two trips to the city... by bike. Part 2

#1 Son and his girlfriend wanted us to come to the horse races with them. We said yes. I saw it as another chance to ride into the city, this time via St. Albert.

I rode north uphill and then east on Airport Road to the north end of St. Albert. It was pretty windy, and the wind was from the northeast, so it was a long hard ride. I was glad when I reached the point where I had to turn south. I had printed directions from Google maps, but once I got to Hogan Road, I used the Google Maps app on my smartphone to double check. It told me to go south on Hogan and over to Dawson and then down to McKenney. That worked out pretty well. From McKenney I was supposed to turn right onto St. Albert Trail. I had my doubts about this, knowing how busy this street typically is, but it turns out there is a decent multi-use trail running south all the way to Sturgeon Road. After this, the southbound trail disappears. The app on my phone was insisting I should continue on St. Albert Trail, but as I eyed the road, I questioned this advice. There was a rather steep-looking climb, a narrow right lane and heavy traffic. I stood there a while wondering what to do, and finally spotted a trail going through an underpass in a vaguely southeasterly direction. Figuring it would probably take me further east to a less busy road, I decided to try it. What a beautiful route! Gently winding along the Sturgeon River, this trail took me to Boudreau, where I turned right and rode to Campbell Road. On Campbell Road I headed south. This road is a cyclist's dream -- wide shoulders, good pavement and light traffic. If I'd known better I would have continued on this road all the way to 137 Avenue, but I sort of accidentally ended up turning left onto Mark Messier Trail. This wasn't as bad as it could have been, but was far from ideal. I was pretty happy to see 137 Avenue at last. On 137 there is a good bike route, consisting of multi-use trails and service roads, all the way to Castledowns Road. Here I headed south to 127 Avenue, turned left and then right at 97 Street. Here, it began to rain. Not hard, but steady. It felt kind of nice after a warm ride, so I didn't complain.

118 Avenue was a big surprise. It had been a couple of years since I'd ventured into that once questionable area, and I had no idea that it had become so upscale. Cute little shops, restaurants, an artists' headquarters and gallery, and most appealing to me at that point in my ride -- the tempting aromas emanating from numerous bakeries.

Moments later I was at Northlands. Typically, I was the first of our party to arrive, so I had to stand around in my cycling clothes waiting for Hubby (who had my civvies) and #1 Son and Girlfriend.

The rain stopped and this rainbow appeared:

The races were fun. We ate at the buffet, which was not really worth it. The food was okay, but nothing special, and it was fairly expensive. Next time we'll either bring our own food or just buy from the food stands outside. We placed a few bets. Son and Girlfriend have a system -- they spend $20 and bet $2 each on five races. Usually they leave having spent a dollar or two, or sometimes a dollar or two ahead. Either way, it's a cheap evening out.

I placed three bets. On the first, I lost my little all, as Bertie Wooster would say. On the second, I more than doubled my money, and on the third, I won a modest sum. I spent $6.00 in total and left with $6.80. Not bad for a beginner. My first winning bet was on a horse called Victor Man; I chose him only because Victor is #5 Son's name. I bet $2.00 and ended with $4.30. My second winner was more calculated; I studied his history before deciding to bet. My $2.00 bet yielded $2.50.

I rode a total of 59 km. My pace was pretty slow, first because of the northeast wind, and then because I kept stopping to figure out where to go next. But it was a fun little adventure, not one I am super eager to repeat, but a good experience.

Today I'm ready for a nice uninterrupted country ride. Enough of the city for now.