Archive for the ‘bicycling’ Category
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Sep
05
Posted by James Lupori
Married for 26 Years!
Our Wedding Day - September 4th, 1983
I met my beautiful wife, Virginia, at the University of Utah back in 1979. At that time, I worked as a cook in the dormitory cafeteria and every day I would see Virginia come through the line……………”Oh, my,” said my heart! I managed to get her attention on Halloween day by wearing vampire teeth and, of course, she pretended not to notice (typical). At that point, I was determined to win the pretty lady over and, through my charm and intelligence (just kidding) we started dating and, well…26 years later we are still living an EXTRAORDINARY life together.
Virginia and I consider ourselves to be the luckiest people in the world. She was born in New Jersey and I was born in Nevada. Both of our families were basically middle class in those days: her father was a Police Captain and my father was a helicopter mechanic. We are both the youngest in our families (both of us have two older siblings). We met in college. We are both “liberals” and we share a lot of interests. Some people might think that we’re too “joined-at-the-hip” but listen: Our life together has been a wonderful, dynamic chemical reaction. It’s as if the planets aligned and said: “Hey, small town boy you’re going to marry this tough little Jersey Girl…..and you’re going to like it!”
In today’s world, it seems as if a long-lasting marriage is the exception rather than the rule. Recently, we were invited to the 25th anniversary of two good friends and it felt as if we were members of an exclusive club. Indeed, when we looked through their wedding pictures we had to laugh because we were all so awfully young back then and yet, there hasn’t been one single day that I’ve been with Virginia that hasn’t been special. I can’t wait to see what other possibilities await us in the years to come!
Sometimes Fortune truly does shine on us. In my case, I’m the luckiest guy in the world. I am grateful for having lived so long with my friend, my lover and my most precious treasure, Virginia.
If You Can Do This, You’ll Stay Married Forever
A Brief Stop in Twelve Mile, IN
Ride a Tandem Bicycle across the United States:
In 1998 Virginia and I bicycled on a Tandem from our home in Shoreline, WA to Bar Harbor, ME. We rode 4547 miles, through 15 States against major headwinds, through intense thunder storms, tornado threats, bad roads, terrible heat and a never ending string of mountains and hills. If your marriage can survive this, then you’re ready for almost anything!!!! We’d do it again!!!
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Jul
20
Posted by James Lupori
Another Beautiful Day in the Northwest!
Our "half-of-the-Lake" bike route
Yesterday, Virginia and I rode our tandem bicycle 1/2 way around Lake Washington departing from our home in Kenmore, crossing over the I-90 floating bridge and returning home. The 40-mile loop through Kirkland, Bellevue, over Mercer Island, Seattle and finally back home reveals what a wonderful place this is. A year ago (July 20, 2008) I wrote a post about a similar ride: How I spent my Sunday morning – The Bicycling Realtor which features images that we saw again yesterday. Also, we happened upon the annual Kirkland Car Show (as we did last year) and came across a wonderful little car…….
Why Minis Matter!
1975 Mini Cooper
Even though Virginia and I aren’t really “car people” vintage cars are always fun to look at. This year the car that caught our eye was this 1975 Austin Mini, beautifully restored by KENMORE, WA resident, Rod West! He and his son have spent a lot of time restoring (and updating) this stunning little car. Of course my wife wanted to take it home but we couldn’t fit it on the bike.
It really is a tiny little car!!!
After I pulled my wife away from the mini we continued on our trek around Lake Washington. It was an incredibly beautiful ride. We are truly fortunate to live in this part of the U.S. and to have roads and bridges that allow bicyclists the freedom to enjoy relatively safe riding.
Bellevue as seen from across the lake!
Note the Cascade Mountains in the background!
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Jul
18
Posted by James Lupori
It is during the months of mid-July through mid-September that we experience the most magnificent weather in the Seattle area. Most people don’t realize this but the Pacific Northwest receives virtually no rainfall during this time. And, the big secret is that the sky is blue, the days are warm (not too hot) and the sun stays in the sky late into the evenings. I can’t think of another place in the U.S. that has more pleasant summers.
It’s on days like today that my wife and I take our tandem bicycle out for a spin early in the morning along the Sammamish River Trail from our home here in Kenmore south to the Redmond Town Center where we enjoy a cup of coffee. The round trip is about 25 miles. Along the way we pass by wineries, a brewery (in Woodinville, WA),turf farms and soccer fields. This morning was incredibly beautiful.
I did manage to take one good shot of our ride this morning:
A Blue Heron waiting for breakfast to swim by!
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Jun
29
Posted by James Lupori
Focused on Quality and Customer Service
8020 Bothell Way NE, Kenmore WA 98028
I first met John Ethen, co-owner of Bothell Ski and Bike, in March. John is one of those people who has a passion about sports that pours over into running a very successful bicycle shop. I wrote about Bothell Ski and Bike in March (A Wonderful Addition to Kenmore) in anticipation of it’s pending move from Bothell, WA to Kenmore, WA. The shop actually moved at the end of May; however, John asked me to come back for a follow-up article after things settled-down (moving a whole bicycle shop is a Herculean task). When I visited the other day, there were a lot of customers shopping and the repair shop was busy. I don’t think the shop ever settles down!
