Summer Joyriding Plans 06/13/11

So far this summer, I have been riding my bike about the same amount as during the winter.  That is to say – a lot.  I bike to work daily, of course, and to get anywhere else I need to go.  But I need to start joyriding, now that I can stay outside for longer than an hour without turning into a dotsicle.  :)

Me on a mini-joyride to Humboldt Park

I need to create a plan to enjoy the great outdoors with my bike during the next two months of warm weather.  I definitely want to go camping again, like last year. And I’ve always wanted to take the long ride to the Chicago botanic gardens.

Any other ideas?  What joyrides have you taken in the past and what do you have planned for this summer?

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  • http://osnbiking.blogspot.com/ GITerDone

    I rode the Grand Illinois trail from Carpentersville through Humbolt Park to Navy Pier a few weekends ago. It was alot of fun. I recommend a ride on the IPP(Illinois Prairie Path) if you have time to do so.

    • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

      Interesting. I’ve ridden a bit of the IPP after taking my bike on the Metra a ways west. I camped and biked to Two Brothers. That was very nice!

  • http://eatbikenap.blogspot.com/ David Cain

    Or might that be a “dotsycle”?

    • http://www.inspiredcyclist.wordpress.com Maureen

      “dotsycle” adorable!

      • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

        :)

  • http://cris.livejournal.com Cris

    At some point this summer … maybe August or so, I’d like to take a week or a week and half off work and ride from Boston to New York and back. I’ve done New York – Boston as part of the AIDSride back in 2001, but I’ve been wanting to do it as a self-supported tour for a while now. Now, it’s just a matter of picking an opportune time to go.

    • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

      How cool would it be to nonchalantly tell people that you biked from NY to Boston? Very. :) I want to bike the (relatively easy) 100 miles between Chicago and Milwaukee for that very reason.

  • http://www.me-go.net/ Megan

    The botanic gardens are on my list too. Last summer I rode up the lakefront path to the Baha’i Temple in Wilmette then back down the North Branch trail along the river. I prefer riding South from Grant Park on the Lakefront Path – it’s almost empty compared to the Northside section.

    • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

      Let’s talk about arranging a Botanic Garden ride next time we see each other!

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

    I was just thinking the other day that I would like to ride from where I live out to historic Jonesborough, Tennessee’s oldest town. Maybe find some ice cream and wonder around the shops. And one of these days, we’re going to go ride the Virginia Creeper Trail.

    • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

      Mmmmm, the South. I would love to do something like bike the Blue Ridge Parkway. Of course, with my Chicago legs, I’d probably have to give up after a couple of mountainous miles. :)

  • NancyB

    My husband and I are going to take the Wauponsee Glacial Trail down to Kankakee State Park for some camping in July. We haven’t decided if we’re going to take all our camping stuff or use the camping cabins. Either way it’ll be fun. I’d love to take the I&M Canal Trail and go camping at Illini State Park or Starved Rock but we’d both have to work up to the mileage.

    • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

      Do you ride your bike all the way there? I’d love to hear more about the logistics, because that sounds like something do-able for me.

  • http://www.inspiredcyclist.wordpress.com Maureen

    I’m heading on a tour of the Finger Lakes region in upstate NY at the end of this month. Looking forward to it.

    • http://bikinfool.wordpress.com/ Brian

      Hi Maureen,

      I’m from that area of NY. All I can advise you is bring your climbing legs. Depending on the routes you select, you can run into some pretty good climbs. It’s still a gorgeous area to tour and it’s hard t go wrong stopping at a winery or two.

    • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

      Cool – I bet it will feel great to get out of the city, even though you’re not leaving the state.

  • David

    I’d like to ride up to the Botanic Gardens, too. Maybe you could make an LGRAB event of it, with a pic-a-nic at the end, too.

    I’d like to ride to Milwaukee to see the Calatrava-designed new wing.

    I’d like to explore more of the Illinois Prairie Path.

    I’d like to ride from Detroit to Ann Arbor and back, and really earn whatever I buy at Zingerman’s :)

    I’d like to ride to SW Michigan and co camping.

