Biking Adventures

A couple of months ago Chad and I decided that we wanted to try to be bikers (well bicyclers). Because this was experimental, we decided to start out with the cheapest bikes we could find, so Chad got a hand-me-down bike from a really tall person, and I went to my first auction out on Redwood Road and bid for a bunch of bikes (5 bikes for $35!). We kept the second best one (the best one got stolen out of our backyard one day, grrrr....) and Chad fixed some stuff on them. Then, since this was still experimental, we got a $60 used trailer from ksl and wahlah! We became a bicycling family.

What I like most about biking, besides the killer thighs I ought to be developing, is the opportunity for adventure. On New Year's day we went south on the Jordan River Trail and ran into a train yard. Since nobody was around on New Year's we got to poke around, which is my absolutely favorite thing - I am fascinated with checking out old or abandoned stuff. We looked in all the windows of the old fashioned train switch building thing (don't really know, but they had some maps and schedules and stuff). And then, we came upon these beautiful cars:

I was dying to look in the windows but they were all covered. When I got up to where this last picture was I could hear music playing inside and that kind of freaked me out. The yellow car is hooked up to power and stuff - we figured maybe train conductors get to stay there or something?? Or what if you can rent a train car to live in?? Very intriguing. The windows on the silver car (the "Moonlight Express") were also covered and the doors locked. Chad climbed up on the roof and looked inside the top window to discover an 80s looking dining area (the car was two stories). I'm so glad that Chad likes to explore stuff like this too. I just eat it up.

We went biking yesterday and came across an old man fishing the Jordan River. He reminded me of my grandpa with his fishing box and tub full of worms. We chilled with him for a while and learned about what kinds of fish you can catch in the Jordan River (trout, catfish, suckers, carp, etc.). Then we checked out random little neighborhoods in the area. I never knew there were trailer home neighborhoods you were only allowed to move into if you were over 50. It was kind of cool, like a retirement home with your own yard.

The last two times we've gone on these adventures Jozie has slept the entire time. I don't know how she does that, cuz we're not always good at staying on a trail and there's still lots of slush on the ground.

Goofing around on bikes and exploring the neighborhood reminds me of when I was a kid. I grew up surrounded by empty fields and my brothers and I would take off "exploring" - really fond memories.

I think I'm liking this biking thing so much that sometime I'll trade in my rusty old bike for a nice one.