John can’t hide his enthusiasm about the new shop. Now located at the corner of Bothell Way and 80th Avenue in Kenmore, they rest just across the street from the Burke-Gilman Trail which places them in an unbelieveably prime location to serve the huge bicycling population in the region. Right now, John said that business has been excellent. They have been busy helping prepare cyclists for the upcoming Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic and his service technicians are working around the clock!
If you’re bicyclist and find yourself in “Kenmore by the lake,” make sure you stop by Bothell Ski and Bike.
Owner, John Ethen, with another satisfied customer!
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May
28
Posted by James Lupori
The League of American Bicyclists Rank WA
#1 Bike Friendly State
Click on the picture to visit the website!
The League of American Bicyclists announced its 2nd Annual Report of the most bicycle friendly U.S. States and, for the second year, Washington State was ranked #1. Here’s part of the list. I’ve highlighted the states I have actually bicycled:
TOP 10
1. Washington
2. Wisconsin
3. Maine
4. Oregon
5. Minnesota
6. Iowa
7. Arizona
8. New Hampshire
9. Delaware
10. New Jersey
BOTTOM TEN
40. Pennsylvania
41. New York
42. West Virginia
43. Tennessee
44. Connecticut
45. North Dakota
46. New Mexico
47. Alaska
48. Oklahoma
49. Montana
50. Alabama
Anyone who has bicycled here in the Seattle area knows that we have a huge bicycling community. Personally, I believe the numbers of cyclists has grown over the past 2 years due to the economy and a general awareness that cycling is an inexpensive mode of transportation. It’s also great for your health.
Bicycle Friendly Kenmore
I also wanted to remind you that Bothell Ski and Bike is now officially open here in Kenmore. I recently wrote a post about this well-respected shop. It’s very exciting to have a full-service bicycle shop in Kenmore. I will be doing a follow-up post about the new shop in the near future:
Bothell Ski & Bike Now Open in Kenmore, WA
8020 Bothell Way NE
Kenmore, WA 98028
www.bikesale.com
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May
22
Posted by James Lupori
Mapping the Reality of Bicycling
Crashes, Hazards and Theft..............
My wife and I have been avid bicyclists for many years. We have always considered the Seattle area relatively safe for bicyclists so much so that we even bike-commuted from Shoreline to Seattle on our tandem. One of the reasons we chose to live in Kenmore, is the close proximity of the Burke-Gilman bicycle trail to our house. My wife uses the trail to commute to work and on the weekends we love to ride to the Redmond Town Center on the east side of Lake Washington or head down to our favorite shopping center, University Village for a cup of coffee. Since the mid-1980’s we have bicycled for pleasure all over the area and, fortunately, we have had relatively few problems with motorists. We have had our share of flat tires and pot holes, but nothing too serious.
Unfortunately, not all cyclists escape accidents/confrontations with motorists, road hazards or theft. The interesting thing is that 75% of bicycle accidents go unreported every year and the number of road issues and thefts has been any one’s guess…..until www.bikewise.org.
Bikewise.org
The Cascade Bicycle Club in partnership with activist Phil Mitchell created bikewise so that they could make cycling safer and more fun by gathering data on the things that go wrong. The site focuses on accidents, hazards and thefts. The site allows cyclists to pinpoint the details of an accident and to post a description of the event. The intention is to collect information so that cyclists and motorists can educate themselves about the problems and issues that bicyclists face. I believe that this site will someday help transform the way in which resources are allocated to make cycling safer and to help shape public policy regarding the relationship of the regional transportation system and bicycles.
Even if you’re not a bicyclist, I encourage you to take a look at bikewise. Not only is it informative but it is fascinating to read some of the problems cyclists encounter on a daily basis.
Click on this picture to view the site: www.bikewise.org
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Mar
29
Posted by James Lupori
Life In the North Can Be Tough!
Fargo ND
If one were to take a poll of how many Americans have actually been to Fargo, ND I’m sure the number is fairly small. In fact, I’m positive there aren’t many of you who have been to ND. This is why I wanted to say a few words about the disastrous flooding that has occurred in Fargo this last week.
My wife and I visited Fargo in the Summer of 1998 during a cross-country (tandem) bicycle tour. We arrived on June 16th, 1998 after having fought a strong head wind and a series of severe thunderstorms that defied imagination. We were wet, cold and tired that day, so we treated ourselves by checking into a hotel and spending the afternoon wandering the streets of this surprisingly interesting “outpost city.” Perhaps the bicycle gods were happy with us, because the next day the winds shifted and we were caressed by a tail wind that blew us over 100 miles into Northern MN.
Residential Street in Fargo ND, 1998
My Thoughts Turn to Fargo
Today, Fargo is in the midst of severe flooding that has inundated the city and caused immense damage to this rigorous and independent place. What amazes me is that the flooding is occurring at the same time temperatures are below freezing. The residents of Fargo are some tough folks!
