Wow, guys, what a nice day for our last "last ride!" Thanks for making it fun...great to hear the birds and smell all the flowers and ride in the sunshine one last time before leaving.
You all take care, drive safely, and thanks for making our group such a fun one!
Barbara
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Monday, March 4, 2013
Ok, this is the last last ride...really.
Gang,
Lynn just warned me that as of March 1, there is only valet parking up in Baytowne Wharf. I didn't know that. (When did that start?) So let's meet in the parking lot on the south side of Emerald Coast Parkway (new #98) near the main Sandestin entrance. That would be the east end of Market Shops. We'll bike beachside first and then head under #98 up into bayside for our 10 miles and we'll still eat at Another Broken Egg around 11:30-11:45AM.
Remember to meet by 10:30AM! I can't get into www.weather.com right now. The website appears "broken up." Must be having problems. So I can't see the latest prediction on when the rain will start or if we'll have a windy morning, both of which would cancel the ride.
I'll keep checking up until about 8AM tomorrow morning and modify this post if we have to cancel. Be sure you all check this post on our blog tomorrow, too!
If you get a chance to RSVP on the blog, please do.
Lynn just warned me that as of March 1, there is only valet parking up in Baytowne Wharf. I didn't know that. (When did that start?) So let's meet in the parking lot on the south side of Emerald Coast Parkway (new #98) near the main Sandestin entrance. That would be the east end of Market Shops. We'll bike beachside first and then head under #98 up into bayside for our 10 miles and we'll still eat at Another Broken Egg around 11:30-11:45AM.
Remember to meet by 10:30AM! I can't get into www.weather.com right now. The website appears "broken up." Must be having problems. So I can't see the latest prediction on when the rain will start or if we'll have a windy morning, both of which would cancel the ride.
I'll keep checking up until about 8AM tomorrow morning and modify this post if we have to cancel. Be sure you all check this post on our blog tomorrow, too!
If you get a chance to RSVP on the blog, please do.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Last Ride on the Blog
Hi, everyone who hasn't left the area yet! Here is our last ride, Monday, March 4. (Tuesday looks like rain, Wednesday is our general snowbird meeting, and Thursday I depart...but you all can easily still ride by sending out group emails, since we have the roster Chris and Patty so generously created for us.)
Monday, March 4 -- New Route in Niceville led by Don Anderson
We'll "officially" end our season with a new route and lunch at a new place, recommended by the Andersons. Directions will follow shortly, but we will be meeting at 11AM and parking in an overflow lot across from Giuseppis Wharf Restaurant & Marina, 821 Bayshore Drive, Niceville, FL 32578 if you want to Google it. Lunch afterwards will be at the Front Porch Restaurant just down the street.
RSVP in the comment section below.
Directions from Don:
From Destin the easiest way is to cross the Mid Bay Bridge ($3.00 charge each way), turn left onto state highway 20 (E. John Sims Parkway, follow that into Niceville, turn left on Cedar Ave. S., right on 27th Street, right on Bayshore Drive, parking is on your right after the turn. You can also reach Niceville through Fort Walton by going around the bay.
Monday, March 4 -- New Route in Niceville led by Don Anderson
We'll "officially" end our season with a new route and lunch at a new place, recommended by the Andersons. Directions will follow shortly, but we will be meeting at 11AM and parking in an overflow lot across from Giuseppis Wharf Restaurant & Marina, 821 Bayshore Drive, Niceville, FL 32578 if you want to Google it. Lunch afterwards will be at the Front Porch Restaurant just down the street.
RSVP in the comment section below.
Directions from Don:
From Destin the easiest way is to cross the Mid Bay Bridge ($3.00 charge each way), turn left onto state highway 20 (E. John Sims Parkway, follow that into Niceville, turn left on Cedar Ave. S., right on 27th Street, right on Bayshore Drive, parking is on your right after the turn. You can also reach Niceville through Fort Walton by going around the bay.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
End of Season Potluck Photos
Thanks for a great biking season and lots of great lunch laughs, gang! Looking forward to next season. Safe travels home, everyone, and be well until we meet up again.
(Double click photos to enlarge.)
Terri Olson, Barb Kimball, Amy Beekman, Luan Beach
Stan and Diane Newby
Amy Beekman, Ken Hendrick, Stan Newby, Al Quackenbush
Lynn Quackenbush, Julie Kraabel
Harvey Kraabel
Roger Olson and John Beach
Diane Newby and Margaret Hendrick
Chris and Patty Schaal
Ken Beekman
The Cake :)
Everyone who couldn't make the potluck, we missed you! Next year it's at my place...
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Biking Week of February 24 - March 2
Rain has finally stopped. Now let's hope the wind sufficiently dies down the rest of the week.
Trying to rotate our routes, here's what I thought we'd do this week:
Wednesday, February 27 -- Freeport
Meet at 11AM in the Freeport library parking lot along #20. We'll ride 10-12 miles and do lunch at the usual, TJ's.
