16 Miles!

Today was a simply gorgeous day. A day you can't help but want to be out and a part of. I know my weekend times are short between now and my 25-mile ride, so I really need to get some mileage in. But how to make it not suck, right? Well... One of my favorite movie theatres is the Riverview Theatre in Minneapolis. It is currently playing "Despicable Me" -- a film I didn't catch in the first run theatres and was sad about it. Thanks to Google Maps I determined it to be about 8 miles away -- doable for someone who did 6 miles earlier in the week, right?

Right. Except for when the route you pick is a natural wind tunnel.

So Pierce Butler was a little tough... but the awesome thing about biking is that you can just decide to choose another route if you want! Minnehaha Parkway it is! And I learned that Prior crosses 94 in a very nice, flat way. (And I saw a great building I never knew existed!)

So the movie was awesome, and fantastic... and totally worth the $2 I paid to see it.

The route back seemed easier, but took just as long as the route out. I did *not* stop at Izzy's for ice cream, even though I wanted to and definitely could convince myself I "deserved" it. I also checked out a pedestrian bridge off Hamline and Pierce Butler... I guess I always knew it was there, but never really thought about it. It was fun to find out where I'd end up (in the business park by Bandana Square) and change route to accommodate.

Oh, and PS -- I am SO glad I bought bike shorts from the REI Outlet online last night. I kind of wish I'd sprung for expedited shipping. :)