Cyclocross!

So we went to a cyclocross race today, the Mill City Cyclocross Classic, held in Powderhorn Park. Cyclocross is a type of bike racing that hasn't really caught on in Texas yet. It's incredibly popular in Europe and in the norther parts of the US. It's gaining popularity in other places and I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't significantly more well-known in Texas than it was when we left just 9 months ago. Basically, you take a road bike and modify it to take tires that are slightly wider and slightly knobbier than a standard road bike. You tweak the brakes a bit to handle the mud and then you race relatively short laps around a slightly technical course (compared to mountain biking) for 30 minutes to an hour. As I said, this race was held in a city park, and since the course is fairly short, it makes for a very spectator friendly event. We hung out in the center of the park next to the playground and let the action circle around us. Oh, and did I say mud? That's right, the muddier and colder and nastier the conditions, the better. Today was dry and in the 50s, but it had been raining all week and so the ground was plenty muddy by the end of the course. Also, there are a series of obstacles (including stairs and log barriers), that require you to dismount your bike and carry it for a stretch and then hop back on again. Mini-B had a great time telling all the racers to "Go, guys! Go, guys!" Here are some photos taken with my new cellphone.

Drew and Jenny, you have to move here right now (but don't forget your camera!)

Well, the colors are really starting to turn here in the Twin Cities. I met some folks early Friday morning for breakfast and then road in wit them to work. It was about a ten mile trip and the leg ran through Hyland Park. It was so gorgeous I told Mrs. Bojangles that we had to take a walk there. So on Saturday we did. And I snapped a few pictures. Enjoy!

More beautiful colors

 

 

 

 

Even more beautiful colors

 

 

Last but not least!

 

 

 

 

We did have a chance to play at the park after our walk. Mini-B continues to be more bold and able when it comes to the climbing areas. We shared some nachos, a hot dog, and some ice cream. But I think her favorite thing that day was playing on the tire swing. Here are some pictures of that.

Duluth

 

 

 

 

So we've been busy. A few weeks ago we decided to make the drive up to Duluth, MN, a port city on Lake Superior. I'd been there once before on the way to go backpacking along the North Shore of Lake Superior, but Mrs. B and Mini-B had never been. It was a beautiful drive. We walked along the Lake Walk and stopped at the Duluth Rose Garden. It's colder and much windier in Duluth because of the lake, but sometimes the sky would clear and it would be gorgeous. Our trip was cut a bit short due to the weather and the long drive (it's about three hours to and from Minneapolis), but we're definitely planning to return, probably sometime in the spring.

More Duluth

 

 

 

 

Sweet Duluth

 

 

 

 

So as I said previously, it was a windy, overcast day in Duluth and there weren't tons of people out. But we did see a small gaggle of folks lining up for ice cream at this place. We thought that it must be good stuff if folks were lining up to buy it on a cold day. It was! We think the building must have been a gas station at some point (they just don't build gas stations like they used to). Unfortunealy for her, Mini-B was asleep and this point so she missed out on the goods (fortuneately for myself and Mrs. B because that meant more for us!)

Afton State Park

 

 

 

 

Here are some photos from our trip to Afton State Park. That's right, we've been putting our state park pass to use and we had a great trip a few weeks ago to Afton State Park. Afton is located on the St. Croix River, just across from Wisconsin. This is a beautiful river and it's also quite significant in the history of this area. The St. Croix served as a major waterway for French trappers. I hear it's still one of the most popular places to float a canoe.

More Afton

 

 

 

 

Even More Afton

 

 

 

 

Final Afton

 

The day started with a hike that took us down to the river via a multi-use trail (hiking/biking/horses/people dragging canoes on short trailers). Then after playing at the river, we had a great walk along the river's edge for a half a mile, then we climbed back up the bluffs and passed through this area that the park staff is trying to re-establish as a prairie before making it back to our car.