It seems that, in the last several years, we have seen numerous floods in American cities: New Orleans, Cedar Rapids, IA and now Fargo. Here in the Northwest we have our share of Spring floods that disrupt towns most every year. As our thoughts turn to our friends in Fargo, let us consider that it is time for Americans to consider the importance of making investments in our national infrastructure so that we can avoid these tragedies. It should also be a reminder that we are all in this together and none of us is immune from disasters natural or man-made. Good luck Fargo. We haven’t forgotten you!
Fargo pics courtesy of simminich & kla4067
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Jul
20
Posted by James Lupori
Meet your intrepid bicycling adventurers, Virginia my wife and yours truly, James the Bicycling Realtor:
Virginia and I have been tandem bicycling since 1990 and there’s nothing we enjoy more than taking a ride on the bike from our home in Kenmore and doing what we call the mezzo-lake ride: we start in Kenmore, head south to the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge and then travel north back to Kenmore. This morning we took off at around 8:00 and got back home at 12:00. We’ve done this ride numerous times and there is always some surprise along the way. So what follows are photos of our short adventure. What you’re going to find is that bicycling is the perfect way to experience communities in a very intimate way. As a Realtor, it’s refreshing to look at homes from a bike. One can see how the house relates to the yard and the street. You can smell the neighborhood and hear the sounds. All-too-often we pass through other peoples’ neighborhoods in our cars hardly taking notice of how things fit together. We don’t have a chance to smile at an owner working in the front yard. We pass through anonymously.
At the intersecton of State Highway 522 and 80th Ave. NE (1 mile south of our home) there has been a huge construction project to upgrade the road. It really is amazing to see the size of this project.
We then head east on the Burke-Gilman Trail to Wayne Public Golf Course and then travel south into Juanita:
We continue south (uphill) to Downtown Kirkland. On the we pass by a wildlife refuge on Lake Washington:
Our big surprise today was reaching Downtown Kirkland and bumping into a huge car show. Check these beauties out:
Fortunately, the only fatality we witnessed today was the Wicked Witch of the West. Poor gal. After drooling over some wonderful cars we continued on our way.
From Kirkland, we head bicycle up an unpleasant hill into Downtown Bellevue.
Virginia loves this portion of the ride because we pass by one of the areas most elegant malls: Bellevue Square. Too bad we didn’t have a chance to stop today (ya, right!!). We continue through Bellevue and finally reach one of the best part of the ride: the I-90 floating bridge. The I-90 path starts in the Bellevue neighborhood of Enatai:
We head west onto Mercer Island and then reach the west point of the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge. About 2 miles across, this is a wonderfully refreshing stretch of road. We are fortunate to have a bike lane on such a unique stretch of road.
At the west end of the bridge the auto traffic enters the Mt. Baker Tunnel which heads into Downtown Seattle. We continue by heading north on our way back home. We head along Lake Washington Blvd. through the neighborhoods of Leschi, Madrona, Madison and then hook over through the Seattle Aboretum and then over the Montlake Bridge.
It’s then past Husky Stadium at the University of Washington where Virginia must give the mascot a hug:
We usually stop at University Village for a coffee at Starbucks. University Village is one of the most charming shopping centers in the area.
After our caffene fix, we head north on 25th Avenue NE through such neighborhoods as Bryant, Ravenna, Lake City, Lake Forest Park and finally we’re back home in Kenmore.
Today was perfect for a bicycle ride. The weather was clear and comfortable. We didn’t encounter too much traffic on either the Burke-Gilman Trail or on the roads. Over the years, Virginia and I have logged literally thousands of miles on our tandem. It’s one of the most powerful and enjoyable way to enjoy bicycling together.
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Jun
28
Posted by James Lupori
My wife and I did our weekly 1/2 Lake Washington bicycle ride this morning and ended at the official opening of the new Burke-Gilman Trail underpass in Kenmore. The event was actually quite a surprise. In attendance were: Kenmore’s Mayor, David Baker; King Co. Executive, Ron Sims; 32nd District’s Representative, Maralyn Chase; King County Councilman Bob Ferguson and Steve Gorcester of the WA State Transportation Improvement Board.
It was a perfect day for the “grand opening.”
There was a small yet enthusiastic group of cyclists and residents for the celebration and ribbon cutting:
Representative Maralyn Chase & King County Executive Ron Sims
The real highlight for me was meeting King Co. Executive, Ron Sims. I had an opportunity to chat briefly with him regarding the Brighwater Project, the new underpass and the importance of government and the private sector working together to help modernize and improve our communities.
My wife, Virginia, Ron Sims and the author!
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Jun
22
Posted by James Lupori
My wife and I rode our tandem bicycle through the new Burke-Gilman Trail underpass at NE Bothell Way and 73rd Ave NE yesterday. I can’t even begin to tell you how thrilled we were. Now, you may wonder why this is such a big deal so I’ll tell you: this particular intersection in Kenmore has been a point of irritation between bicyclists and motorists for years. It’s as if the transportation gods got together and said, “Where can we create a focal point for anger, frustration and ill will? Oh, that’s easy, just stick bicyclists and cars together at a dangerous intersection and there you go!”
The official opening of the underpass will be next Saturday, June 28th. My wife (pictured above with our tandem) and I will be there and we hope to see all of you trail enthusiasts.
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