    I’ll consider it a success if I do two of those.

    David

    • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

      I need to explore the IL Prairie Path, too! I’ve done bits and pieces of it before. Oh, and SW Michigan, I haven’t been there and it’s so close. I do have a trip scheduled for August, but I don’t think I’ll have a bike with me.

      An LGRAB ride up to the Botanic Gardens is an interesting idea. I’ll think about something like that – thanks!

  • http://bicycle.webnode.com Jazzboy

    This summer I want to do a 2 day tour from Toronto to Niagara Falls with a stop at the beautiful town of Niagara-on-the-lake. The return will be by train as there is a seasonal service on weekends that includes bike coaches.

    • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

      That is going to be a-freakin’-mazing! So cool.

  • http://www.myhyggelig.blogspot.com/ Sigrid

    I am about riding differently this summer – went on a regular old bicycle ride on Saturday afternoon. How novel. How fun.

    • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

      :)

      I think I need to do the opposite. All my rides are regular old bicycle rides and I need something to jazz it up.

  • http://www.quaintliving.com Alice

    I love to do joyrides out into the countryside here, aiming towards a nice pub for lunch or bringing a picnic, I have my fingers crossed for good weather this summer!

    • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

      A picnic is a fail-safe way of making a day special!

  • http://verynorth.blogspot.com/ Timoohz

    I’m planning doing a fishing trip. Hook, line and sinker, and a knife to cut the fishing pole. I haven’t decided if I’m going to eat the fishes there (I’d need some camp cooking equipment) or should I put the fishes in a plastic bag or bucket and bring them home for cooking.

    • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

      Do you have a special set-up for holding your fishing pole and stuff on your bike?

  • http://bicyclingsd.blogspot.com Sam

    *snicker* dotsicle!

    I am planning a ride down to Ensenada, MX this summer.

    Mostly I plan on doing a lot of reading and sitting around sipping lemonade.

    • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

      Reading and sipping lemonade – good idea. I need to build plenty of that into my summer.

      The Mexico trip sounds exciting! I look forward to hearing how that goes.

  • http://Www.inspiredcyclist@wordpress.com Maureen

    Thanks Brian, I live on the pretty flat Long Island. My legs are sturdy, but I am a little nervous about my stamina on the hills. Will update you on it in a few weeks!

  • L

    I (with 3 friends) would be embarking on a leisurely ‘getting-to-know’ of 3 (maybe 4 ) contiguous towns/hamlets by bike (in the U.K.) – making use of ‘B&B’ (mainly, and spending 3-7 days in each -) and hoping to get to know some ‘locals’.
    Wishing everyone here an enjoyable (and fruitful?) summer.

    • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

      That sounds amazing! I bet I could figure out a B&B tour ride nearby in Wisconsin. Hmmm, I’ll have to look into that – thanks for the inspiration.

  • .mk.

    I’ve always liked the tree-lined ride up north Damen into Andersonville. You can do this for brunch (Ann Sather) or dinner (HopLeaf). It would make a great summer night. And if you have too much to drink, take the L back.

    There’s some nice quiet(er) streets around town too in the summer… like taking Armitage from the lakefront, all the way to Wicker Park (for some pizza at Piece or cocktails at the Leopard Lounge (if it’s still there?)).

    • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

      Riding up to Andersonville is a beautiful summer mini-joyride. My preferred route is Ravenswood, so deserted. I actually wrote about that two years ago (boy, time flies!).

      I’ll have to put Piece on my to-do list, thanks!

  • Roger Pattison

    I am a big fan of the site, especially the links to other blogs.

    There is one big problem – you are running out of things to say!

    The pretty dress/pretty bike theme can only go so far, even Mr Dottie looks fed up.

    I would love to hear your views on other types of bike such as this one made by Pashley:

    http://www.moultonbicycles.co.uk/models/TSR2.html

    or some of the electric bikes that have been a great hit in Europe (40% of the market for new bikes).

    It is still the perfect bike blog though.

    • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

      Dude, strangest comment ever. Congrats.