RSVP in the comment section.
Thursday, February 28 -- Watercolor
Meet at 11AM in the parking lot just on the eastern edge of Watercolor along #30A. We'll ride Watercolor first and then head up #30A to a new place, Sergio's Little Italy, near Red Bar for lunch. After lunch, it's a 3 1/2 mile ride back to the cars.
***Please be sure to RSVP for this ride by Wednesday, as I need to make reservations for us. Sergio's isn't that big.
Friday, March 1 -- Kelly Plantation
This is fast becoming one of the faves, as it is an easy ride, very pretty, and the clubhouse is a great spot to eat. Meet at 11AM in the Fresh Market parking lot.
RSVP in the comments section.
Trying to rotate our routes, here's what I thought we'd do this week:
Wednesday, February 27 -- Freeport
Meet at 11AM in the Freeport library parking lot along #20. We'll ride 10-12 miles and do lunch at the usual, TJ's.
RSVP in the comment section.
Thursday, February 28 -- Watercolor
Meet at 11AM in the parking lot just on the eastern edge of Watercolor along #30A. We'll ride Watercolor first and then head up #30A to a new place, Sergio's Little Italy, near Red Bar for lunch. After lunch, it's a 3 1/2 mile ride back to the cars.
***Please be sure to RSVP for this ride by Wednesday, as I need to make reservations for us. Sergio's isn't that big.
Friday, March 1 -- Kelly Plantation
This is fast becoming one of the faves, as it is an easy ride, very pretty, and the clubhouse is a great spot to eat. Meet at 11AM in the Fresh Market parking lot.
RSVP in the comments section.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Biking Week of February 17-23
Folks: We're going to go to a shorter notice of bike rides this week to try to schedule on days with good weather (read: no rain or winds!) I'm only going to schedule a ride if the weather looks good as predicted the day before. The weather predictors have played some tricks on us lately, including saying it wouldn't rain, but it did and vice versa (this morning.) So you will want to check the blog or your email nightly, whichever way you are informed of new rides. We'll see how this works. If it works well, we'll continue like this; but if not so well, we'll go back to the our SOP next week.
We're starting this week with a ride Sunday, as so far, that is looking like the only day in the next four with no rain or no wind.
Sunday, February 17 -- Kelly Plantation
Meet in the parking lot of Fresh Market at 11AM and we will leave as soon as we are all set (usually about 10 minutes.) We'll do 10 miles at an average 10 mph pace and then lunch at the Clubhouse Grill.
Please RSVP below in the comment section under the Kelly Plantation ride.
Monday, February 18 -- New Route: Miller-Holley Bike Paths
Might have winds this morning, but we decided to try a new route, since it just might be sheltered a bit. If it proves too unpleasant, we can quit early and just go eat! (Or if some want to finish,
the others can just chat by the cars until we're all ready to go.) This route is all bike path, except for a bit of road we need to ride to bypass a section of torn-up path. The road isn't a busy one, though. Might I suggest to those who don't have mirrors, it's a good idea to see behind you!
Meet at 10AM (not 11AM!) at Northwest Florida State College off of #331. Take #98 east to #331, turn north on #331 and then take the first left which goes right into the college. OR you can take #98 east and turn left onto JD Miller Road (it is a couple of blocks before #331...a sign on your right saying Padgett Park and arrowing left to JD Miller Rd. is a guidepost), take that a block down, then a right onto Community Way. Community Way dead-ends at Greenway Trail and you'll go right a block to the college. (I tried to Google Northwest Florida State College and kept getting the campus in Niceville....so to see this area on a map, Google South Walton High School and you'll see the library south of that. The NW FL State College building is south of the library, but isn't showing up on my Google map. Believe me, it's there. I went into all three institutions.)
We can get a 9.5-10 mile ride back there (I drove it) and I've already asked (in person!) the high school, the library, and the college if we can park in their lots. The high school and college said "no problem" but the library doesn't have enough spots. I chose the college, as it's a little "calmer" down at that end.
At the end of this ride, we're doing brunch at Don Pedro's in Santa Rosa on #98 (not the Destin location.)
RSVP in the comment section please. Don't forget sunscreen, helmets, ID, money, spare inner tube and portable pump (always good to have) and dress accordingly. Layers would be a good idea.
Wednesday, February 20 -- Sandestin
Meet at 11AM outside Starbucks in Baytowne Wharf on the Sandestin property. We'll ride about 10 miles and then have lunch/brunch at Another Broken Egg in Baytowne.
Please RSVP in the comment section.
Thursday, February 21 -- Kelly Plantation
Meet at 11AM in the Fresh Market parking lot. We'll bike into Kelly and ride 10 miles before stopping up at the Clubhouse Grill to have lunch. (We found a few more streets, one along the bay, to bike last Sunday!)
