
why not add the kids? And spend the night?
The ultimate stay-cation is born.
Houston has changed across the board over the last 15-20yrs. One way that hits close to home with me is in
green space and bike trails. Growing up
on the border of the Woodlands we had the luxury of bike trails that could get
you anywhere and parks everywhere. After
college I rode to work in Uptown Houston;
it was in the streets and a fringe activity that drew a lot of funny
looks.
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| West Houston and Katy Cycling Routes |
But over the years I’ve seen the buffalo bayou parks get
renovated and rebuilt and bike paths/lanes put in all over the city. If you put the bicycle filter on google maps
it’s impressive. So impressive that I
now live 40 miles out in Katy, TX and I can still get downtown on a bike path
99% of the way. Time to take advantage
of this.
We searched for some hotel deals downtown but couldn’t find
anything under $120, so I switched to AirBNB.com and found a loft for $90 right
in the guts of Midtown. The bonus, and
selling point, is the complex has an awesome pool. So if the kids are hating us we can always
just chill at the pool.
The general plan is to head out as soon as Hank wakes
up. We’ll stop along the way and chuck
some donuts in the trailer before pushing through George Bush Park, then the Terry Hershey greenbelt. This is about the 1.5hr mark so we’ll take a
break at the nearest playground. After
this we ride sidewalks along memorial, to San Felipe and into Memorial Park
getting us on dedicated cycling paths again.
Memorial will take us to Eleanor Tinsley Park and right into
the dedicated bike lane that connects north and south downtown. The terminus of the bike lane is Discovery
Green where we’ll let some very restless children run free at the splash pad
and park. This’ll be around lunch time,
so we’ll probably pedal over to Midtown for a bit to eat and grab the key to
the apartment.
From there I hope to (pending the mood of the kiddos) walk
to the metro rail and head into the museum district. I figure we can spend the afternoon at the
Museum of Natural Science, roll down the hill at Miller Outdoor Theater and
ride the mini-train. Since we are so
close to Lindale Park, Liz/DK/Jordan will hopefully join us.
We could possibly stay for the Symphony at Miller Outdoor
Theater, but it’s not likely since the
kiddos will be bushed. We can head back
early to the loft, put the kids down and watch a movie with the volume low.
Sunday morning we can walk to get some coffee, maybe head
back downtown for some breakfast tacos, then head home. I imagine we’ll find a pool to go swim in J
Alright, for those wondering what we’ll pack for an
overnight cycling trip, here is the short list.
Food (aka Safari supplies!)
Gatorade
PB and J
Bread
Clif bars
Gu
Kid snacks
Tools
Pump
Patch kit
Phillips
15MM
10MM x2
Multi-tool
Misc
Phone/phone charger
Cash $40
Blanket
Umbrella stroller or baby bjorn
Bike lock and cables
David (riding with LS
blue shirt, spandex, khaki short and cycling shoes)
Jeans (skinny for less weight)
Flip flops
Undies
Casual dress shirt
Toothbrush/floss/toothpaste
Deodorant
Vitamin E
Sunscreen
Bathing Suit
Book:
Kim (riding in
running shirt, spandex, camo short and tennis shoes)
Khaki shorts
t-shirt
Undies
Flip flops
Toothbrush/floss/toothpaste
Bathing Suit
Book: Rosemary’s Baby
Amelia
Toothbrush/floss/toothpaste
Bathing Suit
Undies x3
Shorts
T-shirts x2
Books
Doll
Henry
Bathing Suit
2 swim diapers
6 diapers
Wipes
4 pacifiers
Sippy cup
Truck
Onesie x3
Pantsx2
Shoes
Hat
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