July 4, 2014Missy and I took the first ride of the year. She had never experienced the Valley Park trail winding around the Meramec River and over to Simpson Park Lake. The weather was unseasonably cool at 78 degrees and no humidity.

Cassie and I headed out to Creve Coeur Lake park for a ride on a hot Sunday. We didn't know how long we'd go, but the goal was the bridge over the Missouri. The highlights:1) Cassie did great round trip. 2) Busy around the lake, but the trail to the bridge was empty. 3) The Page extension is really a marvelous engineering project.

First real trip of 2013. I was planning on a 60 mile ride, but was overruled by the family. :-)I decided to stick to Kirkwood since I had to get a tennis pass renewed and grab some things from the library. Highlights:1) Kirkwood is a great town. 2) Stopped by friends house and had a nice chat. Usually I am loathe to just drop by, but their porch has an official facebook check in location.

Excellent ride on a spring like day through Forest Park. We mostly stayed on the trails, but off roaded a few times. Experiencing parts of the park we've never been to was exciting. A couple of things:1) The off road trails are a delight to ride. 2) The old tunnel under 64 to the football fields is gone. lol3) The ice rink was fantastic.

As part of my birthday fun, we wanted to take a bike ride and Missy suggested the Katy Trail. It was her first time on the trail and and she loved it. We covered about 14 miles and had a very good time. Some of the highlights:1) Missy conquered the hill from the Page Extension down to the Katy Trail.

I was due to work in Madison on Friday, so we decided to make it a weekend. By driving up Thursday night, we'd have Friday night and Saturday in Madison. Many people have told us Madison is a great place ... and it is. I am sure the winters are harsh, but the late summer is gorgeous. Until now, I had no idea it was surrounded by two lakes and you cannot diminish how impressive it is.

Hello,The plan was to go 50 miles today to Augusta, MO. A few things made this impossible:1) I woke up. Not a bad thing, right? Well, the sun was out, which meant I slept through or turned off the alarm at 4:30am. It was 5:40am when I woke up. 2) No gas. Driving to Creve Couer Lake the minivan was on empty, so I had to stop and get gas. 3) Missed exit.

106 degree day today, so Missy and I felt it would be a good morning for a bike ride. It was special since we haven't been on a bike ride together in a year or more. When Shannon was a baby we used to put her in the rider behind my bike and go around Kirkwood. The library, grocery, all over. We discussed the trip last night and considered all the local trails.