Car-free Sunday

I know most of you are feeling this gasoline price thing much more than we "lucky" people here in New Jersey, but even at 3.759 bicycle transport is a good idea. I thought it was a good idea last year when the price was 2-something, so I'm not a good person to ask.
For part 3 of Holiday Photo Weekend, I'll take you on a tiny tour of my corner of the world that we call West Deptford Township. That's the sign at the local WAWA, which isn't actually in West Deptford. It's in Woodbury Heights, which probably doesn't mean a lot more to you than West Deptford, but if you lived here, you'd know the difference.

Today's jaunt was one of my regular trips, to the fitness center in town called River Winds. It's a 6-mile ride from home. It's about 7 years old, and you have to be a township resident to join. The fee is about $16 a month which makes it hard to beat, fitness-center-wise. There are also athletic fields that the local youth leagues use, an indoor Olympic size swimming pool and just about every piece of weight equipment you could imagine, as well as treadmills, stair climbers and all those other machines that were designed to do something that you'd generally be better off doing on the actual terrain that they simulate. I often wonder how many people who spend a half hour on the stair machine are the first ones in line for the escalator at the mall?

This is the building. It sits right on the banks of the Delaware River, which I suppose is how they came up with the name. It was built on ground that was formerly Wetlands, and when the petition went around to ask our opinion, I opposed using the wetlands site for construction. Since then, they built a golf course, started construction on a restaurant and there is a hotel proposed, so I'm thinking that my opinion was highly valued.

The golf course is apparently a dangerous place, as I found when I peddaled down the road to the entrance.
"No bicycles, jogging, dog walking or sight-seeing." Technically, I was doing 2 of those 4 things, so I guess I should feel lucky that the local police didn't haul me downtown.

The sign isn't clear as to where the "danger" is. It's either in the 4-mph electric golf carts or the errant shots from the numerous hackers that come out to play the course.

Lucky for me I was wearing a helmet.

Hardly a day goes by that somebody doesn't ask me, "Show me your bike." This is the commuter bike I use to tool around town. They're real babe-magnets, as you can see. Women love a guy with panniers and a trunk-bag.
It's hard to tell if this is a beach on the south of France or a lovely resort town in Bermuda. It's neither. It's the smelly shore of the Delaware River, directly across from the Philadelphia International Airport and a few miles downwind of the great city itself. Romantic couples often share a picnic lunch on the river in the hopes of catching a passing plane crash or watching an oil tanker chug by on its way to one of the numerous refineries.
This is the famous bike shop where I bought the famous bike. It's less than a half mile from home. I bought both of my bikes there, but the other one is practically useless in everyday life. The shop was recently remodeled, which is nice. I was afraid they were going to move, and if the shop moved, I'd have to move, too.

Across the road is the supermarket/liquor store/abandoned retail store and Staples. Around town, we call this "one-stop shopping". Most days, I walk to the store, and I'm so spoiled that I generally just buy a few things, since it's so close that I just go back the next time I need something. The liquor store is especially handy.
This is the view down the road, looking west toward Woodbury. Down the road a couple of miles is the WAWA and a Subway that makes a nice lunch sandwich. It's an easy ride down.

So, that was pretty much my day. Out to River Winds to lift weights and sweat a little, to the shop to pick up some bike stuff and down the big hill to the local Subway for a lunch/dinner sandwich. (I break the 12-inchers in half). Overall, the official mileage count was 16.2 miles.

Tomorrow, I'll be back on the "useless" road bike for a ride that is going to be at least 60 miles with my usual group. Since I'm a sucker for peer pressure, I might be tempted to extend the ride 20 or 30 miles. Ya never know.
Then, Monday night I'll be at Citizens Bank Ballpark for the Phillies versus the Colorado Rockies. It's Dollar-Dog night at the ballpark, so after all this bike work, I might be justified in downing a few hot dogs for dinner.

Just don't allow yourself to forget what the holiday means.