In celebration of Sea-Fair and beautiful bicycling weather, one of Cascade’s Daily Rides followed a route from Bellevue to Mercer Island to catch the Blue Angels practice flights above Lake Washington. This annual ride, put on by volunteer ride leader Bruce Zunser, culminates on his rooftop deck, an ideal viewing spot, if I do say so myself. This was a day of firsts for me, as I hadn’t yet been on a Daily Ride nor had I ever seen the Blue Angels, or any Seafair related activity for that matter.
A handful of us met up on west side of Lake Washington and, led by Sander Lazar and Robin Randels, crossed the 1-90 bridge, and met a bigger group at the official starting point. Bruce guided us around the mellow, rolling hills of Mercer Island, quite a contrast from bustling Seattle.
After a quick stop to pick up lunch supplies, we settled in to watch the show and work on our tans in the beautiful sunshine. I think one of my favorite parts of the experience was not having to plan anything-someone else had the route figured out, I didn’t have to worry about getting lost or hungry, and no one else expected me to know the answers to any questions — it was fantastic!
Once the show began, we were all glued to the skies as planes soared all around, some even making a turn RIGHT OVER US (something which was cool but very loud and a bit scary). Though I had only met a handful of the riders before, hanging out on the deck after our scenic ride and big big lunch (foot long sub anyone?) I found myself very much enjoying a day with fellow riders. By the end of the afternoon, I had talked with folks from all walks of life from retirees to construction contractors and gained a valuable insight into why Cascade is so important in the bicycling community. Even though this was my first Daily Ride, I certainly hope that it won’t be the last.
Thanks to John Nuun for supplying all the pictures in this blog post.
