Anne’s boss suggested I bike to Sauvie Island.  I just did. It was sublime and closer than I thought, a little over 11.5 miles from home to the bridge that takes you to the island. The main stretch after going through the Alphabet District is St. Helens Road [Hwy 30], which is flat-ish and has a wide shoulder with not very many glass shards. The island is filled with farms, orchards, parks, preserves and many beautiful smells wafting about. Nice.

SW Terwilliger Blvd. is my new favorite urban route; I just head south on Broadway to reach it.  I like Terwilliger because its increased elevation [heading south] is just annoying enough to cause muscle burn, but pretty enough to be worth it. I will start a ride here then loop back to town on SW Barbur Blvd, hit the Hawthorne Bridge to destinations east. Sometimes up Mt. Tabor, then to 74th over to Tillamook and through the quaint Irvington District before catching the Broadway Bridge home.

I’ll confess; lately, it’s been hard to imagine what Portland looks like when it’s covered in clouds and rain.