back from the beach... rode the bike a few times with different objectives... need to hit PUBLISH AND POST

TIME TO REVIEW AND HIT PUBLISH AND POST

it is a rainy Thursday at the beach...
the day has started
coffee has been ingested
but there is no momentum

the boys are up and are huddled around their computer screens

I guess I am in no position to cast dispersions 

yes... a rainy day at the beach

today I opted out from riding with the intention of getting some things done
adult things
not fun adult things
need to touch up my resume and send it out

my brother just left out on the bike... it looks like it is going to rain
without any race goals or fitness objectives a day off makes as much sense as anything else
and really
this job search thing is important... hugely important

but first... I need to wake up

freshen up my electronic conversation skills
or at least wake up
as said... coffee has been ingested... I should be more awake than I am it may be time to move forward

forward with the day... forward with this post
forward with the resume and job search

ON GORDON'S POND and ROUTE ONE
The Two Best Bicycle Rides I know in Rehoboth
The Only Two Bicycle Rides I know in Rehoboth

it has become a summer tradition to go to Rehoboth with the boys
this summer tradition has evolved over the years
in years prior we would stay at Brighton Suites a few blocks off the Boardwalk in downtown Rehoboth
this allowed for all sorts of FUNLAND-BEACH-BOARDWALK adventures

but this year... this year we did something different
no... that is not the house we rented
and no... that is not my car
I just liked the car with suicide doors


this year we rented a place just outside of Rehoboth with my brother's family and a neighbor's family
seeing that we would be a few miles from the beach... bikes would be part of the equation
bikes for everyone

no bike... no beach

so... I brought my bike to the beach
not sure what bicycle to bring I brought my skinny tire road bike
the Trek 2.3
while sending the boys with their mountain bikes 


Dean and Grant went down a week earlier than I did with their mother
Lisa had some of Dean's friends take the bus down
while having the parents of a kid down the block floating in and out
it must have been madness

the skinny tire bike was my bike of choice
not the best beach bike... but I figured that I would be able to get in some road rides
my guess was correct... my brother would of course bring a skinny tire bike... the mom of the other family we were staying with brought her road bike as well... and my wife Lisa brought her bike, but left the day I arrived
either way... it was a skinny tire bicycle festival for the adults while the kids were all riding knobbies

not being that familiar with the road cycling culture in this area I went for the obvious out and back on Route One
wanting to have the most scenic ride with the most interaction with the coast and the ocean
this ride south on Route One has a nice bike lane and very few stops
the bridge is a highlight
the headwind would qualify as a lowlight

not knowing what else to do I repeated this same route with different intensities and different distances three days in a row
each day offering up a similar yet different experience
yes... similar but different


then for day 4 of riding I wanted to check out things north... so I put out a call on FACEBOOK
there were a long list of recommendations
but nothing really came up as a "must do" other than David Ryner's recommendation to mellow out a bit and enjoy the gravel bike path to Cape Henlopen through the marsh land by Gordon's Pond

there was hesitation... but when the morning came I found myself with my brother on the bikes pointing north on a mixed road\bike path loop that took us to Lewes, then a pedal around the State Park, ending with a soft pedal on the path from Herring Point to Gordon's Pond Beach... then through the neighborhoods to our beach rental 

it was SWEET!
that ride is EPIC!

not a leg burner... not a heart pounding lung stressing workout
but a beautiful pedal through a coastal eco system

an amazing man made path with a long swooping boardwalk and hard packed gravel that got us from point to point without any risk of getting lost
it is also CAR FREE!
the car traffic in Delaware near Rehoboth beach is not always the friendliest 


that morning exploration was a good trial run for what we would have the kids do in the afternoon

my brother and I returned rested and refreshed after our mellow 25 mile ride where my brother's heart rate never left its resting state to find a house full of kids ready for adventure

before mounting up on the bikes I made small talk with a guy who was doing some landscape work on the neighbor's house
Barton grew up in Rehoboth and has the salt water running through his veins
there were all sorts of recommendations of things to do and places to go

there were burgers to try and short cuts to take
the burgers at the Farmer's Market received an instant mental asterisk 


I tried to get the shortcuts down... it can be frustrating getting lost on the bike... also... someone describing something familiar to someone who is unfamiliar can offer up a breakdown in communication
but these shortcuts sounded like they would help us get to our destination more quickly... so I tried
I had tried one of these "shortcuts" the day prior... but had no luck
but I felt that Barton had made things more clear and I was ready to try again

so... when the boys were all suited up and ready to ride we pointed for short cut number one
young Grant asked if it would be a "hill billy shortcut"
this being a shortcut that goes an interesting route but does not get there any more quickly
I could not refute the chance that this would in fact be another one of dad's hill billy shortcuts
the kids went along willingly

sure enough... shortcut number one did not shorten our ride... in fact... since it failed... it lengthened our ride
as we got back on track I was relieved that there was not too much complaining
it sucks when a shortcut fails and there are comments from the peanut gallery

then we went for shortcut number two...

