Let's talk about needs. It is easy to ride your bike to the store for some chips or six pack of beer. What about random needs? Things you don't gt on a regular basis - things that don't fit into your normal routine. You need to make "a trip." This "trip" - according to my resolution - must be traversed via bicycle. I need guitar strings.
Any guitarist who takes pride in their instrument and takes care of it could tell you, restringing a guitar is like a trip to the dentist - you know it needs to be done, but not often enough to establish a routine of it.
There used to be a music store right down the road, Bebop Music, on Government street. They didn't have everything, but you can rely on them for odds and ends. Soon after the mega-chain, Guitar Center, opened it went under and a bike store, Mid-City Bikes, opened in its stead. So, hey, I can't complain.
For the first time in this blog I leave my neighborhood and take a left! Although not exactly. A very handy path - I usually use is to cross Government St. - is at the light at Hearthstone. It is a one-way street and it lets into The Westmoreland Shopping Center, but no one seems to mind me using it as a thoroughfare. It leads behind an Abandoned Building and onto a half-street Cole Dr. While Cole doesn't connect anything but the back of buildings and a mostly vacant parking lot it does provide an easy crossing of anther major artery, Acadian Thruway.
Right behind the CVS, Cole Dr. lets out onto Acadian Thrwy. Come to a complete stop at the stop sign and wait for the light on Acadian to stop traffic. As scary as it sounds merge onto Acadian and get in the far left lane. Only a block down is a now defunct turning lane that leads to cycling Eden, Capital Heights.
Capital Heights is a 2mile stretch that passes through the heart of the city. It is a quaint neighborhood with two very thin lanes passing through it. It doesn't have much of a sidewalk to speak of and it was a traffic jam - until a couple of years ago.
The city finally did something beneficial for its biwheeled commuters. It shut down one of Height's two lanes of traffic and made the street a one-way. Though it goes opposite of the way I am traveling, the extra lane was converted into a lovely bike/pedestrian path. It can lead you to a myriad of grocers, restaurants, and even a YMCA!
I, though, have no time for frivolities - I have an errand to run. Capital Heights lets me out onto another dangerous road Jefferson Highway.
If you are keeping count I have crossed three (3) major roads and there are two more to go. Baton Rouge is crissed-crossed with these behemoth. So much so I am running out of creatives synonyms for streets that will sufficiently impart the ginormity of these gargantuan autobahns. It forms a net around our infrastructure that ironically severs parts of the city more so then connect them. I cross Jefferson seeking another Capital Heights capable of carrying me safely another many miles towards my destination.
I researched my trip to the music store. The nearest places are locally owned Zeagler Music and C&M Music Store - both of which are a terrible trek to the land that bikes fear to tread, Florida Blvd.
Florida, also known as Highway 190, is a supplement to Highway 90, also know as Airline Highway. Highway 90 runs along south Louisiana and at one time was the only road accessible to New Orleans. Florida, like it's big brother, is a mega road. It is six-lanes wide and while there is a median at some places, it quickly disappears at stop lights or U-Turn Lanes. Zeagler Music is on the opposite side of the street so I opt for C & M for my string needs.
After emerging from Capital Heights I continued to zig-zag my way parallel to Government and Florida. A quick swing through a parking lot and around a park leads me to Esplanade Ave.
Esplanade was to be my savior but it just ended. All the streets in between the major arteries just... ended. They seemed connected, but they just... stopped. I panicked at this point and resorted to riding on the sidewalk along Government Street, which wasn't so bad except for the 6 inch drops where the sidewalk gave way to a side road. Ouch!
After a few blocks of this dismal drive I retook the road and took a legit left onto Lobdell Ave. It has been redone and had a nice smooth sidewalk which I also, embarrassingly, rode along.
This led me to Florida and I cut through as many parking lots as I could, but some were blocked off by steep drops or gate. I ended up pedaling along the shoulder of this near-highway to reach my destination.
I bought some strings, two packs, so that I might not have to make this ride for some time. I was sweaty from the ride and the transaction took only a few minutes, then back on the cycle to home. I took much the same path home although I avoided Government at all costs. I instead went down the nearest side street, Finchley Ave., to Goodwood Blvd.
Goodwood is the designated bike road and although it is only two lanes wide it seems safer than Government Street. Unless you count the dogs.
When passing the first street, before Audubon Ave., I spied two blurry black object coming at me at high speeds. It was two dogs barking madly and coming at full tilt. Thank God I was on a fast bike because those canines were nipping at my heels!
