Today we attended the annual meeting of the Kanza Rail-Trail Conservancy in Ottawa, where an update was given on the ongoing work being done to complete the Flint Hills Nature Trail. Lots of neat things in store for the 117-mile trail from Osawatomie to Herington. When it's all done, it's going to awesome!
After the meeting, we rode the recently completed portion from Colorado Road in Pomona east to Iowa road where it is still yet to be developed. During our 12-1/2 mile round trip ride we encountered 9 other cyclists (a couple of them were fellow meeting attendees), proving that if you build it, they will come.
Here is one of the new bridges. The side rails are constructed of metal, not wood, so it should outlast any current user of the trail.
The trail parellels the existing BNSF *extremely busy* active double-track line --- a little too close for this girl's comfort. I sometimes grossly misuse my imagination when I picture things like a stray nail or something on those metal rails, and then train cars scissoring and China Shipping containers flying through the air, with me riding alongside just a few feet away. There is no way that scenario could end well. I do the same thing when I'm sitting at a railroad crossing in my car, wishing I wasn't quite so close to those churning metal wheels. I really need to stop doing that.
All along this 6-mile section are signs warning equestrian users of train noise. I doubt I would want to ride a horse on this section. Oh wait, I doubt I would want to ride a horse........ anywhere. :)
Here was our turnaround point at Iowa Road.
Here is where the trail users have to cross the very busy 65 mph Highway 68, and right there in the background is my least favorite highway railroad crossing EVER! Why this highway does not have a bridge over this insanely busy double-track railroad is a complete fricking mystery to me. I practically hyperventilate every time I have to drive over this thing, ever since the time I experienced being the first car in the line waiting for a train to cross, having the warning arms go up, so I started to proceed across the tracks and the lights came on and the arms started to come down AGAIN, as another train was approaching on the second track. Shit like that is simply not cool. Not cool at all.
Crossing this highway on a bike was not my favorite thing, either. We did this once to say we did. I would definitely not want to have it be a part of my daily routine.
There were a lot of rubbernecking drivers during the time it took to get this self-timer picture set up. I'm glad they kept it between the lines. But maybe seeing us there will alert them to the fact that this pedestrian crossing IS utilized and hopefully they will remember that the next time they travel this way and be on the lookout. Or maybe not. Probably not.
All in all, however, this was a great relaxing ride. The trail surface is smooth and amazing. I'm dreaming of the day the portion of the trail around my town is in such great condition. What I heard at the meeting today was encouraging that it WILL indeed happen in the next few years.
My sweetie treated me to a once-in-a-lifetime awesome experience when he suggested we should get tickets to a Royals playoff game. We couldn't have chosen a better game -- Game 6 -- as that was the one that advanced them on to the World Series for a second year in a row. How exciting it was to be there in person to witness it with 30,000 other equally excited fans! So much energy in that stadium. It was incredible. Here was our amazing evening in pictures........
The line just to get in the gate, and we were none too early getting to this point by the time we had wound our way through the 45-minute experience that was simply getting from the point of entering the parking lot to where we were actually routed to park over in the Arrowhead lot.
Posters of our Boys in Blue spotted on the winding way up the cat walk to our seats in the Hy-Vee section.
A fan's poster spotted in the bathroom. LOL
Saw it on the Jumbotron later during the game.
We were climbing the stairs to our seats at the tippy-top of the nosebleed section as the national anthems were starting.
No sitting around waiting for the game to start for us tonight!
Since we were playing Toronto, anthems were sung for both Canada
and America
Country singer Clay Walker sang the Star Spangled Banner.
My sweetie beside me and the Royals outfielders down there along the right field base line during the Canadian anthem.
Our first attempt at a selfie came out terrible and I asked my sweet husband to be the one to hold the phone to attempt the second one since his arm is longer. At that point, the nice couple behind us interjected and offered to take a picture for us since they "didn't want to listen to a marital disagreement." LOL
Game start time!
Let's get this party started!
The view from our seat.
It might have been nosebleed section, but still a great view!
Moose hit the now-famous home run.
Fireworks erupted and water shot out of the fountains........
and they replayed on the Jumbotron
But then this....... LOL
And then this.
Whooooooo!!!!
And then my Paulo Orlando came into the game and my day was complete.
I love that Paulo!
(Trust me, this is Paulo, not an ant.)
We knew there was a possibility of rain. Rain had been forecast for several days prior. So, we had gone prepared for the possibility with umbrella and ponchos in our bag. But we were lulled into a false sense of security when the game began and proceeded without precipitation. We were, however, unaware of this Facebook post that WIBW issued at 7:50 pm. No notice was ever given to the spectators at the stadium that rain was imminent before the end of the game. Seems like something they might have at least maybe put on the big screen at some point. Or maybe that's just me. LOL
And, yep...... it arrived. :)
But we waited it out at our seats. With our ponchos, we stayed almost completely dry. And thankfully, for being nighttime at the end of October, it was an amazing 70 degrees, so it wasn't a cold, miserable rain.
In fact, the rain delay was actually much longer than it seemed for somebody who was sitting in the rain waiting it out. I was shocked the next day to find out it had been a 45-minute to 1-hour delay.
But look at the time there. Boy was I glad that (A) this was a Friday night, (B) we didn't have to go to work tomorrow, and (C) we had a hotel room reserved and didn't have to make the 2-hour drive home!
So, they removed the tarp and the game resumed.........
But at that point, I had a bad gut feeling that things were stacked against them and that it wasn't going to end favorably for the Royals. Wade Davis had just started pitching when the rain delay was called and he had had 45 minutes to cool down and that just didn't bode well to me or several people seated around us based on comments I heard. I added my own muttered, "I don't have a good feeling about this at all....."
