Sometimes Near is So Far - Bicycling in Tampa

Sometimes your own backyard is overlooked.  When I was driving to Clearwater, Florida, to play pickleball last year, I watched the progress of a "trail" bridge being built.  It turned out great!

In this photo, you can see the new bridge on the left and the vehicle bridge(s) on the right.   We rode on a Sunday morning thinking that the traffic would be a bit lighter, and I think it was - but not much.

We parked at Ben T Davis Beach, which is right past the Tampa International Airport. 




We rode a little over 6 miles directly west toward Clearwater, Florida.  The best part of the trail is that it is always right besdie the water. 

The least best part of the trail is that it is sandwiched between the water and the 4 lane highway. 

The second best part of the trail is that you get to climb up and go down a hill!!!!  Well, not so fast . . .   In order to find a hill in the Tampa area, you have to have a bridge.  Here's the downhill part looking toward Clearwater.

Coming back, you get another hill!!!   Wheee!


This is looking to the east where you can see the City of Tampa buildings in the background. 

The total mileage?  Almost 13 miles.  Just about right for a Sunday ride.

Plus, it's in our own backyard!

Kindle, Nook, et al

I am not an "early adopter" of technology - nor probably anything else.  In fact, the picture below is of my actual cell phone - which most people laugh at when they see it.  But, it cost me $20 for the phone and 9.99 a month so I'm reasonably happy.  Plus, my brother has the same model!!!  (Hmmm.)

But this isn't about phones, it's about "reading devices," which I've been reluctant to embrace.

In a crisis, the local Hillsborough County Library did not have "Snow Crash" by Neal Stephenson in real print, which was on my list.  It was available in eBook however.  I borrowed ML's Kindle Fire that she got for a gift a year or so ago and rarely uses.  It was easy to download it to the Fire, although I had to get ML to do it through her Amazon account.  I didn't even have to go to the library . . .




So here's what I think . . ..

a.) If I traveled a lot, I would definitely have a electronic reader.

b.) I would have preferred more words on the "Fire" page.  Too much swiping! 

c.) It was nice that if a question came up, related to the book or not, I could switch over to the Fire browser and look it up with the same device. 

d.) The real benefit from my thinking is that if I subscribed to the "tablet" versions of magazines and/or newspapers that I get, I could get rid of tons of clutter surrounding the various chairs and bedside table that I use: stacks of books, magazines, newspapers, little slips of paper with notes on them, references that I'm saving to look up when I have time, you name it.   (like you see in the photo on the left.)

Just think, maybe we could have a clean house with one tablet each. 

No, you're right, even that won't work. 

I confess, it was OK, but I still like fumbling with a real book.  Must be my age.