Ride the Parkway!

There is a new section of road in southwest Provo that connects the airport with the freeway.  For over a month, Maureen and I have been biking on it in the early mornings.  It is smooth, there is no traffic, and apart from a hazardous level of gnats, it makes for a lovely stretch of cycling at 6:30am. We did encounter a construction worker in a truck one morning who yelled out the window that the road was closed, but I cheerfully said, "Good morning!" as we rode by and pretended I didn't really hear/understand him.  We kept riding.

Today, however, Provo City sponsored an official breaking in of the new road, an event they called Ride the Parkway!  It was a non-motorized all-wheels festival where you could come with bikes, scooters, or just your feet to enjoy the 3 miles stretch of road, along with food trucks, vendors, and other exciting activities like a candy canon and free hot chocolate.   Doesn't that sound like fun?  I thought so, and so we all went.  We loaded up the bikes in the car and drove down to pedal down the road and back with lots of other Provolonians.  

We began biking but didn't get too far before Brandt got a flat tire.  We didn't have a spare tube for his bike, but I had some patches.  We tried to change the tire, but the puncture was actually a huge hole by the valve stem that could not be repaired.  Brandt and Kent turned back while Blythe and I continued a bit further on.  She hadn't dressed appropriately for the weather, so we didn't get much further before she complained of freezing to death, so we turned back, too.  We caught up and walked with Brandt and Kent, and tried to help another woman with a flat tire.  Her's, too, was irreparable.  We didn't let any of that dampen our enjoyment of the evening out, watching the sun set, being with our fellow citizens, and being together.  We even got some dinner from the food trucks.

Bikers ahead.

Walkers alongside.