The city is certainly not safe to ride, but it is doable. The weather today is an absolutely lovely Sunday in Spring, with partial clouds, just enough to give relief from the intensity of the sun while still being warm enough to be comfortable.

Everyone is out enjoying the weather, sitting at cafes and restaurants, walking, running, biking through parks.

I joined them. I took about a 20 minute bike ride to get to the Audubon park, but I didn't want to take the more direct route of Magazine St, so I stuck to some side roads until breaks in the grid forced me onto it.

Riding on Magazine is somewhat tough considering it's one lane of cars each way plus parking, but the driving can be aggressive. People want to get to the next stop light as quickly as possible, like you're slowing them down. Then you wait with them at the light for the other cars to go by. Getting back on the side street, the roads are so unmaintained that the seat feels like it's going straight up my rear. So, back to Magazine. If I'm going to get run over by the 5' high grill of an SUV, at least my seat won't be up my bum.

Audubon Park is gorgeous. It's full of oak trees, bushes, people, and pets. There's a ton of parking for people who drive for the opportunity to walk. Moving away from that and circling the calm pond, a light breeze gently creates ripples along its surface. I see a man in a colorful shirt with a sign offering free hugs so, of course, I stop and get a free hug. I want to make it a good one – none of that light pat on the back crap. It turns out he gives good hugs too! Yay! I think his name was Greg, though I may have forgotten.

I continue on and people watch as I leisurely ride. Students from the nearby universities are going for runs, some people are playing frisbee, two are sunbathing and making up for winter. It's such a beautiful day.

Next is a family with children learning to ride bikes, followed by a little jungle gym with parents chatting while their children play. I overheard one say, “If you're going to call me names, call me Sunday.” Another is singing his best intro to The Lion King. I think they're on to something.

I see one guy on a speed bike riding beside an older man who's on a run and they look like they're catching up for a few minutes before the rider continues his workout.

I hear a crack sound and see that someone dropped her doggy pooper picker upper, so I call out to her and let her know.

I cycle around a bit more, enjoying the sights of friends relaxing in the grass, joining each other for runs, and in general having pleasant conversation.

I complete another half loop around the park before heading down a neighborhood road, back to the hostel. And again the seat is going up the rear. It's supposed to be exit only. Fortunately, I make it to some rich houses and the road becomes smooth for a while. The sidewalks look brand new with that white-ish concrete look and not being broken into pieces.

Once I get to the end of the neighborhood, it's back to the normal streets. I cross a St. Charles, not daring to go down it despite the fact that it would be smoother and faster, and take the next right. The road isn't terrible, but almost no one is driving down it, so I can enjoy the ride a bit.

My phone buzzed with a message that a friend from out of town found the abandoned Charity hospital. It's super haunted. Definitely haunted. I resume my ride down more bumpy roads and arrive at the hostel. This route was definitely better than the main road. Almost no cars and no one in a rush. I'm still sitting outside and enjoying the short-lived temperature, as it'll be gone in a few weeks, tops.

Trees for the entire route and provide welcome cover for my now reddish, super white skin. I forgot to bring the sunscreen, but my legs definitely need some sun, in addition to the rest of me.

I'm going to enjoy the porch for a while. I'm not ready to say goodbye to this weather yet.

#biking #cities #neworleans