Bike Ride in Muscatine. With the Approval From The Groundhog Society.

Sunny Day Over the River  in Muscatine!

Cheryl says, "Let's Ride!"

Yesterday was a wonderfully cold and windy day.   It was also sunny,  which is nice when riding a bike.   Cheryl wanted to take a break from running for a day and try out the bike once more.   AND she wanted a change in the scenery.   Perfect for me!

Riding down the paths. 

And through the Parks.

I have always liked the Muscatine and Davenport areas for riding bike.   (Davenport has a longer trail, but is further away...)  We have not been back to Muscatine since the end of the Farmer's Market  season.  Going back there is a pleasant experience even with the cold and wind.  Maybe it is because of the Mighty Mississippi;  one of the ONLY large bodies of water here in Iowa, that brings us back.  Or maybe it is the nod to the Bike Culture and the trails they support. 

See the Running Groundhog?

He stops to take a break.

While riding,   we stumbled upon a groundhog,  running along the fence.  You would have though that he could simply go under it or duck across and run into the trees.

He looked a little tired.

  But no!   He ran almost the entire distance before wearing out and letting us pass.   I was able to capture some pretty close photos.    I used to catch these things back in the day.   What a great pet they might have made!   (They do have pretty sharp claws though.... and teeth!)

Cheryl negotiates the OBSTACLE!

One of the only things I dislike about the culture's meddling is the "Safety Features" that help cyclists save themselves from themselves.  Take, for example,  this little corral!   To prevent you from getting HIT BY A TRAIN!  The BIG BROTHER of GOVERMENT  ( or some other leading authority)  chose to install this "Gated Turn-style"  to force cyclists to pause before crossing the tracks.   There are a number of fairly obvious problems with this solution.   See if you can come up with more.

Might as well have put a gate here. 

Look both ways before crossing...

Don't let that quiet train sneak up on you. 

The corral is too close to allow for a bike to pass through.   Even when walking it!   Cheryl is smaller than I am and has a difficult time.   I chose to walk AROUND the whole thing!   Which was difficult since they added that fence that goes almost to the edge of the drop-off.  Still,  I found that easier. 

Note the SIGN.   The train will not sound a horn.   So there is a possibility that the train will "Quietly Sneak Up" on you....  And you will never see it coming from that distance.

Sometimes it is difficult to see...  with such poor visibility. 

I'm not sure how many people have been hit by trains here in Muscatine....  but at most crossings there are lights and gates.  The gates remain up whenever a train is not in-coming.  Either way,  I simply do not understand this amount of protection on a bike path.  Let me refute a few things:

-Trains are Noisy!  You WILL hear it. ( even without the horn)

-Trains are HUGE and Visible. You WILL SEE it! ( Even without the lights)

-This corral practically prevents any clear and easy ride over the tracks when a train is NOT coming.

-Is there some reason WHY this particular section needs to be "safe?"
The Corral may even be a safety issue because you may get your bike stuck in it... Or slide down the edge as you attempt a ride around.

Cheryl is now ready to get warm...

Other than that, we had a pretty good day.   The wind really hit us on the top of the dike, causing us to get a little cold and be eager for the ride to end.   The sun held out for the most part until we arrived home.  Too bad the sun is currently not strong enough to warm things up.   Hopefully,  next week will bring those warmer spring temps back.   Fingers crossed.