Any guitarist who takes pride in their instrument and takes care of it could tell you, restringing a guitar is like a trip to the dentist - you know it needs to be done, but not often enough to establish a routine of it.
There used to be a music store right down the road, Bebop Music, on Government street. They didn't have everything, but you can rely on them for odds and ends. Soon after the mega-chain, Guitar Center, opened it went under and a bike store, Mid-City Bikes, opened in its stead. So, hey, I can't complain.
For the first time in this blog I leave my neighborhood and take a left! Although not exactly. A very handy path - I usually use is to cross Government St. - is at the light at Hearthstone. It is a one-way street and it lets into The Westmoreland Shopping Center, but no one seems to mind me using it as a thoroughfare. It leads behind an Abandoned Building and onto a half-street Cole Dr. While Cole doesn't connect anything but the back of buildings and a mostly vacant parking lot it does provide an easy crossing of anther major artery, Acadian Thruway.
Right behind the CVS, Cole Dr. lets out onto Acadian Thrwy. Come to a complete stop at the stop sign and wait for the light on Acadian to stop traffic. As scary as it sounds merge onto Acadian and get in the far left lane. Only a block down is a now defunct turning lane that leads to cycling Eden, Capital Heights.
Capital Heights is a 2mile stretch that passes through the heart of the city. It is a quaint neighborhood with two very thin lanes passing through it. It doesn't have much of a sidewalk to speak of and it was a traffic jam - until a couple of years ago.
The city finally did something beneficial for its biwheeled commuters. It shut down one of Height's two lanes of traffic and made the street a one-way. Though it goes opposite of the way I am traveling, the extra lane was converted into a lovely bike/pedestrian path. It can lead you to a myriad of grocers, restaurants, and even a YMCA!
I, though, have no time for frivolities - I have an errand to run. Capital Heights lets me out onto another dangerous road Jefferson Highway.
If you are keeping count I have crossed three (3) major roads and there are two more to go. Baton Rouge is crissed-crossed with these behemoth. So much so I am running out of creatives synonyms for streets that will sufficiently impart the ginormity of these gargantuan autobahns. It forms a net around our infrastructure that ironically severs parts of the city more so then connect them. I cross Jefferson seeking another Capital Heights capable of carrying me safely another many miles towards my destination.I researched my trip to the music store. The nearest places are locally owned Zeagler Music and C&M Music Store - both of which are a terrible trek to the land that bikes fear to tread, Florida Blvd.
Florida, also known as Highway 190, is a supplement to Highway 90, also know as Airline Highway. Highway 90 runs along south Louisiana and at one time was the only road accessible to New Orleans. Florida, like it's big brother, is a mega road. It is six-lanes wide and while there is a median at some places, it quickly disappears at stop lights or U-Turn Lanes. Zeagler Music is on the opposite side of the street so I opt for C & M for my string needs.
After emerging from Capital Heights I continued to zig-zag my way parallel to Government and Florida. A quick swing through a parking lot and around a park leads me to Esplanade Ave.
Esplanade was to be my savior but it just ended. All the streets in between the major arteries just... ended. They seemed connected, but they just... stopped. I panicked at this point and resorted to riding on the sidewalk along Government Street, which wasn't so bad except for the 6 inch drops where the sidewalk gave way to a side road. Ouch!
After a few blocks of this dismal drive I retook the road and took a legit left onto Lobdell Ave. It has been redone and had a nice smooth sidewalk which I also, embarrassingly, rode along.
This led me to Florida and I cut through as many parking lots as I could, but some were blocked off by steep drops or gate. I ended up pedaling along the shoulder of this near-highway to reach my destination.
I bought some strings, two packs, so that I might not have to make this ride for some time. I was sweaty from the ride and the transaction took only a few minutes, then back on the cycle to home. I took much the same path home although I avoided Government at all costs. I instead went down the nearest side street, Finchley Ave., to Goodwood Blvd.
Goodwood is the designated bike road and although it is only two lanes wide it seems safer than Government Street. Unless you count the dogs.
When passing the first street, before Audubon Ave., I spied two blurry black object coming at me at high speeds. It was two dogs barking madly and coming at full tilt. Thank God I was on a fast bike because those canines were nipping at my heels!
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1 comment:
ok ben, i'm inspired. i'm going to make an effort to ride to work and wherever else is convenient. i did it last year til it got unbearably hot.
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