Please RSVP in the comment section.
We're starting this week with a ride Sunday, as so far, that is looking like the only day in the next four with no rain or no wind.
Sunday, February 17 -- Kelly Plantation
Meet in the parking lot of Fresh Market at 11AM and we will leave as soon as we are all set (usually about 10 minutes.) We'll do 10 miles at an average 10 mph pace and then lunch at the Clubhouse Grill.
Please RSVP below in the comment section under the Kelly Plantation ride.
Monday, February 18 -- New Route: Miller-Holley Bike Paths
Might have winds this morning, but we decided to try a new route, since it just might be sheltered a bit. If it proves too unpleasant, we can quit early and just go eat! (Or if some want to finish,
the others can just chat by the cars until we're all ready to go.) This route is all bike path, except for a bit of road we need to ride to bypass a section of torn-up path. The road isn't a busy one, though. Might I suggest to those who don't have mirrors, it's a good idea to see behind you!
Meet at 10AM (not 11AM!) at Northwest Florida State College off of #331. Take #98 east to #331, turn north on #331 and then take the first left which goes right into the college. OR you can take #98 east and turn left onto JD Miller Road (it is a couple of blocks before #331...a sign on your right saying Padgett Park and arrowing left to JD Miller Rd. is a guidepost), take that a block down, then a right onto Community Way. Community Way dead-ends at Greenway Trail and you'll go right a block to the college. (I tried to Google Northwest Florida State College and kept getting the campus in Niceville....so to see this area on a map, Google South Walton High School and you'll see the library south of that. The NW FL State College building is south of the library, but isn't showing up on my Google map. Believe me, it's there. I went into all three institutions.)
We can get a 9.5-10 mile ride back there (I drove it) and I've already asked (in person!) the high school, the library, and the college if we can park in their lots. The high school and college said "no problem" but the library doesn't have enough spots. I chose the college, as it's a little "calmer" down at that end.
At the end of this ride, we're doing brunch at Don Pedro's in Santa Rosa on #98 (not the Destin location.)
RSVP in the comment section please. Don't forget sunscreen, helmets, ID, money, spare inner tube and portable pump (always good to have) and dress accordingly. Layers would be a good idea.
Wednesday, February 20 -- Sandestin
Meet at 11AM outside Starbucks in Baytowne Wharf on the Sandestin property. We'll ride about 10 miles and then have lunch/brunch at Another Broken Egg in Baytowne.
Please RSVP in the comment section.
Thursday, February 21 -- Kelly Plantation
Meet at 11AM in the Fresh Market parking lot. We'll bike into Kelly and ride 10 miles before stopping up at the Clubhouse Grill to have lunch. (We found a few more streets, one along the bay, to bike last Sunday!)
Please RSVP in the comment section.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Biking Week of February 10-16
Weather.com is predicting a high chance of rain both Monday and Tuesday right now (Sat. 9PM) with a just 30% chance on Wednesday, but with wind.
So I'll schedule both a Thursday and a Friday ride this week, but if Wednesday's weather forecast improves, we will add a ride after the monthly snowbird meeting. A suggestion I was given was to have lunch together after the meeting, somewhere in the Destin area, then do our ride afterwards. Works for me. We'll make that determination later when we see what the weather will be for Wednesday.
Thursday, February 14
We'll try again for the Rosemary Beach ride today. Meet at 11AM at Shades, the restaurant at the easternmost end of #30A in Rosemary Beach. We'll ride along the bike path through Rosemary Beach, Alys Beach and into Seacrest or Seagrove 5 miles and then back to Shades for lunch. Please go to comments at the end of this week's post and RSVP under Thursday's ride if you plan to come.
Friday, February 15
Meet up in Freeport at 11AM in the library parking lot, as usual. We'll ride 10-12 miles and have lunch at TJ's afterwards. Please go to comments at the end of this week's post and RSVP under Friday's ride if you plan to come.
So I'll schedule both a Thursday and a Friday ride this week, but if Wednesday's weather forecast improves, we will add a ride after the monthly snowbird meeting. A suggestion I was given was to have lunch together after the meeting, somewhere in the Destin area, then do our ride afterwards. Works for me. We'll make that determination later when we see what the weather will be for Wednesday.
Thursday, February 14
We'll try again for the Rosemary Beach ride today. Meet at 11AM at Shades, the restaurant at the easternmost end of #30A in Rosemary Beach. We'll ride along the bike path through Rosemary Beach, Alys Beach and into Seacrest or Seagrove 5 miles and then back to Shades for lunch. Please go to comments at the end of this week's post and RSVP under Thursday's ride if you plan to come.
Friday, February 15
Meet up in Freeport at 11AM in the library parking lot, as usual. We'll ride 10-12 miles and have lunch at TJ's afterwards. Please go to comments at the end of this week's post and RSVP under Friday's ride if you plan to come.
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