However, my ever-optimistic husband made me laugh out loud
for longer than I probably should have with his response to that:
"None of that. It's probably just something bad left over from lunch."
Love that guy!!! :) :)
And damn if he wasn't right. But the top of the 9th inning was not for the faint of heart. The Royals got in a heck of a tight spot and somehow managed to get themselves out of it.
What an amazing roar erupted from the crowd when Moose caught the line drive and threw it over to Hosmer to make the last out and win the game. I'm so glad I caught it all on video.
There's Moose and bunch of the guys celebrating on the Jumbotron
And here's my sweetie and myself with the celebration
happening on the field below us. So. Cool.
One of the best experiences of my life and I owe it all to my wonderful husband
for convincing me we should be there in person to experience it.
And we each have a rally towel as a souvenir of our amazing evening!
I imagine it will be going in a frame.
#ForeverRoyal
Getting out of the parking lot was another long adventure but at that point where were so hyped up it didn't matter how long it took. :) It was well after midnight and we were starving, so we had IHOP at 1:00 a.m. That was special, too, because it was the same IHOP that was right across the street from his dad's office that his dad used to take him to when he was a boy.
Be sure to check out our video montage at the very bottom of this post
to experience the chills and goosebumps of the game with full audio!
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Saturday, October 24, 2015
So, this being a bike blog and all, we felt compelled to include a bike ride on this trip, although in no way, shape or form was the bike ride the priority of this awesome weekend. LOL
We stayed at the Holiday Inn on the Plaza and since the Harry Wiggins Trolley Track Trail was very close to there, we decided to give it a try, even though it got pretty poor reviews as a "bike trail", and I would likely agree with that assessment, as it has many, many street crossings. The trail, as its name implies, is the reclaimed track of the former trolley line. It is a much better jogging and dog-walking trail than it is a bike trail, but for our purposes today, it worked just fine. We were not out for a strenuous exercise ride, we were just wanting to enjoy some time on the seats of our bikes, checking out a trail we had not visited before.
I always like to see artsy stuff incorporated into trails.
The world can always use more beauty and creativity.
The trail sign had children's artwork on tiles up at top. Wonderful idea.
It was a beautiful fall day for our very low-key bike ride
on this pretty urban trail.
I really should have had my blue RockiNoggins helmet cover,
but I had left it at home.
The pink polka dots didn't really match the Royals hoodie. Oh, the shame! :)
I assume the little stone house is the trolley station this plaque refers to,
but who knows?
The trail went through the Waldo neighborhood of KC, MO.
(Where's Waldo? Found him..........)
The bus stop had a neat bike rack
And on the other side of the same bus stop, another artsy
-- and unexpected -- find.
A piano. Just sitting there.
See it back there? LOL
It was painted up funky and had some sort of wooden appendages nailed onto it, and even had a stuffed snake protruding from it. It was bizarre and hilarious. I imagine it was also very out of tune, although I did not try it. I'm wondering to myself now -- too late -- why I didn't at least pound out the old standard
"Heart and Soul" that we used to play to drive our junior high music teacher nuts. Dang it! Think Tom Hanks in "Big."
It apparently was part of the 2015 Pianos on Parade event.
According to the sign taped on the top, it is
"Looking for a good home. This piano is free to take."
Nature trails are all fine and good, but I have discovered that I like to have things to look at while I ride along, too. And art is more interesting to me than just trees and gravel, so this trail was right up my alley!
We came upon two separate KC BCycle stations along this trail.
We have ridden bikes rented from BCycle in Houston (blog post here), and DecoBike in San Diego (blog post still pending) Glad to see KC also offering the service, but in the hour or so that we rode this trail, we did not see anyone riding one of these bikes. If we had not brought our own bikes with us on this trip, we likely would have taken advantage of the BCycles. It is a great concept and we have found them very handy in several cities we have visited and have been glad for the opportunity to ride bikes in situations where we could not have our bikes with us, when we have flown to our destination rather than driven there.
The BCycle bikes all have baskets on them, many with advertisements
and funny PSAs.
But the BEST thing discovered at the KC BCycle station
was this little darling right here.......
All in all, we had a wonderful leisurely 7-mile ride along the
Harry Wiggins Trolley Trail.
We finished off our night with my employee appreciation dinner at Fogo de Chao Brazilian steakhouse on the Plaza. Interesting restaurant. They bring skewers of meat around to the table -- any and all kinds of meat -- chicken breast, chicken thighs, pork, steak, lamb, there was probably turkey, too (honestly, I lost count.) And they will keep bringing meat around to the table and asking you if you want some and you will wonder why they won't leave you alone because you are stuffed and couldn't possible eat another bite. To make them stop, we realized that we needed to turn the coaster that was at each place setting over from the green side to the red side. And then they stopped asking. :)
He experienced meat ecstasy. She, being not that much of a meat eater, preferred the extensive salad bar, although the sirloin steak was excellent. I believe if the next employee appreciation dinner is held there, I will have to try to remember to hold out for the sirloin. I don't need to try all the other kinds of meat. The sirloin and the salad will do me just fine. And then there was dessert. I'll hold out for that, too. :)
As we walked back through the Plaza to our hotel after supper,
we enjoyed seeing all the Royals flags lining the street
and took our picture in front of the Royals blue fountain.
What a wonderful weekend spent with the man of my dreams!
No video of the bike ride, but here is a video montage of our incredible Royals game experience:
