Getting There is Half the Fun 12/21/09

The Day. I spent Sunday in downtown Chicago with Melissa, ice skating, warming up with afternoon tea service and generally enjoying the beauty of the season.

The Ride. I got there by bike, a 14 mile round trip. Temperature around 30 degrees. My core got hot and I took off my coat for a bit (mom would not approve). The Lakefront Trail was strewn with heaps of salt, all ice eradicated. I saw very few other cyclists, unfortunately. Everyone’s missing out on the beautiful views.

As always, getting there (and back) is half the fun.

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  • http://www.bikebythesea.com/ Christa

    Skyline views, public art, sugary food, skating rink and a lion statue – looks like a great city. Would love to visit Chicago!

  • http://freckleddiaries.typepad.com Catherine

    i cannot believe you have no snow there after the snowpocalypse we’re going through in DC. Federal government closed on Monday….that means that (directly) 20% of us have no work tomorrow and another 50% of us whose employers go by the Feds decision also have no work tomorrow.

    A friend of mine just made the very convincing argument that the Washington Post headline SHOULD read “Government Closed; Bars Open”. Everywhere that’s open is PACKED. This has been the best weekend EVER. Vive la Snowpocalyse!

    • dukiebiddle

      Why would Chicago have snow? :-)

      And you’re totally going to hate me for this, but we’re just fine and business is running as usual in Baltimore. Public transportation was never interrupted. I guess we’re just made of flintier stuff than our southern neighbors. ;-) (kidding!)

  • http://emeraldsedai.livejournal.com Anne Hawley

    Oh, delightful! And your outfit is darling, as always. Lovely photos of what looks like a perfectly wonderful day out.

  • http://lovelybike.blogspot.com Lovely Bicycle!

    Love the lion statue with wreath photo and the berries. I am obsessed with those red berries in winter and photograph them all the time, especially against the snow. Anyone know what they are called?

    I was puzzled by that last picture of you “cycling”, until I realised that the bike is stationary and the kickstand is down. And I cannot believe the way you are dressed in 30°F; here I am shivering in twice the layers!

    • http://bikesovercars.blogspot.com/ Zweiradler

      Isn’t that some sort of cherry tree?

      Nico

    • Deborah

      Here are winterberries (ilex verticillata), whose berries are attached right to the branch of the shrub
      http://www.springmeadownursery.com/article_9.htm

      and here are crabapples (malus), which have pomes hanging from long stems (as Dottie’s photographed above):
      http://www.edenbrothers.com/store/snowdrift_crabapple_tree.html

      I’m sure there are lots of both in the Boston area where you’re photographing! And probably others besides… I think cotoneasters keep their berries in winter, for instance.

      • http://lovelybike.blogspot.com Lovely Bicycle!

        Deborah – Thank you so much!

        The ones I mostly photograph are (what turns out to be) the winterberries. I see them all over the place in Maine, as well as in England and Austria.

        I like the crab-apples as well, and only now do I see that they are distinctly different from the winterberries. I erroneously thought crab apples were something else – those miniature, very sour apples that grow in the wild. Now I know. Thanks again for the links!

        • Deborah

          Crabapples are indeed miniature sour apples, but there are so many different varieties these days — the wild ones have sizeable fruits the size of small apples but many of the cultivated ones have tiny fruit like… well, like berries! I think these dark red ones in Dottie’s picture are just gorgeous. Happy camera-hunting for more berries of all sorts!

  • Kevin

    They’re holly berries.

  • http://pittiesincity.blogspot.com/ Amy

    Your pictures make downtown look so wonderful. Are the throngs of shoppers gone yet?

  • Deborah

    Those particular “berries” are small crabapples, I’d bet. But similar berries that you see a lot this time of year, at least around here where it’s too cold to grow English holly, are winterberries (same family as holly, but deciduous).

    Great “city in winter” shots — I am still trying to get up the courage to do winter riding in Minneapolis. Around my neighborhood there are no bike trails and the streets are just a mess…

  • http://knickerbockerholding.blogspot.com/ Neighbourtease

    I love your pink sleeves and green gloves. Adorable.

    Those look like Ilex berries to me?

  • Melissa Hope S

    Nice! I look so serious in that pic. It’s because I am a pro and I take skating seriously! :-)
    When I saw you ride up, Dot, you looked so calm and cool. I was proud that you are my friend!

    • http://letsgorideabike.wordpress.com dottie

      Aw, how nice to hear even though I was riding on the sidewalk :)

      Your moves are so sweet!

  • Stephen

    Enjoy these days, ladies. They are the good old days, and you will look back years from now and wonder where the time went, and what happened to everyone.

    What a wonderful set of photographs; what a wonderful set of memories.

  • Ann

    Thanks for sharing the photos. The city and its inhabitants look lovely decked out in their holiday finery. This time of year, I miss city life. Although it is beautiful where I retired to, city lights and decorations this time of year make any city appears a bit magical and certainly joyful. I hope everyone has a safe and very happy holiday season!

  • http://rowdykittens.com/ RowdyKittens

    I loved the story and photos. Happy Holidays and safe travels. :)