29.40 miles - Downtown MPLS/Lower Grande Rounds - 4/7/08

29.40 miles

avg 16.2

max 28.1

cal 929.6

1.48.32

Poprad

It was in the mid-30's today. I decided to ride into Downtown MPLS via SW Corridor/Kenwood Trail/Cedar Lake Trail so that I could research a commuter route for my wife LeeAnn. The Cedar Lake Trail ends abruptly Downtown near the Target Center. I decided to take any-ol'-street and ended up near the Convention Center. Strangely enough, there are center lane bike lane that end suddenly leaving you wondering where to go and there are bike lanes located very inconveniently between parked cars and traffic (watch those car doors). Downtown Minneapolis is NOT very bike friendly. Luckily, from my personal experience, Downtown MPLS is not very congested or else we would have a sick scenario on our hands, but from my experiences it is not a bike friendly or bike structured city center. I was not successful at finding a good route for my wife.

I decided to take Nicolette Ave out of Downtown and back towards the Uptown area so I could get on the Midtown Greenway and head east to the River and get on the lower half of Grande Rounds, which took me and my cold feet back home via the Minnehaha Parkway, Lake Hariet, Lake Calhoun and the SW Corridor.

Truly the highlight of my trip was the hawk (I believe a Cooper's Hawk) that swooped down in front of me and flew next to me for ten to 15 feet before perching on a fence behind Northland Products on the SW Corridor...what a beautiful bird!!!