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BlytheStrong - Back To Clearwater




We are back!  The entire staff of Existing in BFE is/are(?) fully rested and flying into their jobs once again.  Thanks for returning.  Discovered during the break was that I didn't miss it at all.  Well, at any rate here we go for awhile.


You'll remember that I took my bicycle to Clearwater a few weeks ago via the bike path...  

As promised I went back to Clearwater on the bike/walking/jogging path.  In the trip to the car show a week before there was a large bridge that went over the waterfront.  A guy or two were walking on it and it seemed like a great place to take some pictures.  It doesn't take long so off I went.  here are the pictures of that second trip.  




As you can see there is a little bit of bridge on this picture that shows you the Clearwater waterfront where the old cars were parked.   




Isn't that pretty?  Warm day, green water, blue skies.  OK, so I took a wrong turn and ended up in the traffic lane rather than the biking/walking lane on the bridge.  Easily fixed, however as I got off my bike and lifted it over the cement barrier.  Yes, it was a little embarrassing but not as embarrassing as not being able to pedal my butt up the steep bridgeway lane.  I was, however, heartened by the knowledge that my return trip would be downhill at some point.





The two pictures above are looking north from the Memorial Causeway which is officially Route 60 from Clearwater to Clearwater Beach.  






Having turned around at the base of the bridge and looking toward a nice upward pedal, I stopped at the lookout at the peak of the bridge.  This is looking South and that was a large yacht-type boat (center) I watched for a bit as I rested.  







A nice view from the peak.  






Once I found the bike path again i headed back to Waterboard.  After a few blocks I came across a biker who was struggling with their tire.  I decided to stop and ask if they needed help and, strangely enough, he said yeah.  Strangely in that of all the bikers in the world he had me cruise by - I know nothing about bikes or changing tires.  He was dressed in those goofy spandex padded shorts and tight shirt.  He had a spare tube and a bag that held a pump and other items, and he is asking help from me?  As you can expect I provided little sage advise other than "This is why they have bike shops."  That didn't seem to go over very well but then another bicyclist stopped and thankfully had more knowledge than the two of us.  It didn't take him long to get the tube in place and pumped and off I went again.  






The new guy kept glancing in that knowing way people do signalling to me that the guy we were helping was a bit of a douche.  I returned the knowing glance, but frankly, I thought both of them were little strange so I was happy to get back on my bike and away from these guys.  I hope they are not indicative of bikers - if so I'm selling mine and buying a skateboard.

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