One Pretty Spot

We (TFL, GirlChild, and I) got up at the crack of dawn to head down to a state park. Photo op for GirlChild, who needed to shoot several rolls of film, and an excuse for TFL and I to take Bonnie for a spin. The area we headed for is perhaps the only non-flat part of the state; it's a series of canyons along a river, with good hiking paths laid through and nice windy roads for the bike.

First, I had forgotten how long it takes to get down there. An hour of driving and we were still in Urban Sprawl, and then another long stretch of nothing but cornfields did not make for an edifying ride first thing in the morning--especially because I was in the car instead of on the bike. Then, the camera sputtered and died. This was not a happy event, and although TFL later at least partially resurrected it GirlChild was not able to take many pictures this morning. So she was ever so slightly cranky about that.

She headed back early and TFL and I went to another area with TFL's brother's family and admired a quite lovely little canyon with a long waterfall at one end of it. That was quite enough of nature for one day.

Off we went (on the bike at last!) back to the city. Although there were plenty of motorcycles downstate--and it was a perfect day for riding--we noticed that none of them were European bikes. We found this lack not surprising, but sad. Not everyone has to have a Bonnie, of course, or even a Triumph, but where were the BMWs or even a Moto Guzzi? Nowhere. But when we stopped for gas, what should pull in right behind us but another Triumph!! It was a beauty, a restored 1972 Tiger.