well... to our pleasure
the ride through Henlopen Acres was a joy
it was a beautiful shaded route that took us where we needed to go with less sun and less car interaction

less car interaction is a joy
riding with kids can be a white knuckle adventure
the kids are always racing each other and messing around

a crash near cars could be tragic
so... I prefer to have the kids ride away from car traffic

ah... nice...
at the Gordon's Pond beach parking lot we regrouped
I had the boys hydrate
then I sent the boys on their way at their own pace
the kids raced ahead


the boys had been to Herring Point multiple times before
I figured that they would recognize it even with its newly built parking lot
on top of that... my brother Marc had driven the car so that we could have all of our beach amenities
boards\chairs\towels\kites\and food
so... I expected Marc to be at the trailhead before the first set of kids arrived at our destination

not much I can say about that ride...
it is flat mellow pedal on a path that meanders through a tidal marsh
all sorts of plants and animals I do not see every day
the beach is visible in the distance from a few spots
the bird activity is nothing short of impressive

there was a scenic overlook raised deck... but no one stopped for this
the kids raced forward ahead of me

I stopped for a minute but the kids... the kids did not slow or stop to smell any roses
the kids pushed on to "make good time"
I may have instilled this notion into my boys' riding styles
then put them with their cousins... and there may be a need for the older boys to team up and race away from the younger boys
while Alik opted to ride with his mother instead of the competitive cousins
meanwhile I trailed behind

we arrived at Cape Henlopen... locked our bikes... put on our swimsuits and took it to the beach
ah...
Herring Point is very different than the other beaches
it allows 4X4s on the beach
there are people fishing
and lots of surf culture

the surf culture is what drew me here
the surf culture and that one wave

but sadly... the kids were too shy to join the surf culture
understandable
it is a cut throat culture
not so easy to break into 

I joined the kids in the waves just to the north of that one wave

we mixed our day between playing the waves and playing Kan Jam
Kan Jam was a recurring theme
a game I bought for Dean for his birthday for this trip
money well spent

the boys had been at the beach for one week before I had arrived
it was my understanding that they had been going to the same beach everyday
Deauville is a great beach... but I wanted to mix it up
so... I tried to chase the waves

although I know nothing about surfing... I consulted with some locals and I have heard various places named over the years
each evening we would discuss the actions for the following day
one evening I spoke about Indian River Inlet... there was an adult group agreement
but in the morning... when we got our slow momentum going... we were not going where I planned

even the Cape Henlopen\Herring Point trip was not when I wanted or how I wanted
there was question if my motivation was for me or for the kids

hard to rally the troops
we never made it to Indian River Inlet
there was only one trip to Herring Point
the waves were flat the one time we went to Gordon's Pond
and Deauville worked itself into the mix because it was what was most familiar 



I understand this notion of "familiar"
as mentioned I brought my road bike
on the first morning I left out the house along on my bike
pedaled to Route 1 heading South

I rode from Rehoboth to Fenwick Island and back
that would be a recurring theme
the same route done differently was enough for me
I was not interested in going inland and pedaling past the chicken shacks
I was at the beach and wanted as much beach experience as I could get

so... I rode alone
I rode with my brother and the woman from down the block that was staying with us
and I rode with my brother again
my brother were able to mix it up
we rode hard with me drafting
we rode socially along side of each other

the rides were so much the same yet they were different
not that I would want to ride this route 5 times a week every week
but for my one week at the beach
Route 1 worked fine

sure it may have been the most straight and most flat every created for man
it was interesting enough
the wind offered up an amusing variable
the wind at my back went un-noticed... I just felt fast and fit
while the wind in my face... well... that is a reality
a reality that I learned to contend with on each ride










STRAVA DATARoad Ride on Route 1 from Rehoboth to Ocean City with my brother Marc
perhaps the longest straightest no elevation ride I have ever done
http://www.strava.com/activities/169367153




STRAVA DATA
Bike Ride with Kids from Rehoboth Beach to Cape Henlopen on the Gordon Pond bike trail... FANTASTIC!
http://www.strava.com/activities/170027663

http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=cape



the road bike and the beach may be part of my future routine
I really enjoyed it
got to log some solid miles
but... I may bring two bikes
a road bike for work outs
then a fat tired machine to ride with the kids
I borrowed a bike that was many sizes too small when riding with the kids
I looked like a bearded clown and was less than comfortable

the bike path through the salt marsh by Gordon's Pond was beautiful
the beaches as you move north of Rehoboth become more remote and more beautiful
as much as I love the boardwalk... I think I prefer sand dunes
this is not to say that we do not love Thrasher's fries and playing the boardwalk games
but for beach time I like the less crowded beach
and things get less crowded the further you get from the boardwalk

Cape Henlopen has some history
there is a watch tower that is open to tourists
as well as some artillery 
it is really quite nice


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