2015 Road Trip Report #03

Atlanta can be beautiful. Really. It can also be a bit frustrating, but hey, what place isn’t? When I awoke, a wee bit later than I’d planned, though not so bad really given I’m on vacation, I discovered that the wet weather of yesterday had passed and it looked perfect for a ride.
I had a quick breakfast of eggs and sausage at the college dorm’s dining hall and it was just fine. The coffee was hot and plentiful, and if it wasn’t freshly pulled espresso it was at least endless and real cream was available.
Watered and fed I grabbed my bike and my phone for GPS and headed out. And promptly got lost.
I was looking for a specific entrance to the Beltline and Atlanta was not cooperating. Like many places I’ve visited, and where I currently live for that matter, Atlanta doesn’t seem that interested in making sure there are street signs or visible address numbers. Add to that the fact that the Beltline isn’t actually complete, parts are really just old trail (and some rail-to-trail), it can be a little iffy.
But find it I did and the parts that are working are sumptuous. The paths are roomy and well maintained, there’s signage explaining natural features and local flora, plenty of public art, both sponsored and ad hoc as it were, and great weather above.
Here’s an example of some of the art I found along the way…
Public Art on Beltline #1
 
That face is really two installations you must line up to get just right. It’s really pretty neat. There’s a lot of stuff like this along the way.
After a couple of miles of bike path I came to a street and promptly got lost again. A bike path stretched up the street alongside a wonderful park, but I couldn’t figure out where the bike path entered the park. Big mistake. I did find it later, but not finding now led to a merry chase through the streets of Atlanta while I tried to figure out which way I was going, which was I was supposed to go, and which way I could get back.
In short I got lost as all get out and had a great time.
For the record, I’m sure locals know their way around and I’ll have better luck next time I go (because, hey!, I know at least the first bit now).
I wasn’t able to do the full loop as I would have liked, the path, when I managed to get back on it petered out as a rail-to-travel gravel bed that, frankly, was a bit more than I wanted to deal with this morning. I’m sure it would have turned back into a great path if I’d kept at it, but by this time it was time to head back as I’ve a lunch date with an old friend and don’t want to be late.
All in all I did about 15 miles and had a great morning. Yes I got lost. No, not so lost I couldn’t find my way back. It just takes time to get used to a new city and that’s okay. Getting lost is half the fun of urban exploring.
Here I am under another bit of art along the path…
Public Art on Beltline #2
 
How’d I get so skinny; okay, maybe I’m not, but compared to what I used to be…
So here I am in Atlanta, having a great time and being very grateful I have bicycle and the heath to use it.
Public Art on Beltline #3

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